Mated to the Rogue *DISCONTINUED*

T W O

{Those are what I envisioned as Emilia's mate's eyes. I decided to put a picture up since Emilia was so enchanted by them, and also because I decided in this book, the first step to connecting with your mate is eye contact, so that was a pretty critical moment}

My head was spinning. Was it really happening? Did I finally meet my mate?

Before my brain could register what I was doing, I had taken a step towards him. He had also advanced one stride. We both took one more step. Now there were only three feet separating us.

I reached my hand out slowly as if to touch his face when his attention suddenly shifted. He inhaled sharply, wrinkling his nose a little, and looked past me, into the thick grove of trees. That's when I smelled Alex making his way towards us.

Quick as lightning, my mate bolted deeper into the forest. I opened my mouth to call after him when Alex busted through the trees.

"There you are! I was worried for you. Mom and Dad said you got up in the middle of dinner and ran off for no reason." Wow, so not only do my parents not care enough to come after me themselves, they're also liars.

"I'm fine. I-" I was cut off by Alex suddenly pushing me behind him and getting into a protective stance.

"Shh... Do you smell that?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

I took a deep breath in through my nose. "All I smell is-" my mate, I was about to say, before I got rudely interrupted by Alex, for the second time in one minute. But I'm glad I didn't finish my sentence.

"There was a rogue here," he growled.

A rogue? Nope, all I smelt was... a rogue, I realized, as I took another breath. My eyes widened. I was mated to a rogue? No wonder he ran away.

"I'm going to find him. You stay here." My heart stopped as soon as Alex said this. I couldn't let him get hurt, rogue or not.

"No!" I cried.

Alex looked at me funny. "Why not?"

Quick, think of something, anything. "Uh... Because this isn't even pack land, they have a right to be here."

"A right to be here? They don't have a right to be anywhere. Have you forgotten what they've done?!" He was getting angry now. And he was right. They took something away that can't be replaced.

"Of course not! It just..." I hesitated, not knowing how to continue. "I don't want you to get hurt. There might be more than one. And the pack's not going to come all the way out here to hunt a few rogues, especially not at this time." Then more gently I added, "Rosie will never be forgotten. We all miss her."

Rosie was my little sister. As you've probably already guessed, she was killed by rogues. She was only a little girl, only 8. I told her she could go to the meadow to play, but I didn't know Alpha Ryan lightened the patrol to make more time for training. The rogues snuck into pack territory and killed her, for no reason. That's about when my parents stopped being parents. I think they secretly blame me because I'm the one who let her go alone. Maybe if I had gone with her...

Alex sighed. "You're right. Let's go home little Sis."

I let out a silent sigh of relief. He was safe.

~*~

On the way home I gave Alex a run-down of tonight's events, leaving out the part about my mate of course. It was just too complicated. My pack wouldn't accept a rogue into their ranks. I don't know if I could accept a rogue. They're known for their destructive tendencies, and many have lost their mind. Wolves are exiled if they do something against pack laws, and I don't want to be mated to a criminal. Plus, I'm doubting he wants me anyway, running away at the first sign of danger when mates are supposed to stick together.