Chapter 33
NADIA.
Ididn’t know that Elliot was still looking for me. I thought my uncle must have told him about Riley.
I couldn’t blame Riley for the way he reacted but I thought he would at least talk to me about what happened. But it seemed he was really disappointed.
All I could think was that he paid him to stop bothering us and that might be the reason he was upset. I had no idea how much it was, but it must be a lot for him to act this way.
I waited for him for almost an hour in our room, but he didn’t show up, so I decided to put on new training clothes and head for the archery range where he was supposed to meet me so we could practice together.
But I’d been sitting here for more than thirty minutes and he was still nowhere. His mind was also shut off and none of his Beta and Gamma knew where he was, so I was already starting to get worried.
I was lost in my thoughts when I heard footsteps approaching, bringing me back to the present. I snapped my head in the direction of the sound only to be disappointed to see Beta Dominic approaching and not my mate.
My shoulders sagged as I turned my head back and looked at the target board ahead. I felt Beta Dominic sitting beside me, but with enough distance before he turned to look at me.
“We found the Alpha.”
I didn’t look at him as I let out a deep sigh. My eyes were still fixated on the view in front of me. “Where is he? Is he back?”
“He’s on the terrain at the western border. He mindlinked with Justin, one of the warriors, to bring him a guitar.” He chuckled, but it sounded sad.
“A guitar? And why Justin? Why not you or Gamma Sebastian?” I tilted my head to look at him this time.
He shrugged his shoulders before he leaned his palms on his backside, stretching his body as he lifted his head to look at the sky. “I don’t know. But if my guess was right, he didn’t want us to let you know where he is.”
“Maybe. But what is he going to do with the guitar?”
“When we were younger, he would go away and find a place to play his guitar. It was his only escape when the world was too much for him.”
“Does Riley have a bad childhood? He told me his mother left him when he was a baby, but I don’t know anything aside from that.”
“Ask him. I’m sure he will tell you.”
I sighed in desperation. Like always, no one tells me anything here.
“Do you know how much money he paid to Elliot?”
“A hundred thousand.”
“What?” My eyes widened before I let out a sigh of desperation. “Why? Maybe that’s why he was mad! But why did he pay him?”
“Are you seriously thinking he’s angry at you because of the money? I guess two weeks is not enough for you to get to know him. Come, let’s go see him so he can answer your questions.”
“What? What questions?” I was rattled at the thought of going to Riley and be pushed away. I didn’t think my heart could take it.
“Ask him why he left and if he was mad at you about the money.”
“But what if he gets more angry?”
“You’re the Luna of this pack. If there’s anyone who can match the Alpha, that would be you. If he yells at you, yell back. You’ve been good at taming the Alpha, so just continue doing it.”
“I don’t know. The last two weeks were almost perfect, and now seeing him like this, I don’t know how to handle it.”
“Alpha Riley is an insecure man, Luna. You just…”
“Wait! Where did that come from? How can you say that about him? Insecure? He’s too perfect to be insecure!”
“There are clearly many things you don’t know about him.
But he is. He’s just too good at hiding it.
That’s why he excelled in everything he did.
Being an Alpha, combat fighting, archery, basketball, guitar, too many things to mention.
He puts his whole heart into everything he does to prove he is good enough. ”
“You’re talking in puzzles. Aren’t we all like that, giving our best shots in everything?”
“Yes, maybe, but he clearly has his own reason. You just need to be patient with him. Two weeks, months, or years is not enough time to know him, but he’s not a bad person.”
I shook my head. “Never. I never even thought of him that way. But I still don’t get what you were trying to tell me. And why am I getting this lecture when it should be the Alpha you’re talking with and saying that stuff to so he won’t get mad at me?”
He stood up and shook his head, chuckling as he walked towards his car. “Come, Luna, I’ll drive you to where he is. And you don’t need to worry. I don’t think he’s mad at you.”
I followed after him, still thinking of what I should tell Riley if I saw him.
“Are you sure we’re not invading his privacy if we go there?”
“You will go there, not me. I’ll just drive you there. And no. He’s your mate. I don’t think it’s an invasion of privacy.”
I wanted to ask Beta Dominic more about Riley, about his mother, and about his insecurities, but I knew he would just direct me again to my mate, so I just kept my mouth shut and let my eyes feast on the scenery we were passing through as we drove to the western border.
I had never been to this part of the territory before, and it was beyond amazing.
We had entered the forest line and trod the forest road before we exited and were driving through a terrain road. It felt like I was in another part of the world. I didn’t know their territory was so huge and hidden within it was this majestic place.
After some time, Beta Dominic stopped the car, and my eyes scanned the area. I didn’t see Riley anywhere. He must have guessed my confusion, so he started explaining. “Justin said he’s up there.” His finger pointed at the pathway going up to the higher ground.
“The view is majestic over there, so it’s no wonder he chose this place. You need to hike a little to get to him because if I drive the car around, he will see me and I don’t think he’d like that.”
“Are you sure he won’t get mad that I came here?”
“Trust me, he won’t. But just to pacify you, I will stay here for a while. Send me a mindlink if you think you can handle him, then I’ll drive away.”
“Wait, you’re going to leave us here? How are we coming home?”
“Did you forget you have a wolf and your mate is an Alpha? He can carry you home. But in case you’re both too lazy to run, just send for me. I’ll pick you up.”
I smiled at him and nodded my head. “Thank you, Beta Dominic.”
“It’s a pleasure, Luna. Anything to make you both happy.” He smiled as he watched me get out of the car. “Just promise me you won’t give up on him.”
“I won’t. I promise.” I answered him.
But he didn’t need to tell me that. Riley is mine, and I won’t be giving him up. Ever.
“Thank you, Luna. And I promise you, I will be here every step of the way to help you as much as I can.”
I smiled at him warmly before I turned around. I didn’t waste any more time and followed the path he pointed out earlier. Good thing I was wearing a training suit, and it wasn’t hard to move in this clothing.
After a few minutes and a few sweats later, I finally reached the top of this terrain.
I saw him sitting on a big boulder with his back to me. He already had clothes on. Justin must have brought something for him.
He was holding a guitar and was playing a soothing melody.
I leaned my back on the first tree I saw, just wanting a moment to look at him and how he was in his solace. The way he strummed his guitar sent shivers down my spine. It was calming, like a lullaby wooing my heart.
Then he started singing.
I know this song. He was singing it so perfectly that I could feel every emotion he was putting into it.
“??You’re the words when I have nothing to say…You’re the fire, that warms me when I’m cold…??”
My feet moved forward, and I just found myself sitting next to him, my gaze falling on him until his head tilted to my side to look at me, and our eyes locked.