Pathways

I yawned and stretched my arms about my head, popping tired bones and stretching sleeping limbs. Darren had long since left for work and I was stuck chilling in our bedroom. This time he took the literal precautions of placing guards at the doors of the mansion, they were supposed to keep me from leaving this place. I had attempted to talk him out of that, I mean didn’t the whole fighting off the bear prove to him that I could handle myself? He claimed that now that I was hurt I wouldn’t be able to handle myself, not to mention he decided that now was the time to try and get me pregnant again. That made sense to me now, we have a deadline to meet and I’ll do anything to meet it.

“Rose?” I heard Ryder’s voice call from down the hall, the sound of his feet carefully treading over obstacles he couldn’t see. Groaning quietly I pushed the book I was reading out of my lap and stood up in the candle lit library. I had covered Darren’s vacant desk with books I had planned on reading, and the floor was littered with my blanket and many coffee cups that I had left laying around. If Ryder came in here now there was no doubt that he would trip over everything I had laying around. That would make me feel terrible, I don’t want to get another person hurt.

“Coming!” I hollered back, quickly jumping over all of my litter and rushing to the door way of the room. Ryder was waiting there, almost tapping his foot impatiently. What was his deal? He has been sulking in his room all day to day and now he is acting all annoyed. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” He mumbled. Sticking out his hand to reach for me, “Come on, we are going out.”

I paused curiously and stopped moving towards him. Where in the hell could he be planning on taking me? Not to mention if I disobeyed Darren again by sneaking out I probably would never be allowed to leaving this mansion again. “Excuse me?”

He growled impatiently, tapping his foot hander and faster. Shaking his hand to me, begging me to take it. “We are going out.”

I crossed my arms over my torso tightly, not planning on budging. I cannot get on Darren’s bad side now. Not only is he already annoyed with me, but I get to…play around with him when he gets home. I don’t want to mess out on that, that is the fun part. “No way, I’m not supposed to leave here. Darren will flip.”

Ryder stomped his foot angrily like a two year old child. “Arg! I just want to go get that god damn Christmas present I got for Gwen! She was supposed to come hang out with me today, she never showed up!” He cried, crossing his arms angrily. Ryder sank to the floor against the wall and rubbed his eyes. Wiping away tears that I hadn’t noticed before.

“Oh..” I mumbled, sinking down next to him and rubbing his arm soothingly. “Ryder, honey she-”

He started groaning then, trying so hard to hold back tears. “She’s my mate and she won’t even come to see me. All because I can’t see! That’s not fair! Its not my fault!” Before I knew what was happening he was buried in my chest, hugging me tightly and balling. He squeezed me tight, tight enough to hurt the marks left from the bear. Although I didn’t care at this point, I hugged him back and stroked the back of his head as he sobbed. “Its n-not my fault!”

“Its not.” I promised.

I held him like that for what seemed for hours. Of course it could’ve only been maybe thirty minutes. After that he wouldn’t even talk to me no matter how much I tried, he basically just pushed himself away from me and wandered back down the hall. I stayed in the hall though for a while, until my legs started tingling for not moving. How could Gwen brush off Ryder like that. He was so sweet, and its not like she couldn’t hunt for the both of them. She doesn’t need some strong alpha wolf, she needs someone to love her. Ryder is the one that needs the alpha in his relationship. The next time I see her I think I’m going to say something. I believe she needs to open her eyes, she needs to see Ryder how I see Ryder every day. He is the most loving person I know.

Eventually I made my way back to Darren’s bedroom, changing into something more comfortable. Which just happened to be a pair of boy short underwear and a tank top. Okay, so yes I planned on dressing a little more sexually appealing. Now that I was more comfortable with Darren sexually I noticed this change in myself. I dressed to try to appeal to Darren, I think it was because I wanted to give him more of a reason to stay with me.

“Damn, I sure do walk into some interesting views.” Darren’s voice suddenly laughed behind me as I pulled the tank top over my head. I jumped, feeling my heart pound against my chest. How did I not hear him walk in?

“Geeze!” I whipped around, he stood in the door way. Nose pink from being out in the cold, and his large winter coat zipped up tight. “How long were you standing there!?”

He chuckled and unzipped his large coat, shrugging it off as he walked into our bedroom. “I seen it all, darling.”

Darren ditched his coat on the back of our comfortable looking couch. All I could think of doing at this moment was walking over to that couch and pulling him onto it. Laying down against him and stealing his warmth. I wasn’t ignorant enough to believe that was going to happen though, he had already told me earlier that day that we were going to keep trying every night until I became pregnant.

“Ryder was crying again today, Gwen stood him up.” I informed. Darren sighed deeply and leaned against the couch. Crossing his strong arms over his chest and thinking quietly to himself. I knew that he wanted his best friend and his sister to be able to work out, but I think he knew that Gwen would never want Ryder as her mate. She wasn’t the type of girl to settle for less. Gwen was the type of girl that wanted someone to be able to take care of her. She wants a strong hunter, someone who can best her in life as much as he could in bed. She didn’t want Ryder because he would be able to do any of those things for her. He is head over heels for Gwen so it was clear to me that he hadn’t done anything with anyone else, and because of Gwen he would probably be a virgin forever. Not to mention that he would never be able to hunt for her, all that he would really be able to provide was unconditional love, and that wouldn’t be enough for her.

Darren looked up at me. “Can I tell you something without you becoming angry at me?”

Frozen in my body I forced myself to nod. I didn’t particularly like the sound of that. Normally it meant that he had kept a secret from me. That wouldn’t be a big deal unless it hurt me. I don’t think that he had realized that I love him to much to live through being hurt by him.

“When I first met you, I didn’t know if I would be able to have you. Sure I knew I was undeniably attracted to you, but I didn’t know if I would be able to keep you as mine because I didn’t know if you could handle being the alpha’s mate. Of course, you have more then proved that you can handle it now, but I almost decided to leave you in your village just so you would be able to be spared this life.” He admitted. Before I had a chance to register that he had second thoughts about us, Darren was a crossed the room and brushing my cheek with his fingers. “I am sorry for that, if I had chosen to leave you there it would’ve been the worst mistake of my life. I love you so much.”

I looked down at the floor, dragging my feet against the wood. Trying extremely hard not to over think his decision to tell me this. “What’s the point of telling me this?”

“Well, I believe that Gwen made the wrong mistake.” He informed, grabbing the top of my arms and tugging me over to the bed. I sat down against the covers and curled up against the pillows. Darren followed, almost seductively crawling up to me and laying his head down against my chest. He watched carefully at every intake of breath that I made. Watching my ribs expend and withdraw in the air. “I believe she is trying to protect Ryder from the life she lives. She understands that he loves her, but the thing is she needs someone to take care of her. Especially when she is the alpha’s sister. I know it sounds bad, and I wish it would be able to work out between them. Gwen and Ryder are better off apart, he is more then welcome to stay with me for the rest of his life and Gwen needs to find someone that is able to take care of her.”

I reached up and ran my fingers though his soft hair. Thinking over what he said, I do believe this will be saved as a controversy for another night. I needed to think through my argument before I bluntly just told him to tell Gwen to be with Ryder. He has valid points, but I want to meddle with something for once. I do think that Ryder would be a good choice for Gwen. Although in the end it has nothing to do with me, love is love and Gwen could simply just not give a damn about Ryder. I would never be able to change that. For the moment I simply pulled Darren’s face up t mine and pressed our lips together. Feeling the lighting jolt between our lips and a tingling throughout my body. Having my mate here with me sent my wolf over the edge.