***
As soon as the sun begins to peek over the forest, I cross the hall and knock on Lucinda's door.
"Lucinda—" I whisper through the door. No response.
Leaning my ear against the door, I listen for movement and sniff for the scent my wolf yearns to smell. What I smell is an old lingering scent, nothing fresh.
Grabbing the doorknob, I open the door and step in. Looking around the room I see nothing.
"Where is she?" I ask Dylan through the mindlink.
"Who?" He says in a groggy voice.
"Lucinda, she's not in her room." As I walk past his room, his door opens and he follows me downstairs and we look through the rest of the house.
"She must've left during the night," Dylan says.
I manage to choke back the growl that hangs in my throat.
"I guess your talk didn't go well before bed?" Dylan asks, ignoring my current expression.
"No," I say through clenched teeth. "She wouldn't open the door."
Dylan leans against the living room wall, resting his head back and looking to the ceiling.
"It's better this way," Dylan whispers.
"Better for who? You or Lucinda?" My lips curl as I speak her name.
"Both."
"I see how it's more convenient for you, but how is it better for Lucinda?" I ask, digging my nails into the palms of my hands.
"At least now someone that actually loves her will mark her and be her mate," he sighs.
“That’s not love,” I say. “And she doesn't love him.”
"Does any of that matter? If she stayed here, who would love her?" Dylan raises an eyebrow at me in question.
I haven't had a chance to think about my feelings for her. Is it love? I don't know. I do care for her, a lot. But I can't mark her. Knowing what it's like to lose a mate, I can't, I won't claim anyone again.
I sit on the couch, resting my head on my hands and look down.
"Felix doesn't deserve her," I say. "He isn't capable of love."
"Then I guess you should've marked her," he says.
"Marked her and then what? Shipped her off to be Felix's mate?" I say. "No, I couldn't have done that."
"You could've marked her and had her stay," Dylan says.
"Condemning the pack to a life of war," I say under my breath.
I glare at him and watch his chest move in and out, taking slow, calculated deep breaths. A calming technique I know well.
"Do you believe in fate?" Dylan asks.
"Fate?" I ask. Walking over to the window, I stare out into the forest, watching the fog rise off the cool ground as the sun rises, warming the morning mist.
"Our mates are fated to us," I say.
"What if this is Lucinda's fate? Her being with Felix," Dylan says.
"No, she had a choice. She didn't have to leave. As her mate, you are her fate," I growl.
"The gypsy stole her fate years ago," Dylan says.
"And now she's carving her own destiny."
"She’s a remarkable woman. Her fate was sealed by the gypsy witch, and the bravest of men would've been weakened by it, but not Lux, oh no, not her. Rejection made her stronger," Dylan says.
My hands ball into tight fists, turning white at the knuckles, and I begin to shake. Calm down, beast.
"It may be her destiny to bring justice to that band of rogues, to what's left of the Crescent Noir pack, but Felix is not her fate," I say and pound my fist into the palm of my other hand. An intense pressure bursts in my chest and my lungs expand for fresh, cool air.
"I did some reading last night about Felix Noir and his pack from your father's notebooks. They were once a real pack, with land and a territory. But over the years, their leadership stumbled and they became nothing more than a band of rogues wandering the forest," Dylan says.
My eyes sting, my lips itch, and my head burns. What is happening?
"She'll be good for them, she's a strong Alpha, she'll be good for the weak people and maybe it will even rise to be a real pack again," he continues.
A seething pain erupts inside my chest, and the sensation spreads through my veins, igniting every inch of my body until darkness consumes me.
"She left, didn't she?" Mia's voice rings through my head, pulling me from the darkness.
"Yes," Dylan says.
Flicking my fingers, I clench and unclench my fists, fighting for control.
"I love Lucinda and all, but it's best this way," Gavin says. I glare at him and smirk when Mia elbows him in the stomach.
"Ouch! What was that for?" he says.
For once, I'm glad that someone else is the recipient of Mia's glare.
"All I mean was calm down and stop thinking about it. We know how her mind works. First priority is to protect others. Second priority is to protect herself. You know as well as I know that she left to protect this pack."
"Where are you going with this?" Dylan asks.
"She must have a plan."
"A plan for what?" Mia asks.
"A plan to protect herself. I bet as we speak she's cooking up a scheme to kill Felix."
I hadn't thought of this before. That was my plan, but it failed miserably. Assuming she left with a plan, then I hope she knows what she's doing.
Turning to me he says, "And dude, you've gotta get yourself under control. You're starting to freak me out."
"Caiden?" Mia says, but her voice sounds off in the distance. "Caiden, are you okay?"
A jumble of voices ring out in my head, and then a strong hand crosses my face, leaving a searing pain along my cheekbone and jawline.
Looking around, I see Mia, Gavin, Dylan, and Sammy are all standing in front of me, gaping and staring.
"Sammy! What the hell man?" I say, cupping my cheek.
"You'll thank me later."
"When did you get here?" I ask.
"Dude, you've been totally zoned out for like ever!" Gavin says.
"It hasn't been forever, about ten minutes or so," Dylan corrects and goes back to his lounging position on the wall.
"I walked in at the tail end of Gavin and Mia's little spat," Sammy says.
"Where were you, Caiden? What happened?" Mia says, kneeling in front of me, placing her hands on my knees.
"I was thinking of Lucinda," I say. But where was I for real? Am I losing my hold over the beast?
"You wanna know what I've noticed?" Gavin bursts out, backing away from Mia's reach.
"Of course, please share," I say, winking at Mia.
"Well, I've noticed that it's getting easier for Dylan but harder for you" He smiles proudly.
"What are you talking about?" Dylan asks from across the room.
"You know, the whole mate thing," Gavin says while using air quotes around the word mate.
"What mate thing?" Sammy asks, looking around the room at us.
"You know, Dylan is Lucinda's mate, but he rejected her," Gavin says once again.
Dylan growls and glares at Gavin from across the room.
"Gavin!" Mia yells. "That was a secret."
"I thought everyone here already knew!" Gavin grumbles and turns to walk into the kitchen.
"Hello! Can someone please fill me in?" Sammy says.
"There isn't much more to it," Dylan says under his breath.
"Okay, then let's start with why you rejected her?" Sammy asks.
"Because of the curse," Mia blurts.
"Curse?" Sammy asks in a skeptical tone.
"It's a long story," Gavin says, entering the room again eating a bagel. "Short story is that Caiden, Dylan, and Felix were all given gifts by a witch when they were named their Pack's next Alpha, but the gift turned out to be a curse."
"Right," Sammy says. "And where does Lucinda fit into all this, besides being Dylan's mate?"
Standing up I walk across the room to look out the window again, at my sanctuary—the forest.
"I don't know," I s
ay after a moment.
But Gavin is right, I've noticed my pull to Lucinda getting stronger, my wolf's protectiveness over her growing, and even possessive. What's going on?
"So, what are we going to do?" Sammy's voice breaks the silence.
Chapter 34
Lucinda
In the morning Cody is gone, and Felix is not around either, so I head to the closest fire pit and sit on a log, watching the wild boar that's roasting on a stick just above the glowing embers of the fire.
"Get your own," says a man with a short and well-kept beard.
"I'm not hungry."
"Oh no? So whatcha you want?" another man asks. Looking up at him, I notice he has a deep scar starting in the middle of his forehead and continuing at a diagonal through his eye, down his cheek.
Looking at these two men, I try to remember them, but I don't. And taking a quick look around the campsite, I realize I don't recognize many of the other warriors either.
"You a mute now, or just playin' hard to get?" the man with the scar asks with a wink.
"I don't want anything," I snap. These are the type of men that get my wolf anxious, and she's starting to stir inside me, causing the hair on my arms to stand on end.
"Oh, no?" the man with the scar says. "Do you hear that, Gregory? She doesn't want anything." Both men begin to laugh. I focus and steady my breathing, calming my inner wolf.
"Haven't seen you around before," the man with the beard, Gregory, says.
"You haven't been with Felix very long, have you?" I ask.
"What's it to a little girl like you?" the man with the scar says.
"Leave her alone, Brutus," Gregory warns.
"I'm not bothering her, am I, kitten?" Brutus says, kneeling in front of me and flashing a cruel smile.
"Maybe I do want something after all," I say.
"And what is that, sweet thing?" Brutus asks.
Standing up, I walk over and tear off a chunk of meat from the roasting boar.
"Breakfast, thanks!" I glare and sit back down.
"Sassy little thing, aren't you," Brutus says, and rubs his grubby hand on my shoulder.
"Don't touch me," I growl.
"No? Women like it when I touch them," he says. "You—" he shouts at a woman walking by carrying two buckets of water. She puts down the buckets and cowers in front of him.
"See kitten, women like my touch," he says as he grabs the woman’s breast and licks her cheek.
"Leave her alone." I deepen my voice and straighten my posture.
"Why? Are you jealous?" He continues to roam his hands over the woman's body.
"STOP!" I say.
Anger builds up within me and I fight for control of my wolf—she, my inner wolf, wants to tear into Brutus’s neck. I stare into his eyes as I pull the woman away from him. And then, I push a wave of power—exerting my Alpha dominance over him like a flood of rushing water on a mountain stream.
Brutus mentally fights the urge to submit; the vein across his forehead throbs and swells, but eventually he gives in, bowing his head and kneeling at my feet.
"Don't ever touch her again." I point to the woman behind me. "Or anyone else in this camp. Do you understand me?" A growl slips through my lips.
"Hello darling, I see you're reacquainting yourself with our pack members," Felix says, walking up behind me.
"If you ever display dominance over my warriors again, you'll be punished," he adds through the mindlink placing his hand on the small of my back.
Slowly moving my head over my shoulder to glare at Felix, the intensity of my hard eyes and tight lips cause him to lose the fake smile he wore seconds before.
"I will not stand by and allow your so-called warriors to do what they wish to other members against their will," I say to Felix through the mindlink.
"You'll be beaten and whipped for disobedience," Felix threatens.
"You'd do that?" I challenge with raised eyebrows.
"As my mate, you'll do my bidding," he says out loud, in a stern but low voice. "And I'll do what needs to be done."
"You may claim me, marking me as your own—but I’ll never be your mate."
Felix's lips curl into a devilish grin and his eyes no more than slits to see through.
"You aren't the scared little girl that ran away," he muses.
"No, I'm not." A snarl escapes and my nostrils flare.
I begin to feel the silence weighing heavily on us. A hush spreads over the camp and everyone is not only quiet but also frozen in place, witnessing our exchange. I can only imagine they've never seen anyone talk to Felix in this manner and live.
"I will enjoy this more than I thought," Felix says with a grin.
My lips drift up into a lopsided smirk.
"I won't, but you better keep your promise—"
"What promise is that? I make so many," he interrupts.
"The peace treaty with the Blood Moone Pack. I’m here, so–"
"Oh, right, right…" He dismisses me and the conversation with a flick of his wrist and turns to leave.
"Felix, do I have your word?" I ask.
"Of course, of course. Our ceremony will be at dawn, so enjoy the rest of your day and your last night as an unmarked female," he says from a distance as he continues to walk away, leaving me standing in the same spot with everyone's eyes watching my next move.
"Hey Cody," I say, finding his familiar face among the bystanders.
"Ballsy, Cinda. When did you grow a pair?" Cody teases as he walks over.
"Someone needs them.”
"Come on, let's go talk." He pulls my arm to follow him.
“What are you doing?” Cody asks, once we’ve passed the outskirts of the camp.
"What do you mean?" My thoughts drift to Caiden and Dylan as I look over the grassy nook. It's so peaceful; the sun is shining and the birds are singing. I wonder what they're doing right now, at this moment.
"Cinda, why are you here? The truth this time.” Cody bumps my shoulder and brings me back to reality.
"Hm. What am I doing here? I'm here because I don't want to see the Blood Moone Pack attacked—"
"No, seriously. If that were the case, why not kill Felix in his sleep?" Cody stops walking and turns to make eye contact.
"Maybe I will." I look away to the forest in the distance.
"You're not a bloody killer. So honestly, what is it you want?" he asks.
Sitting down in the middle of the field, I play with the long green grass.
"Life with Felix won't be easy," Cody says, interrupting my thinking.
"I know, I don't expect it to be. And I don't plan to make it easy for him either," I flash a smile, but it doesn't reach my eyes. "I think I can help these people."
"And what about yourself, who's going to help you?" he asks and sits next to me.
"That's what I have you for, right?" I tease, bumping him with my shoulder.
"If this is what you really want—"
"I'll have a mate who wants me more than life itself, a pack to call my own, and a place to call home. What more could I ask for?" I say, failing at my attempt for a smile. "It's all I've ever wanted."
"If you think being mated to a psychotic Alpha is the only chance you'll have at happiness, damn it, who am I to stand in your way," Cody says. The sound of his laughter is contagious and I laugh so hard tears stain my cheeks.
After our laughter dies down, I stand up and gaze out into the forest, allowing myself one last thought of all the friends I left behind.
"Come on, we should be getting back," Cody says.
"Yes, I'm eager to be bonded for eternity to the dark and sinister Alpha.” I roll my eyes and growl.
Arriving back at camp, we walk past Felix's tent and I hear hushed voices from inside. Standing on the outside of the tent, I listen.
"Yes tonight," Felix says. "I want it done by the time the ceremony is over."
"We'll head out at dusk,
" another man says.
"Oh, and Brutus," Felix says, "bring me the Alpha's head on a stake. I want to present it to Lucinda as a gift to commemorate our union."
Fighting against my wolf's urges to shift, I move to stand in the doorway and ensure my presence is known. The grin on Felix's face tells me that he knew I was listening before he made his last comment. My stomach turns to acid and threatens to spill up my throat.
"Lucinda, darling, how nice to see you," Felix says.
"And what Alpha do you plan to present to me during our Mating Ceremony?" I ask through a clenched jaw.
"The beast," Brutus says, excitement flashing in his eyes.
Chapter 35
Lucinda
"Felix." My voice is low and strained. I crack my knuckles as I reign in my wolf. And I lick my lips as my cool, moist fangs protrude out of my mouth.
"Oh no my dear, you misunderstand," Felix says in his silky voice as he walks over to me.
"I should've known better," I growl. "Why did I think this time would be any different?"
"Blinded by love, or is it heartbreak? Either way, Darling, you really should calm down." Felix's pupils dilate and we lock eyes.
"I came to you of my own free will, how can you do this?"
"And exactly what is it that you think I'm doing?" he asks.
"You're breaking your promise to the Blood Moone pack."
"No dear, I assure you I am not." His lips turn up into a sly grin.
Tilting my head, I arch my eyebrows, but I hold my stare. I will not be the first to look away. I will not submit to Felix.
"You see my dear, this is all a misunderstanding," he coos.
"So explain it to me," I say through a clenched jaw.
"My promise was that no harm would come to the Blood Moone pack. And I don't intend to harm the pack—"
"Just the Alpha," Brutus interrupts, his eyes wide with excitement, his lips curling into an arrogant smirk to match his enthusiasm.
"Why?" I ask. "He's no threat to you."
"A threat? That's yet to be determined. But that's not why I want his head. You misunderstand me again," Felix says in his silky voice.
The Rogue's Fate Page 18
