I am Rogue [Book 1]

Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

I didn't know what to think. Who would when suddenly a man introduces himself to you as your significant other?

~Flashback~

Swallowing my mouthful, I smiled. "I suppose, but why bother? Do you belong to this pack? Are you a warrior or something...? Nah... can't be a warrior... You also don't smell like the old lady that comes to see me. Are you on the council?"

The man seemed to frown at me a moment before sighing and rubbing the back of his neck.

"My name is Damien, Damien Kapoor. I'm an alpha, but more importantly I am your mate."

I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Nice try buddy. Real funny, but I don't have a mate – despite what you may have been told – and don't want one any time soon."

His expression then seemed to sadden, his shoulders slouching and his eyes losing some of their seriousness to a more shadowed mask. I just couldn't understand why he was looking at me like that – there wasn't a possible way he could love me – we just met! So why worry about my rejection to his mate claim?

"I understand that you have not consented to any mating... However you have been ordered to mate an alpha as you have slain one. I have... stepped into those paws so to speak as your alpha mate."

"Stepped into those paws huh? Gee, thanks for the favor. Good to know how much you're sacrificing here. I'm only giving up my freedom after all."

"I understand this is hard for you to accept-"

"Listen buddy, you don't understand a damned thing about me so don't even try to claim you do. How about you do us both a favor and get the fuck out of my room?!"

"We will work through this."

~End Flashback~

He had left after that, my so called mate. If anything Nyx was as close to a mate as I was willing to take, and even then I wouldn't accept the bond. Love was the death of every she-wolf, the end of our freedom and reason. I wasn't going to enter that, I wasn't going to give up what made me who I was. There wasn't a male wolf alive who could bring me to heel.

Leaning back against the bed frame, I did wonder though how Nyx was doing. He had never showed me physical affection that promised more than friendship before and yet his goodbye had been a promise that left fire burning in my veins. Closing my eyes, I tried to reach out to my pack, tried to pull any of the links back together that had been severed and yet I found none.

A whimper of despair escaped me as a knock sounded at my door before a male wolf came in, head bowed.

"I've come to collect you, Luna. The council has come to greet you and your future alpha mate."

I snarled, causing the other wolf to flinch back. I must have really made a reputation for myself among these pack wolves if a little snarl was making big wolves flinch away from me. If only it worked on idiot alphas.

"I apologize, Luna, but I must take you-"

"Lead the way, pup. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can return to my room." And wait for Nyx to come bust me out of this place, but he didn't need to know that part.

"Of course Luna! You must still be tired after the... Erm anyway, follow me please!"

His voice grew in pitch at the last part causing me to wince and my ears to twitch slightly. I knew what he was referring to, I'd felt the mark after speaking with that asshole.

I blinked. Had I always had such a profane vocabulary? Nope. I feel as though that has been a recent development. One of many it would appear as I walked down the hallway, hearing a deep growl behind me. See development number... five? Yeah, number five sounded good.

"Shut up number five," I grumbled, knowing he could hear me as we came up to a door. The wolf next to me seemed to let out a nervous giggle before opening the door to a large room where eight pairs of eyes seemed to stare at me all at once.

"Annabelle?"

I blinked slowly a moment before my head whipped to the left, my eyes narrowing in on the face of someone I had never wanted to see again. A snarl rose in my throat as my beast brushed the surface of my human skin, my nails thickening into tough but sharp claws.

"Annabelle!"

The change took my body in seconds, the beast taking my mind soon after. The sound of the dress I had been wearing tearing at the seams was drowned out by the growl rolling out of our chest. Tunnel vision took over our line of sight and we leapt towards the alpha standing and staring at us as if he had seen a ghost.

Inches from snapping our jaws into his flesh, however, something heavy pinned us down, our muzzle swinging behind us to snap at the spicy smelling wolf who took hold of our scruff gently but firmly and gave it a wicked shake.

Growling, we snapped again at the male wolf, however the old alpha in front of use drew our attention once more.

"Oh Annabelle... Look what has happened to you! I should have had them search harder! I should have been there for you! My sweet daughter..."

The ears on my head pulled back against my skull and the world went dark once again.