Page 48 of Fated to the Rogue

“Why?” I could sense her despair as she clung onto me, her hands grasping my forearms tightly.

“I don’t know.” It pained me to let her down. “I know you want answers, and I do too. But for now, we should rest. We’ll perform the joining ritual tomorrow to officially welcome you into our pack. We’ll get you settled, then we can talk to the witch and see what we can learn about our wolves. How does that sound?”

“Good.” She forced a smile. “Thank you for…taking care of me.”

“You’re my mate. I intend to do just that for the rest of our lives.” I never imagined myself saying those words to any girl - it was crazy how powerful the mate bond was. “Would you like to sleep with me in my room? Or would you rather stay in the guest suite?”

“I…” Valentina was thoughtful for a moment, until her eyes met mine again. “I feel safe with you. Can I stay with you?”

I had been holding myself back, fighting the pull I felt towards her in fear of moving too fast. When I heard her response, however, I couldn’t control myself any longer. I pulled her in for our first hug, wrapping my arms around her before she had time to complain. Once she was secured in my embrace, her face resting on my shoulder, I inhaled her scent deeply, hungry for her. Finally, I pressed my lips against her neck, tasting the cotton texture of her skin for the first time.

“I’d like nothing more.”

18 | Revelations

Meeting a mate is always an emotional experience. It’s safe to assume mine was more overwhelming than most.

First, there was the mix of shock and anger of seeing a huge black wolf, who looked and felt like me, shifting into the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on, dirty and bound by chains. Later, rage consumed me when I learned about what her former Alpha had done to her. But then, I felt whole upon finding someone who understood the struggles I had faced for the past few weeks. I was finally at peace for getting to hold her in my arms.

Valentina and I spent the night together in my room. Even if nothing remotely sexual happened between us, it was heaven to simply have her near me. Her presence helped me sleep serenely until the sun came up, something that hadn’t happened in a while. However, waking up to realize she wasn’t in bed with me anymore almost made my heart stop. My calm was gone the second I opened my eyes and didn't immediately see her. I was only able to relax again when I sat up, finding her staring out the window wall with her back to me.

If she heard me shift in bed as I got up to approach her, she didn’t react to it in any way. At first, I was afraid she could be mad at me for some reason, but when I noticed how concentrated she was gazing into the dandelion fields, I understood she was just too oblivious to her surroundings tonotice me. She let out a short gasp as I snaked my arms around her. I took that as a victory, considering she didn’t wince at my touch like she did the previous night.

“Is the bed not comfortable enough? Or is your company the problem?” I whispered playfully, though somewhere deep inside of me I truly worried she might not have felt comfortable with me.

My mate turned her head to me to show me a small smile. I instantly realized it was the best sight to wake up to; I knew it would be my new favorite thing.

“Good morning.” Her melodic voice echoed in my ears before she focused her attention on the landscape again. “My thoughts were too loud to let me sleep.”

“What’s on your mind?” With everything I had told her, I knew it was a dumb question, but it slipped out anyway.

“You. Me. Our wolves,” she confessed without hesitation, a sigh breaking through her lips. Through her reflection in the glass, I noticed a hint of fear in her expression. “It’s so surreal, and… I don’t know. I’m scared,” she whispered the last part, almost as if she was afraid to sound weak. My grasp around her tightened as a protective instinct I didn’t know I had rushed through me.

“I know. I’ve been there too. At least you don’t have to figure it out on your own anymore. Neither of us do,” I reassured her. Although our bond wasn’t complete, I could still sense her fear slowly subsiding. “I suppose it makes sense, to a certain degree.”

“Does it?” She raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

“Well, you’re my mate. If anyone should keep a piece of my soul, it’s you.”

“That’s one way to see it.” She chuckled. “I guess you’re right. In a way, I feel like I’ve known you my whole life.”

“Exactly.” I kissed her cheek before pressing my index finger to her chin, encouraging her to look into my eyes. “Ifyou’re anything like Dawn, I’m sure you’re fierce, strong, and determined. You never give up, no matter how hard of a challenge you’re facing.”

“Oh, so now that you think I’m your mate, you’re trying to flatter me!” My she-wolf scoffed.

Ignoring her, I went on, “She can be a little stubborn at times, but she gives great advice. She’s a natural born leader, and clearly made to be Luna. Hell, I think she’d make for a powerful Alpha, too.”

“Wow… Is that so, Zephyr?”Dawn rolled her eyes at me.

“Really? I suppose it kinda sounds like me…in a more than positive light.” Valentina laughed; it was the most enticing melody I had ever heard. “Dusk is like my guardian angel, always looking out for me. He’s powerful and imposing, eager to make himself be heard. He doesn’t take disrespect lightly, although he knows how to be merciful. With me, he’s loving and caring, even if he tends to forget that I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

“That does sound like me…in a more than positive light,” I played, receiving yet another laughter in response. “So, his name’s Dusk?”

“I guess it makes sense for our wolves to have matching names,” she observed.

“See? It’s all coming together!” My silliness earned me an eye roll from Tina, but I would take it. She seemed to be in a lighter mood than before, which was all I could ask for.

Once I had made sure her troubles were gone - at least for the time being - I ordered room service for the two of us, as well as new clean clothes for my mate. She said she had really missed showering while she was living as a rogue, so I let her use the suite bathroom first. It was hard to resist the urge to follow her inside, and even harder to get rid of my erection after I accidentally pictured her naked.

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