Permission to escape - The Rogue Pack

Chapter 2 - Aiden

By the time Sam woke up the next morning, the sun was streaming through her windows. She groaned, and turned over, shoving her face into her pillow.

Her door slammed open. Sam immediately became alert, her body automatically responding to the familiar, warming scent of vanilla and cinnamon.

"Wakey wakey, rise and shine princess!"

She squealed and leapt across the room, tackling the stranger. Despite her efforts, his bulk didn't move, so she contented herself by wrapping her legs around his torso and nuzzling her face into his chest.

"I missed you too gorgeous" Aiden laughed.

Sam gripped him tightly. Although it had only been a few weeks since the end of the term, it still felt too long since she had last seen his smiley face.

"When did you get here?" She asked, leaning back slightly so she could take in his familiar face and smiling green eyes. Even in his arms, his head easily surpassed her so she had to look upwards to see his face.

"About five minutes ago, you're always the first to know when I get here."

"And Liam, is he here?" Sam peered around the large shoulder blocking her view out of the bedroom door, looking for the familiar brooding green eyes.

"No, he's stuck at home, something to do with work, but he promised he would be here in time."

"Oh, that's a shame, I've missed you both so much." She brought her gaze back to Aiden, locking eyes with him. She couldn't help the familiar sensation of her chest dropping as she looked at him.

"Well, I guess it's just gonna be me for a little while."

Sam feigned an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes at Aiden, 

"I'm not sure I can survive with your undeterred optimism for that long." She leant backwards, hinting at him to release her from his grip. His hands acquiesced and she slid to the floor.

"Aww, you know you love me really."

Reaching up on her tiptoes she whispered in his ear "That's just what I'm making you think." Her voice was tinged in irony, and she quickly moved out of his grasp, eyes twinkling mischievously.

Aiden narrowed his eyes before lunging at the petite redhead.

Giggling she sidestepped his outstretched arms and sprinted down the stairs, straight for the wonderful smell of bacon drifting from the open door of the kitchen.

Before she could reach the door though, two rough hands gripped her waist, pulling her back, and she fought hard to get away, determined the reach the bacon first. She stopped abruptly, dislodging Aiden's hands then dropped into a crouch before they could find purchase again, weaving away from his flailing arms. Yet she wasn't fast enough. Rough fingers collided with her right forearm and she quickly spun around, using Aiden's strength against him as she twisted his arm around and upwards, locking it in place. He grimaced as he felt a twinge in his elbow and he was forced to kneel to stop the discomfort. Despite his kneeled position he head was still level with Sam's shoulders. He leaned into her arm, releasing the lock, and used his other hand to push into her side, causing her to crumple. She landed on him in a heap, as wide grins spread across each of their faces.

"Gosh I've missed having someone to grapple with," Sam chuckled. Because of their sizes, and, she had to begrudgingly admit, because of her sex, Aiden was much stronger than she was. She hated admitting that but knew that it was inevitable. Biologically, males were stronger than their female counterparts, even if the female was hierarchically superior to the male. Yet Sam's speed and agility easily made up for her unfair disadvantage, as did the excessive training she had been forced to endure in the past, making her practically undefeatable.

Sam and Aiden toppled into the kitchen both laughing madly. Grabbing plates, they helped themselves to mountains of food before sitting down and eating in silence, large smiles spreading across their faces and elbows jabbing into each other's sides.

***

Sam had met Aiden, and his twin brother Liam, two years earlier. When she'd left her pack, she'd moved to Montreal, figuring that at least if she went to university she might be able to make something out of herself in the human world, hence avoiding the path that had been set out for her by the werewolf community. But as an Alpha's daughter, she couldn't help but attract unwanted werewolf attention. One night she'd been cornered by the local pack who, obviously threatened by her presence, thought it best to scare her into submission before she could do anything. Idiots. They obviously hadn't realised that angering her would only serve to increase her desire to threaten her. But before she'd had a chance to kill them all right there and then, Liam and Aiden had appeared. Their presence alone had scared off most of the pack, even though back then they weren't quite as muscular as they were now. The remaining wolves had scattered at the first signs of a fight, and although Sam could have handled them all herself she appreciated the help. 

Well more than that, she appreciated the company. She hadn't realised how lonely she'd been without other wolves around her, and in that the twins had saved her. She'd felt an almost immediate connection to them. Despite their different upbringings, they bonded over their dislike of the obligations of pack life. After that first meeting, they'd been inseparable, and the three of them got along like a house on fire.

Every time she saw them she couldn't help but be awed at the resemblance between the identical twins. They had the same chiselled jawline and defined bone structure, dark brown hair and sea-green eyes. Although whilst Aiden's eyes sparkled with mischief, Liam's were dark and mysterious. 

The relationship she had with the twins had helped Sam realise that although some wolves couldn't survive in their packs, none could survive alone. That's when they got the idea for the Rogue pack; an open pack where rogues could find other wolves so that they would never have to follow the rules of other packs and would never have to be lonely again.