Chapter 30 – The Beastly Alpha’s Mute Omega

Why are you being so stubborn? Have you never once thought to yourself that this girl might contain the ability to be the Luna our pack deserves if you give her the chance?

I ignored him. My wolf was being sentimental. He only wanted Riley because of the mate bond, nothing more. Whatever he said about abilities or her being unique, was just a lie designed to make me reconsider my decision. He was doing everything in his power to try and make me claim her but I would continue to resist. I couldn’t put the pack at risk simply because my wolf wanted something that we could not afford to have. I would not drag the pack down because of his or my selfishness.

Riley paused and then began to float peacefully on her back. I glanced at her and stiffened. Were her eyes, glowing slightly? It had to be a trick of the moonlight I convinced myself. When I looked again, they looked more normal as she gazed up at the sky. There were goosebumps on her flesh. She must be getting cold by now. But there was a look of serenity on her face. A look of such contentment and all just from being able to swim in a lake that nobody else really gave much of a damn about. I shook my head in disbelief.

I stepped forward. My foot crunched on a loose twig. It snapped beneath the weight of my body. Damnit. At the sound, her head rose up sharply and the look of contentment was replaced by fear. I cringed even as I hardened my heart. I hated to see the expression on her face. I forced my feet to walk forward in order to approach her. I stepped out, near the edge of the lake and saw her eyes widen in horror. She faced me, lazily treading water. I cleared my throat, glaring down at her.

“That’s enough lazing about for one day,” I said evenly as she stared at me “you can get out now.”

She began to sadly swim back towards me. The way her head hung low, and the sad look in her eyes, made me feel like a complete bastard. I had taken what little joy she had and crushed it. She reached the edge and got out, wrapping her arms around her chest, shivering slightly. I looked down and saw that her clothes were covered in dirt. Before I could think about it, I took my shirt off and threw it at her.

“I don’t want the pack members seeing you like that” I snapped.

She looked confused but hesitantly put the shirt on. She bent down and grabbed her uniform clothes. Her hair damply hung behind her. My hand reached out and touched it as she stilled. It was as soft as I’d imagined. I swept the hair back, looking for the birthmark. But it was gone. Vanished. Like I’d imagined it. I frowned perplexed, pushing the top down and moving her hair. Gone. She glanced up at me, curiously. I let go.

“Get back to the pack house” I growled “and get to bed. No doubt Sandra has more chores for you to do tomorrow.”

She hesitated. “Go” I thundered and she began to move, running through the forest, her feet pounding on the grass and dirt as I watched, fighting my inner turmoil.That party couldn’t come soon enough as far as I was concerned.

Riley POV

Sandra corners me in the front foyer the next morning, a look of anger on her face. “I don’t know what you were thinking when you chose to go out last night, but that’s not how things work around here.”I simply nodded, feeling tired. I had not slept well and when I had, my dreams had been filled with images of fanciful creatures, women who sang and lured men to them in caverns underneath the water. Strange and yet, the images had seemed almost real, my body drenched in sweat when I had awoken.

“Great, you can help me outside today, we’re doing the windows of the pack house.”I tried not to shudder. Perhaps she merely meant the windows on the ground floor? I did not like heights, although I could not think of the reason why. She got me a new uniform and after I had changed, we headed outside, where I was a little taken aback to find she already had a ladder waiting as we carried buckets of soapy water and squidgees with us.

“The Alpha likes to keep the exterior of the pack house clean and with the party coming up, we will need to ensure that it’s kept to his satisfaction,” she said pointing upwards “we’ll start on the lower levels and then work our way up.”

I tried not to shudder. This felt like a punishment and I wondered if this was her way of getting me back for my transgression last night. But her expression was indecipherable as we split up and began to work our way around the pack house, taking our time to do the windows carefully before meeting back at the front again.

She even went and double-checked the windows I had done before she came back looking satisfied. “Good, now you’re younger than me and more agile,” she said seriously, as I looked up at the ladder trying hard not to exhibit any fear “so you’re going to go up the ladder and begin washing the windows while I hold the ladder below you.”

I swallowed hard. My body trembled as I shot another glance up at the ladder which gave me a terrible sense of foreboding. How could I try to get across my fear of heights when I couldn’t speak? My eyes were imploring Sandra to understand. She took my look for stubbornness though and her voice became sharp “Get up the ladder already” she said impatiently.

I didn’t have a choice. I gulped and then began to slowly put my foot on the first rung. Although the ladder was sturdy and of good quality, it didn’t make me feel any safer as I forced my feet to slowly make their way up the ladder.

“Don’t look down, don’t look down” I repeated the words in my mind, my hands shaking as I gripped the ladder so tight my knuckles were turning white.

“Hurry up” Sandra shouted below me, her voice razor sharp “We have a lot of windows to do today and we don’t have time to dilly-dally.”

It was all very well for her to say but she wasn’t the one climbing the ladder while her heart raced wildly in her chest and her palms went sweaty with nerves. I knew all it would take was one glance downwards and I would lose my nerves completely. It didn’t help that one hand was holding onto a bucket of soapy water. My breathing was shallow as I made it further up until I was at eye level with the window. I rested the bucket on a rung, forcing myself to breathe steadily.

This wasn’t so bad, I thought, staring straight ahead. All I had to do was dip the cloth in the bucket and wipe the window over before squeedgying it. Easy. My hand shook violently as I plunged the cloth in the bucket and then squeezed the water from it. I had to force myself to take the next step and put the cloth against the window next to me, rubbing the cloth against the window, while I leaned against the ladder, fearful that it was going to fall at any moment, even though Sandra was holding onto it below me. I could hear Sandra calling something out but couldn’t make it out through the blood rushing through my ears.

The window was damp. I dropped the cloth in the bucket. My lip trembled. My feet seemed paralyzed. I was shaking so badly it was a miracle the ladder hadn’t toppled over. Then I made the worst mistake anybody afraid of heights could make. I looked down. Instantly it seemed as though I was staring down at a ground further away than ever and all I could focus on was how far away the ground was, while my heart began to pound away in my chest and my body began to feel faint. I saw Sandra’s eyes widen in alarm. I couldn’t scream but my eyes were practically bulging out of my head. The grip I had on the rungs loosened. I began to fall. I heard Sandra screaming as my body began to drop through the air.

I was going to injure myself badly. At the very least several of my bones would break. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see my body rushing to meet the floor. But a pair of strong arms grabbed me mid-air, a low growl emitting from their throat. I felt tingles down my spine, warmth rushing through my body. When Alpha Jaxon spoke, it was with a slight twinge of panic and a great degree of anger. “What do you think you are doing?” he bit out at Sandra.

“The windows. I had her cleaning the windows and she just, she just fell” Sandra blabbered, sounding panicked herself “I didn’t know that she was afraid of heights. She’s as pale as a bloody ghost. Gods, she could have died” she continued as I began to open my eyes, Alpha Jaxon still holding me tightly “I’m so sorry Alpha Jaxon, this is my fault.”

He clenched his jaw. “Let’s just be thankful she wasn’t hurt” he said as I stared up at him, his eyes avoiding my gaze “and that I happened to be passing by.”

He carefully put me on the ground and I staggered slightly, his hand shooting out to steady me “this could have ended badly” he added grimly looking up at the ladder.

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