The Rogue Alpha's Return

Chapter 8 - Domestic Bliss

Eden

My mate was actually cooking for me, in my kitchen. I was still surprised he could cook. Not to profile him, but I wasn't expecting a man who had been living a drifter existence for almost a decade to have much ability in the kitchen. His scent was quickly filling the room and probably the whole house. If I thought it was intoxicating before, now, I was almost drunk on it. This whole arrangement was really going to be testing...maybe I should have put him up in the pack house. My wolf almost took my head off, if that was even possible, springing up in my mind.

'DON'T YOU EVEN DARE'

'I wasn't, chill. This is just tricky having him so close...smelling so good.'

She sighed like a love struck pup, 'oh Eden, his wolf is so wonderful, he's sweet but sooo dominant, he wants us so much and to look after us' she was practically fawning all over the place.

'You're linking him right now aren't you?'

'Of course I am! He's right there calling to me, I can feel his emotions so clear they're like words, our connection is so strong. You can feel it too, don't lie.'

She was right, I could. When Conner spoke of his brother and what he knew needed to be done, it was like a knife to my heart. I could feel his pain like it was my own and couldn't stop myself from comforting him. When I touched his hand, it was a sensation I had never felt and I dangerously wanted more.

The moment he had entered the kitchen, I almost wanted to jump him, wrapping my legs around his waist. Not my wolf, me. Era had just gone into complete silence, I was fairly certain if she had a physical form it had fainted. My wolf, a fearless leader and powerful apex predator had fainted like some f*****g teen fangirl. Or so I thought at the time, now I realised she had instantly started to link his wolf; I was old news now to her.

He really was breathtakingly attractive though. His hair was down now just above shoulder height, it fell in lustrous chestnut waves and almost curled around his face. And goddess his face. Clear of facial hair now, his features were chiseled to perfection, like he was cast from bronze...just like his skin. His full lips to his strong jaw to his perfect brow that gave him a sensual expression, he was the personification of male perfection. I noticed the small scar on his left brow, to leave a scar behind would have had to be done with silver; I wondered how it happened.

Those pale green eyes stood out even more heavily against his colouring now, I had never seen such features before in anyone. My eyes couldn't help but drink in his body either. I already knew he was tall, towering over even me, and built, but now seeing him in just a simple t-shirt and sweats; they hid virtually nothing. He was more built than any Alpha I had seen. His shoulders were huge and broad, his arms thick with muscle down to his hands that appeared large and rough with the hint of a tattoo peeking from under the left sleeve of his shirt, his chest was expansive and defined through the tightness of the shirt and it lead down to a narrow waist with long muscular legs. It was an effort to not struggle at the discomfort that was starting between my thighs. I had had to take a very deep breath at that point to steady myself, which was a poor move on my part as I inhaled a deep lungful of his scent. Clean, spiced oak with a hint of masculine musk.

I was glad that he was willing to go along with my plan of hiding his identity and that he hadn't fought me on keeping him being my mate a secret. I really didn't want to hide it, I hated lying to my pack and honestly? I kind of wanted to show him off, he was an impressive male after all. But if it got out, news of me finding my mate would spread, especially to Alexander. He had aggressively requested a union between he and I, on more than one occasion, one that I had flatly refused. I knew the charade wouldn't last long, our bond would only grow in strength and it would be increasingly difficult to keep him at a distance. It already was currently. When I thought he was about to kiss me I knew I would have reciprocated, I may have gone further. I was mortified that he was simply teasing me, proving how much I was affected by him.

Looking at him right now, it was endearing to see how comfortable he was cooking. You wouldn't have believed just a few hours ago he was living in the wilds as a rogue. I was stood next to him assisting, another new role for me. He had heated a large pan and placed the steelhead fish skin down, covering it with a generous amount of olive oil, placing the lid on top to cook away. Under his instruction I had been peeling and slicing an obnoxious amount of potatoes, he was putting some of my warriors to shame with his appetite. The green beans he had started on were smelling lovely too. He was currently frying some garlic in a little butter when I remembered I had to ask further on the Alaskan pack he had lived in briefly, this detail still had me shook!

"So, this Alaskan pack? You have to tell me about this" I demanded, while sliding the potatoes into boiling water.

He chuckled a little, a sound that was fast becoming my favourite sound ever.

"I was wondering how long you'd wait to interrogate me on that" he said while adding a good glug of white wine to the pan with garlic, allowing the loud hiss of alcohol hitting a hot pan to pass before continuing. Ok, his voice was my favourite sound, then his laughter. It was a quiet, calm baritone that had an instant easing effect on me.

"It was White Cloud pack, they're based just west of Barrow in the northern part of the state" he paused to add the chicken stock to the mix to bring to the boil.

I nodded to show I was following while I grated some cheese to add to the potatoes when they were done.

"I was about 19 at the time, I'd been gradually heading further north. I knew the state's rep when it came to their packs, but...it was a calculated risk. I didn't think they'd try to look for me there" he finished by adding the green beans to the pan to gently sauté.

"They?" I questioned.

"Wolves I guess my brother had looking for me. I'm pretty sure part of his plan was for me to die, either by the rogues in the initial attack or by his own hand after exposing my 'betrayal'. I'm a risk to his whole Alpha title" he flipped the fish over to cook the other side, but I didn't miss that pang of pain I felt from him.

Alex was a heinous individual, he truly was. For doing this to his family, his pack...I wondered just how many people in Black Forest were lost that night, how many families were destroyed forever.

He continued on "in most of the packs up there, they have a tradition; when you shift and are of age, you go out into the wilderness and bring back game for the pack. It symbolises your loyalty to the pack and your willingness to provide for them. The whole thing is a right of passage, you're not a proper wolf of the pack unless you do it. Don't matter if it's just a rabbit, as long as you've hunted it. Obviously there's some competition in who can bring back the biggest."

"So did you?" I asked while checking the potatoes. They were getting there, so I took out the cream and potato masher ready.

"That's actually how I met the pack and how I got accepted. The right of passage for the Alpha heir is a little different; they can't just bring back any game, they have to hunt bear, solo, and they can't return until they have it."

My eyes widened at that "that's...ambitious."

"Yeah, the Alpha's heir, Tobias, though got a little cocky after he shifted. He was just over 17 at the time, dumb, and 'knew' he could do it" Conner said while rolling his eyes.

"I take it he got his ass handed to him by the bear then?"

"Pretty much, literally. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I was trying to stay away from the packlands and stick to the human city around Barrow. I just happened to be out in the wilderness when I heard the bear attacking and saw the young wolf trying to take it down. The bear had taken a huge chunk out of his shoulder and he had a lot of gashes down his chest. The kid was about to lose consciousness and was already reverting to his human form, I shifted and brought it down."

"Just like that?" I was skeptical that it was an easy fight.

"I'm not being full of myself here, but yeah. The bear had been fighting a while and was exhausted. But don't ever tell them that, they think it was a savage fight and I'd like to keep my image, thank you."

I snorted "poser" but he laughed good naturedly at my quip.

"It was a task dragging the kid and the bear back to his pack though, so I didn't totally get off scot-free."

The potatoes were done so I strained them and started mashing while adding the cream, cheese and chives. Conner was stirring the beans a little.

"The Alpha was grateful I saved his son, though he chewed his boy out when he came to later. The pack were impressed I brought down the bear, dragged it back and the kid. The Alpha offered me shelter and I told him my story. He was livid, thought he was gonna march his warriors to Black Forest himself!"

I got out a couple of plates and silverware and plated up the potatoes, giving Conner the lion's share of it before passing it over to him to serve up the fish and green beans.

"So you were there for a few years? And they trained you too?"

"Yep, their training is hardcore though. I only left because wolves came looking for me again, didn't want to drag White Cloud into any of that mess. They were good people but they're all a little myopic out there, physical strength is all they care about. Book smarts mean nothing to them. Some packs up there practice arranged bonds if it'll advance their pack, some even go as far to kill a fated mate if it interferes with them gaining strength. White Cloud never did that though, they respected the mate bond."

"...oh" was all I could respond to hearing first hand how brutal those packs could be.

We each carried our plate and silverware through to the dining room just through the archway in the kitchen, with me leading the way.

"So are they really as feral and savage as the rumours say?"

"To outsider wolves yes, to their own...kinda but it's meant to toughen them up, it's more tough love then savage. Alaska is a difficult terrain to survive in. Pack life is too challenging for humans there, so they stick to their own cities and towns" he summarised.

My mate certainly was full of the unexpected, it had me wondering what else he'd seen and done during his exile.