An Alpha's Duty

Chapter 14

Ryan left the women and Luke in the tent and walked towards the house in search of his father. There were only a few pack members left to be seen by Lenah and Elaina and knew he had to talk to his father before they finished.

Whilst he'd watched Lenah work with the pack children and their families, he'd thought about what he was going to say to her. He'd driven himself crazy trying to think of an argument to convince her to stay but in truth he knew he had nothing. What could he offer her?

His pack was at war. They were completely outnumbered. And so far practically everyone he knew had openly insulted her not just once but repeatedly.

He hoped his father would have some advice for him or else he was going to lose his mind with worry.

Entering the pack house he shouted out to his father and heard his answering reply coming from one of the communal living areas.

Ryan found his father staring out the window at the tent outside.

"Your mate is doing well Ryan." His father's slightly surprised admission had Ryan beaming in gratitude. He also felt proud of Lenah.

Every child she had seen today instantly fell under her charms. She even had the shyest children eating out of the palm of her hand. It was truly unbelievable to watch.

"Come see her with Debby's eldest." His father motioned for him to join him by the window.

Peering out he could see his mate talking animatedly with a teenage boy in a wheelchair. He saw her throw her head back in laughter at something the boy said. Her smile made his legs go weak. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"Would you look at that, she actually got that kid to talk, don't think I've seen him talk in about three years." His father chuckled to himself but Ryan could hear the appreciation in his voice.

Nate had been involved in an accident which severely damaged his spine when he was only 7 years old. A human child would have died instantly of the injuries inflicted but Nate was strong even without his wolf.

Unfortunately, due to his young age not all of his injuries had been so easily fixed. The damage to his spine was too great and as a result the boy was paralyzed from the waist down. Confined, until his first shift, to be stuck in a wheelchair.

Ryan and his father, who was Alpha during the accident, had sought expert advice from across the continent and oversees for help. It had been agony to return to his parents with nothing more than empty words and maybes.

Their only hope was that once Nate gained full control over his beast that his enhanced healing would be able to fix the damage in his spine. In truth Ryan knew it was a long shot but he couldn't bare to wipe out the last bit of hope Nate and his family had.

They all had to wait patiently for his wolf to emerge but Nate's wolf was proving to be a late bloomer. The boy had already turned seventeen and had shown no sign of shifting but Ryan maintained hope.

Despite the possibility of him making a full recover in a couple of year's time the boy had withdrawn from pack life. Refusing to interact with the other children or join in with pack life. Not even Ryan had been able to bring Nate out of his shell and yet his mate had connected with the boy within minutes.

"Have you thought about how you're going to convince her to stay?" His father continued to watch Lenah interact with Nate and a few other children.

Ryan ran his hand through his hair, breathing deeply.

"Have you got any ideas?" His father turned and laughed at his sheepish expression.

"Son, if there is one thing I've learnt from my time with your mother is that the truth is always a good place to start." Ryan felt his father pat him on the back as he passed him on his way out of the room.