The Beta's Rejected Rogue Mate (Book 2 of Rogue Series)

Chapter 8

After we finished discussing everything that was going on and what happened, everyone left, leaving me alone in the room that I hadn't been in for the past two years but was supposed to be mine.

I sat down on the ground next to the bed and bit back a small sad sigh, not knowing what to do or how to feel. My heart ached and yearned for the man that I was supposed to call my mate, even though I was nervous about seeing him again.

I didn't want to have to leave my pack again...

And this time, I didn't know where I would go if I had to leave, especially since I wasn't sure if Jethro would allow me to go back to the pack without anyone else beside me in fears that I would get kidnapped just like Sky.

The hair on the back of my neck, and a shiver went down my spine when an image of what looked like large trees moving appeared in my brain, but a part of me knew that they weren't trees but something else, something different.

I could find them...

My mouth went dry, and my heart skipped a beat in my chest, and I curled my hands into a fist.

Maybe I will be able to find them again.

My stomach growled and seemed to stir like a waking beast, and I couldn't help but bite back a small sigh, knowing full well that I was hungry.

"Oh, Goddess," I said, my voice barely above a whisper before I moved a hand through my hair and pursed my lips into a thin line. "I don't want to get up, but I think I am hungry."

Again my stomach growled a second time, and I couldn't help but groan while I stood and started to walk toward the door. "Fuck it," I groaned while I pursed my lips further in annoyance. "Let's get something to eat."

I took a deep breath and released it with a small whoosh before I opened the door and stepped out of my room. I looked this way and that before I closed my door and walked to the kitchen, wondering if anyone from my group would be there.

I just hope Ben wasn't there...

My whole body grew tense when I thought about him, and a shiver went down my spine. I paused on the steps and grabbed the railing tighter, the urge to go back to my room and hide growing strong because I had no idea if I wanted to see him or not.

But I had to eat...

I took a deep breath and released it with a small whoosh before I sent a prayer up to the Moon Goddess about him not being in the kitchen when I got there (even though I knew that she wouldn't answer it) and started to make my way down the steps and toward the kitchen.

My heart skipped a beat before it started to pound fast and hard in my chest when I heard the sound of laughter from the kitchen, and I couldn't help but recognize one laughter in particular, even though I had never heard him laugh.

He's there...

My mouth went dry, and my hands started to shake from nerves, fear, or excitement, I didn't know which, while my heart leapt into my throat and continued its running pace.

Oh, Goddess...

I stopped at the door before I took another deep breath and gulped down my heart back to where it belonged, even though it didn't work.

Again, there was another sound of laughter that filled the air around me, and my heart jumped back into my throat where it didn't belong.

I shivered before I gathered up enough courage to push open the door that separated myself from the kitchen, and everyone in the kitchen grew silent and still when I walked through the door and looked around to see the people that were gathered.

There were a few that I recognized, even with me being gone for two years, but there were others that I didn't, even though I knew that they had been a part of my group for as long as I could remember, but they looked older and lost a bit of their childlike... innocence if that made sense.

"Katie?" Jethro asked, and I instantly looked at him, making sure not to catch the eyes of the person at the stove because I wasn't sure if I was ready for that just yet. He furrowed his brows and frowned while he walked over to me, and concern flashed through his eyes. He pressed his lips into a thin line while he stared at me. "Are you ok?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

I hesitated before I slowly nodded, even though I wasn't ok; I was scared, petrified even, because I knew that he was staring at me even when I didn't meet his gaze.

Jethro frowned and narrowed his eyes while he studied me, and I could tell that he didn't believe me when I said that I was ok. "Mmmmhmm," he said. "I thought you were going to be asleep by now. Why aren't you?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

I hesitated again before I licked my lips and cleared my throat, praying that my voice wouldn't shake from the nerves that I felt. "I lied," I said, my voice barely above a whisper before I shrugged and grimaced. "It was the only way that Sky was going to rest." I scowled and narrowed my eyes at my Alpha, and he grinned, amused. "And don't play dumb, Jethro. I know that you already knew that I lied because that's why Miguel was in my room."

We ignored the protective growl from the person near the stove while we continued to look at each other.

"Well, he wasn't the only one that had gone into your room, Katie," Jethro said and gave me a pointed look, and I rolled my eyes and scowled.

"Thomas was in there because Sky knew that I lied but knew I wasn't going to take no for an answer," I replied while I shrugged and grimaced. "That's why he was there."

Jethro bit back a small smirk and slowly nodded. He didn't say a word and glanced at Ben before he looked at me, silently wondering if he needed to do anything with the Beta that was in the room with us.

I hesitated before I shook my head, silently indicating that I didn't want him to do anything to the Beta, and my stomach growled, much to Jethro's amusement and my embarrassment, but thankfully it ended the conversation between us.

"Well, someone is hungry," he teased and flashed me a small wink, and I rolled my eyes and scowled while my cheeks turned another shade of red.

"Shut up, Jethero," I grumbled. "I hadn't eaten on the trip here because I had been worried and scared about what was to come."

I moved a hand through my hair and licked my lips, feeling very out of place in a place I should be comfortable in.

But two years could change people for better or for worse...

...especially for someone like me...

"...Katie?" one of the figures, a boy in the room asked, shifting his gaze between the two of us. He furrowed his brows and cocked his head while he studied me, confused and worried. "Like our Katie?"

Jethro and I looked at each other before I looked at the person who had spoken, and I couldn't help but smile when I recognized the look on his face as someone who had been the youngest member of our little group with his sister by his side.

"Yes," I said and nodded in confirmation. "I am that Kafie." I licked my lips and cleared my throat while I offered him a tight smile, cocking my head to the side while I studied the young boy in front of me. "So, do you still go by Snitch, Kiddo, or are you going by your first name, now? Either way it's good to see you both."