Page 41 of Fated to the Rogue

“I know so,” I corrected her, a radiant grin playing on my lips. “You should have heard how excited they were over the phone when I told them we were coming to visit. As Omegas, they’re very simple people. The mate bond is what they value the most in life. They’ve loved you from the second I told them your name.”

“Okay. That makes me feel a little more confident.”

“Good, because we’re almost there.” I winked at her, soon turning my attention back to the path ahead of me.

Two hours after we left our home in Wind Howlers, we finally reached the dirt road I was very familiar with. It was only a 15-minute ride to the farm from there. Once my parent’s house appeared on the horizon, I noticed my mate’s mouth form the shape of an ‘O’ in awe.

“This place is so much more beautiful than I had imagined!” Amaya smiled at the view in front of her as we approached the main building.

Honestly, it was prettier than I remembered too. It had been a few months since I last visited the small house. Its rustic exterior was mainly made out of wood logs, with a few pillars surrounding the porch. The front wall of the house was decorated with cobblestones, as was the chimney. It had multiple gray roof peaks to add to the farmhouse style, but the tall windows with moss green frames added to its rustic charm. There were three cows calmly grazing in an enclosed pasture right beside the building, as well as a dozen chickens pecking and scratching the front lawn.

I parked the truck a few feet away from the house. Still, the animals all trotted away from us as soon as we hopped out, except for one of the cows.

“Did I scare them?” My mate watched as they disappeared, a hint of guilt on her face.

“We did.” I quickly took her hand, leading her up the stone driveway. “Most animals can sense what we are. They know we’re predators, so they’re usually afraid of us.”

“How come your parents are farmers then?” She furrowed her brows together.

“Because they raise their animals from the day they’re born,” I clarified. “Even a wolf can be seen as a mother by the chicks she kept warm.” As we neared the fence, I stretched my handout to the white-and-brown cow who hadn’t run away, soon encouraging my star to do the same. “This is Charlotte. She’s the oldest here, and she’s known me since I was twelve. I used to help care for her back when she lived in our pack.”

“She’s so sweet.” Amaya gave Charlotte a good scratch in the face, earning a happy ‘moo’ in response that made her giggle.

My beautiful mate was so distracted with Charlotte she didn’t even notice me moving behind her, until I snaked my arms around her. A surprised gasp escaped her lips, and I couldn’t resist the urge to kiss the top of her head. She shifted gently in my embrace to face me. The moment our eyes locked, I was lost in her clear blue oceans of joy.

Only the sound of the door bursting open brought me back to reality.

Without letting go of my girl, I turned to the entrance of the small farmhouse to find both my parents there. Judging by their concerned expressions, I imagined they had heard the commotion outside and probably feared their animals were in danger. As soon as their eyes landed on us though, their expressions filled with joy.

“Are you the famous Beta Female Amaya?” my mother asked, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

“We’ve heard so much about you, my dear.” My father bowed his head at her - a habit he just couldn’t leave behind after being at the bottom of the hierarchy in a pack for more than 40 years.

Mom used to have beautiful blond hair. Even if it was now fading to gray, it was still charming with her classic bob cut. She put on a little weight ever since she left the pack and, if I had to guess, I’d blame it on her marvelous raspberry pie. My father, on the other hand, was still thin as a stick, and though he had the same short grizzled hair as before, he seemed to be now trying to sport a beard. His deep green eyes shone when he turned to me.

“It’s nice to see you too, Mom and Dad.” I scoffed playfully as I finally took a step back to allow my mate some space, yet the smile never left my face.

“Oh, don’t be jealous, my boy. You know we miss you. But today we have a more-than-special guest with us!” my mother chuckled, mimicking my father’s gesture. “We’re honored to meet you, Amaya.”

“Please, Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd,” Amaya greeted both my parents. “The honor is all mine.”

“No need to be so formal, my dear. You’re family now,” Mom reminded her. “I’m Anastasia, but you can call me Ana. And this…” - she waved her hand towards Dad - “is Franklin.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Malin has waited anxiously for you, and so have we.” My father flashed her his signature smile before gesturing towards the house. “Please, make yourself at home!”

Once inside, the four of us sat at the kitchen table to devour the delicious welcome breakfast Mom and Dad had prepared for us. Of course, my parents didn’t hesitate to tell Amaya all about the most embarrassing moments of my childhood. At first, I noticed my star was a little more shy than usual due to her nervousness. Thankfully, in less than an hour, I could tell she was already starting to feel like part of the family.

After filling our stomachs, we went outside to enjoy the beautiful day. While my mother and I listened to some random football match on the radio, which was kind of our thing, my old man showed my mate how to approach the chickens and milk the cows. I thought she might be thrown off by the country lifestyle, but to my surprise, she seemed to be fascinated by it.

By noon, my father sat by the grill to prepare his classic barbecue, and again, we continued our conversation as we ate. Once we were done, we went to the cozy living room to rest on the couch, relaxing to the sound of a wildlife show on television.

???

It was around 4:00 p.m. when my parents left for the local market to buy fresh ingredients for dinner. Alone with my mate, I decided to show her my favorite thing about the farm.

“Here we are!” I chanted as I gently opened the barn’s double door.

As soon as I did, the two creatures munching on hay inside lifted their long necks to study us with curiosity. Although both mares were brown, it was easy to tell them apart by a few details unique to each of them. The youngest one was tall, and her coat was entirely of the same color, except for a white stripe on her muzzle. The oldest one was visibly shorter, and speckles of gray covered her short fur. She was the first one to approach us.

---