Arrow Inferno

***

Ryan stretched and turned his head to look at the clock on his bedside table. It was already half-past seven. He usually slept in on Saturdays but he had scripts to mark so he had to get out of bed. He reached out to pick up the framed photo of his and Jeremy's wolves from the bedside table like he did every morning, and stared at it. It was a beautiful picture. Ryan smiled, remembering the day his and Jeremy's wolves had spent the night in the suite. Though he'd been out most of the time thanks to their naughty wolves, that day had been special. Philip had brought him that framed photo the morning after Jeremy's departure. He told Ryan that their wolves had looked so sweet cuddled up together when he entered Jeremy's suite that morning after the arena combats, he hadn't been able to resist taking the shot. Philip had captured it like a pro. It could easily win the national geographic picture of the year award. Ryan ran his fingers over the image of the red wolf in the shot...his mate. God, he'd missed him.

Jeremy had been gone for three months. And although Ryan felt no pain as he should have, he missed him terribly. Most times he either woke up with his pillow wet with tears or with Jeremy's name on his lips. Ryan didn't get why he seemed to cry in his sleep almost all the time but always woke up okay. Gloria had tried explaining that much as his pain had been cloaked, subconsciously he was miserable. It was therefore no surprise that he actually cried in his sleep. Ryan didn't really get it but hey... he was no expert in the werewolf shenanigans. All he wanted was to see his Jeremy again.

Ryan remembered that time, a week after Jeremy left for the Fort, when he'd gone to the council and requested an audience with Luna. He'd met only four of the council members including the High Priestess. Somehow he'd been glad that Gloria, Joel, and Deloris...Camilla's warlock mother who he'd come to respect after she'd apologized to him for her daughter's actions against him, were not around at the time. His plan was to be rude and adamant if he had to. The council members he'd met had given each other incredulous looks, wondering what he wanted to discuss with Luna.

"Is there a problem Ryan?" The high priestess had asked, looking worried. Ryan understood why she looked worried. After all, if he was in any kind of pain over his mate after she'd used an indestructible cloaking spell on him, then there was a big problem.

"Yes, there is." Ryan had replied quietly. "I want my mate back."

"Are you in pain Ry..."

"I don't need to be in pain to want my mate." Ryan's voice had raised. "He's admitted he's erred. He willingly accepted his punishment. I'm the one he wronged and I've forgiven him. Shouldn't that count for something?" Ryan had finished, panting harshly.

"But Ryan, you're not the only one he wronged." The high priestess said quietly. "The fact that you've forgiven him does not mean the other parties..."

"You mean Luna." He'd growled. "I just want to talk to her, please. Pick up your wands and do the circle thingy and summon her so I can talk to her. This has gone far enough."

"It doesn't work like that Ry..."

"Then how the fuck does it work?" He'd bellowed, watching the council members tense up. "Help me understand because I'm tired of this crap. Where do you get off fucking up someone's life..." Ryan saw the relief on the faces of the council members when he heard the door of a car slam shut outside. He smelt her before she entered. "Please." He pleaded, unable to keep the desolation off his face. "Just tell me what to do and I'll do it. I'll do anything." "Ryan?" Gloria hugged him from behind and rested the side of her face on his back. "Easy honey." She crooned softly.

Ryan knew that she could feel him shaking. He'd covered his face in his hands and taken deep breaths. Then he'd heard Paige shout his name just before bursting naked into the council quarters. She'd obviously shifted to track him. Paige came to stand in front of him, removed his hands from his face, and wiped at his moist eyes. Then she'd hugged him.

"I hear you hate nudity." She'd murmured into his ears. "Take it as your punishment for waiting till I left the room, before putting your plan into motion. Do you think you're the only one who wants to murder these old farts?" She'd hissed and then added insincerely, "sorry Mama G", drawing soft laughter from both him and Gloria. "Anyway, you shouldn't even see this as punishment. After all, this is a hot Triple B body." She'd purred. "What's a triple B?" He'd asked before he could stop himself.

"Brunette, boobs, and buns." Paige had purred and then burst into laughter when he blushed. "You look so damn adorable when you blush." She'd teased.

In the end, he'd apologized to the council members and followed Gloria and a still proudly naked Paige, out.

"Next time you feel like confronting the council, talk to me first." Gloria had said as she sped towards the mansion. "Please?"

"But I only wanted to make a request." He'd groaned. "I want him back." He'd added in an anguished whisper.

"All in good time, handsome." Paige had murmured in a weird voice. "All in good time. Let's just get this Alpha threat out of the way first..."

"Paige, don't you dare do anything stupid." Gloria had growled. She'd later told him that she'd known the feisty woman since she was a baby. And she knew how headstrong she could be.

When Paige said nothing after Gloria's warning, the elder had actually stopped the car and turned to look at the naked beauty sitting in the back seat with stern eyes.

"Paige?" The warning in Gloria's voice couldn't be masked or ignored. "What are you planning on doing?" But Paige wouldn't respond. "If you don't answer me now, Paige Harrington so help me God, I'll..."

"Alright, alright I won't do anything stupid. Jeez." Paige had murmured but he could see from her eyes that she hadn't meant it at all.

She'd later admitted to him that her plan was to kidnap the council members who had been part of the circle during Jeremy's sentence and scare them into somehow getting Luna to bring Jeremy back. Ryan couldn't see how that plan could be successful but at least it was a plan. He'd tried talking to the council and it hadn't worked, right? Maybe Paige's way would yield a better result.

Ryan had never gone back to the council again, however. He felt helpless. He sometimes wondered whether they'd really cloaked his pain because there was nothing painless about missing Jeremy. But deep down, he knew they had because he remembered how he'd felt when Jeremy stayed away from him that time. He'd almost gone insane. He'd been literally sick. Maybe he needed that feeling now, Ryan couldn't help but think. Maybe that kind of pain would push him to unleash hell on the council and the ruthless Luna, to push them to bring his Jeremy back.

"Fuck." Ryan almost jumped out of his skin when the phone on his bedside table began to ring. He'd been so lost in thought the sound of the phone had sounded abnormally loud. He placed the framed photo on his chest and picked up the phone. It was Clara.

"How's my favourite alpha doing this morning?" Clara purred, making Ryan smile. Some of the pack members referred to him as alpha because they said being the alpha's mate made him an alpha too. "I'm good Clara. How about you?"

"Couldn't be better." Came her cheery voice. "Paige said to tell you she's on her way up."

"Okay. I'm up." Ryan said, wondering where Paige was coming from. "Thanks."