Desert Heat (Complete)

{Allie’s P.O.V.}

The drive to Golden Moon took a few hours but upon arrival, we were immediately welcomed. The territory was a lot smaller than what we were used to; it was definitely more natural-looking, given there was so much greenery in the area. It was off the beaten path yet looked homey at the same time.

As soon as we exited the SUVs, we received a lot of stares. I guess that was to be expected since it isn’t customary for packs to travel with this many people.

“Alpha Shaw!” an older gentleman greeted Dorian with a firm handshake and bright smile.

“Alpha Griffin,” Dorian greeted in return.

“Please, it’s just Richard now.”

“I’m sorry?” Dorian asked, shocked.

“Allow me to introduce you to my successor, our new Alpha. This is Chad McEvoy. I announced his induction last night,” Richard said and brought forth an endearing young man in his early twenties. I looked at him closely and c****d my head back and forth, trying to get a sense of him. He had a broken soul, but he was strong and had a good aura about him.

“Alpha Shaw, it’s a pleasure. And this must be your … Why is she looking at me like that?”

“Hm? Oh, Allie does that when she’s trying to get a sense of who you are. Allie? Baby?”

“Huh? What?” I looked at him. Dorian just shook his head.

“My apologies, Alpha McEvoy, but my wife has an ability to sense souls, so she likes to get a read on everyone she meets,” Dorian explained on my behalf.

“I’m sorry, it’s a force of habit. I don’t mean any disrespect,” I said, putting my hand out to shake his.

“It’s quite alright, Luna Shaw. Tell me, what did you sense?” he asked genuinely.

“Well, your soul is broken. Heartbroken to be more exact, but something tells me you’re on the mend. You’re kind and have a good essence about you. I also assume that this beautiful blonde is the reason why your heart is healing?” I answered when I saw the young girl next to him.

“Wow, you’re spot on. Yes, this is my second chance mate, Lanie, and the pack’s future Luna.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said and extended my hand out. When she took it, I felt a sudden shock. I pulled my hand back abruptly and this caught everyone off guard.

“Baby, is everything okay?” Dorian asked.

“Y-Yeah. Sorry, umm she just shocked me and it surprised me, that’s all,” I replied and smiled.

“Alpha McEvoy, allow me to introduce you to my other ranked members,” Dorian said. He went around and introduced everyone, and then moved to the guards, Ethan, and Aries. Amber and Ronnie quickly introduced themselves as well. Alpha McEvoy was stunned to see so many people; Dorian explained why and then his confusion turned into appreciation.

“Desert Moon, thank you for traveling all this way. As I’ve already mentioned, this is Lanie. This is Brent, my Beta, and his mate, Lexie, who also happens to be Lanie’s twin sister.”

“Wait, you’re the ones that Wyatt told us about?” I asked. Both of them nodded. I looked at Lexie, and I felt the same aura coming from her that I did Lanie. I guess it would make sense, being twins and all.

“This is Maverick, my new Gamma,” Alpha McEvoy continued. We all said our hellos and shook hands. Then, Wyatt showed up unexpectedly, accompanied by another blonde young lady. I had to assume that was Rylee, but something was off about them. They were both … pissed off. Rylee’s eyes were also swollen and puffy; it looked as if she had been crying.

“Dorian, you found it okay,” Wyatt spoke to him first.

“Yeah, your Beta led the way,” Dorian answered. He too looked at Wyatt and lifted a brow. I guess it was obvious that Wyatt and Rylee didn’t sleep that well.

“This is Rylee, my mate, and Luna,” Wyatt said flatly. What the f**k? It was almost as if he didn’t want to introduce her. I looked up at Dorian who looked down at me at the same time. We were feeling the same thing. There was no doubt that Wyatt and Rylee had been fighting, but something told me it was more than that.

“Alpha McEvoy, I would like to have a sit down with you, Alpha-to-Alpha, but I do need to speak with Wyatt first, privately,” Dorian said to him.

“Um, yes, of course. Be my guest. We have a conference room you can use. It’s soundproof, so you will have privacy.”

“Thank you.”

“Follow me, Dorian,” Wyatt told him.

“Allie, come with me, and Luna Rylee, I kindly ask that you join us as well,” Dorian said to her as gently as possible. Rylee rolled her eyes but followed Wyatt anyways. I mind-linked Dorian.

What the hell is up with them?

I think I have an idea. Allie, can you sense their bond by any chance?

Yeah, why? He gave me this knowing look and I knew immediately what he was getting at. I now understood why he wanted my help.

We got to the conference room and sat down at the table together. Wyatt and Rylee sat next to each other but seemed to be avoiding each other. Their actions reminded me of when Dorian and I were fighting over the whole Heather thing. But it was mostly me, not him. This was different though; they were both angry and both avoiding one another.

“What is it, Dorian? As you can see, we don’t really have time for this,” Wyatt said sharply.

“Well, you need to make time, because I think I know what’s wrong with you and your Luna,” Dorian snapped back.

“I’m sorry, but you haven’t spoken to Wyatt in over ten years. How the hell would you know what we’re going through? You don’t know us,” Rylee lashed out. This girl had a lot of kahunas to be talking to Dorian that way and in front of me. This girl was young, it was obvious, but she had spunk and I liked it.

“I know enough, Rylee.”

“Dorian, what the hell is this ab—”

“Why the f**k didn’t you tell me she rejected you two years ago!?” Dorian said out of the blue.

“What?!” I exclaimed and looked at them.

“How did you …”

“People talk, Wyatt. Pissed off people talk loudly. Your pack members told me, along with my other ranked members this morning after training. They’re concerned that your rejection is why you’re not the same Alpha you once were.”

“Well, they’re wrong. That’s in the past. That has nothing to do with anything!” Wyatt defended.

“You sure about that?” Dorian asked and Wyatt nodded. Rylee was silent, but she seemed to be guilt-ridden after Dorian brought that up.

“Wait, why would you reject him?” I asked Rylee directly. She turned her head and didn’t answer.

“It’s a long story,” Wyatt said. He continued by giving me the cliff notes version of events, and to say that my mind was blown was an understatement. I looked at Rylee who now had tears in her eyes.

“Well, obviously this subject is still very raw for her, otherwise, she wouldn’t be crying,” I said to him. Wyatt turned his head to look at her, but she had her back towards him.

“Wyatt, I think that rejection is why things are the way they are right now,” Dorian said to him.

“What are you talking about?!” Wyatt shouted.

“Baby?” Dorian turned to me.

“Wyatt, you know that I have powers, right?” He nodded his head. “Well, one of those powers has to do with soul sensing. That power allows me to do several things. One, I can tell when a female is pregnant; two, I can help people find their mates; and three, I can sense if someone is good or evil.”

“Okay, and what does any of this have to do anything right now?” he asked me, clearly aggravated.

“My ability to sense mates is what has to do with it. Obviously, Rylee is your mate; I can sense it. But what I can’t sense is your actual mate bond.” They both looked at me like I was crazy. “I don’t just sense someone’s mate. I can sense their bond with each other. That’s how I know that people belong together. It’s like two parts to a whole. For the two of you, I can sense that you are mates, but not your bond. It’s there, but it’s weak. It’s like this,” I said and interlocked my fingers together completely. “A bond should be fully locked in like this. Once the mating process is complete and two mates have marked each other, then it should be unbreakable. But Rylee rejecting you broke that bond. Even though she technically came back and you re-marked her, your bond isn’t complete. It’s almost as if there is a tiny space,” I said while slightly separating my hands, “that needs to be filled before it can be what it was before her rejection,” I explained. They looked at me again; but this time, they were invested in what I had to say.

“Rylee?” She looked at Dorian. “When you rejected Wyatt and took him back, did you formally renounce your rejection?” Her eyes widened and, for the first time today, they looked at each other.

“Did I?” she asked him.

“I don’t remember,” Wyatt replied.

“Let me ask you this, where and how did you reject him?” Dorian asked.

“At the pack border, in front of the gate.”

“Okay, that makes a lot of sense now,” Dorian said and let out a deep breath. “Rylee, when you formally reject your mate after the mating process has been completed, the pain could actually kill the both of you. But since you’re some sort of super wolf, and your mark on Wyatt was gone because of the dark magic, it lessened the blow for him. It was still painful, obviously, but it didn’t kill him.”

“What are you trying to get at Dorian?” Wyatt asked. I was curious too. This was something I never knew.

“What I’m getting at is that Rylee not only rejected you as a mate but as her Alpha. But before she could do that, she would have to give up her Luna title as well,” Dorian said and looked at Rylee whose eyes were as wide as saucers. “Rylee, did you rescind your title as Luna that day also?”

“I did,” she replied while nodding.

“And according to your pack members, you brought her back as someone else right? Rylee was in some kind of magical cloak and looked like someone else?” They both nodded. “That’s also what’s wrong with everything.”

“I don’t understand,” Rylee said.

“Wyatt, you would know this had you paid more attention to your Alpha training classes, as well as, How to Handle a Mate 101,” Dorian told him. I rolled my eyes knowing that he was being a pompous d**k right now. “If a Luna formally rejects her pack and her Alpha, in order for her to regain her rank and her mate, she has to formally revoke both rejections. But in Rylee’s case, she did it at the pack border. This means that her reversal of those rejections would also need to be done at the pack border before anything is solidified.” My jaw dropped hearing this, and I peered over at Wyatt and Rylee who looked like deer stuck in headlights.

“Wait, babe, are you saying that Rylee technically isn’t the Luna of her pack? And that her bond with Wyatt is weakened because she rejected him and didn’t formally take it back?” I asked, trying to make sure I understood correctly.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“And you didn’t know any of this!?” I asked Wyatt.

“I-I mean … I did, but I didn’t …” he stuttered in confusion.

“You were too busy thinking about yourself as a man getting back his woman and son, rather than as an Alpha regaining his Luna and heir to his pack,” Dorian stepped in. “Wyatt, it’s bad enough that you’re constantly lying to your pack members, but it certainly doesn’t help when their Luna isn’t actually their Luna. The pack can sense when the bond between their Alpha and Luna is weak. That’s why your pack members have been questioning your ability to lead, and why you’ve been so off your game.”

“f**k, that’s what she meant!” Wyatt shouted and slammed his fists on the table.

“What who meant?” I asked.

“Selene,” Dorian answered.

“Selene!? She showed herself to you!?” I asked Wyatt and he nodded. “Damn, you either really pissed her off, or you really needed a wake-up call.”

“Selene?” Rylee asked. “As in the moon goddess?” We all nodded. “The moon goddess came to you? When!?”

“Last night, before I came here. She told me that our bond was weak but wouldn’t tell me why. She also told me that I was making you a weak Luna by constantly holding you back. I questioned why Allie was stronger than you when it came to her Luna aura, especially since she was once human. Selene told me it’s because she blessed Allie with that power, but that you don’t need it. That you’re born with it, being who you are. You’re supposed to be the most powerful wolf of all time, but that my constant coddling is what has been holding you back.” Rylee stared at him and started to laugh. Dorian and I looked at each other.

“How ironic is it that I f*****g said all that s**t to you last night!?” she shouted at him and shoved him. “And you had the audacity to tell me that I can’t be trusted with the use of my powers because I’ll use them on the wrong people and just cause more problems!”

“Wyatt, what the f**k!?” Dorian told him.

“Dorian and Allie, thank you for your advice and knowledge, but this is between me and Wyatt now. I kindly ask that you two leave,” Rylee spoke while trying to subdue her anger.

“Sure thing,” I answered. “Oh um, Rylee, before I go. I just want to tell you one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re a powerful wolf. If Selene says that you’re supposed to be powerful in this world, then you don’t need anyone’s approval, let alone Wyatt’s. He shouldn’t be dictating you, as your mate, he should be supporting you.”

“Funny, I said that too,” she replied as she gave him the side-eye.

“I think you and I could be friends, but later. Come find me when you’re ready to,” I said lastly, and with that Dorian and I walked out. Before we even closed the door, Wyatt and Rylee started to scream at each other. We shut the door and made our way outside for some privacy of our own.

“Holy s**t,” was all I could say once we got to a place away from prying eyes and ears.

“Yeah.”

“Who was the girl that used the black magic?” I asked.

“A girl whose cherry he popped. She was in love with him and even rejected her own mate to be with Wyatt. But, Rylee came and that started this whole circle of events. And according to Wyatt’s pack members, even though she was a loose cannon and showed a lot of disrespect to ranked members, Wyatt refused to punish her or banish her, even though a lot of people told him to otherwise.”

“So she used black magic to f**k up their lives?”

“Basically. Even when he got his memories back and found out exactly what happened, instead of taking that information and doing what needed to be done, he stalled to get personal revenge. That’s how Rylee’s alias came into play. Used her as a decoy, and then after all that was over with, Wyatt decided to have the dark witch, who eventually switched sides, create a clone of Rylee to deal with the vampire situation.”

“And all the while, Rylee’s rejection of Wyatt and her pack was never taken back,” I concluded, and Dorian nodded. “So, this whole nonsense where his pack members are questioning their leadership is because they can feel that their Alpha and Luna are not fully bonded and that she’s not actually their Luna?”

“Pretty much.” I just scoffed. “Let them hash it out. They need to. Something tells me that they buried their feelings too fast over everything and his hasty decisions are what led to this. They need to get it out of their system. Once Rylee formally renounces both rejections and Wyatt accepts them, things will slowly go back to normal for them. Maybe then, Wyatt can be the supportive Alpha mate that someone like Rylee needs to be who she’s meant to be.”

I let out a big sigh and nodded my head. Maybe this was why I needed to be here. One, to keep Dorian sane but two, to use my abilities to help Wyatt and Rylee. I mean, they had no idea that their bond was weakened, or at least why it was. I’m glad we could be of some help to them. I leaned into Dorian, who gently put his gigantic hand on my belly.

“I can’t wait to meet him,” I said and looked down.

“You sure it’s a boy?”

“I feel it in my bones, but it’s still a 50/50 chance, so we will see in two months.” Dorian leaned down to k**s me, but we were disrupted by Dani popping in front of us.

“AHH! Holy f**k Dani!” I shouted at her.

“We have a problem!” she shouted back.

“What is it, Dani?” Dorian asked.

“Leah had a vision of us being attacked, here.”

“What!?”

“But that’s not the big problem,” Dani added. “She somehow had two visions simultaneously.”

“Of what, Dani!?” I asked.

“The Blue Lake Gammas are in danger. They’re going to be attacked at the same time we’re going to be attacked here.”