^ Picture of Leon Butler (not Landon's wolf, Leo. This is Easton's brother)

"And I know it makes you nervous, but I promise you, it's worth it. To show 'em everything you kept inside. Don't hide, don't hide."
~Billie Eilish, 'come out and play'

~~~

*Ryland's POV*

Landon falls into a deep sleep, holding me to his firm chest. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to force myself to go to sleep, but it's nearly impossible with this raging erection between my legs.

Please, dick, please let me fucking sleep already.

I sigh, squirming around in an attempt to get comfortable. Landon grunts and I freeze, peeking up to make sure I didn't wake him. When his heavy breathing resumes, I relax in his arms.

Damn it. It's not that I wanted to stop earlier, but River started to push forward, wanting to feel his mate. Fortunately, I was able to shield my eyes before Landon could see their red color; a clear sign of a feral wolf. I had to mentally struggle with River to shove him back before Landon's wolf could notice River's presence.

Now that the moment has passed, I feel nothing but shame and guilt. There was a time when I would have never pushed River down like I did tonight. He was my best friend, as most wolves are with their human counterparts.

I miss River.

The guilt only gets worse because I know how to bring River back. By marking my mate, and solidifying our bond. I want River back... but I also don't want to push Landon into something he's not ready for. He said it himself; he's not ready to mark someone that's not Easton. And while that sends a sharp pain through my heart, I understand that our situations are completely different.

I didn't love Roman when he rejected me, but Landon and Easton were in love when Easton died. I can't take Easton's place in Landon's heart, and I don't want to. The best I can hope for is that Landon has room in his heart for the both of us.

But until he does, I'll wait for him. Even if I'm on the brink of going feral myself, I won't pressure Landon to mark me until he's ready.

***

{Landon}
What are you doing?

I smile at my phone, typing out my response.

{Me}
Taking a break at work

{Landon}
When do you get off?

{Me}
Two hours

{Landon}
Can I come over? I miss you

I stifle a giggle, covering my mouth with my hand. It's only been a day since we last saw each other, and he already misses me? Well, I'm glad because I miss him too. It's becoming harder and harder to be apart from him. I just want to be around him all the time, soaking in his scent.

Still, that doesn't mean I can't tease him first.

{Me}
What if I don't want you to come over?

{Landon}
When don't you want me to come over?

{Me}
Someone's cocky today

{Landon}
Let me come over and you can find that out for yourself ;)

I choke.

{Me}
Fine, fine, you wore me down
I'll see you in a few hours
P.S. - I miss you too

Tucking my phone back into my pocket, I head out of the break room and back into the pack salon.

"Ryland, your 1 o'clock is here," my boss informs me, gesturing to my station. I turn my head and squeal in delight.

"Luna Charlotte!" I rush over and hug our Luna tightly. She laughs, hugging me back.

"How many times have I told you to drop the formalities? Just Charlotte is fine."

"Charlotte," I correct myself, pulling back to smile at her. "Have a seat. Just a trim today?"

"I was actually thinking of chopping it all off," Charlotte says, tugging on a strand of her pale blonde hair. "Evelyn said a pixie cut would really complement my face shape. What do you think?"

Evelyn is the only child of Thomas and Charlotte, and will therefore be our next Alpha. While some packs are still rather traditional in only allowing men to be Alphas, a large portion of the packs are moving forward and recognizing that female wolves are just as powerful. Since Evelyn in only in middle school, she still has a while before taking over as Alpha.

I turn Charlotte's chair to squarely face me, tilting my head as I imagine what type of pixie cut would look best on her. A light bulb goes off, and I flip through one of my magazines.

"What do you think of this one?" I ask, showing her a picture of a women with short hair. "This should look really nice on you."

"Let's do it!" Charlotte grins, and I prep my supplies. I chop her hair to just below her chin before washing her hair in the sink. Once all the shampoo and moisturizer is out, I start the process of cutting her hair.

"How are things with your mate?" Charlotte asks after a while. "I haven't heard much about him. What's he like?"

My shoulders relax as my favorite subject is brought up. "He's... incredible beyond words. After you-know-who, I never thought I'd be able to feel this way about someone. He makes me really happy."

"Ryland, that's wonderful to hear," Charlotte's smile warms up. "I want you to know that Thomas and I fully support the two of you. If he ends up wanting to live among our pack, he's welcome to."

"Thank you. I really appreciate that, Charlotte."

For the rest of the appointment, we talk about how Evelyn is doing in school, and Kai's obsessive gaming habits. After my parents died, Thomas and Charlotte did everything they could to support me and Kai. They're very special to me, and I know they deeply care about us.

Drying her hair, I finish with a few small details before adding product and styling her hair. Swiveling her chair around, I turn her towards the mirror.

"Ta-da!" I grin widely. "What do you think?"

"Oh, I love it!" She gushes, turning her head to see the haircut from different angles. "Evelyn will be so glad she was right. Thank you so much, dear."

"Of course," I smile at her. "And if in a few days you decide you hate it, come see me and we'll figure out a way to save it."

Charlotte giggles, patting my shoulder. "I doubt that would happen. Do you have any plans today?"

I glance up at the clock. "I work for another hour, and then Landon is coming over."

She hums and nods, waving goodbye as she walks over to the counter to pay. Leaning over the counter, she whispers something in my boss's ear before leaving the salon.

As I'm sweeping up the hair and cleaning my station, my boss walks over to me. "Hey, since that was your last scheduled appointment, why don't you clock out early?"

"Are you sure? What if there's a walk-in?"

"We have enough stylists to handle it. Go on and enjoy the rest of your day."

"Thanks!" I beam, hanging up my apron and clocking out. I head home, happy to have some time before Landon comes over.

Kai is playing video games in the living room when I get home, not surprising in the least. He glances up at me before turning back to his screen, sitting on the floor with his headset on.

"Ryland just got here," Kai says, making me frown.

"Who are you talking to?"

He points at his headset, with a small microphone attached. "I'm playing with Xander."

I nod my head in understanding as I begin to pick up dishes from around the living room, tiding the space up. I barely finish cleaning when there's a knock at the door.

"He's early," I mutter to myself, walking across the room to open the door. Instead of seeing my mate, I'm surprised with the presence of someone I haven't seen for a while. "Lyn?"

Lyn smiles at me, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Hey, Ry! Can we come in?"

"We?" I glance behind her, not knowing how I missed the tall man standing on my front porch. I recognize him immediately from the coronation. "Oh, you're Leon, right?"

He curtly nods and I step aside to let them in. Kai glances up and does a double-take when he sees Lyn standing in our living room.

"Lyn!" He exclaims, jumping up and running over to her. The two hug each other tightly, saying how much they've missed each other.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her once they pull apart. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but I thought you were busy running a pack."

Lyn's smile doesn't falter, but another emotion gleams behind her eyes. "Let's talk upstairs."

Without waiting for my response, she spins around and heads up to my room. With a sigh, I glance at Leon.

"Are you okay hanging out here with my brother for a bit?"

The Alpha nods once and sits on the couch, his face never changing from a stern expression. Geez. Not much of a talker, huh? I shrug, following after Lyn. She's standing in the middle of my room with her back to me. The second I shut the door, she whips around and smacks my arm.

"Ow!" I yelp, rubbing my arm. "What the hell was that for?"

"Are you kidding me?! You really have to ask me that, after I had to hear from Ronnie that you have a new mate?!"

I grimace.
Shit.

"Er... that's—"

"Zip it! I thought I was your best friend," Lyn says, her eyes growing sad. "We used to tell each other everything. I can't believe you wouldn't tell me something as major as you getting a second mate."

"Lyn..." I start, stretching the back of my neck. "I wasn't sure when I could tell you. It didn't seem like the type of thing I could blurt out over the phone, but you've been so busy as Luna that I didn't know if you'd have time to see me."

The anger on her face softens. "Oh, Ry... I'm sorry you felt that way. You, Ronnie, and Kai are still my closest friends. I always have time for you."

I pull her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry," my apology is muffled by her fluffy caramel hair. "I should've told you about Landon a long time ago."

"Landon?" Lyn pulls back and stares at me with wide eyes. "Landon Grey?"

I furrow my brows. "I thought you said Ronnie told you."

"She told me that you have a second mate, not who your mate is! Your mate is Landon Grey?"

"Yes," I nod my head, watching her jaw drop. "And I already know about everything. Easton, getting kicked out, all of that mess."

Lyn winces, looking down at her hands. "Great. You get a new mate and he probably already hates me."

"What? Why would you think he hates you?"

"Because I took his place," she says, her voice slightly breaking. "He was the Luna when Easton was the Alpha. How could he not hate me? Hell, he even ran out during the coronation!"

"That wasn't your fault," I quickly reassure. "Being there brought back a lot of bad memories for him. There were some people that upset him, but not you. He hasn't told me anything bad about you."

Her shoulders slump with relief. "Thank goddess. Maybe we have a shot at being friends then." She abruptly slaps her hand over her forehead. "Crap, how am I going to tell Leon? He really doesn't like Landon."

I bristle, clenching my fists at my side. "Leon's one of the bastards that wrongly blames Landon for Easton's death?"

"Don't call him that," Lyn snaps. "While I do agree that Landon should not receive any of that blame, I also sympathize with Leon. He lost his brother, Ry."

"They both lost him. They were both hurting. Leon has no right to put that kind of blame on Landon's shoulders. He's hurting enough as it is."

"I know," Lyn sighs heavily. "I'll keep trying to talk to him about letting bygones be bygones."

"Thank you," I smile weakly at her. "Is this why you came all the way over here? To talk about my mate?"

"Well...," she grins shyly, rocking on her heels. "Not exactly." Lyn pulls her left hand out from behind her back, exposing a large diamond ring sitting on her finger. "We're getting married!"

"Holy shit!" I squeal, grabbing her hand to admire her ring. "It's gorgeous! Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Lyn giggles. "I've been so excited to tell you."

"Although... why are you guys getting married?"

For wolves, mating is basically like getting married. When you place your mark on another wolf, you're promising to spend the rest of your life by their side. Marriage is a human custom that wolves rarely follow.

"We want to be tied in every way," Lyn answers with a smile. "Even if the wolves recognize our union, the humans wouldn't unless we're married. And we hate the thought of anyone doubting our love."

"Wow, I didn't take Leon for such a romantic sap."

She lightly smacks my arm. "He's different around me and his family. Around others, he likes to be the cold and strong Alpha. But I know who he really is, and that's all that matters."

"As long as you guys are happy, I'm happy for you," I say with a wide grin. "When's the wedding?"

"We don't know yet. It'll probably be next year, to be honest. Leon's just so busy with the pack. He's been struggling to adjust as Alpha, although he tries to hide it. But enough about that! I really wanted to ask you... does Landon know about..?" She points to her throat, referencing my collar.

"No," I confess. "I don't know how to tell him."

"You better think of a way to quickly."

"Why?"

She sighs, covering her face with her hand like an exhausted mother. "Ryland, think about it. How long ago did you two meet?"

"About a month ago."

"And when do wolves go through their first heat?"

"Within a month after meeting their mates..." my eyes widen. "Shit, why didn't I think about this sooner?! Fuck, if we start our heat, it's going to be nearly impossible to keep River from trying to break free." I groan, sitting on my bed and burying my face in my hands. "Landon thinks feral wolves are monsters, Lyn! How am I supposed to tell him that his mate is half-feral?"

"I don't know," she tells me honestly, petting my hair. "We'll think of something together. Have you started experiencing signs that your heat is coming?"

"Like what? I've never experienced heat."

"Feeling clingy, wanting to be around and touch your mate at all times, stuff like that."

I think about it before nodding slowly. Landon and I have been a lot more physical lately, and as soon as he leaves, my chest immediately aches with the need to have him back.

"It's okay," Lyn soothes. "We'll come up with a plan. It's important that Landon knows. Don't hide the truth from him for too long, Ry."

"As much as I would love your help right now, you guys should go," I tell her, making her pout. "Landon is on his way over, and it might not be the best idea to have Leon here. Especially since Leon still hates him." I spit out that last part, still feeling angered that Leon would hate my mate for something that wasn't his fault.

"You're right," Lyn nods in agreement. "I'll grab Leon and we'll head out. But you'll text me and keep me updated on your relationship, right? Just because I'm in a different pack doesn't mean I'm not your friend."

"Of course," I promise as we head down the stairs. My eyes widen when I see Kai sitting alone in the living room, Leon nowhere in sight.

"Where's Leon?" Lyn asks Kai, who pauses his game.

"He said he wanted to take a walk around the pack," Kai shrugs. "I figured it wouldn't be a big deal since he's an Alpha and can handle himself."

Lyn and I inhale sharply, the same thought going through both our minds.

Shit.
Shit shit shit shit.

~~~

Oooohhhhhh what do you think is gonna happen while Leon's on his walk??

Also, I'm totally the Lyn in my friendships. I'm always the last one to know anything, smh

Thoughts??

BTW - the next chapter gets a little emotional, so just be prepared

Q: What was your first job?
[I worked in a snow cone shack]

See you next time!
-Gumbie