44.

Once Farryn had returned from Aeston she spent over two weeks avoiding Tristan and Ashia both. Her mind was consumed with what she had learned from the Dragon Priestess and the fact that Lola had never said a word even though she knew who she was. Farryn had thrown herself into her Alpha role completely in order to keep herself distracted from everything. She had come to the conclusion that tonight, while the New Moon rose she would get answers from Lola herself. Her fingers curled into fists in her lap as her mind trailed back to the horrible conversation with Jason which she had also tried to avoid, though he was much more persistent in hunting her down for answers.

*“You owe me an explanation.” Jason snapped as he crossed the threshold to his Alpha’s home, the front door hadn’t even shut behind him yet. Farryn had been seated in the dining room with a cup of coffee half way to her lips when his voice thundered down the halls that had once been his.*

*“Beta Jason, I actually don’t owe you anything.” She pointed out calmly as she set the cup back down on the table once his large frame filled the doorway in front of her. She watched the way his shoulders rose just a fraction as his anger built.*

*“I gave you space after Asher died, you left the pack to go back to Aeston. If you don’t want to tell me what’s going on as your Beta, or even as a pack member you might respect just a little bit, then as your* mate *I* demand *that you tell me what the hell has been going on!” If Jason had realized the mistake in his words as they escaped his mouth he did a good job of hiding it. But despite his anger he couldn’t had the flash of fear that appeared in his eyes as Farryn slowly rose from her seat.*

*“I know I lack a lot of things when it comes to being an Alpha, like being a* male *for starters. But one thing I don’t lack Jason is the common knowledge that you, and everyone else in this pack, not only answer to me but are my responsibility. If I decide not to talk about something, it has nothing to do with a lack of respect.” Farryn abandoned her steaming coffee to approach the Beta whose ears were beginning to turn pink.*

*“It is because I don’t owe you, or anyone else, anything except what pertains to my role. Whether it happens again in private like this or in front of someone else, if you ever try and demand anything from me regardless of what it is I can promise that your title of Beta won’t be the only thing you are stripped of.” Her voice dipped into a low snarl as she drew her body closer to his, purposely torturing the male who wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her frame.*

*“And the last time I checked, I never claimed you as my mate.” She knew the gravity of the words she spoke, she didn’t need to see the look of absolute devastation on his face but she didn’t turn away from him. She had made her mind up weeks ago that she could not accept him as her mate, after everything he had put her through before she claimed her title and the way he continued to speak to her, she knew that it could never be a healthy relationship even though Namia seemed to be screaming in pain inside. Jason finally stumbled a step away, his eyes downcast before taking on a colder demeanor.*

*“My apologies for taking up your time.” His voice came out as nothing more than a raspy whisper. She felt sorrow and longing as he left the residence with his tail between his legs. Once the front door shut behind him her knees had given out and she collapsed to the floor as she cried quietly. The pain she felt by rejecting her mate was akin to losing her sister, a pain she had thought she would never have to feel again.*

“Alpha, do you have a moment?” She was brought out of her thoughts by a soft knock and Ian poking his head through the door to her study. A sense of relief washed over her at the sight of her friend.

“Of course, how has the pack been?” Ian pressed his lips together firmly at her question as he seated himself in front of her.

“Well that’s why I’m here, everyone is really concerned because all of you guys have been acting really weird since you came back. You and Jason can hardly be in the same room together, Tristan almost seems happy to be sleeping in the jail now, Ashia has been holed up in her room. I mean no one even seemed to bat an eye when Skylar disappeared. Is everything okay?” The wave of relief that Farryn felt was quickly replaced with guilt as she resisted the urge to hang her head.

“Ian there’s been a lot going on lately, but I promise, by the night of the full moon everyone will have their answers and things will go back to being as normal as they possibly can. As for Skylar, after the death of her brother I told her that she could leave if she wanted to. She is still bound to me by blood but I have no need for her to be here. She should be able to go do what she needs to to grieve properly.” Farryn sighed deeply while placing her hands back on her desk to drum her finger tips.

“Have I been a good Alpha Ian? Do you think that the previous Alpha’s to this pack would be proud of the decisions I’ve made so far?” She could see that her questions caught the young council member off-guard.

“Well I think you’ve been a pretty good Alpha, but there’s not really any way to know if anyone who’s dead would be proud of you or not.” Ian knew his answer wasn’t what she had been hoping for and he flashed a sheepish smile in her direction.

“You know, I don’t think Tony or any of the others would complain if you went out for a run through the forest, maybe in the Eastern direction?” For a moment Farryn’s brows knitted together in confusion and the pair simply stared at each other before she gasped with realization. Ian kindly stifled the urge to shake his head as she jumped up.

“That’s a good idea, I’m going to go do that, keep an eye on things for me!” She chirped as she rushed out the door to the faint sound of him chuckling behind her. Instead of leaving right away she stopped at the jailhouse where Tristan was laying in his cell with the door open.

“Feel like going for a run?” She asked casually, as if it was a totally normal thing for her to ask him. He turned his head to get a better look at her, perhaps to see if she was kidding. She hadn’t spoken to him in two weeks and now she wanted to do something? He sighed in frustration but stood up.

“If it’s what my Alpha wants to do.” He grumbled pointedly as he followed her out of the town. He had been prepared to start stripping down to shift but to his surprise once they entered the trees Farryn started to run.

“What is going on?” He called after her as he chased the female who was quickly getting away from him. Her laughter filled the forest and he realized just how long it had been since he had felt any sense of freedom.

“I’m taking you somewhere precious to me.” She answered as she bobbed and weaved through the trees almost making their journey difficult on purpose. She would be lying if she tried to say she wasn’t having fun, for a moment forgetting all about her worries. It wasn’t long before her steps slowed and they entered the ruins of her old home.

“Welcome to the Clear Oak Pack.” She looked over her shoulder to see the confusion on his face, he had never known who her previous pack was before or what happened to them. For Farryn, being able to see these ruins again and not feel like she had when Jason brought her back was a big step in her path to healing.

“This was my home, though with things looking like this I don’t think I could point out where exactly my house was but… this is where I am from. Everyone I loved, everyone I knew, they all died here with the exception being my sister who died a few hundred yards from here instead.” Farryn led the way winding through the rubble, her fingers ran over the moss that had begun to grow on the rocks.

“Farryn I had no clue, I’m sorry this happened.” She could hear the pain in Tristan’s voice but it was pain for her, that she had to endure such trauma. A bitter smile touched her lips as she looked at him again.

“I’m sorry too, there were so many good people in this pack and for them to be wiped out in a night, it’s a tragedy. I struggle a lot of times with accepting the fact that I was the one who survived, there were so many others more deserving of life than me, but the Moon Goddess always has a plan. It was painful to get here but it was all for this one reason.”

Farryn came to a stop at what would have been the town square. Tristan approached her side and tilted his head, bringing himself back into her eye sight.

“What reason?” He began to flinch backwards in surprise when Farryn turned and reached her hand out, her fingers brushing against his cheek gently sending a shock of electricity through the both of them.

“This right here, the reason that I survived the massacre was so that I could save you, my mate. I am prepared to take the risks, I will sacrifice all that I need to, only if you promise to stay by my side.” She swallowed hard as she drank in the salty tang of the ocean breeze. She could feel the tears pricking her eyes as Tristan wrapped his arms around her to pull her body closer as she called him her mate.

“If you are claiming me then I will always be by your side.” He promise as he lowered his head, their breath mingling together. Farryn’s head began to swim from the intoxication of this male in her arms. Her hands snaked up his back until one of her hands found his dark hair. She tugged his head to the side, drawing a deep growl from his chest but he offered no resistance as her lips brushed along the side of his neck. Farryn felt the way Tristan’s body shivered at the sensation and she couldn’t stop the sly grin that appeared as she nipped playfully. His grip on her waist tightened to a near painful point.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you. I claim you as mine Tristan, until the Moon Goddess claims us both.” Her words were a vow just as powerful as the mate bond was itself. Without another moment of hesitation Farryn sank her teeth into the crook of his neck and his shoulder, with her mark on him no one in the pack would be able to touch him, even if they still considered him to be the murderer after they learn the truth. The deep moan that rose from his chest was the most beautiful sound Farryn had ever heard. Once she removed her mouth from his neck his lips crashed onto hers in a flurry of lust and need.

There, in the rubble of what had once been her home, a place that previously brought the female Alpha such pain and sorrow to see or think about, they claimed each other, despite what may come they needed this time together. The Clear Oak pack would forever hold a place in Farryn’s heart, and now in more ways than one.