The Alpha And The Lycan's Daughter

Ryker POV.

Dan’s words hit me like a brick as we stood in the quiet night. “I’m telling you, Alpha, the pack is losing their patience. They want you to settle down. Victoria hasn’t given up.”

My eyes focused, body tight as I walked beside my Beta, the sound of dry leaves crunching beneath our feet. “I don’t care what the pack wants, Dan. No one’s going to force me into a bond that doesn’t belong to me.”

Dan sighed, shaking his head. “And what if your true mate never shows up? What then? Are you going to let Victoria become Luna by default?”

I growled, irritation boiling inside. “I’d rather be alone than tie myself to someone who isn’t my destined mate. I can feel her presence. She’s out there somewhere.”

“But you’ve been searching for so many years,” Dan’s eyes were full of worry. “How much longer will you keep searching before you accept she may not be out there?”

I stopped, staring into the darkness. “She exists, Dan. Every time I shift, my wolf knows she’s out there.”

Dan didn’t say anything. He had seen me fight countless wars, but this search for my true mate—it was wearing me down. Even he could see that.

“Victoria’s spreading rumors,” Dan said after a pause. “She thinks you’ll eventually give in, choose her out of desperation.”

“Victoria can say whatever she wants,” I snapped. “She’s fooling herself if she thinks I’ll choose her.”

Dan gave a small smile, shaking his head. “She’s strong, Alpha. Determined. You need to watch your back. The pack might start agreeing with her if they think you’re wasting time.”

I frowned. “Let them talk. I’m not making choices based on anger. I know what I want, and I will find her.”

We reached the end of the forest, the town of the Silver Moon Pack stretching out before us. Wide fields led to the soft glow of houses in the distance. Tension curled tight in my chest. I had felt this pull for so long, like something important was close. But each time I got close, the feeling walked away like smoke.

“You can’t keep doing this,” Dan broke the quiet softly. “Running off into the woods, chasing after something you can’t explain.”

“You don’t have to get it, Dan,” I muttered, my jaw tight. “But I can’t ignore this. My wolf won’t let me.”

“And what about the pack?” Dan’s voice grew louder. “They need their Alpha. You can’t keep putting them aside for a dream.”

Before I could respond, a breeze drifted by, bringing a smell so faint I almost missed it. I froze, my wolf stirring inside.

“What is it?” Dan asked, noticing my change.

“I’m not sure,” I whispered, my eyes sweeping the sky. The smell was gone as soon as it came, but it felt familiar. My wolf’s instincts flared, pushing me to chase it.

“Ryker?”

“I smelled something.”

Dan raised an eyebrow. “Something? Or someone?”

“I don’t know, but I need to find out.”

Dan sighed. “You’ve been chasing these signs for months. Don’t let this be another disappointment.”

But I wasn’t looking. My wolf was already pulling me forward. This was different. I couldn’t explain it, but something had changed tonight.

“Stay here,” I ordered.

“Ryker, don’t—”

Before he could stop me, I changed into my wolf form, my big black wolf running through the woods toward the faraway hills. The wind blew through my fur as I pushed faster, following the smallest hint of that smell. It was walking away, but my wolf wasn’t ready to give up.

The moon cast a bright glow on the ground, leading me through the night. My heart pounded, excitement rushing through my veins. I had never felt this strong, this certain.

I slid to a stop at the base of a hill, my wolf’s nose moving, but the smell was gone. It had vanished. I shifted back into my human form, breath coming in hard gasps.

Nothing.

Just the night, and the wind stirring the leaves.

Anger flared in my chest, and I frowned up,fighting the anger. Was this just another dead end? Another false hope?

I stared at the faraway hills, my eyes hard, wishing the smell to return. My wolf paced inside me, restless.

But then, I felt it again.

A breath on the breeze. A hint of a smell, recognizable but far away. It was there, teasing me, pulling me closer.

This time, I knew it wasn’t a mistake.

She was real. And she was closer than ever before.

Back at the village, the pack whispered.

“Did you hear?” one of them asked. “Alpha Ryker still hasn’t found his mate.”

“Victoria’s losing her patience,” another added. “She’s been dropping hints for weeks, hoping Ryker will choose her.”

“Do you think he’ll do it?”

“Ryker’s too stubborn. But if he doesn’t find his mate soon…”

Victoria stood apart from the group, her sharp eyes fixed on the flames. She heard every word. They were all waiting, watching. But Victoria wasn’t one to sit still. She had a plan. If I didn’t choose her, she’d make sure I had no other choice.

I returned to the town just before dawn, tiredness hanging heavy on me. The smell had emerged once more, but I knew it was different this time. I could feel her now—so close.

Dan approached, his eyes asking. “Any progress?”

“I’m getting closer,” I said. “I can feel it.”

As I walked through the town, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was about to happen. The air felt charged, the breeze carrying an energy that made my skin itch.

And then, I caught it—a smell, weak but clear, moving through the village.

It was her.

She was here.

My wolf growled with excitement, my heart pounding as I turned, scanning the village for the source. Asking the guards and even neighboring packs.

But just as quickly as it came, the smell was gone. And this made me very sad. This is what I have always wanted: my mate I tightened up, my wolf restless. She was near, but still just out of reach.

And I wouldn’t stop until I found her.

Aria POV.

"You're moving slower than usual today, Aria. Is that what you call hard work?" Victoria’s sharp voice cut through the kitchen, her eyes narrowing as she watched me scrubbing the floor on my hands and knees.

"I am sorry," I said softly. I kept my head down, too scared to look up and meet Victoria’s cruel eyes.

"Sorry? Sorry won’t fix your laziness," Victoria sneered, walking closer and kicking the water bucket over, spilling its contents all over the floor. "Clean it up. And do it fast, before I lose my temper."

I ground my teeth, my hands shaking as I hurried to grab the dirty rags, soaking up the mess that now surrounded me. Every day felt the same—Victoria’s constant mean words, the rough treatment, and the heavy truth that I was just a worker in the pack that should have been my family.

"Look at you," Victoria scoffed, crossing her arms. "Pathetic. You think staying quiet and following orders will get you anywhere? You’re nothing, Aria. And you always will be."

My chest felt tight, but I kept my eyes on the floor below me. The desire to yell, to fight back, was burning deep inside me, but I knew better than to give Victoria the pleasure of seeing me upset.

"Are you even listening to me?" Victoria snapped, stepping forward and pulling me up by my hair. "I said you’re nothing!"

The pain shot through my head, but I stayed quiet, my lips pressed tightly together as I stood up. My heart was beating fast, but I wouldn’t let Victoria see me cry.

"Good," Victoria hissed, letting me go with a hard push. "Now, finish cleaning and then come to my room. I need you to take care of my clothes. Try not to mess things up this time."

As Victoria stormed out of the kitchen, the other pack members who had been watching the scene started talking among themselves, their eyes full of sadness, but none of them dared to step in. I was used to the looks, the silence from those who might have helped if they weren’t so scared of Victoria’s anger.

I got back down on the floor, my hands still shaking as I finished cleaning. I was used to the sharp words, the never-ending jobs, and the mean statements. But deep inside, there was a fire, a quiet power that I kept secret, even from myself. A part of me refused to break, no matter how hard Victoria or anyone else tried to crush my spirit.

"Why do you let her treat you like that?" a voice said from behind me, making me jump. I turned to see Liam, a young wolf from the pack, standing in the doorway, his face full of worry.

"Liam, you shouldn’t be here," I whispered quickly, looking around to make sure no one else was watching. "If Victoria sees you talking to me—"

"I don’t care what Victoria thinks," Liam said. "This isn’t right, Aria. You don’t deserve this."

I shook my head, my heart sinking. "It’s just how things are, Liam. There’s nothing you can do."

"I can’t just stand by and watch them treat you like this," he said, moving closer. "You deserve so much more."

I gave him a sad smile, my eyes showing both thanks and sadness. "Thank you, Liam. But coming out is dangerous. For both of us."

He stood there, looking irritated, before he finally nodded. "If you ever need help… I’m here."

I watched him walk away, my chest heavy with things I couldn’t say. I knew Liam wanted to help, but his kindness could only do so much in a pack where people like Victoria were in charge. I had learned a long time ago that standing up to them only made things harder.

With a sigh, I finished my work and made my way to Victoria’s room, where more jobs were waiting for me. The big halls of the packhouse always felt like they were closing in on me, reminding me of the life I could never have, the family I had lost. Once, this place had been my home, too. But now, it was just a jail.

As I walked into Victoria’s room, the smell of perfume and fancy clothes filled the air. Victoria sat in front of a big mirror, brushing her hair slowly, her image grinning when I came in.

"Hang up my new dresses," Victoria demanded without even looking at me. "And make sure they’re all neat and pressed. I have a dinner tonight, and I need to look great."

I nodded quietly and got to work, carefully handling the beautiful dresses that hung in the closet. Each dress looked more beautiful than the last, a sharp contrast to the simple, old clothes that I had to wear every day.

While I worked, Victoria’s voice broke the quiet. "You must be jealous of me, Aria. Being the future Luna of the Silver Moon Pack."

I paused for a second, then quickly went back to my work. "I am not jealous of you," I said softly.

Victoria laughed, a cold, mean sound. "Of course, you are. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t. Every she-wolf dreams of being Luna. Of standing by the Alpha, leading the pack. But not you, right? No, you’ll just stay in the dark, doing as you’re told."

I stayed quiet, my heart aching with the truth in Victoria’s words. I didn’t want power or fame, but hearing about my place in the pack over and over again was hard to accept.

"You’re so pathetic, Aria," Victoria went on. "You’ve never fought for anything in your whole life. And that’s why you’ll always be below me."

My hands were steady as I put the last of Victoria’s dresses in place. I had fought once, but nobody had seen it. Nobody had been there to care.

When my work was finished, I left Victoria’s room without a word, my mind running with thoughts of getting away. But where would I go? The pack had its hold on me, and there was nowhere I could go outside its reach.

That evening, as the pack gathered for a big dinner, I stayed in the dark, watching from far away. I was unseen to them, a ghost moving through the halls, ignored and forgotten. But I liked it that way. It was easy to deal with the pain when no one was looking.

As the night went on, I came out of the packhouse into the cool night air. The moon hung low in the sky, sending a soft light over the trees. I walked toward the edge of the forest, looking for the peace that the woods always gave me. Here, under the stars, I could finally breathe.

This was the same road Alpha Ryker usually took when he went on watch. Would he pass by today and find me, the one carrying the smell of his mate?