His land really was beautiful; mountains reached for the sky so far in the distance that they looked a soft blue; silver trees stretched over to the horizon and were intertwined with flowing rivers and streams. Oria was right: it looked as though elves, or Ailill as they were really known, could live here it was so enchanting. If only Legolas could sweep me away. Roarke was lucky to be Alpha over such an expanse of land.
From the way he held himself higher, I knew he was proud that I obviously liked his territory. His wolf would forever be trying to impress me, to prove he was worthy and could provide for me and my pups. I shook my head of that thought. My wolf was too far gone to persuade that this wasn’t the male I wanted; she saw only strength and caring, and that was enough for her.
He slowed down suddenly, and I skidded, claws raking up mud so as not to run into him. His eyes were amused as I reached his side, his head bumping against mine, an action I returned. I definitely liked him in his fur better. He was more approachable, kinder, and less stern with me.
I watched as he scented the air, tipping my head in confusion. Speckled grey shoulders rolled as he hunched down, and it was then I understood.
We were hunting.
I crouched low beside him, tongue licking jaws as I caught the scent of deer ahead. It had been a while since I had hunted and the last time had been as a pack during the last full moon. I loved to hunt, and I was good at it. What better way to prove myself to this Alpha than to show off my skills? Excitement rushed through me, and I shifted my weight, ready.
Moving forward only to have teeth snap in warning by my paw, I jumped back, my tail tucked between my legs. A low growl rumbled from his chest, making his meaning clear—I would follow his lead; he was my Alpha now. Though I may still bow to my father out of respect, my wolf would bow to only him, instinct telling her that he was now her mate and no other was above him. How had I lost control so quickly, and why was I not as angry about having my wolf make her decision final? I bowed to him willingly, stretching out my neck in submission. He watched me for a few seconds before he chuffed and turned his attention back to our surroundings.
Following his lead, I kept low as we crept closer to the clearing of grazing deer. My body was thrumming with energy and adrenaline, ready to pounce, and I danced impatiently on my paws. Alpha Roarke nodded towards a small fawn closest to us, and I gave him an excited huff. She would be easy to bring down between us. In fact, I decided Roarke could probably bring her down by himself. I had no doubt he was a formidable hunter.
The wind changed direction, and suddenly the deer were lifting their heads, scenting the air, ears twitching in all directions to search us out. I stiffened, knowing they had sensed us. As one, we bolted, the fawn noticing us too late while the rest of the herd ran. Instinct took over, thoughts blurring to only the hunt. Fangs sliced into the fawn’s hind leg, staggering it, my jaw closing to grip tight until I felt slim bone snap between my teeth. Alpha Roarke moved around to the front, pouncing and latching onto the creature’s neck, his weight bringing it down. I released the leg as his teeth clamped tighter, the fawn’s hooves lashing out and narrowly missing me. I’d seen wolves suffer broken bones from desperate deer that fought hard to live and knew better than to lose sight of where they threw their legs about.
On seeing my near injury, Roarke clamped down even harder. The creature yanked its head back, only causing itself further injury as it bleated in fear. Slowly its movements became less fierce until it lay dead in front of us, the light fading from its eyes.
My tongue licked greedy chops at the prospect of a full belly as I decided which part I would gorge myself on first. Forgetting my place momentarily, I crouched to taste. A growl from my right didn’t faze me until Roarke snapped sharp canines near my face, his ears back against his head and tail high in a dominant pose. I fought against my nature, but as he took a step forward, letting his power wash over me, I sunk to my belly. This wouldn’t be a challenge I’d win. Stretching out my neck, I submitted, laying still, worrying about what he was going to do to punish me for my insubordination.
He took another step and I whined, scooting back. Clamping his teeth gently around the scruff of my neck in warning, he growled, and the sound vibrated through my whole body. A soft whimper of apology left me, and I moved to my back to show my exposed belly, a sign of complete submission, something I hadn’t done since I was a pup.
He finally forgave me, releasing my neck, and moved to take a bite from his kill, eating with his eyes on me, daring me to make another move.
My chin rested on my paws as I watched him, unhappy at having to wait.
To both my fur and my skin side, it was a surprise when he tore a big chunk from the fawn’s belly and dropped the meat in front of me. I made no move, feeling unsure that it was really meant for me until he lowered his head, pale green eyes on amber, and nudged it towards me.
An offering.
He could see that my wolf and I were as one just now. He knew that if I accepted it that it meant my skin side had accepted him too. The urge to take it was strong, but it would be all but sealing my fate to him if I were to eat it. He watched emotions flicker through my eyes, sitting on his haunches as he waited for my decision.
If I rejected it, perhaps he would leave me alone and choose another she-wolf to take as his mate.
Instinct and will fought against each other.
My wolf was telling me that no other male could ever compare to him; we would accept no other as our alpha now. If I rejected him, we would never take a mate, and that went against everything of our ways.
I would submit to my father no longer, and that would create tension between him and me. It would push me away from the pack; I’d end up a lone wolf, a rogue unable to fit into pack life any longer.
I studied the male in front of me, a male who wanted me. Why, when he could have had his pick of anyone? Wolves mated for life, and if I rejected him, it would be a long time before his wolf would be able to start looking for another female now that he had all but marked me as his.
My skin side had weakened to his appeal, my wolf taking this chance to overrule and snatch the meat in front of us, devouring it like nothing had ever tasted so good. I was in shock as much as Alpha Roarke, who now looked at me differently.
I was no longer just his potential; I was his mate.
I had never felt so separate from my wolf before. We were one, our wishes had always been the same, but now I felt the pressure from instincts that ran against my wishes.
My parents had always said that I tried to be too human, that eventually there would come a time where I realised I was trying to be something I couldn’t be. Now was the time when I realised that I was wolf, and that meant following the will of a wolf’s nature.
I fought for my control, tearing myself away from Alpha Roarke’s gaze before doing the only thing I could think to do. I turned and bolted. A big mistake because wolves loved the chase.
Instincts screamed at me, my wolf howling at my betrayal of her and our mate. Fur argued with skin until I ended up tumbling and rolling across the mud, losing my footing. I shifted to skin so I could try and have the upper hand at gaining the reins. Never before had I forced my fur back like that; it felt as if I were ripping myself in two in a harsh betrayal, my skin burning as my wolf tried to force its will on me to shift back.
I screamed, pain enveloping me. My body cried for our mate.
“Foolish pup,” Alpha Roarke’s voice growled from above me, his arms scooping me against a solid chest. My skin cooled in relief from his skin on mine. “You can’t fight your wolf, silly girl. You are of one soul that you are tearing apart with your stubbornness. Remember when you wake up that what I’m about to do might have saved your bond with your wolf.”
Agony rolled through me, leaving me unable to properly comprehend what his words meant for me. Soft lips touched my shoulder, the sigh that left almost a moan of relief as the fire left my skin, leaving a soft throbbing of bones in its wa
ke. Fangs on flesh had my eyes flying open, my hand reaching up, fisting his hair in my hand to try and pull him back. I was too weak. His teeth sank into my neck, marking me as his. Instinct took over again at such a primal act; I gripped his hair tighter, only this time to bring him down to me so I could place my mark on him.
He had placed his claim, and now my wolf had placed hers. Satisfaction filled me briefly before the world slipped away, my body succumbing to exhaustion.
Chapter Five
Boundaries
Bright light woke me from my sleep, eyes fluttering as they stung. I covered my eyes with my arm and sat up, groaning softly as my shoulder throbbed. My wolf felt completely content, easing some of the uneasiness I felt myself. I sat still until I was able to open my eyes properly and sort through the fog of sleep that clouded my thoughts.
Trying to remember when I had fallen asleep, the last thing I could recount was hunting with Alpha Roarke. Had I hurt my shoulder then? My head began to throb as well, as if I were suffering the worst of hangovers. Was that why so much of yesterday seemed to be blank? Did I drink last night?
I looked around, frowning at the dark curtains that let the light of a setting sun filter through. The dark bedsheets on a king-sized bed, and bathroom I could see through an open door in front of me, had me more confused.
This wasn’t the room I had been given…
Inhaling, suddenly feeling worried about my whereabouts, I tried to find the scent of the owner of the room. Lips peeled back from teeth when I caught the unmistakable scent of the forest…Alpha Roarke.
“Bastard!” I hissed, kicking the blankets off me and jumping from the bed onto unsteady legs.
This was definitely Alpha Roarke’s room. His scent was everywhere and even lingered on my skin. It made my jaw clench in rage, but my wolf settled. She was more than happy to be saturated in his scent. The shirt I had on was also not mine, barely covering all it needed to.
A shower. That’s what I needed. Then I would hunt the Alpha down…
The bond punished me for such a threatening thought against my mate, my wolf growling. My mate…I had a mate?
My eyes widened again, and I bolted for the bathroom through the door in front of me. I didn’t bother to lock it. Lifting the copper hair from my shoulder, I twisted my neck to see better then gasped at the impression of teeth on my skin and the scar it would leave behind.
“Bastard!” I repeated, yelling this time as memories of yesterday’s events finally came flooding back to me.
Movement in the mirror had me whipping around, eyes narrowing at the smug-looking male in front of me. I flinched back as he lifted his hand to touch his mark, only for him to growl.
“You are mine to touch. You accepted me. Don’t make me have to show you your place so early,” he warned dangerously, eyes the colour of dried grass watching me.
I found myself leaning towards him as his dominance drew me in. He smirked, rough padded fingers trailing over his mark, making me shiver. He would be able to feel my emotions now, but the feeling of satisfaction was definitely not coming from me.
“I didn’t give you verbal confirmation that I would consent to be your mate,” I snapped, lifting myself taller. “Marks are to be given only after both parties have agreed!”
“That is not our way, pup. That is the human way. We are not like them. We are wolves. You bowed to me, and you ate from my kill. That is our way here. Your pack may be more open to human-like gestures of dating, but here we follow the feral way as our wolves dictate. Our wolves accepted each other, you let my wolf mark you, and then you marked me. We are mates, or do you deny that?”
I choked. That was why I could feel him. My eyes flicked from his face to his shoulder, trying to see what fabric concealed. He obliged, pulling the collar of his shirt away to reveal a healing bite.
It couldn’t be…but as I scented his skin, there was no denying it was my teeth that had done it because my own scent was there, intertwined with his. This would alert other wolves for now that we had begun the steps to a full bond; the scent would gradually fade. It wouldn’t be until we mated that our scents would forever merge, and our bond would become stronger than the bond with our pack mates. I couldn’t help the satisfaction that now filled me at my scent covering such a strong male, claiming him as mine.
As an Alpha, Roarke would want to complete our mating soon. He would be overly protective until he was sure I was his and that nobody could steal me away. It was frowned upon to try and claim a marked female, and the challenger would have to kill the male who claimed first, but that didn’t mean it didn’t happen. Once we had consummated our bond, only then would our mating be completely unquestionable.
I may not have been able to fight his being my mate any more, but I could certainly place some boundaries on our relationship. He had gotten what he wanted, but I would make sure the rest of this played out to my wishes. His talk about being his to touch would not be how things worked; he would touch me only if I allowed him to. That was my right, especially considering how things had played out yesterday.
We stared at each other, neither giving in, and with a pointed look, I motioned to my state of undress and then to the shower. “Are you going to give me some privacy?”
“Have a shower if you must. I will have your things brought through for you after your friend Oria is finished packing them,” Alpha Roarke stated.
I scoffed. “Excuse me, Alpha Roa—”
“It’s just Roarke,” he interrupted, folding his arms across his chest.
I blinked, confused. “I’m sorry?”
He sighed, looking irritated before explaining, “My name is Roarke. You don’t need to call me Alpha in private now that you are my mate. I want us to be comfortable around each other.”
“Roarke?” I repeated, the name coming out as more of a question, but his stance relaxed. “I don’t feel comfortable sleeping beside you. I will be staying in my own room or I will sleep on your couch. I wasn’t in control of this. My wolf took the decision out of my hands. Don’t think this means we’re suddenly going to have all the perks of mates. I won’t be sleeping with you, I won’t be fawning over you, and you will respect my boundaries.”
My eyes held his, full of the force of my wolf who conceded on this. If that was what it took for me to give him a chance then she would stand by the boundaries I set. She was sure I would soon see things her way anyway.
“I suppose you can stay in your room until you feel more at home here, with me,” he agreed slowly, ignoring the rest of the lines I had drawn.
I swallowed hard as his words registered in my mind.
I wouldn’t be going home…
I would have to stay here amongst strangers with a mate I hardly knew. I would no longer spend nights lying in the sand, listening to the waves and smelling salt air. No, I would be on a territory with land surrounding it, forest and mountains its shield. Tears stung my eyes, and Alpha Roarke stepped forward, concern etched into his features.
I stepped back, hands out to stop him.
Could he not see that it was his actions that had upset me? His touch was the last thing I needed right now.
“Don’t,” I pleaded quietly. “I need a shower. Please leave.”
He looked torn. I knew his wolf would be distressed at seeing me cry, wanting to destroy whatever it was that hurt me, not understanding the emotional struggle I felt. But it was no more than that. His caring for me was nothing but instinct, and that thought only stung all the more.
Roarke’s features hardened at my denial of him, his face closing off from expression.
I had hurt him. Good.
“I will go and bid you goodnight. I expect you to be at my side for lunch in the afternoon. I will be busy in the morning, but I want you to meet all my high ranked. You will be there or there will be punishment,” he ordered icily, turning on his heel and closing the door with more force than necessary.
Clenching my jaw, I quickly tore his hurt from my body.
How dare he order me about like that, how dare he! I was the daughter of Alphas; I had it in me to be a Beta in my own right. If he thought he would get a meek and small female who would submit to his every whim, he was dead wrong. Even my wolf was huffing at the way he treated us. We would show him. Perhaps if I wasn’t so riled up, I’d have been more shocked about the fact I had slept for almost twenty-four hours and my parents had not come to see me.
He had also left so quickly that I couldn’t ask for clothes to be brought to me. I’d have to walk back to my room in a towel…a room I should have asked for directions to. I wasn’t sure where in the house Alpha Roarke’s room was. It couldn’t be that difficult to find, I assured myself.
I sighed, turning on the shower. Hot water came instantly, steam rising as I attempted to turn the heat down so I wouldn’t scald myself. Satisfied with the new temperature, I stepped in, almost moaning as the water pounded against my skin and relaxed sore muscles. I felt oddly vulnerable being naked with only a wall to separate me from the man I was now bonded to forever. Another thing I would worry about later. I just wanted to relax.
My shoulder still ached, throbbing with every beat of my heart.
Intrigued, I brushed my fingers against the mark. My legs almost buckled at the pleasurable feeling that washed over me, and thanks to the low male groan from the next room, I knew that Roarke had felt it too. Feeling a tad embarrassed, I scrubbed myself quickly, cursing at the realisation I would have to use Roarke’s shampoo, which would be of no help in my attempt to rid myself of his scent.
The water was washing everything away, and I wished I could just stand under the shower for longer to hide away from reality. A knock had me sighing and finally stepping out of the warmth. I wrapped a towel around my body quickly, fighting off the cold air, and opened the door, relieved to see Oria.
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