An Alpha's Duty

Chapter 41

Lenah watched from the window as Ryan and some pack members began work on setting up the three large tents that would house the remaining pack members who they hadn't been able to accommodate in the pack house.

It had been decided the whole pack had to be moved closer together so that the patrols could concentrate their efforts. Her whole body ran cold at the possibility of an attack and yet her head knew it was inevitable. The constant feeling of being watched had her skin prickling every few minutes and as a result she had been constantly on edge ever since leaving Ryan's home the day before.

She knew the reapers were monitoring the pack, and the thought made her uneasy. If reapers were involved, then there was no way of stopping what was coming.

Elaina's inability to see what the fates had in store for them was not unexpected. It only confirmed what she'd already started to believe. Somehow, they had all found themselves at a turning point in history and she had no idea if they would survive it or not.

She'd faced these odds before but unlike all the other times she now had something precious to lose. Despite everything she had done, she'd always made sure those she cared about were kept safe but now she had a whole pack to worry about. And then there was Ryan.

Losing him was unthinkable. Every time the thought crept through her mind her body would freeze up and her heart would give a painful shudder. No matter what happened to her she would never let anything happen to Ryan, even if it meant giving her last breath for him to live. That was what mates did to you. You would give everything for them and she knew that she would lie down her life for Ryan.

Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention as she tensed defensively. The pillow bounced off her head and slid across the floor with a soft puff. She sighed, annoyed as she looked around the empty room.

Bending down, she picked up the discarded pillow and placed it back on the settee.

"Your powers are starting to get worse." Lenah jumped as she acknowledged Akari's lone figure standing in the doorway.

Normally, her powers would have signalled someone was in the room but with Akari it was a different story. It was like her magic recognised that Akari was family and therefore not a threat. It had been a surprising discovery and one that Lenah wasn't exactly used to.

Rather than saying anything Lenah found herself settling into the very pillow she'd placed on the settee. She let her head fall into her hands, feeling more and more deflated.

"You need to mate with Ryan before this gets any worse." Lenah felt the settee dip slightly next to her signalling that Akari had decided to join her.

She couldn't help but tense slightly as her sister's voice came from right next to her. It still felt strange for her to even think the word sister, let alone have the very person sitting next to her. Although she'd managed to talk to Akari, she was still nervous and uncomfortable in her presence.

"I know but that's not exactly possible right now." Lenah tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice but still Akari could hear it.

Considering how little time she'd spent with her sister, it surprised Akari that she could read Lenah so easily.

Her sister reminded her so much of her mother it was sometimes difficult to remember that Lenah had never met her. Not only did she resemble the woman but the expressions on her face were almost mirror images to the memories that Akari had of her.

She found herself missing her mother more and more the longer she spent with Lenah, especially after seeing the way Lenah interacted with Elaina. Although her parents had always assured her they had chosen the best person to take care of her little sister, she was not ashamed to admit she'd always thought of Elaina as an evil stepmother of sorts. Secretly, she had always been terrified of her sister being mistreated. It was one reason she had been so desperate to find her.