Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Fallon POV

I ride on Ryan's back. I lay into his fur as the wind rushes over us. I feel at peace. Peace is hard to come by for me lately. It may be time for some peace in my life. But first, more family drama to contend with and then maybe some peace.

"You okay?" Ryan asks me as he runs fast through the woods toward a light. That must be the packhouse.

I am holding on so tight that I worry I am pulling his fur. "I am fine," I answer him. Am I fine? I think so.

"We are almost there," Ryan growls.

My head rests on his back as I hold his fur. I listen to his heart beating and the sounds of his paws digging into the ground. The sounds of peace and love are soothing. It almost lulls me to sleep.

Ryan stops in front of a house. I assume this is the packhouse. A young woman comes out as Ryan shifts back into his human form. She is staring at me hard.

"Fallon, I assume," the young woman says, not breaking the cold stare.

"Yes," I answer. I step toward her, but she backs away.

"Let her be," a stern, growling voice comes from inside the packhouse.

Ryan grabs my hand. "Come on. Pay her no mind," Ryan says.

I watch the woman as Ryan and I walk up the steps and into the packhouse. The packhouse is quiet. This is not how I pictured a packhouse. I thought it would be rowdy and loud.

"I sent everyone away. I didn't want you to be alarmed," Alpha Mayhem growls. He looks up at me. His eyes are green. He has long red hair. His beard is even red.

"Are you Alpha Mayhem?" I ask him. I already know the answer, but I need him to say yes and that he is my father.

Alpha Mayhem stands. He towers over Ryan and me. He slowly walks toward me. I can't breathe as I watch him. I try to imagine this wolf, this Alpha, as my father. How can that be? I have never experienced anything to make me think I am a werewolf. Did I really believe in the supernatural or werewolves until a few days ago? No, so I would not know if I had shown any signs.

Alpha Mayhem places his hands on my shoulder. He looks at me for a moment. "You look like your mother," Alpha Mayhem says. He pulls me close to him and holds me.

I am in the arms of my father. I begin to cry into his chest. I take a deep breath and smell the rain. Alpha Mayhem gently rubs the back of my head.

"Does she know?" Alpha Mayhem asks Ryan.

Ryan stumbles over his words and moves around awkwardly. "No. I will tell her later. This isn't the right time," Ryan says.

I pull away from Alpha Mayhem. I look back at Ryan just as the rain smell becomes more robust. The wind rushes through the packhouse, followed by a downpour. The ancestors appear.

Anna is the first to greet me. "Happy Birthday, my dear," Anna says. Onya and Sonya follow with birthday greetings.

"You accepted your magic and came to Alpha Mayhem. We are on the right track," Sonya says.

Onya pays more attention to Ryan. The two are whispering. "We are here for a reason. Can we all stick to that?" Ryan interjects.

The room goes silent. Then erupts again as the ancestors speak with Alpha Mayhem. "I loved your mother," Alpha Mayhem says.

"She was married to a man when she became pregnant with me. Then I was sent away. Why didn't you take me?" I ask Alpha Mayhem.

Would my life have been different if wolves had raised me? I can see the pain on his face. Maybe I shouldn't have come here. Maybe this is wrong to invade his life after eighteen years.

"I wanted you, but the ancestors thought it was better for you to be somewhere hidden," Alpha Mayhem answers. He glares at the three ancestors. I have a feeling there is a love-hate relationship between the four of them.

Anna glares back at Alpha Mayhem. "It was for the best, and you know it. We could not risk her being killed. We need her," Anna protests.

Alpha Mayhem becomes furious. "What about her life? Maybe she doesn't want to be a reaper. That is what drove her mother into my arms and pulled her away from me. We loved one another, and you three destroyed us," Alpha Mayhem growls.

Alpha Mayhem and Anna square up and begin to circle one another. "Are you going to do anything?" I ask Ryan.

"I can't interfere with the Alpha even if I disagree with him. The pecking order forbids it. He won't hurt her. At least I hope not," Ryan says. Ryan is nervous. This entire trip just went to crap. I am here for answers. If Ryan can't interfere, maybe I can.

I step in between the two. "Stop it, please. I need all of you. I am here for answers about my mother and who I am. I want to know my father. I don't need any extra things to deal with," I beg the two of them.

The two keep circling one another, with me in the middle. They are speaking in the old language. I have no idea what any of it means. Ryan is getting more nervous as I beg the two of them to stop. Anna begins to vibrate, and Alpha Mayhem growls louder. They will fight, and I am in the middle of them.

"Stop this now!" Ryan growls. The two of them stop.

Anna and Alpha Mayhem stop. They both look at me. "We are sorry," Anna says. Alpha Mayhem agrees with her. The two of them quickly separate. I am not sure why they listened to Ryan, but it worked.

"Now, why didn't you raise me? Why did you send me away?" I ask Alpha Mayhem.

The ancestors begin to fade out of the packhouse. "We will return," Anna says. Just like that, the smell of rain is gone.

"They wouldn't let me raise you. I wanted you. Especially after I learned how much danger you were in when you were born. Maybe you were safer away from this world, but wolves take care of each other, and you are one of us. Not only do you have the pack, but you have your mate, who is a wolf, to look out for you. You do not have to take on the reaper role," Alpha Mayhem says.

I look at Ryan, and our eyes lock. Mate? If Ryan is my mate, is this something I have to jump on right now? I don't even know how to be a wolf. "I am so confused," I blurt out.

Alpha Mayhem pulls me close to him. "I want to tell you everything about your mother and me. We loved each other, but she was trapped and forced to be a reaper. She did not want that life for you. She wanted you to be free," Alpha Mayhem says.

I begin to cry. Alpha Mayhem holds me tight. "Did the ancestors or my family know you would tell me not to be a reaper?" I ask him.

Alpha Mayhem clears his throat. He looks over at Ryan. "The ancestors told me only to tell you the good and convince you to take the reaper role, but I will not do it. I want you to be happy. If you want to be a reaper, then Ryan is the best man to train you, but if you want to be a wolf, then come home," Alpha Mayhem says.

I look at Ryan. "What if I want both?" I ask.

Ryan smiles at me. That is precisely what he wanted to hear. I can do both. I can be me and help the supernatural community. "Then I will help you to be both," Ryan says.

Ryan reaches for my hand. He towers over me, the big bad wolf. "You can start by teaching her to shift into her wolf and then tell her that you are in love with her," Alpha Mayhem says. He snickers and leaves Ryan and me.

"How can you be in love with me?" I ask Ryan.

Ryan touches my face so sweetly. "Because you are my mate. After you shift, you will feel it, too," Ryan says.