The Wolf’s Pregnant Rejected Mate (Bluebell Valley Wolves #2)

Chapter 14 - Ryder

Hayden finished listening to Ryder’s report, a furrow between his brows. His arms folded over his chest, letting out a soft sigh. “A Demon Seed. That’s the last thing we need to deal with right now.”

The whole team sat around a round table in the council rooms of the Alpha’s house. Ryder rubbed his tired eyes. This debriefing was happening later than he had wanted. They had to go back to the cabin and put out the fires that the demons had started before they got down to the meeting.

Fortunately, the demons had not attacked anyone else. The fires had been smothered, too. The cabin was a loss, and Ryder suspected they would face several more destroyed safehouses over the next few days.

“We’ll have to work on expanding the protective circles around our safehouses,” Hayden rumbled. “As well as stocking them with more supplies. We’ll rebuild them out of metal and stone in the future. Forest fires are a danger that I hadn’t considered before. Kai, I want you to select a handful of the pack to brainstorm ways to counteract this.”

Kai nodded.

Ryder rubbed the scars on his throat absently. It was unfortunate that they ached when he was deeply stressed and exhausted. It was a testament to how intense the damage had been done to him. “And what are we going to do about that big wolf?”

“I don’t remember anyone in town with a wolf that fits the description of that big one you encountered,” Maverick said, scratching his facial stubble. “I’ll ask around, see if anyone knows of anyone like that in the neighboring packs. You sure that he’s even bigger than Hayden?”

“Oh, yeah,” Blayke said cheerfully. “He looks more like a bear than a wolf.”

Finn rubbed his eyes and then ran a hand through his copper hair. “Sebastian was among the demons who attacked the cabin. He was showing signs of some sort of mutation. These demons may have found ways to exploit our genetics.”

Hayden leaned back in his chair. “Ryder, you’re in charge of hunting down this big wolf. Finn, Blayke, and Derek will help you. I’ll have Mica arrange the women to create more protective talismans.”

“Only four of us?” Ryder asked, his eyebrows knitting.

“While you were gone, we had a couple of the pack attempt to steal the steel bottle Zealuv was trapped in. They admitted to being bribed by the demons.” Hayden’s jaw clenched. “We need to keep security tight.”

“Zealuv might still be leading them, then,” Ryder said. He wanted to thud his head against the table. Fucking demons. It would be nice to have one week without those bastards causing trouble. “If they get their hands on that bottle and destroy it, he’ll have free reign once more.”

He ran a hand through his hair and tried to clear his mind. Running on almost two days without sleep, combined with the exertion he’d been through… he sighed. He needed sleep. He needed to recharge. And his wolf paced impatiently, wanting to go to Tess.

“We’re working on ways to strengthen the binding around him,” Hayden said. “Mica and I have been going through the ancient texts again, but we don’t have much to work on.”

Ryder leaned on the table, the weight of those words weighing on him. Over the past year, they’d learned more about the demons than anyone knew before. But it wasn’t enough.

Hayden’s eyes swept over his team. Pride shone in his gaze. “We have come a long way already. We’ve been through hell, and we’re not out, but the Bluebell Valley pack is safer for our actions. We need more intel. I’m going to contact headquarters and see if there are more caches of ancient texts. Maverick, I want you to devise a few traps to capture the lower-ranked aura demons. I want to know if they’re able to mutate their host's DNA. We can’t keep reacting to these problems.”

“What if we dug a pit, filled it with cement, dropped the bottle in, then filled it the rest of the way? They would never be able to steal it then,” Blayke suggested.

Finn shook his head. “I’d advise against that. It’ll make it much more difficult to transfer Zealuv to something more permanent.”

Hayden stood, indicating that the meeting was over. “We all have our assignments. Those of you who need rest, get it. We’ll reconvene tomorrow at the same time to go over whatever progress has been made.”

“Before we leave, I’d like to make a suggestion,” Kai said.

Hayden nodded to him.

“I’d like to try using tattoos as a protective measure against the demons. My talisman implant is giving me trouble,” he added, rubbing his abdomen.

“Come up with a plan and bring it to the next meeting,” Hayden said. “Tattoos would be much more accessible than the talismans.”

Ryder scraped his chair against the floor as he stood. “In the meantime, I propose that Tess, Elin, Mica, and my mother all receive talismans in case Zealuv goes after them for revenge.”

Hayden nodded his consent. The team left the room. Blayke, Finn, and Derek filed after Ryder. His wolf’s head drooped, whining once to tell him to get back to Tess. It was as much as it could do.

“I’ll see about the talismans,” Derek volunteered. “The three of you look like shit.”

“Thanks,” Blayke muttered.

Ryder nodded. “We’ll meet tomorrow early. Get some sleep.”

He headed toward his house, his limbs heavy and aching. Though he wanted to see Tess again, he resisted. She’d read too much into it. They’d be spending a lot of time together. And he would need all his self-control during their sparring sessions. She wanted to learn how to fight, not to keep fucking. And so he wouldn’t push. He’d be respectful, like a gentleman.

It was the least he could do.

***

Ryder met the others early the next morning and discussed the situation. Derek presented two talismans, one for Tess and the other for Echo. Hayden had collected the two for Mica and Elin. It seemed to Ryder that both Finn and Blayke seemed disappointed by this. What was going on between them and Elin? Whatever it was, he hoped it wouldn’t be a problem.

It was close to noon before they broke their meeting. They had a solid plan for tracking down the big wolf, and Ryder sent the others to get the supplies they’d need while he took the talismans to the women. The first stop he made was to Tess. He found her dressed, using a pair of crutches as she made her way down the ramp to the clinic.

“You’re being released?” His voice was cold. Why was it so cold? His wolf bounced around in excitement, happy to see her on her feet again.

“Yeah. I healed up quite a bit overnight. Guess they didn’t have the poison when they attacked me,” she added with a shrug.

Ryder held out the talisman. It was half the size of his thumb, a round piece of jade carved with intricate designs. “You need to keep this on your person at all times. It’ll be best to have it surgically implanted.”

Tess took the talisman quietly.

“I’ll walk you home.” He fell in step beside her. His wolf growled, wanting him to pick her up in his arms.

But they were in town. People would see and make assumptions. So walking next to her was the next best thing. What was Christine thinking about letting Tess walk home by herself? The least she should do was get a car pulled up to drive her. She’d had an exposed tendon last night, for fuck’s sake!

“I’m fine. I don’t need your help,” Tess snipped back. Her blue eyes narrowed at him. “Especially since you sound so thrilled to be talking to me. Did Mica send you? Is that why you’re being so…?”

She trailed off, biting her tongue. Ryder was quiet as they made their way down the street. Tess moved quite efficiently on the crutches. He had to admit, there was something sexy about her stubbornness. As for her attitude, he understood where it came from. His tone had been brusque from the moment he opened his mouth. What was wrong with him?

“Well?” Tess glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “Did Mica send you?

Was that a hopeful lilt to her voice?

Ryder shook his head. “I wanted to give you the talisman myself. It’ll keep you from being possessed, so you can leave town again without being afraid.”

“Not really.” Tess shrugged as they got to a crosswalk. Despite vehicles being used rarely in town, she paused at it. “It’s going to take more than this to stop me from being afraid. But I’m serious. I can walk myself home. You just take care of yourself, okay?”

“I always do,” he muttered in answer.

He hesitated as she kept staring at him. The words kept getting tangled up on his tongue whenever he opened his mouth. There was something he wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure how to say it. He wasn’t even sure what it was that he wanted to say. Was it to apologize for his tone? Apologize for not putting it together that when she asked him to be her mate, Was she really trying to escape Monroe? Did he want to defend himself, to explain that he was so afraid of turning into an angry, bitter, and violent man that he had to leave the pack all those years ago?

Tess started to cross the road, and he walked with her, unwilling to leave. She gave him a sideways glance, her shoulders tensing.

“You don’t have to feel obligated to me,” she murmured when they reached the other side. “I meant it when I said I didn’t want anything from you. Other than what you already gave me. And I don’t regret it. I thought I was going to when Elin started…”

“What did Elin do?” Ryder asked, his wolf growling.

Tess winced. “She asked me if we were mates. When I said no, I felt her silent judgment. But that’s beside the point. It’s my body, and I wanted it. But now it’s over. You don’t owe me anything.”

“That’s not it,” Ryder muttered.

Tess came to a stop. She turned to him, her chin raised. Her long, shiny black hair hung down her back, glistening in the sun. “Then what is it?”

“I… I’m not good with talking,” Ryder growled. Frustration at his own inability to find the words welled in him.

He sighed and stepped back. But just as he thought he had the right word—

“Get the fuck away from my daughter, you bastard!” howled someone behind him.

Ryder turned, startled, only to be greeted by a fist to his face. The blow sent him sprawling on the sidewalk. He looked up into the furious expression of Tess’s father. But there was a gleam of triumph in the man’s eyes, too.

“You’re going to mate her,” Lenard howled so loud that people on the other side of the street turned to stare. “You fucked her, so you’ll mate her!”