Chapter 3 There she was

Ryan's Pov

The air was thick with tension in the grand hall of the Shadowfang mansion. Karen, the woman ceremonially marked as my Luna, stood before me, her voice trembling but persistent. She begged for my attention, her pleas like whispers against a storm.

"Why do you do this to me, Ryan?" she asked, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I've given everything to you. I've waited, sacrificed, and stood by your side. Just tell me what to do to make you love me!"

I stood motionless, my hands tucked in my pockets. "Karen, you've always been one of my closest friends. I care for you, but not as my Luna, not in the way you want me to. The only reason you hold that title is for the alliance. My true mate..." I hesitated. "She's gone. She's either lost or dead. You'll never be her."

Her face crumpled at my words, but I didn't flinch. "Ryan," she whispered, stepping closer. "Why do you cherish your human life more than what we have here? You spend more time in their world than ours. You treat your work as a human CEO with more care than you've ever given me."

I turned my back to her, staring out the massive window overlooking the pack's territory. The moon hung low, casting its silver glow across the forest. "Because it's easier," I said, my voice low but steady. "In the human world, I don't have to pretend. I don't have to deal with these expectations or force something that doesn't exist. I am who I am, I do my duties as the Alpha, so why can't I have spare time for myself?"

"But this is your world!" Karen's voice cracked. "You're the Alpha, Ryan. You're supposed to lead us, to cherish me as your Luna. Everyone looks up to you, fears you, respects you. But all I want is for you to love me."

Her words didn't move me. They couldn't. "We both know that my leadership is beyond anything anyone has ever seen. You deserve someone who can give you what you want," I said finally. "But that's not me. Even if we marry, Karen, there will never be love between us."

I couldn't believe I said that to her but I had to tell her the truth. She can't get any affection from me and there's no need for pretence.

The door creaked open, and my uncle, Elliot, stepped inside. His presence alone commanded respect, his years of wisdom and service to the pack evident in his every move. "Ryan," he said, his tone heavy with authority. "A word."

I nodded, leaving Karen standing there, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

****

In the study, Elliot leaned against the mahogany desk, his sharp eyes piercing mine. "You can't keep dismissing her like this," he began. "Karen may not be your true mate, but she's still your Luna. You have a duty to her and this pack."

"I've fulfilled my duty," I replied coldly. "She holds the title. The alliance stands. What more do you want from me?"

"She's breaking, Ryan. The pack sees it. And this obsession with the human world it's not helping your image here. You're the Alpha. Your focus should be on us, not playing CEO among mortals."

"They know about my human life, and yet no one dares challenge it," I said, my voice like steel. "Because they know I'm the only one who can lead this pack, and I'm not obsessed with the human world, I only go there to be by myself for sometime."

Elliot sighed, rubbing his temples. "You're so much like your father. Stubborn, unyielding. But even he knew when to bend."

"Watch your tone Uncle, my father is gone," I said sharply. "And I lead as I see fit."

Elliot's gaze softened. "Your father would have wanted you to find peace, Ryan. And if not with Karen, then somewhere. This path you're on....it's lonely."

"Ryan," his tone calm but firm, "I'm speaking to you not just as your uncle, but as someone who has watched you grow into this role. You must treat Karen better. She's to be your Luna."

Ryan's voice remained calm, cold even. "Unity doesn't require love. Karen has my respect as a warrior and a friend, but I will not pretend to feel something I don't. My mate is gone. She's either dead or lost forever. I won't give Karen what isn't mine to give."

"Ryan..." his uncle's voice softened more, "this pack needs stability. You can't spend so much time in the human world, pretending to be one of them. It's unnatural."

Ryan stood, his towering presence silencing further protest. "My human life is my own. I've built it for reasons you don't need to understand. If my leadership is in question, say it now."

His uncle sighed and shook his head. "No one questions your leadership, Ryan. But your path isolates you. Just think about what I've said."

I said nothing, the weight of his words pressing down on me. Finally, I stood. "I need to clear my head."

"Don't run from this, Ryan, we aren't done here" Elliot called after me. But I was already out the door.

"What did the old man want?" Caleb, my best friend and beta asked, his tone light but curious.

"The usual," Ryan replied. "Karen, the pack, my supposed duty to play house with someone I don't love."

Caleb smirked. "You've always been stubborn. That's why they're so scared of you."

Ryan's lips twitched into something resembling a smile. "They're not wrong to be."

****

By the time they reached the human world, the tension in Ryan's chest had eased. The sleek black SUV cut through the bustling city streets, heading toward his penthouse. The city lights reflected off the car's polished surface, and Ryan found himself staring out the window, his mind elsewhere.

"You're quiet," Caleb noted. "That bad, huh?"

"It's nothing I can't handle," Ryan said.

Caleb chuckled. "Of course not. You're Ryan. But even Alphas need to blow off steam."

Ryan didn't respond. He was about to when a sudden, inexplicable sensation hit him. It was a pull, a bond so powerful it made his breath hitch. He stiffened, his sharp eyes scanning the streets.

Caleb noticed immediately. "What is it?"

Ryan's voice was low, almost a growl. "Do you feel that?"

Caleb frowned. "Feel what? Ryan, what's going on?"

"Stop the car," Ryan ordered the driver.

The SUV slowed to a halt at the curb. Ryan was out of the car before it fully stopped, his long strides taking him onto the sidewalk. Caleb hurried after him.

"Ryan, talk to me! What's going on?" Caleb demanded.

Ryan didn't answer. His senses were on high alert, his heart pounding in a way it hadn't in years. He followed the pull, weaving through the crowd, his sharp eyes scanning every face. Caleb stayed close, his concern evident.

He walked through the crowd in search of what caught his senses...his steps quickened until he came to a stop, and there she was.