Page 42 of Fated to the Rogue

“You didn’t tell me your family owned horses!” Amaya whisper-yelled, admiration in her eyes. It was evident she had never been near one of those creatures, but she stood still when the mare sniffed her arm. She was quickly learning how to behave around the farm animals.

“I wanted it to be a surprise.” I smiled, gesturing with my head to encourage her to pet the mare. “This is Daisy. She’s a pony.”

“Really? She isn’t nearly as small as I’d expect.” She arched an eyebrow, but her expression softened the second she touched Daisy.

“Well, any horse less than 14.2 hands tall are considered ponies,” I explained, approaching her. “Would you like to ride her?”

Amaya’s eyes widened as she turned to me. “Will she let me?”

“Of course. Daisy’s really calm,” I reassured her as I kneeled beside the mare, knotting my hands together to help my mate get on.

“Wait. Shouldn’t we saddle her first or something?” There was a mix of confusion and hesitation in her voice.

“Riding bareback is much more fun.”

Noticing my star’s hesitation, I decided to change my method. In a swift movement, I pulled myself back up, wrapping my arms around her waist. She screeched as I lifted her off the ground, placing her safely on Daisy’s back. She was obviously startled at first, but when she realized the mare didn’t mind her presence at all, she started to relax.

“How does she know where I want her to go?”

“Don’t worry, she’ll follow me,” I reassured her, stepping closer to the other mare, who moved her head up and down in challenge. “This is Aurora. She’s a little more feisty due to her young age, but she’s used to me.” I looked straight into the creature’s eyes. “Come on, girl. Don’t make me look like a fool here.”

When Aurora snorted, I knew she wouldn’t take it easy on me. So, I resorted to a more assertive approach. I threw my arms around her neck, causing her to neigh as I startled her. She reared up and struggled to break free from my grasp, but I held on tight. When she lowered herself back, I didn’t miss the opportunity to jump straight on her back, tying my fingers around her mane for support. She reared once more, hoping to make me fall. When she failed, she finally relaxed.

“Alright!” I panted a little, smiling at Amaya. “Ready?”

She blinked a few times, shock written all over her face. “Uh…”

“Just hold on tight and don’t let go!” I pressed both legs against Aurora’s belly, commanding her to move forward. This time, she didn’t fight me.

I started with a slow trot so my mate could get used to Daisy’s pace. She was having a little bit of trouble keeping her balance initially, but as she followed my instructions, she started getting the hang of it. Once I noticed she was feeling more comfortable, I gave Aurora another gentle kick, and she immediately started cantering.

“Woah!” Amaya screamed, shaken up by the sudden change of pace. “Malin, she’s going too fast! How do I make her stop?”

“Don’t fight the feeling; embrace it!” I laughed, letting go of my mare’s mane to open my arms wide. “Become one with her. Feel her movement. Feel the wind.”

“I’m scared!”

“Don’t be.” I turned around to shoot her a reassuring glance. “You can do this, Amaya. Just let the wind guide you.”

It was beautiful to watch her slowly let go of her fear as she put her trust in me. She kept her grasp on Daisy’s mane, but she allowed herself to close her eyes and take a deep breath. Before long, a wide grin lit up her face. It filled me with pride.

“What does it feel like?” I finally asked.

“It feels… It’s like I can hear the wind calling my name!” She giggled, keeping her eyes shut.

“Welcome to Wind Howlers, my star!” I chuckled. Her joining ceremony had been performed the day she arrived at our territory, but only now had she become one of us.

On my command, Aurora stopped once we reached the top of a small hill, and Daisy mimicked her. There was not a soul around us, only the birds and the sky watching over us. I got off the mare, petting her as a ‘thank you’ for the ride, before walking towards Amaya to help her down. She immediately threw her arms around me, pulling me in for a breathtaking kiss - I knew that washerway of thanking me. I wanted to dwell in her taste for an entire lifetime, but it seemed she had other plans. Pulling away, she took a good look at her surroundings.

“Everything here is so amazing. I wish we could stay here forever.”

Her words made my heart skip a beat. “We’ll still be here tomorrow, and we can come back whenever you’d like.”

A shy smile crossed her face as she went on, “Do you think we can let Pepper and Mint meet for the first time here?” Pepper was her wolf’s name, and I loved how it matched my counterpart’s. They truly completed each other.

“Yes! I wanna meet mate!” Mint howled in joy at her suggestion.

“We can do whatever you want. But yes, Mint would definitely love that.”

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