The Wallflower Mate

22

Once again, Ryker studied her every feature.

What was it about her that pulled him towards her?

Why was it that every time he looked at her, she only grew more attractive?

Mary blinked and waited obediently. In that split second, she felt more than just safe. She felt contentment from deep inside her soul and knew without a doubt that her wolf may have taken a liking to this potential mate standing in front of them.

Ryker's thumb touched her bottom lip. It part and trembled underneath his silent observation. His thick eyebrows furrowed with bewilderment, but his eyes burning with desires. Two contrasting emotions written on his face.

Sudden, harsh rapping at the front door broke their trance. Immediately, Ryker looked away from Mary towards the door.

Howls.

Loud, mournful howls echoed throughout the desolated woods of the mountain.

Something was wrong.

Ryker moved to the door, unlocking it, and whipping it open. His eyes were hard and masked. Mary followed Ryker, but when Ryker saw that she was moving a little too close to the opening of the door, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him. His firm hand wrapped on her wrist to prevent her from going further.

"What happened?" Ryker questioned.

"It's Ava-she ran away from the hunting pack. Said she needed some cool air. When she didn't return, I sent Ethan and Gary after her scent. When they found her-someone torn her throat. She's dead, Ryker." Abraham's face looked ashen white.

"Did you catch the scent of another?" Ryker questioned.

"Whoever did it knew what they were doing. They masked their scent," Abraham replied, shaking his head almost in disbelief.

In the last couple of months, Ryker has been dealing with dead bodies and accidents. These accidents looked unintentional, but Ryker knew otherwise. They were little clues that they found after each accident that led Ryker and Abraham to believe that every accident was deliberate.

Ryker needed to investigate the crime scene. Releasing Mary's wrist, he was already stepping out of her cabin. He needed to shift to his wolf. His sense of smell and supernatural traits were stronger in his ultimate form. In a blink of an eye, Mary witnessed a strong and passionate male morph into his wolf. Standing before her regally strong and concentrated. His clothes shredded into pieces on the ground.

She thought he would run into the woods and disappear into the darkness, but instead he turned his head to look at her. Those hazel eyes gazing at her.

Waiting.

Then he turned around and pushed his head against her waist. Mary released a surprised gasp before she realized he wanted her to go back inside.

"Alright! Alright!" she answered hastily before walking inside her cabin.

Once she was safely inside, Ryker jumped on his paws and ran after his brother, who was a few feet ahead of him. He followed Abraham to the scene.

When he got there, only a few trusted enforcers stood around in their human skin. A few trackers were examining the crime scene in their wolf forms. Ryker noticed that the ground Ava's dead body laid on was in disarray. Broken logs and ruined brushes and grass. She put up a fight but judging by the damage done; it looked like it involved a few people.

Walking over to Ava's body, he sniffed her fur and then around her. Ethan came running out and to Ryker.

"We looked everywhere. There are no signs of invasion. Gary checked all borders of the territories and Patrols tonight saw no one or anything different," Ethan rushed to say, out of breath and a little freaked out.