Page 20 of Fated to the Rogue

Caught off-guard, I almost couldn’t fight the urge to stick my tongue out in disgust when Dad kissed his Luna. Why were mates so anxious being apart from each other, even for small periods of time? All of my relationships so far could be considered one-night-stands, and I never felt any desire to see the girls I slept with again, let alone date them. I was always up for a good time, but other than sex, I wanted nothing to do with them.

“Such a manwhore,” Dawn spat.

Her disgust amused me. “Don’t tell me you’re a prude like Malin and Mint.”

“There’s a lot of room between being a prude and sleeping with every creature who has two legs.”

“And a pussy,” I completed.

“Gross!” she yucked, instantly retreating to the back of my mind. I couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction; I had recently discovered that teasing her brought me great joy.

“Car’s here!” my best friend announced, pulling me back to reality. As I looked through the window, my gaze immediately landed on the white limousine parked in front of the pack house.

“Let’s go, then.” I gestured toward the exit with my head before glancing at Zach over my shoulder. “See you tomorrow!”

“Good luck at the meeting. Don’t screw it up, Alpha,” he joked - at least I think he was joking - and gave me a curt nod.

Once we stepped outside, we hopped straight in the car while Mom bade us farewell. It was roughly a 40-minute drive to the airport, but it went by in the blink of an eye. As I set foot in the huge, crowded building, I was greeted by a feeling of familiarity. Although I hadn’t left the packlands in a couple of years, I had been traveling alongside my parents since I was a pup. I knew Malin had never been on an airplane before since his family couldn’t afford to pay for the tickets. But even if I didn’t know that bit of information, it was easy to tell by the way his eyes glistened as he looked around.

“Damn, this place is big!” He was dazzled by all the movement, the different shops, and the sound of the planes taking off.

“I don’t see the appeal,” I confessed.

“Oh, I’m sorry, my liege,” he said sarcastically. “I’ve forgotten you’ve been here so many times, it isn’t fun anymore. Please, do forgive me.” He ate the last bite of his croissant Mrs.Robinson packed for him. Not even a second later, his eyes darted to the bag I was carrying. “Are you gonna-”

I shook my head, chuckling as I shoved the snack against his chest. “You can have it.”

We had to undergo a bunch of bureaucratic steps before we finally got to board the plane, but instead of relaxing, the nervousness I was already feeling only intensified. Even the first-class seats we had booked were cramped, and most shifters tended to hate small spaces. Our animal side craved freedom; taking trains, flying, or simply riding in the car for over an hour would make us feel caged. It was common for our wolf counterparts to howl anxiously and desperately try to claw their way out of our minds, resulting in terrible migraines. Even Malin, who had been bursting with excitement since we walked into the airport, had gone quiet, tightly grasping the armrests as he sat next to me.

Thankfully, the flight to Galensoles should only take around two and a half hours. It was still a lot in my opinion, but considering international flights could take up to 24 hours, I was fine with my situation. Still, just the thought of spending so long stuck in such a tiny space filled with passengers, who were mostly human, made my skin crawl.

“It’s notthatclaustrophobic. I mean, compared to your small, enclosed mind, this place seems like a mansion to me,” Dawn said with seriousness, yet the smirk on her face gave her away.

“Hey, I’ve been letting you out every night since your little tantrum!” I argued.

“Will you also let me see Galensoles through my own eyes?” Her golden eyes glistened with anticipation.

“Only if you don’t give me a hard time until we arrive there.”

“Deal.” The way she wagged her tail in excitement made my heart flutter. Wait, what? “Have a nice flight, Zephyr.”

As she retreated to the depths of my subconsciousness, I could hear her humming a sweet melody. It was like background music, very low, but also calming in a way I couldn’t explain. At first, I was planning on watching a movie to help time pass by quicker, but I quickly changed my mind. Her soothing song brought me such peace, I couldn’t fight it when my heavy eyelids insisted on closing. I ended up falling asleep before the plane took off.

???

“Goddess, when is this headache gonna stop?” Malin complained, pressing his hands against his temples in an attempt to minimize his pain.

“The next time you let your wolf out,” Beta Warrick replied as he massaged his back.

“What?! No way!” my best friend cried out. I noticed his eyes widening as they fell on me. “Wait. Why do you look fine?” He arched an eyebrow, his shock growing. “Actually, you look more than fine. You seem more relaxed than you were before we even boarded the plane! How?!”

“Alpha blood, maybe?” I shrugged.

“I doubt it,” Dad chimed in, a deep frown staining his face. “Ebert didn’t shut up for a single second. He seems to grow more anxious every time we fly.” He sighed. “You must have taken after your mother. Long trips never really bothered her.”

“Not fair.” Malin pouted.

I threw an arm around my best friend’s neck. “Brighten up, gloomy. We’re in Galensoles, the city of marvelous beaches and famous movie stars!”

---