“I assumed the Pack’s affairs held the Alpha King too busy,”Elara said softly.“Besides,I did not wish to disrupt your patrol.”
Ryder’s chest tightened,a momentary flicker of guilt hitting his Alpha core.
He stepped forward,the heavy scent of his authority and his territory closing around her,and pulled her into his arms.“I am your Claimed Mate,Elara.You have the right to summon me,always.”
Elara did not push him away,but neither did she return the embrace.She leaned against his shoulder,her body a dead weight,and suddenly asked,“Is the bond of duty the same with Lyra?”
The moment the words left her lips,she regretted them.It made her sound like a jealous she-wolf fighting for a better scent mark.Ryder stiffened slightly against her,then offered a practiced,reassuring smile and stroked her hair.“Of course,it is the same.She is family;the connection is primal.”
Just then,Elara’s comm-link chimed.
It was Elder Weston.She answered the call briefly in front of Ryder,keeping her words short and transactional before hanging up.Ryder frowned,his expression hardening.
“Come to think of it,I encountered Beta Felicia’s Mate a few cycles ago.They did not seem to be progressing toward a severance.”
“It was Felicia’s solitary decision to initiate the decree,”Elara said calmly,sealing her inner emotions.“Her Mate has not yet been served the official documents.”
Ryder looked genuinely confused.“But is a severance not a decree that requires both wolves to consent to the fracture of the bond?”
Elara met his gaze with a deliberate,meaningful intensity.“Felicia sensed that her Mate was secretly scenting his first love—a wolf from his youth.She could not endure the lie,so she chose to file for severance without telling him.If she had raised the matter,he would likely have used his authority to deny the claim.”
Ryder’s powerful face darkened.“Then she must sever the bond!A wolf who violates the sanctity of the claim is worse than a rogue!”
Elara lowered her eyes.Ryder clearly knew the Beta’s Mate well.Given his Alpha insight,he surely knew whether the man carried the lingering scent of an old love.Yet,without hesitation,he immediately condemned the man.
Ryder was not as calm as he pretended to be.
“How much longer is Lyra’s severance cooling-off period,Alpha?”Elara asked suddenly,throwing the focus back on him.