Page 111 of Fated to the Rogue

“It’s large enough for the three of us, Vincent,” my mate reassured him. He opened his mouth to argue, but decided to drop it. A little reluctant, he guided us to our seats at the rustic wooden table.

“Would you like me to serve you, Alpha Zephyr?” The man gestured towards the stock pot filled to the brim with a delicious-smelling chicken stew.

“You’re the cook. You should serve yourself first,” I calmly told him with a smile, hoping to make him feel a little less tense in my presence.

To my surprise, he stiffened. “Actually, Alpha, the Luna helped me. I’m sorry for allowing your Luna to work. I begged her not to, but she commanded me and-”

“I wouldn’t dare go against her wishes either. Just between us, she can be a little scary when she’s determined to get her way.” I winked at Tina. She just rolled her eyes playfully in response.

Thankfully, my attempt to lighten the mood worked. “That is true.” Vincent smiled.

“Come on, Vince. We’re not here as the Alpha and Luna. Tonight, I’m just Tina…” My sunrise looked at me, taking my hand in hers. “And my mate, Zephyr. Can we try that?”

Again, the Omega seemed a little unsure. In the end, he nodded. “Very well, Al-” he started, but immediately corrected himself. “Zephyr and Tina. I hope you enjoy the stew I helped prepare for you.”

Once Tina convinced Vincent to relax, the atmosphere became a lot more cozy. It was surely a change in scenery for me, but one I actually loved. Not only did I get to learn a little more about my mate’s past, I also managed to feel like I wasn’t the center of attention, which was very appreciated in a time when the fate of over 300 wolves was in my hands. After my previous stressful night, although still in the middle of chaos, I knew I would get to sleep well.

Interlude IX

Malin

It was definitely weird to wake up on a Monday morning and not have to conduct warrior training. I had only officially taken up the Beta role a couple months ago, yet I had already gotten used to my routine. Subconsciously, I felt as if I was slacking off when I remained curled up in bed with my mate after the alarm rang, but what else was I supposed to do? Zephyr had given us time off to stay with our loved ones, and I wasn’t one to question my Alpha’s orders.

Although it might seem reckless to step away from duty when the bomb was about to go off, we had reached a point where there was nothing else we could do. After the surprise attack on Saturday, we spent almost the entire Sunday in the office, making small changes to our defense system and making sure that we were as prepared as we could be. Now, all we could do was wait.

The situation we found ourselves in was quite scary, but I couldn’t say that I was afraid. Somewhere deep inside of me, I had faith that Wind Howlers would win, even if I knew that some of us would not make it. It was fairly common for werewolves to give away their lives in combat, especially for the Elite members,who were always on the front line. I was ready to die to ensure our pack's survival.

Or at least I thought I was. Every time I glanced at my precious shining star, only to be met with the most radiant smile, capable of lighting up the farthest galaxies, I started second guessing myself. Would she be able to get over the loss of her mate, should I perish in combat? Would she still smile after that? The choice between love and duty… It was the hardest choice a man could make, but there might come a time when I’ll have to make it.

I shook my head. The Fallen could attack us any time now. Zephyr had ordered us to spend the day with our families, for it could be our last. I wouldn’t spend it feeding the doubts in my mind.

“Good morning, my love.” My mate’s groggy voice immediately pulled me from my thoughts. I had to blink a few times to realize that she had opened her eyes, and was now staring right at me.

A serene smile played on my lips as I leaned in to give her a kiss. “Morning, my star. I ordered us breakfast in bed. Mrs. Robinson should be here soon.”

“Oh. So we’re not joining the others at the cafeteria?”

“I thought we could do things a little differently today,” I explained.

“Interesting. What else have you got planned?”

“You’ll see.” I winked at her, and she rolled her eyes at my mysteriousness in response.

I wanted to take her to my family’s farm again and to spend some time with my parents. However, we weren’t allowed to leave pack territory; we didn’t know when the Fallen would strike, and we had to be present to fight against them. Instead, I decided to prepare a special day with Amaya.

Once the head cook arrived with our food, we helped her set everything up on our table. After we ate, we went back to bed to spend a few more minutes just cuddling and kissing before getting up again. We headed to the dandelion fields to allow our wolves some time together too. Pepper and Mint had the time of their lives, running around and simply enjoying each other’s presence.

It was around noon when they finally got tired and searched for the shade of a tree to cool off. When we started getting hungry, we shifted back into our human forms to dive into the picnic basket I had brought.

“Malin, these sandwiches you made are amazing!” my star chanted as she took her first bite. “What did you put in here?”

“It’s a classic recipe my mom used to make.” I smiled, happy to have pleased her. “It’s just garlic butter and Italian sausage.”

“Sounds fancy to me,” she giggled.

“I’m glad you like it,” I confessed, momentarily taking my eyes off her so I could admire the beautiful day.

“What are we doing next?” she wondered.

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