Heart of a rogue

* Chapter 20 - confrontational

Declan's pov

"Oh fuck, oh no, she's going to kill me... What do I do?" I jolted awake at the sound of the frantic voice.

The delicious scent of my mate surrounded me, her presence filling every inch of my senses. She was nestled against me, completely hidden by my body, and in that moment, I was struck by how fragile and precious she seemed.

You wouldn't guess that this small, soft woman was capable of being a deadly rogue. But it wasn't her that had woken me up—it was the sound of the door slamming shut and the panic in my beta's voice that filled the room.

For a split second, my instincts flared, and I felt a sharp need to protect her, to shield her from whatever chaos was unfolding. And then, as if on cue, a quiet voice from within me—a voice from my wolf—whispered something I hadn't quite expected: the need to protect our pup.

I quickly dismissed it. She was on birth control, we made sure of that. After all, we couldn't have a pregnant rogue running rampant through the camp. Birth control was standard for every female here—it was necessary to keep things under control, to prevent any more chaos.

They're terrifying. Mothers are my nightmare. And yet, my wolf couldn't be more satisfied knowing we've marked our mate. I wanted children so badly. My wolf was going mad without an heir. An Alpha shouldn't go this long without offspring. What if I would go mad too? Make mistakes that couldn't be reversed? 

"Joshua, get out!" My chest rumbled with authority, and I pulled Lucille deeper into my arms, shielding her completely from my beta's eyes. The movement startled her awake.

Her eyes fluttered open, but instead of scolding me, she melted into my embrace. The warmth of her reaction only ignited the protective fire inside me, and once again, I growled at Joshua, my patience wearing thin.

"No! You're in so much trouble!" Joshua's voice was frantic, his frustration clear. "Everyone heard you two going to pound town last night! Alani is pissed as hell, the pack is unsettled and you've screwed things up with Charlotte now! I tried to calm everyone down, but no one's having it!" He was pacing, rubbing his forehead like he had a headache.

The weight of his words hit me. It pained me to know my pack was in turmoil. My actions had consequences. Everyone had heard Lucille's moans—heard us last night as I took her over and over again. It wasn't just private anymore. But despite the tension, a wave of pride washed over me. Every male in the camp knew she was mine now. That was something I should care about, but in this moment, with her soft body against mine, I couldn't bring myself to.

I had to put my pack first, but my instincts screamed to focus on Lucille—to keep her by my side. Not some idealized Luna. Not Charlotte.

I was failing them, failing as their Alpha. How could I make harsh decisions when my heart, my wolf, was so consumed by this woman in my arms? The one female who had realistic expectations of me was already frightened away. Charlotte had asked one thing of me, and I had already failed her.

Lucille stirred, fully awake now, groaning as she stretched. "Don't you know the concept of sleeping in?" Her voice was soft, but there was a playful edge to it.

My wolf still burned with the need to protect her, especially her nakedness. I tried to shield her as much as possible, but Joshua noticed immediately. With a frustrated sigh, he threw Lucille's clothes at us.

"First," he said, his tone firm, "go calm your pack down and deal with your sister. Second, as much as I love the idea of Lucille as our Luna, she isn't. You need to make amends with Charlotte. And third, you're supposed to interview Geoff. He's still in the cells."