The Rogue Alpha's Return

Chapter 4 - The Walk

Conner

I felt like this wasn't completely real.

I was fairly sure my mate would reject me when she saw I was a rogue and once she learnt who I was...

...She didn't.

I was certain that she'd scream 'murderer', call her pack and throw me in a cell...

...She hadn't.

So...what now? Even my wolf had no response. But that fucker had the benefit of sitting back, out of sight and leaving me to deal with what ever the f**k this was!

She hated Alex, that was fairly easy to grasp. And she didn't trust him either, again fairly apparent. So she must have had some direct dealings with him, which was understandable as our two packs were neighbours. Black Forest and Silent Rivers used to be great allies because of our fathers, this seemed to be yet another thing changed since 'new management' took over my home pack.

"I knew that bastard was full of s**t," her words still rung clear. I met her eyes whilst still processing things.

"So, you know him pretty well then?" I said, trying to lighten the tension that had settled in over her features.

"I know enough, the man is vile," the reply came with a hard edge.

"No offense," she quickly added.

I couldn't help but chuckle a little at that while looking down at myself, "given my current situation, I got a few issues with him too."

She gave me a half smile that made my stomach flip with delight.

Giving me a final look, she started to turn away from me, "come on."

...Wait...was that an invitation to follow?

Shit, did't have to tell me twice!

I quickly sprang forward to follow after and fell in step beside her. We were walking for a few minutes before I realised I had no clue what her name was, I never asked!

'Potatoing hard there, human...' my wolf piped up.

If I punched myself would that be the same as punching Colt? Because right now it was sounding tempting.

"So, you never did give me your name, Alpha?"

"Eden, just Eden."

"Eden," I couldn't help quietly repeating it, I could almost taste the name on my tongue and it tasted as I'd imagined, peaches, like her scent.

"How long you had the new territory?" I asked, not quite sure how exactly to start off the conversation.

I realised this was the first time I had spoken to another person in months, the only company I had kept for the best part of a year was me, my wolf and I. My voice at first had been quite gruff from disuse, but was slowly loosening up. As I got older I couldn't help but notice it was quite similar to my dad's; deep, calm, quiet but easily heard. My father never really had to raise his voice, even when addressing the pack en masse. All he required was his silent authority to hush the crowd.

"Just over a year and half, it's one of the first larger projects I did as Alpha", so she hadn't been leading long I concluded.

"You been Alpha a few years then?"

"Two years, I took over when I was 22," so she was currently 24.

It was surprising she took over so young, most Alphas-to-be took over around 30 years old. We wolves were so long lived there wasn't exactly a rush to gain the Alpha title and it gave the heir to the pack time to learn the ropes while gradually taking over responsibilities from the current Alpha, till it was time for the official hand over.

"That's pretty young, I'm impressed," and I meant it.

To lead at such a young age and with so much authority was nothing short of impressive, never mind the fact she was doing it as an unmated she-wolf. With how patriarchal our werewolf society was, and slightly backwards way of thinking, she must have had great difficulties in the beginning being taken seriously, not just by other Alphas but with her own pack too.

She side glanced me with a sceptical look trying to gauge my sincerity. It seemed I was right in my guesses.

"I take it you had some issues in the beginning, then?"

"Yeah, a few," I wondered whether she was going to elaborate further or whether that was a silent way of shutting that particular conversation down.

"Did you ever meet my dad?" She asked suddenly.

"Yarrow? Yeah, only once though. I went to an Alpha meeting with my dad and he was there...it was probably the last time he saw him alive before all hell broke loose in my pack," she gave me a sympathetic look with my admission.

"Well," she continued on. "You probably know that my dad was an older Alpha even back then?"

"Mhmm," I hummed in agreement. "He was like 80 I think when I met him?" she nodded, confirming my thoughts.

"He didn't find his mate, my mom, for a long time. He was 66 when he had me. As most Alphas are retiring he was only just starting his family. So I knew growing up I was gonna have to step up to the mantle a lot earlier than most. I'm an only child too, so I didn't really have any other options."

"Not that I'd want another option," she hastily added. "I really do love my responsibility and job as Alpha," and she truly did mean it. I could tell by the way her silver eyes lit up as she spoke.

"But, yeah...the pack in the beginning weren't too keen on the idea of having me as a solo Alpha. They said it was my age but I knew what was really bothering them..." Eden left the rest of that sentence hanging silently.

I knew what she meant.

"What did they want? Force your hand into taking a chosen mate?" I had meant it rhetorically, but as the words left my mouth I was hit with a slight emotional pain, pain from the mate bond.

It was already starting to form and would only grow in strength as time went on, fully solidifying when we marked each other. The pain, coupled with her sudden discomfort that she quickly covered suggested there was some grain of truth to this. Something had happened to her and I noted to myself to stay clear of this topic till she was ready to speak on it herself.

The atmosphere had suddenly become tense.

"So...will it be too much to hope for a comfy cell then in the pack prison?" I asked with a slight chuckle trying to diffuse the tension.

I was half joking, half serious.

I was her mate, I was being peaceful and cooperative, she was leading me calmly without much apparent worry and I wasn't currently surrounded by guards. So I was fairly certain I wasn't being perceived as a dangerous threat. But I was technically a rouge wanted for murder, so the cells would be apt lodging for me.

"A cell?" She asked quizzically, as though the idea of placing me in the prisons hadn't even occurred to her. I felt a warm sensation in my chest, that she had no intentions to treat me as a threat or an outsider.

Which left me questioning, where was she going to put me?

Would she insist I stay in her quarters in the pack house with her or would she place me on my own?

I silently prayed for the former. I may have no experience with women, but that didn't mean I was nervous at the prospect of intimacy with my mate. I was a red-blooded male wolf and I had fantasised heavily what I'd want to do with my mate when I had her. True, I may have been a little embarrassed with being a complete virgin at 26, but it wasn't such an odd thing for wolves to remain celibate for their mate.

"Why would I put you in the cells? Should I expect trouble from you?" She asked quirking an eyebrow at me, with a sly smile.

"I can definitely be a handful if you want me to be," I challenged teasingly.

That simple little flirtatious statement seemed to leave her slightly flustered, her reaction was interesting to say the least. I heard her heartbeat increase, her cheeks flushed adorably pink...and was that her arousal I smelt? My wolf was instantly at attention, among other things.

This more intense scent was like warm, baked peaches. Peach cobbler had been my favourite thing in the world and I doubted I could ever be around it again without being completely turned on. The scent and her expression evaporated as soon as they'd appeared. She had amazing control of herself, control I envied right now.

"S...So how old are you anyway?" She asked, clearing her throat, clearly trying to change the subject to something more neutral.

"26...and I've been living nine years as a rogue before you ask," she nodded to this, obviously I had stolen her next question.

After a few moments of silence Eden hesitantly initiated conversation again, "you're an Alpha yourself, right?"

"Yeah?" I drew out, almost more of a question than an answer. "By blood anyway" I was intrigued as to where this was going.

"Your aura..." ah, that is where it was going.

"Why can't I sense it? I know we can mask it for a while, but it's been hours. How're you able to keep it hidden so long?" I was wondering when this would come up.

The stronger the wolf, the stronger the aura. Blood Alphas typically had intense auras, it was something that announced our presence, power and status as leaders. We could temporarily suppress it and Alpha blood she-wolves could also temporarily suppress their scent. This aided in our camouflage for things such as hunting, covert attacking, or remaining hidden as a defense mechanism. It required extreme focus the longer you suppressed it, so few could hold their auras longer than an hour or two.

"Simple, training."

"That's it?" She asked rather exasperated that I hadn't divulged more.

"A rogue Alpha draws a lot of attention. I was a kid when I ran, so it was a do-or-die learning curve."

Eden nodded seemingly to understand the logic behind the necessity. But what I hadn't said was just how noticeable my aura really was. Even as a newly shifted wolf it was that of a seasoned Alpha. And now that I was matured? It was almost oppressive, I couldn't help it, it's just how it was naturally. I had never released my full aura around anyone, it was too risky.

"How?"

"Hold it as long as you can and keep trying to beat your time. The hardest is learning to keep it suppressed while you're asleep."

"That's it?" She seemed disbelieving that there wasn't something more complicated.

"Hmhmm," I hummed in confirmation. "But it takes months of effort, a few nosebleeds, you'll pass out a bunch, throw up on a regular basis. Oh and you get these real weird fever outbreaks that'll make you almost think you're actually dying."

"That sounds horrific!" She stated with wide eyes.

I nodded. "It is, but like I said, it's do-or-die in the wilds. You either learn fast or you will be killed," I finished solemnly.

Our conversation came to yet another tense halt.

But I was glad she didn't ask further on the matter. Those first few years of rogue life really were horrific, most days I genuinely thought my number was up and I was constantly plagued by nightmares of my parents death.

I sighed.

"We're almost there."

We were coming up to a tree line and I could see beyond that lay pack civilisation. We walked past a few homes, passing human and wolf members alike, all of which acknowledged their Alpha with the utmost respect. Most gave me a curious glance, clearly recognising me as an outsider but not as threat as I was walking casually with their Alpha.

Eden was leading me towards a huge log cabin and from the wolves heading in and out, it must be the pack house. Or so I thought that was where we were heading. She was actually heading towards the smaller home to the side of it that looked to be for a single family unit.

So she did live separate from the pack house then. I wondered, would we be staying there...alone?

Goddess, I hoped so.

She crossed the threshold of the front door after punching in the number combination to the lock. I stepped in after her, ducking my head automatically as my extreme height had trained me to, even when it wasn't necessary. Hit your head a few times and it becomes instinct.

Hers was the most dominant scent. There were a couple of others but not particularly strong. Whoever else had been here had come and gone. There was no other scent strong enough to denote another person lived here.

We were going to be completely alone.

My wolf and I mentally fist-pumped the air together. This was going to be a dream, a dangerously intoxicating dream.