A Reluctant Mate

Ranger's POV (21)

With Aria still being unwell, Cash and I had done most of the preparations for the confirmation ceremony, everyone else chipped in, Dixson kept is eye on Aria, General Saxon helped with the flowers, I helped with the food, the cook hated me helping, I made such a mess, he did tell me a few times to leave him to do it alone but there were so may Lycan's coming, he couldn't do it all along, Cash and some of the others set the canopy up with the chairs.

Aria avoided me the whole of yesterday and now I've not seen her all of this morning, but I kind of knew I wouldn't see her today, not that all her brothers are here, Mitch, Malcolm and Curtis arrived early this morning, I will be lucky if I see her at the ceremony.

"Cash, have you seen Aria anywhere?" "The last time I saw her was in the dinning hall but I'm sure she gone back up to her room to get dressed, would you like me to find her for you?" "No it's ok, I bet she was with her brothers" "yeah, they are, they have surrounded her like Secret Service to the president" he joked "I will see her in an hour or so" I can wait a little longer, I waited two years for her that almost killed me, one more hour won't hurt.

The confirmation ceremony was in full swing, she was wearing a beautiful, long off white, dress, it looked more like a summer dress than a wedding dress, but I had told Aria, she can wear anything she likes, one of the young Lycan girls that was just told that she was an omega, she made her a flower crown, made with little white flowers that only grow in one patch of the garden.

"If anyone objects to the marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace" we both turned towards the crowd of Lycan's that that gathered, there were hundreds of Lycan that turned up.

As I turned I noticed someone walking out from the forest, I just thought she was a late guest, I didn't recognize her, "how could you?" Everyone looked over at her, "Dee?" Aria said, the woman got right up to us "who could you kill my mate? He was my everything" "come on Dee, this isn't the time" Mitch said standing up, "I will take your mate" and in a flash Dee moved to Aria then stumbled back.

Mitch tackled Dee to the floor, Aria slowly turned to me, there was a huge knife sticking out from her stomach, blood covering her off white dress, everything when into slow motion, Aria reached out for me as she fell to her knees, "Ranger help her" Cash shouted, as he raced towards us.

"Call and ambulance, we need to save the pups" Dixson cried out 'did he just say pups?' "Pups?, DIXSON, did you say pups?" "Call a fucking ambulance", I knelt down to Aria, who was barley conscious, her eye were rolling to the back of her head, I held her hand, "stay with me Aria, Dixson mentioned pups? Are you with pup?" She gave me a sad smile, "pocket" she barely whispered, I got what ever was in her pocket before Doctor Anderson pushed me out the way, "shift Aria, the bleeding should stop, the pups will be fine" 'pups again' Maddox said, I looked at what I had gotten out of her pocket, it was a card, I was confused so was Maddox, 'open it' "Ranger, we need Aria to shift, please convince her to" Doctor Anderson, I put the card in my pocket and kneeled back next to her "come on Aria, you need to shift, what would I do with out you?" She shook her head, 'Ranger, we could force her to change, remember we did it to Dixson', I kissed her forehead, and whispered, "sorry, I have no other choice, I cannot lose you", "stand back".

Aria protested when I poured my pheromones out, I opened the floor gates, I didn't care if it made everyone around me shift.

She finally shifted, which I was happy but now she couldn't speak, the ambulance arrived shortly after, they were from Doctor Anderson's hospital so they are well versed in Lycan matters, they put her on a stretcher, I wanted to go with her but I needed to dead with the woman that stabbed her, Dixson when with her.

Releasing my pheromones like that forced three other Lycan's to shift, they were younger ones so they couldn't help it, some of the other alpha's helped them out, going into the house and getting them some clothes to change into when they shift back.

Mitch and Cash had the woman pinned to the floor, she was crying hysterically, screaming for them to let her go, I will tell you now, this woman will not leave this property alive.