Page 29 of Fur Ever Wicked
Chapter Fourteen
“Ifigured as much, but why are you here to talk to me about it? Did you have a one on one with every wolf in the pack before they claimed their mates?” Wade asked, pretty fucking annoyed. It didn’t matter that he had no intent on claiming Adalyn as his mate. That was beside the point. He’d never once seen Rafe proactively talk to someone about their mate unless there were major issues between two ill-fated lovers.
“Lies,”his wolf said.
What his wolf thought he was lying about, he had no fucking idea and he didn’t really care at that particular moment. He had bigger issues to deal with.
Hold the fuck up! Is that what Rafe thought he and Adalyn were? Ill-fated lovers?
Rafe shifted from one foot to another. “Well—uh, no. I don’t generally get involved with anyone’s right or ability to claim their mate, but this is different.”
“Different how?” Every word that spewed from the Alpha’s mouth pissed him off even more, making the blood in his veins boil.
“There’s a lot of conflict with Adalyn showing up out of the blue, claiming to be my sister, claiming to be my father’s illegitimate child. And the small fact that her mother, my father’s killer, sent her here to destroy the pack, and more than likely me.”
Wade drew in a deep breath. Yeah, he could see Rafe’s point of view, and he may not like it, but the Alpha had made a few valid points. If he added on his own reasons why he couldn’t claim Adalyn—well, that complicated things even more. More than ever, he wanted to tell his creator to go fuck himself and live his life as he wanted. Mark and claim the single female walking the face of the Earth who was destined for him.
Anger raged within him once again. This time it wasn’t because of Rafe’s meddling, it was his own frustration with Odin and the Fates. Had the Fates finally answered his plea for a mate, only to be denied by his creator?
“The whole situation is a clusterfuck,” Wade admitted.
“Is there more?” Rafe eyed him up, almost if he were issuing a challenge.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Wade couldn’t discuss the fact that he was bound to Odin any more than he could discuss it with Adalyn. Odin had made it perfectly clear more than once that no one was to know about his “job”. It was kind of hard to talk about it when a god made sure you couldn’t utter so much as a single word about it without a crushing pain dropping you to your knees the second you opened your mouth to speak.
“You can cut the shit, Wade. Do you think I don’t know who you are? That my wolf didn’t recognize you when you submitted to the Alpha? That he wouldn’t recognize you from his time in Valhalla? Did you think that I didn’t know about your ties to the gods? About what you were created for? Why you come back to the shop every night smelling of fire and brimstone?”
Wade’s jaw nearly hit the ground. “I—I don’t…” He expected the all too familiar agony to wash over him at any minute. He hadn’t said a word to his Alpha about who he was or where he came from, yet Rafe knew. Everything.
“I don’t expect you to say anything. I’m sure you couldn’t speak of it even if you wanted to. What I will tell you is that I’ve known all about you since your paws crossed into my territory, since you became a member of and swore allegiance to this pack. You didn’t have to say a word about who you are or where you came from, neither did the gods.”
“I don’t understand. If I didn’t tell you and Odin didn’t tell you... Who did?”
“I was born with my own abilities, you know? They’ve only strengthened over the years. That being said, I know your internal struggle and why you can’t claim Adalyn. I just don’t know what we can do about it—to ease your suffering.”
Wade turned away from Rafe. His Alpha might be all-knowing, but that didn’t mean he wanted him to see the look of hurt or disappointment on his face. Okay, maybe the emotions covering his face were more than hurt and disappointment. His fists clenched.
“I’ve been denied a mate for my entire existence!” Wade growled.
“Wade,” Rafe tried to calm him down.
“You don’t understand what it’s like to roam the Earth—the Heavens and Hell for as long as I have, knowing the Fates would never give you a mate. Then boom, out of the blue, they granted my wish and sent her to me. A woman wrapped in beauty, surrounded by mystery. One who is as forbidden to me as I am to her. And you’re here for what? To tell me to stay away from her?”
“That’s what I was going to say, yes. But I’m not so sure that’s the right thing. I see the need you have for your mate in your eyes. I hear it in your voice.”
“It doesn’t matter what I need or want. It never has. I was created for one job. My destiny has always been to walk the Earth alone. Never have I wanted to end my existence more than I do at this very moment. All these years I’ve told myself that Odin will one day reward me for the horrors I’ve witnessed. That one day, I would earn my rightful place in Valhalla. One day, I would get my happily ever after, but I’m not like the others here at Black Paw. We both know it.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t—”
“That is exactly what it means,” Wade interrupted. No matter how many times he had wished for a different existence, it wasn’t going to fucking happen. Not for him. Claiming Adalyn as his own was all he wanted. To live a life outside of his duty to escort souls of those destined for Heaven or Hell. He wanted to wrap the beauty in his arms and assure her that he would never leave her side, but it was an unrealistic notion, especially when he would disappear for hours at a time without warning.
