HIS

Chapter 22

I stay in bed the rest of the morning as my mind is  consumed by Soren words. He said he loved me. 

 Did he really mean it though?

I mean, he could have said it because we mated, the mate bound is very strong after mating and even I felt like that..

I groan into my pillow trying not scream. 

Eventually, the call of hunger rouses me from my tranquil repose, pulling me back to consciousness with a gentle insistence. 

With a yawn, I stretch out my limbs and reluctantly open my eyes, blinking away the remnants of sleep as I contemplate the prospect of lunch.

With Grey at school and Soren occupied with pack business, I decide to take advantage of the quiet house and enjoy a few hours of solitude.  

Rising from the bed, I make my way downstairs, my footsteps echoing softly in the stillness of the empty house. As I enter the kitchen, I contemplate my options for lunch, the hunger in my belly growing more insistent with each passing moment.

I end up eating a PBJ for lunch; it's quick, easy, and gets the job done. After I finish, I look around the empty kitchen feeling bored.

I wonder how long I have been here. 

I have now lost track of time, I don't even know what day it is. Has it been a month? 

I walk around the house, taking a good look at everything. Now that Soren is not here, the urge to fulfil my duty and find more information comes back.  

I go room to room until I find what looks to be an office. The room is bathed in the soft glow of a desk lamp, casting long shadows across the space.

My eyes dart around the room, taking in the array of bookshelves lined with ancient tomes, the cluttered desk strewn with papers and trinkets, and the plush armchair nestled in the corner. 

But it is the desk that draws me in like a moth to a flame. Upon its polished surface lay a sleek laptop and a smartphone, their screens dark. My fingers itch with the desire to explore, to delve into the digital depths of Soren's life.

With cautious steps, I approach the desk, my breath catching in my throat as I reach out to touch the cool metal of the phone.

It lies there, silent yet tantalising, a portal to getting out of here. 

I hesitate for a moment, my mind grappling with what I am about to do.

Driven by a desperate need, I pick up the phone, my pulse quickening with each passing second, and unlock the screen with a swipe of my thumb. 

I dial my brother's number, my thumb hovering over the call option.

Timothy will come for me after a month has passed anyway. If I call now, what will happen? What will I tell him? 

I am mated to Soren Now. I can't leave even if I wanted to. The Mate Bond will not allow that... Soren will not allow that.  I don't think I want to leave. 

With a heavy sigh, I set the phone back down on the desk, my hands trembling with uncertainty.

 I can't bring myself to make the call, not when it feels like such a violation of trust. The phone slips from my grasp and clatters onto the desk.

A sudden chill runs down my spine. I sense him. I look up from the desk to see Soren standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable.

"What are you doing here?" I squeak, my voice betraying the fear that grips me.

I feel like a deer caught in headlights, unable to move or speak as Soren's piercing gaze bores into me.

His eyes flicker from me to the phone on the desk, and for a moment, I think I see a flash of something in his expression—surprise, suspicion, maybe even anger. 

But it is gone in an instant, replaced by a calm facade. "I could ask you the same question," he replies evenly, his voice devoid of emotion. "This is my office, after all."

Soren's gaze bores into me like a spotlight, and I feel exposed. I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. "I... I was just... um..." 

But the words get caught in my throat, and I find myself unable to explain my presence in his office. What could I say? That I was snooping around, trying to uncover his secrets?

He walks towards me, his movements slow, and I instinctively back away, my heart racing with primal fear. 

But then, to my surprise, Soren's expression softens as he lets out a sigh. "It's okay, Sam," he says gently, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness. 

"I know you want to know about my past. But you don't need to go digging through my things to find answers."

I blink in confusion, unsure of how to respond. Wasn't he angry? Or was he actually being ... understanding?

He reaches out and picks up the phone from the desk, his fingers brushing against mine in a fleeting touch. "I want you to ask me and not be afraid. I will tell you everything and anything you want," he says softly, his eyes meeting mine with a sincerity that takes my breath away.

I open my mouth-

 "Not here. Come with me."  And with that, he turns and walks out of the office, leaving me standing there in stunned silence.

I follow him out of the house, the tension in the air once again palpable despite the gentle breeze rustling through the trees.

I can't shake the feeling of guilt gnawing at my conscience, like a weight dragging me down with each step. "I'm sorry for sneaking around" I blurt out, the words tumbling from my lips before I can stop them. 

" I just thought if I ask you questions about your past, you would get angry at me."

Soren glances at me, his expression inscrutable. " I would have before but not anymore." 

Okay. Let's see about that.  "How did you become a rogue?" I ask.

"It happened when I was about ten," Soren begins, his voice carrying a heavy weight of pain.

"Thornbourn was my home, my pack. My mother was the alpha of thornbourn, she was  fierce leader who commanded respect and loyalty from all who knew her. My father  was our pack warrior, strong and steadfast in his duty to protect us." 

I listen intently. 

"One night," Soren continues

my heart clenches with each word as he paints a picture of a life torn asunder by violence and betrayal.  "they came. I still remember the sound of their howls echoing through the night, a chilling harbinger of the devastation to come. They attacked without mercy, without warning. They killed anyone and everyone in their path."

His words strike me like a physical blow, the enormity of his loss unfathomable.

"My mother... my father..." Soren's voice falters, and for a moment, I fear he won't be able to continue. But then, with a visible effort, he presses on.

"They destroyed Thornbourn," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "They razed it to the ground until there was nothing left, not even the land itself."

Soren's voice is low, his eyes gleaming with a feral intensity, a hunger for revenge burning bright within their depths. His words carrying the weight of a vow forged in the fires of vengeance.

"They think it's over, that they have won. But soon, I will destroy them like they have destroyed Thornbourn. And when I do, I will take back our home." 

His eyes blaze with an intensity that borders on obsession, his jaw clenched with a resolve that brooks no argument. "Thornbourn will not be a memory to only be mourned; Thornbourn is a legacy that will be reclaimed."

In that moment, I see a glimpse of the ruthless rogue that lies beneath the surface. A force to be reckoned with.  I swallow hard, suddenly aware of the magnitude of Soren plan. 

"What major pack was it?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Soren's gaze darkens, a flicker of anger igniting in the depths of his eyes. "The Zipclaw," he replies, the name of the perpetrators like poison on his tongue.

 "You heard of them?" he asks.

I nod slowly, my stomach churning with unease as a wave of fear washes over me, If Soren goes after them, he will be walking into the lion's den, risking his life because the Zipclaw are a powerful pack. I

"Soren," I say, my voice trembling with apprehension as I reach out to grasp his hands in mine.

 "They're too powerful."