RYKER

'Someone is jealous,' said Khrysaor with a roar of laughter. Even his laugh was irritating.

"Shut up," I hissed which only made his laughter even worse.

I blocked him out as I entered my office and closed the door behind me. There were so many things to do. I seriously had no clue how Walker had been able to manage it. I sat on my chair, leaning back against the leather and closing my eyes. Life had been so easy before I became an Alpha. I'd never thought I'd be where I was right now, even though I was the next-in-line for Walker - since my sister wanted out of this because she had no wolf, I'd always thought that Walker's son would be the one who would eventually succeed him. Not me.

For the last five years, I'd been haunted by the images from that night. The night my brother had been brutally murdered. I'd seen my brother with his neck torn out and his heart lying on the floor lifeless next to his bed. Blood had been everywhere. Until now, I still couldn't bring myself to enter his bedroom even though it had been cleaned and the bed and the furniture had been replaced, let alone sleep in there which was why I had made another room as the Alpha bedroom. A room that was far away from Walker's old bedroom with the hope that the images from that night would stop haunting me. It hadn't. It still did, every single night, and sometimes even when I was wide awake, I got images flashing in my mind. Every damn time.

At least until Xyrra came into my life. Those horrendous nightmares had been replaced with wet dreams and instead of waking up with horror on my face, I woke up with a painful hard-on. Khrysaor was immensely happy about this, he too had been haunted by the images from that night. Me? I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps my Fated Mate was the one who could save me. If perhaps she was truly meant for me.

Although like I'd said to Alana, I didn't love Xyrra or have any feelings for her but it was obvious that I needed her nonetheless. And whether I wanted to admit it or not, Khrysaor had been right, it was one of the hardest things to have to watch her dancing and flirting with Miles. Good grief, it had taken so much in me not to rush over there then dragged Miles to the front door and kicked him out. The thought alone astonished me because I liked Miles. He was a fun, easy-going guy despite his title of being the biggest flirt around here. I'd never had any issue with him. Not until last night when his eyes stared at Xyrra's body as if he couldn't wait to undress her. For the first time ever, I wanted nothing but to beat the shite out of him.

I reopened my eyes, grabbed the stack of paper from the leather box on my right, and stared at another leather box on my left which was empty. I let out a deep sigh. The stack on my right was the ones I needed to finish and the left leather box was for those I'd finished. Obvious that there was a lot I had to do, I began working. Each paper contained different matters but Dmitry had organized them to make it easier for me. The first bundle was from the school and they were asking for more teachers and fighting instructors. Teachers were harder to come by however Dmitry and I could go there twice a week to fill the fighting instructors' position so I approved their wish to open an application for the teachers' position and informed them that Dmitry and I would come by the school twice or thrice every week to mentor the kids. I took my Alpha seal from the drawer and gave a stamp below my writing then put the bundle into the left leather box before reaching out for the next bundle. This one was from the hospital and nearly the same as the school, they needed extra hands there too. I had my medical license so I told them that they could call me whenever they needed an extra hand. They also asked raised concerns about the delay in medical supplies delivery, I informed them that I would contact our suppliers and follow up on this. I wrote a post-it note and stuck it on my monitor then put a stamp on the paper, placed the bundle on the left leather box, then moved on to the next bundle.

I did this for the next five hours, assessing each case and providing solutions. By the time I'd nearly finished, the sun had gone down through the window behind me and I had to turn on the lamp to be able to read clearly. At last, I put my stamp on the last bundle and tossed it on top of the stack of papers on the left box. I glanced at the now empty box on my right and sighed. I'd watched Walker do this before and I laughed at him for doing the most boring job ever only to have this task fall on my lap a few years later. At that time, I had not realized how important each of these papers was. I hadn't realized that each paper represented each group of people who were counting on me for a solution -not just approval- for their issue. I'd started to see things differently once I had been placed in Walker's shoes and had to do these nearly every day.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and gave it a bit of massage. I really missed my brother, not just because I wouldn't be where I was if he was still here but because he was my brother. He was the person I would look for advice and right now, dealing with pack's issues every day, I realized that I didn't have all the answers, that I needed to ask my brother for a piece of advice. No, not just his advice, I needed his presence, to be able to hug him, to do a pack run with him and laugh at his dad jokes even though they weren't the least bit funny.

Yet now here I was, being here all alone. My parents were not here, two years ago they had left to live in London after my dad and I had a huge fight because he couldn't accept my decision of taking Alana as my Chosen Mate. And my sister, well, Tiffany had her own normal family in the States, I doubted she would ever come to visit this side of her life. She happily lived with humans so I wouldn't be surprised if she had forgotten me and the pack.

Even though I wished I could leave this place like them, I could never abandon this pack. I could never disregard my brother's wish. Moreover, I loved this pack. Albeit how many times I wanted to leave and explore the world, I always came back here because this was home. They were my family and they needed me.

I stretched my body before getting up from the chair and walking toward the door. Dmitry would pick up the papers that I'd done tomorrow morning and he would help me make sure that those notes and suggestions were being followed up and realized. Sometimes I couldn't imagine how everything ran around him without him and his efficient nature. I knew that some people guessed that I'd forced my will on him to leave his pack and his right to become their Alpha in order for him to become my Beta but I actually had not done any of that. Dmitry had chosen to follow me instead. I hadn't even offered him the Beta position at that time, knowing that he was needed by his pack to be the next Alpha. But when he'd begged me to join my pack and even gone over the mile by saying that he would be fine being a Gamma in my pack rather than an Alpha in his own pack, I couldn't refuse him. He was not just a friend I had found during my travel, he was my best friend - almost like a brother. He had helped me cope with my brother's death although not even Dmitry know about the nightmares. But I could tell that he sort of suspected it.

"Ryker."

I looked up and saw him approaching me. Judging from his lack of tie, I could tell that he had just gone from pack run. "Yes?"

He wiped his hair off his forehead. "Have you talked to your sister?"

"My sister?" I frowned. "Tiffany?"

"Yes, unless during their time away, your parents managed to give you another sibling," said Dmitry with no trace of humor whatsoever. Sometimes I wondered how he managed to successfully deliver a joke with a serious look on his face.

"No." I shook my head, shoving my hands into the pocket of my black pants. "And I'm not going to the States anytime soon either so if you're going to tell me to visit her like you did last night, you better give it up already because I'm not going to talk to her especially when her son now has everything that's supposed to be mine."

"No." Dmitry looked at me funnily. "Your sister is here."

"What? As in here in England?"

"No, as in here in this house." Dmitry crossed his arms and sighed. "Trish ran into her this afternoon. I am guessing she is probably talking to Xyrra right now."

"Huh? Trust me, I know my sister, there's no way Tiffy would-" I abruptly stopped because although it was faint, I could smell her. "Shite." I rushed up the stairs and quickly went to Xyrra's room. I heard my sister saying, "-no wolf, Dear, that's why" as I swung the door open.

"What on bloody Earth do you think you're doing, Tiff?!"

My sister stood, her eyes narrowing. Clearly, she didn't appreciate my tone but I could care less about what she thought. "How nice of you to join us uninvited, Brother." Sarcasm was dripping in her voice, she inherited that from our father.

"This is my house, you're the one who's trespassing and barging in uninvited," I reminded her.

"Not really. I knocked on the front door just like any other guest," she commented with a shrug. "Furthermore, I don't think you have any right to be angry with me. It should be the other way around, Little Brother." She had done that on purpose, adding the word 'little' to remind me that she was still twelve years older than me and deserved every bit of respect from me. "You didn't tell any of us that you've found your Fated Mate. I had to find out from Trish this afternoon! I came here thinking I would clean my mum's old bedroom and have a little chat with your new wife only to find that you're not married at all, are you? You forgot to inform us that you've canceled your wedding and finally done what we've been asking you to do. I'm not sure if you're simply too proud of a man that you cannot admit you've done the one thing you swore you would never do or if you have no regard for your family at all."

"Done what you've been asking me to do, huh? And what was that, hmm?"

"To wake up from your stupid dream of marrying Alana Castor, of course." My sister walked around the coffee table and toward me. "And let me tell you one more time, Brother. Alana is a nice girl, we have no problem with her except that she's not the one for you."

I scoffed. "Funny how it comes from someone who left her Fated Mate to be with the man she chose to be with."

There was a glint of anger and hurt in my sister's eyes and for a moment, I wished I could take back what I'd said. I knew it hadn't been easy for her to break Andrei Vashkov's heart. Although she had not loved him, it still had been one of the hardest things she had to do and my sister had a compassionate heart which made it even worse for her. It was my mistake, I shouldn't have mentioned the past. So I apologized. "My apologies."

Tiffany waved her hand dismissively and sighed. "I am not here to fight with you, Ryker." She took another step forward and touched my arm. I jerked away. "I came here wanting to congratulate you on your wedding. I even brought a gift for Alana. Can you imagine my surprise when I learned that the wedding was called off and that you have found your Fated Mate? I am deeply hurt that you didn't even tell me." She reached for my arm again and this time, I let her. "No matter what happened with Dad and his crazy plans or you with Alana, you are my little brother, Ry, and I love you. I miss you, Brother."

She put her arms around me and pressed her head on my chest. I realized I couldn't be mad at her forever. She was my sister, my only living sibling, and I realized that I too missed her. So damn much. I put my arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "I miss you too, Tiffy."

* * *

Tiffany's son has everything that's supposed to be Ryker's? Another reason to read DMS indeed ;)