"No. He told Sabrina we weren't going after you. That you made your decision and we would honor it," Dylan says.
"Oh." My chest tightens and nausea swirls in my stomach. "So how did you three end up here?" I whisper, laying my head on Dylan's shoulder for support.
"We were at the Pack House still arguing with Sabrina when the first message of the attack came through the mindlink. There was a border breach," Dylan says arrogantly. "We easily took the small group down and followed one back here."
"Oh." So Caiden really wasn't coming to my rescue. Dark fuzzy clouds form at the edges of my vision, so I close my eyes until the feeling passes.
"We caught up with him on the hill. That was an easy kill. That's when we saw you fighting Felix."
"How long did you watch?" I'm curious because they didn't arrive until well after my fight with Felix was over, and the hill isn't that far away. Were they just sitting up there watching the entire time?
"Right, about that," Dylan says, "we watched awhile. Just to make sure you were okay. You held your own against him, we were so proud." His eyes shine and a grin forms as he speaks. "We were getting ready to leave when we saw the other members gang up on you with the bats. That's when we charged down the hill."
"My heroes." I snuggle closer to Dylan. "Thank you."
"Close your eyes and get a little rest, Mia won't let you sleep at all once we get back," Dylan says with a laugh.
Taking another look over Dylan's shoulder, I see Caiden, walking alone with a grim expression. My heart aches and a tear rolls down my cheek. I lay my head on Dylan's shoulder and close my eyes, but all I see is Caiden.
Two ruby red eyes stare at me through the surrounding darkness. The intensity is too much, too powerful, I bow my head in submission. A gut-wrenching snarl, followed by an eerie howl, cause the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end and shivers run rampant through my body. A light touch brushes my chin. I lift my face to look into the eyes of the man-beast standing inches from me. Only this time the eyes are sparkling blue, and Caiden's face appears as the darkness washes away.
"AH!" I shout out as a piercing pain throbs in my back. Opening my eyes, I see we're back at the Pack House and Dylan placed me on the couch. A flush covers my cheeks as Caiden walks into the room.
"Are you okay?" Caiden asks, keeping his distance.
"Yes, thank you." I reposition myself on the couch.
"CINDA!" Mia rushes into the room, and covers me in her warm embrace.
My lips quiver and I whimper under the weight of Mia's small frame.
"Mia, off! You're hurting her," Dylan says, pulling Mia to a standing position.
Taking a step back, she looks at me and tears flood her eyes.
"Oh Cinda, what did they do to you?" she whispers. Kneeling on the floor, she takes my hand and leans her cheek into it. "We'll fix you up, okay?" She sniffles, blinking back more tears.
Looking around the room, I see Caiden is leaning against the doorway of the next room, just as he did the very first time I saw him. My heart flutters and my lips throb. I yearn to be wrapped in his strong arms, for him to tell me everything will be okay. Our eyes lock and a heat spreads through my body, only to be doused when he turns to leave the room.
Mia squeezes my hand, pulling my attention from Caiden's back to her warm and wondering eyes.
"Let's get you fixed up first and we'll worry about that later, okay?" She motions with her head to the spot where Caiden was standing just moments ago.
I nod and force myself to swallow.
"Do you know why he's giving me the cold shoulder?" I whisper to Mia.
"No," she says in a low voice.
"The pack doctor is here." Sammy's voice carries from the other room, and the doctor walks into view, followed by Sammy.
His eyes dart around the room and his arms tense. He finds his target, his eyes fix on Grace and her eyes grow round at his presence.
"Um, Sammy, this is Grace," I say, but I don't think either are listening. He walks across the room and introduces himself, clearly drawn to her. Her blush and small giggle lights up the room.
"My Mate," Sammy says.
A loud cheer floods through the house. Mia squeals in delight, Gavin runs from the other room to congratulate them. Dylan slaps Sammy on the back and shakes his hand. I offer my congratulations with a smile and wink from my seat on the couch. Sammy picks up Grace, holding her at the waist and spins her around. Their laughter warms my heart. At least one good thing came out of this. I guess things do happen for a reason.
Looking behind me, I see Caiden is standing in the doorway again. For a second I see a small smile until his eyes move to my direction, and the smile fades. Then he turns, retreating down the dark hallway once again.
"Now, let's see what we have here," the pack doctor says as she examines my wounds.
Chapter 37
Lucinda
Recovery is a long, boring, and lonely process. After the doctor looked me over, she found fractures and broken bones that had already started to heal, but incorrectly. So she re-broke my bones in order to set them so they could properly heal, and I was ordered to stay in bed until further notice.
Dylan stopped by once to check on me, but he's been busy keeping the peace between the new temporary pack members—the rogues that left Felix's camp—and the regular pack members. He says the pack members aren't happy that Caiden brought on this number of potential new pack members without holding a meeting to discuss pack business. I'm sure Sabrina's been busy twisting the events of that night too. That's why Dylan's working hard to talk with everyone individually to explain everything.
Sammy and Grace visited once. Sammy is busy finding homes for the new temporary pack members and getting them set up in town. And I'm sure his free time is spent getting to know Grace.
Mia visits the most, but still not often enough. She's taken a liking to Grace and they are planning Sammy and Grace's Mating Ceremony. I haven't seen Gavin, but Mia says Caiden sent him on an errand. I can only imagine what that is.
And Caiden, I haven't seen him since the night of my rescue. But often times after I wake up, I smell his lingering scent and wonder if he's been here.
Left to myself for several days to recoup, I think about Felix: where he is, what happened, and what he'll do next. In my solitude, dark thoughts surface. Is the Blood Moone pack really my home? It doesn't feel right, not anymore. I'm surrounded by so many people, and yet still feel so empty inside—I'm alone among many.
A smile hasn't surfaced on my face since the announcement of Sammy and Grace's ceremony. Every hour of each day passes by in a blur, a hazy fog covers my thoughts and dampens my mood. Mia says it's the pain medicine the doctor gave me, but I know better—I don't belong here anymore. It's time to move on.
Will they let me leave? Let's be honest, they can't stop me, but where will I go? I need to find Felix and kill him once and for all, and then I'll find Cody—he's the next closest thing I have to family, after Dylan and Mia.
Regaining my strength, the doctor releases me from her care and I climb out of bed, stretching my arms high over my head and squirming to pop my back. A good long stretch is just what I needed, and it feels good. A smile plays on my lips for the first time in several days. Maybe it was just the pain medicine darkening my mood. Opening the door to my room, I hear laughter traveling up the stairs from somewhere below.
Following the sounds of joy, I stand in the doorway to the kitchen and my eyes flutter around the room, taking in the scene. Mia and Grace are sitting at the table with magazine clippings surrounding them, while Dylan and Sammy stand at the counter, looking at a map of the territory, deep in discussion.
Caiden catches my attention, leaning with his back against the sink, listening to Dylan and Sammy talk. He is the only one who notices my presence and he doesn't look happy about it. His expression is grim and he has rings of dark circles underneath his eyes. He balls his hands into tight f
ists to control his shaking arms.
Sabrina walks into the kitchen through the back door with a smirk smeared across her face, winking at me as she walks over to Caiden and drapes her arms around him. An uneasiness rises in the pit of my stomach and waves of nausea swirl through my chest.
Running back upstairs, I hear a loud commotion in the kitchen, but I don't care. Continuing into my room I shut the door behind me. I can't take the outpouring of hatred from Caiden anymore. Leaning against the door, I slide down and sit, resting my head against the wooden door. Unshed tears that I've held back since the night of my rescue stream down my face, and I wipe them away with the back of my hand.
I refuse to cry for another man. I spent my tears on Dylan, my mate. I will not shed tears for another. I will not stay where I'm not wanted another night.
Wiping the last of the tears away, I regain composure and stand. Walking across the room, I pull out a small bag that Mia gave me with spare clothes and toiletries, and I begin to pack what few belongings I have.
Caiden bursts into my room, slamming the door behind him.
“What are you doing?” he asks, as his eyes bore deep into my soul causing my hands to shake and my throat quivers as I swallow. I can't stay here, not like this—alone in a pack of thousands. If I'm going to be alone, I'd rather be alone in the wild. Balling my fists into tight knots, digging my nails into my own flesh, I close my eyes and slow my breathing.
“I'm leaving.” I send a force of power vibrating off my body, channeling it directly at Caiden. His eyes pull tight, creating a crease in his forehead, and he flinches when the power surge hits him.
“Why?” He asks in a low voice, void of all emotion. Turning to glance at him, his body stiffens and his shoulder muscles tense as our eyes meet.
"Why? Seriously?" I ask, watching his Adam's apple move up and down as he swallows. "Whatever, it doesn't matter, I just am."
"It does matter, and no you're not," he says through a clenched jaw.
"Caiden, I'm leaving," I say again, this time with more force in my voice.
"No, you're not," he says in his dominant Alpha tone. Stepping closer to me, he meets me in the middle of the room and we face off, looking each other square in the eye.
"Oh really? Says who?" I ask.
"Me," he says, followed by a low growl.
"You forget, you're not my Alpha." I turn my back to him and walk back to the bed where I left my bag.
"No, not yet," he says.
"Caiden, you can't force me to stay and join the pack." I turn to look at him, and his eyes are as black as coal.
"I didn't realize I had to force you," he says. "Why are you running away?"
"I'm not running away," I say under my breath. And I find myself playing with the hem of my shirt. He notices too and takes my hands into his. Looking at our entwined hands, his face softens.
"Then stay—" he says in a gentler tone.
"No," I whisper, and another growl escapes his lips. Only this time I return the growl with one of my own.
"I won't let you leave," he says, "not again."
"Oh really?" My eyebrows raise in question.
"Yes, really," he says.
"And how do you plan to keep me here against my will?" I taunt.
Stepping closer, he cups my cheeks with his hands and looks into my eyes.
"Do I really need to force you to stay?" he asks.
"There's nothing for me here," I say.
"Your friends are here," he says.
"Right. I'm not sure Dylan is in the friend category yet, Mia has Grace, and you, well you have Sabrina—"
"Sabrina?" His forehead creases, creating several ripples in his smooth skin.
"I saw you two in the kitchen a few minutes ago," I say.
"No. You saw Sabrina doing what she does best, being a bitch," he says. My eyebrows raise and my chin tilts, silently asking him to elaborate.
"I've opened a case against her with the Pack Elders for plotting against the Alpha," he says. "They'll decide her fate. She thought she could talk me out of it."
"Opening a case is good, I think," I say, "but it still doesn't change my mind."
"Lucinda—" he sighs and runs his right hand through his hair.
"Caiden, is there a reason I should stay?" My pulse quickens. Déjà vu.
"Stay." He licks his lips and swallows. "Felix is still out there." My heart skips a beat and I know he heard the change in my pulse.
"Right, the more reason I should leave," I say with bitterness.
"Stay for me," he whispers. My heart flutters as the words leave his mouth. Caiden leans in close and whispers in my ear, "Please don't leave me."
“Caiden—” my body gives up, slumping my shoulders forward, my head falls against Caiden's chin. His arms instinctively open, wrapping me in his warm embrace. He pulls me closer, resting his cheek on the top of my head.
"I can't lose you again," he says.
"Why have you been so distant? You've been an ass since I got back." I push away from his secure embrace.
"I'm sorry," he says as if that were enough to explain everything.
"Yeah, and?" I press.
"And what?" he asks.
"What's been going on?"
Caiden shrugs.
"That isn't good enough." I cross my arms in front of my chest and raise an eyebrow.
Taking a deep breath, he leans against the edge of the bed and looks to the floor.
"It's my wolf," he says, "he's fused with the beast, and it's hard to control his urges and actions."
"Dylan mentioned that, but what does it have to do with me?" I ask.
"He—" Caiden pauses, "the beast is very powerful and he wants what he wants when he wants it. And he wants you—all the time." A heat rises to my cheeks.
"I see," I say. A smile plays at the edges of my mouth and I bite my bottom lip. "So, you've been giving me the cold shoulder and being an ass, because you like me?"
"No, well yes, but—" Caiden stumbles over his words, "I was keeping my distance because every time I catch a scent of you, my wolf wants to jump you, claiming you as his own."
"OH," my eyes grow wide as realization hits.
"What about Dylan?" I ask. After a short pause, he shrugs his shoulders.
"Dylan had his chance and he gave you up."
"And that's okay with the honorable Caiden, Alpha of the Blood Moone Pack?" I bite my bottom lip again.
"Dylan's already given me his blessing." Caiden grins.
"Really?" I say, eyeing Caiden closely.
“Yes, I want you to be mine, I want to claim you,” he says after a moment of hesitation.
“You want me to reject my mate and take another? I thought you didn’t approve of that—” I say, almost in a whisper.
“That was before.” His eyes soften and return to their beautiful ocean blue.
“Before what?” I ask, hanging on his every word. His lips turn up into a boyish grin.
“Before I fell in love with you,” he says with a shaky voice. I smell fear and sense his uneasiness as I gaze into his questioning eyes.
He reaches up and tucks a piece of hair that’s fallen loose behind my ear. The touch of his fingertips as they brush my cheek sends a rush of heat radiating through my body. My lips crush into his and my arms wrap around his neck.
He instantly reacts, engulfing me in his embrace. Our kiss starts out slow and passionate but quickly becomes needy. The connection I feel with Caiden is like no other I've felt, not even the bond with Dylan.
My feet leave the floor and my legs wrap around his waist as he lays me down on the bed.
“Does this mean you’ll be mine?” He asks, his voice deep and husky as he nibbles my ear.
“Yes!” I moan.
Lifting my chin and exposing my neck, I let him trail kisses down to the sweet spot. I sense her, my wolf, stirring inside me. His fangs graze over my bare skin and I arch up
with anticipation. He bites down, his sharp teeth penetrating deep into my delicate skin. The initial puncture is painful, sending a burning sensation through my body, but I don't flinch. Soon I’m rewarded with a sweet, pleasurable sensation that sends tingles throughout my body.
My head swirls as if I were on laughing gas, my lips turn into a mischievous grin, and I claw at his back, tearing his t-shirt into pieces. I’m eager to have his bare chest against mine. Sparks rush through my body as I touch his bare skin, and my stomach twists with desire. He releases my neck and the exposed fiery wounds are cooled with the dampness of his tongue licking my four new puncture marks closed.
My wolf is churning inside me, fighting for control. Caiden sits up with a satisfied smirk on his face, straddling me, eyeing me with desire. Sitting me up, he pulls my shirt over my head and I see his pulse throbbing in his neck. Clamping down hard, my fangs slice through his skin and I take him by surprise. A rush of excitement extends throughout my limbs. He pulls me closer, holding me tight. A burning fit of passion threatens to engulf my heart.
“You bit me,” he smirks as I lick his matching new wounds closed. Resting my forehead against his, I smile.
“No, I marked you,” I say. His face lights up with amusement.
“Well, aren’t you the little Alpha,” he teases, nuzzling the marking he left on my neck.
“I’m your little Alpha.”
“You’re my Luna.” He kisses me softly.
“I love you,” I whisper into his lips as he lays me down. His fingers gently touch my bare stomach before firmly grabbing my hips. Our kiss deepens and our movements turn heady just as the door bursts open, flying off the hinges and landing on the ground a few feet away from where we lie on the bed.
Caiden spins around, covering me with his body.
Chapter 38
Lucinda
"Dylan?"
Dylan is standing in the doorway, pupils fully dilated and jet black, his fists balled tightly with white knuckles, and his arms trembling.
His eyes roam my body, noticing my appearance I'm sure, and he looks between Caiden and me. His brows furrow and his black eyes squint into narrow almonds.
The Rogue's Fate Page 20
