The Rogues Mate

chapter 24

Kind of a filler chapter, but enjoy!

Dylan

I heard her name before anything else.

Already my wolf was on high alert. Who was calling her name? Was he trying to hurt her? The second I caught her scent I jumped up, and saw her small frame.

Finally, she said my name, her voice was like an orchestra, playing for my ears which had been stripped of her sound. Even though it had only been three days, it felt like I hadn't seen her, held her, in years.

Before I knew it she was in my arms, my face buried in the crook of her neck.

Axel was on the verge of shifting, his growls filling the silent air surrounding us. Only the scent of our mate would calm him. So we stood there, for what felt like hours, when he finally calmed down and I was able to look at her.

Her hair was a mess, and she had dark circles under her eyes, but other than that, she looked okay. Tears started to slowly move down her cheeks, and her bottom started quivering.

"What's wrong?" my voice was hoarse, and tired, but I wouldn't sleep, not until my mate was safe in our pack.

A strangled sob left her lips, "I just missed you a lot," she placed her hands on my cheeks, and rested her forehead against mine, pulling me close.

I whispered, so quietly only she could hear, "I missed you too."

She pulled me in slowly, her lips meeting mine in a gentle kiss. I could taste the salt from her tears, and all too soon she pulled back for air. When she did, I quickly brought her to my chest, holding her tightly.

A new scent caught my nose while I held my mate, one of death and filth, but the sweet scent of peaches and vanilla laced within it.

A rouge.

I sent Riley to stand behind me and immediately started growling at the wolf that was standing in the treeline.

His eyes were wide and he looked dazed, but I knew he was aware of his surroundings. I went to grab him, but felt a small hand on my shirt, pulling me back.

"Dont," she whispered, "he helped me escape."

"Who are you?" I wasn't asking, but demanding. I needed to know what she was to him. If he had helped her escape, he must have had a reason.

"M-my name's Isaac," he mumbled. I knew he was intimidated, just by the way his body trembled.

"Thank you for bringing my mate back to me, now leave." He couldn't stay, now that Riley was safe, I wouldn't risk anything to put that safety at risk. Not even housing her savior.

"No," she was in front of me before I could stop her. "He's coming back with us."

My eyebrows furrowed, why would she want him to stay? He was one of them, a relation to the men that took her away from me, I didn't want her anywhere near her.

I turned to face her and spoke quietly, but loud enough for Isaac to hear "Why? He's just like them, he's a rogue."

Rileys eyes became angry, and I knew I had crossed a line.

"So was I! Just because he's a rogue doesn't mean he's any less than us. And he wont be safe if he goes back."

"Riley-"

"No, he's coming home with us and that's final."

She stormed off, probably to see Mel, and left me standing there alone. My men stared at me with smiles of sympathy, they knew just as well as I did that from now on, I wouldn't be getting my way, unless my mate agreed.

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Riley

I was so happy to be back with my mate, and when I saw Mel was there too, my happiness skyrocketed. It was nice to have a friend here. and I wanted to talk to her about Isaac.

I knew that I wanted him to come back to the pack with us, the problem was, I wasn't sure how everyone else in the pack would react to a rogue, and an enemy, staying at the pack house.

As soon as I reached Mel, she pulled me into a tight hug.

"I'm glad you're ok, Dylan was going crazy." As she spoke to me I noticed her eyes were staring off behind me.

I followed her gaze, and my eyes landed on Isaac. He was staring straight back at us, an intense but gentle look at mel.

"Hey," I pulled her out of her trance, "you ok?"

"Yes, I'm just... going to talk to pierce."

She hugged me again, and walked away to who I assumed was pierce and some of the warriors. I shook my head, it was nothing, probably just surprise at seeing a new face.

Isaac was at my side suddenly. I hadn't even seen him move from his spot in the tree line.

"Thank you," he said, "for what you did, about your mate, and letting me stay in your pack."

I smiled, "you don't have to thank me, I owe you my life, the least I could do is offer you a place to stay."

I went to hug him, but tripped on my feet before I could reach him.

"Jesus, you look exhausted. You should go lie down."

Suddenly aware of how tired I really was, I mumbled out a, "good idea," and slowly made my way back to Dylan, who was packing up his sleeping back, and some of the supplies. When I sat down by his legs, he looked down and smiled lazily.

"We're going to start packing up to go, you just rest and I'll wake you up when we're ready."

I just nodded, too tired to say anything else, and let my eyes close. I felt safe, and because of that, I fell asleep peacefully.