Heart of the Unknown Alpha (18 page)

Chapter 21 An Heir is revealed

After she was seated 5 men filed onto the platform and sat in the chairs. The man in the middle carried what looked like a rather large and intricately carved walking stick.  She assumed that they were the council and the ones who would be deciding the outcome of tonight. She glanced around anxiously. She saw no sign of either Stephen or Darian. She squinted trying to see past the circle of bright light created by the flood light but it was no use. He started toying nervously with the necklace Darian had given her.

The  man with the stick rose from his seat and stepped forward onto the platform. He raised the stick and slammed the end down onto the platform calling attention of those present. “I am Joseph head of the Council of Elders. I call forth the challengers for the right to Mate!”

From outside the circle two figures appeared. Aryana didn’t even realize she had been holding her breathe as they stepped into light. She exhaled slowly her lungs burning. Stephen had a murderous look in his eyes as he confronted Darian. Darian looked determined. Both men wore jeans but where Darian was wearing a zip front hooded sweatshirt Stephen had chosen a charcoal tank top. Both men walked towards the center of the circle and turned to face the stage. Neither looked her way. Oh how she wished she could just catch Darian’s gaze no matter how briefly.

“Do you Darian Night wish to claim the female known as Aryana Barstin as your mate?”

Darian stared straight ahead at the platform never taking his eyes from the head of the Council. “Yes. She is my Pure Mate and I refuse to allow another to claim her as long as I breathe.”

Joseph nodded his acceptance of Darian’s answer before turning to Stephen. “Do you Stephen Kingly wish to claim the female known as Aryana Barstin as your mate?”

“Yes I do. I love her and refuse to allow another to claim her as long as there is breathe left in my body.”

Joseph nodded his acceptance of Stephens answer. “So be it. You both wish to claim the female but as you know there can only be one mate for her. The winner of the Challenge for Right to Mate shall be the one to have exclusive mating rights to the female known as Aryana Barstin. The loser will be forbidden from ever having any contact with her ever again if he should survive. Do you both agree to these terms?”

Both men bowed to the Council a sign of their acceptance of the terms. Aryana felt her eyes start to water. She was truly terrified of what would happen to Darian in his weakened condition. The head of the Council Banged his staff again and returned to his chair.

Darian and Stephen returned to the center of the circle and stood about 6 feet apart facing each other. Both where in fighting stances and watching the other. At first it seemed like they were just going to circle around each other, Then Stephen lunged.

Darian stepped back bracing himself as he absorbed the impact of the other man’s body and took a fist to the left side of his face. Both men went tumbling over into a pile. Before Aryana could blink they became a tumbling mass of fists and kicks..

Finally Darian was able to propel Stephen off of him with the use of his feet. He rolled up and onto the balls of his feet. When Stephen came up onto the balls of his feet Aryana’s eyes went wide in fear. Stephen had started to change. His fingers extended and twisted becoming claws. His shirt ripped apart as the muscles in his chest back and arm grew. His nose and mouth grew longer as if they were being pulled and sharp fangs extended. He slowly became half wolf, half man.

Aryana looked at a weakened Darian with fear, worry and anxiety in her entire body. He was trying to call upon his wolf to help him but he was to weak. He was only able to manage a small amount of transformation. His hands had extended into claws and his muscles had grown but nowhere near like Stephens had. To Aryana’s horror reality sunk in as she realized the grim truth of the situation. Stephen was going to kill Darian. No! It couldn’t happen! Darian as her Pure Mate. She just knew it as sure as her heart was beating. She couldn’t allow Darian to die, without him she was nothing!

She sat frozen as she watched Stephen charge Darian. Darian brought his arms up to try to defend himself but it was no use. Stephen was to strong. She watched as Stephens fangs clamped down on Darian’s shoulder and he was shaken like a doll. When Stephen released him blood poured from the wounds.  Darian staggered trying to regain his footing, disoriented from the pain and blood loss. Stephen took advantage and swiped at Darian sending him flying through the air to land on the edge of the lit challenge area.

Aryan couldn’t take it. She just couldn’t take it anymore. Traditions be damned she wasn’t going to let the man and wolf she loved die alone in some stupid battle of testosterone. Knowing it was against the rules but not caring she launched herself from her chair and ran as fast as she could to Darian’s side. She didn’t even hear the cries of outrage from the council.

He lay in a crumbled heap unmoving. When she got to him he was on his side and she rolled him to his back. Tears were streaming down her face. He was so still and so pale. His shoulder and upper torso were covered in deep wounds, each oozing blood. “Darian?”

She ran her hands over his face trying to rouse him “Darian can you hear me?” Still receiving no response she kept trying. “Darian don’t you dare leave me? Do you hear me? Your my Pure mate and don’t even think your allowed to leave me now that I found you! Please Darian, I love you. Please don’t leave me alone.”

Aryana froze. The low guttural, primal snarl had reached her ears. As if in slow motion she raised her head and looked at a Stephen that was completely foreign to her. He pawed the ground with eyes that glowed bright yellow.  Looking down at an unconscious Darian she knew she couldn’t let Stephen hurt him. Not without trying to stop him. Anger welled up inside her. How dare they put her in this position? How DARE Stephen try to kill her Pure Mate? Hadn’t she lost enough in her life already? Hadn’t she gone through enough heartache and pain to not deserve this? She raised her eyes back up to the beast glaring at her. Its intent was clear. Darian was going to die. She had lost so much already, she couldnt lose Darian too. She felt something in her snap. She wasnt going to let Darian be taken from her while she still breathed. She would kill Stephen if she had to. Pack Law could go straight to hell. She didnt even hear the yells of the council for her to return to her seat. Her eyes deadlocked onto Stephen. All the pain and suffering Aryana had felt her entire life finally started to well up inside of her.

“No. I won’t let you.” Slowly Aryana stood up. She felt no fear or nervousness just pure determination and confidence. She wasn’t going to let this happen. Stephen charged, intent on getting to Darian even if it meant killing Aryana in the process.

Renault pulled up to the Alpha house and hurried out of the vehicle. AS fast as he could he ran down to the challenge area. His heir was there. He could feel them but something was off. He could tell what but what he saw as he rounded the platform froze him in his tracks.

“NO! You will not hurt him!” She screamed and suddenly it felt as if her very soul had burst open. Wind started whipping itself around her causing her long hair to fly back and her whole body started to glow. The flood lights lighting the area exploded and there was a loud crack of thunder.

In the blink of an eye her eyes turned a fiery orange color and magical energy burst from her as her body morphed, Her ears extended and became pointed, her hands became long and claw like. The magical energy discharged from her body just as Stephen had leaped in for the killer blow. It sent him backwards flying through the air to the opposite end of the area, the thrones and council members where tossed from the platform by the amount of wind it generated. As three lightning bolts struck the ground in front of Aryana.

Stunned the council members were slowly picking themselves up off the ground to see both challengers lying unconscious on opposite ends of the challenge area. Across the arena stood a silver figure a regal smile upon its lips. Aryana was in front of Darian staggering. She dropped to her knees and her vision was starting to go blurry when she realized someone was starting to walk up to her.

Renault stared at the girl. Shock on his face. It couldn’t be, could it? But Lluna had said… “Dorthea?”

She blinked trying to clear her vision and just before she blacked out the man in front of her became clear. “Daddy?” she said softly and collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Aryana woke up to find she was back in her room. Darian was sitting in a chair beside her bed sleeping. She watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest and relished in the quiet comfortable knowledge that he was alive and by her side. Darian had just started to rouse himself when the door opened. In came Samuel followed by…. Aryana sat up quickly as the memory of the man and the night before came flooding back. It COULDN’T be her father, he had died but this man looked and even carried himself like her father had..

Darian quickly woke up once he realized who was in the room with them. He watched as Renault never took his eyes of Aryana. SHIT… if the Supreme Alpha decided to claim her has his mate there was nothing Darian could do. His heart hammered in his chest.

Samuel broke the uneasy silence first. “Aryana, I want you to meet our Supreme Alpha, Renault Ahlf, he would like to speak with you privately if that is ok with you.”

Aryana reached out blindly and grasped Darian’s hand. He held on tightly as if he was afraid to let her go.  She gave him a reassuring squeeze and a gentle smile and then nodded her consent to Samuel. This man who looked like her father caused her no fear.

Grasping his sons arm Samuel practically dragged Darian behind him from the room. Once outside he shut the door and turned to the large guard. “No one enters until the Supreme Alpha leaves, understood?” The guard nodded and took up his post.

Giving his son a hard look Samuel finally spoke. “I could never understand why he didn’t take a mate, but I think I do now. Do not and I am warning you DO NOT even try to go in there or you will be put in the dungeon with Stephen is that clear?”

Darian nodded silently and cast a long look over his shoulder at the door before following his father to his office. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be seeing Aryana again unless it was by the side of the Supreme Alpha.

Chapter 22 Time for a change

Aryana sat on the bed and watched the man watching her. He looked exactly like her father and how it was possible she didn’t know. He father had been an only child.

Renault stared at her. His heart pounded hard and fast. How she looked like his beloved Dorthea. His heart ached at the years lost with his wife, and for the pain and grief he had caused but to have this girl here! To have found his heir was not a male but a female! To have found not a grandson but a granddaughter! How his heart leapt with joy. He sat in the chair Darian had vacated before he spoke. “You look exactly like your grandmother, except for the eyes. Their a different color then hers were.”

Aryana narrowed her eyes at the man. “How do you know my grandmother?”

“I know her and loved her. I am your grandfather, Aryana.”

“You’re a liar, my grandfather is dead.”

“No, I am very much alive. Unfortunately due to the laws of the pack I had to leave your grandmother the night your father was born. I have missed them every day since and have prayed things could have and would have been different. To bring them here would have been a death sentence for all of us. So I left and returned to the pack and never spoke a word of their existence. Your grandmother was my mate. And I loved her. I never took another and I never will.”

“You could have changed things. Your Supreme Alpha why didn’t you protect them?” She was starting to get angry now. Her hands started to glow a bright white light.

“Please understand. I was not Supreme Alpha at the time, my father, your great grandfather, was. He was a very strict man. He forbid any and all contact with humans. He had a hatred for humans I will never understand. No, to bring them here with my father alive, they never would have made it to Alpha House to begin with.”

“SO if you’re a wolf and I am human now what happens? Am I going to be put to death? Are you?”

“After last night I don’t think you ARE human. I also don’t think you’re a wolf either. At least not a full one.”

Aryana watched as the man began to pace her room. Clearly something was troubling him but what she was not sure. If her father had been half wolf and her mother a human then that meant she was at most a quarter wolf right? What did that mean for her future? What sis that mean for her and Darian? Would they end up like her grandfather and grand mother?

“I shall be honest. I am not sure what the Council will decide. When you were unknown to them you were safe. Now that you are known you could be killed, we both could be.” Renault ran his hands through his hair in thought. “Given your display last night though I have serious doubts as to you being a human at all. But your grandmother was fully human, that I am sure of.”

Aryana watched as he paced and kept muttering to himself. This was all very confusing and she honestly was not sure what to make of it. So her grandfather was a werewolf, her dad was what? A half wolf? And she was.. what the hell was she anyway???

“Hold up a minute, ok say you are my grandfather. That means my dad was a half wolf right? “ Aryana swung her legs over the edge of the bed as she talked this conversation required upright thinking. “So if my dad was a half wolf then I am what? A quarter wolf? And they wouldn’t kill me just because I am not a pure blooded wolf right?”

Renault turned and crossed to the chair and sat down. He buried his face in  his hands only sliding them up enough to speak clearly. “Unfortunately as the laws stand yes they would. Mating with a human is forbidden for several reason. First with a pure bloodline the pack remains strong, to dilute it with human blood would weaken our peoples heritage, much like what has happened with the native american's that took on white families. Second is that it keeps us a secret from the humans. Humans fear that which they cant understand, since we are by far different and outside of their realm of understanding they would fear us. They would hunt us down and kill us. Third is it helps to control those that can shift from doing so and unwittingly hurting innocent people. Not every wolf shifts and maintains a pleasant personality. Once in awhile one comes along that when shifted becomes dangerous, deadly to humans even. They are then confined to cages when shifting for their safety and ours.

If we openly mated with humans, then the strength of the bloodline dilutes and we as a pack become weaker, those that shift outside of the guidance of elders are unknowns. Unknowns could kill a human whether they mean to or not. Plus you could have a generation of a family that does not shift yet the next does and the previous generation would have no clue how to cope or guide the younger generation. The problem we face here and now is how do we get the council and therefore the Pack to accept you instead of kill you?”

              Both Aryana and her grandfather sat there in silence. One trying to figure out the answer to how to save their lives the other trying to make sense of all she had just learned. Neither came to any conclusions that day.