It took Sam an entire day of intense hiking to reach the treehouse. As she approached the structure, she slowed slightly, allowing herself to take in the beauty of the small building. The small wooden structure was raised a few metres into the air on wooden stilts. Nestled between the trees, a ladder led up to the main deck upon which were settled a couple of lounging chairs and a colourful hammock. A small canopy covered the area. The deck connected to the main house via a walkway, a sort of rope bridge that swayed slightly as Sam crossed it. The house itself was small and quaint, little windows dotting the walls, creating a mosaic effect. The front door led directly into a rustic kitchen-lounge-dining room combo. A small door to the right hid a small bathroom. At the back of the room, above the lounge area, a ladder led up to a mezzanine. The entire room was composed of inbuilt bookcases dotted with windows, creating a warm, homely space.
Once back, Sam immediately jumped in the shower, letting the scalding water run over her body, warming her cold skin. Music blared in the background and she sang along, losing herself to the comfort of the water. Washing away the mud from the past week of rough camping, Sam felt like a new person. She felt clean and fresh, ready to face the next day and whatever life could throw at her with this new compound. Finally exiting the bathroom a few moments later, dressed in a loose jumpsuit, wet hair loose and skin red from the heat of the shower, Sam made her way towards the kitchen. Bustling around, she started preparing a meal that didn't consist of barbecued meat. The only meat she eaten in the past few days. There wasn't much fresh food in the fridge, as no one had lived there permanently for a while, so she fixed herself some pasta. As she ate, she sent a text to Obi, asking him to bring her some vegetables when he came over the next morning. After washing up, she settled in the mezzanine. The entire mezzanine was covered in one ginormous mattress, creating the perfect space for curling up and sleeping, whilst also doubling as a reading corner. Opening a random book, Sam lost herself in the story. When the sky darkened, she switched on the fairy lights that hung about the room. The cosy atmosphere warmed her soul, and looking around she felt at peace with herself.
Her mind lost itself in her reflections, and the book fell to the side, forgotten. She reminisced on all the other times she had felt like this. Nearly all had involved Aiden and Liam; the first time she'd met them when they'd become her friends, or when Aiden had first told her about the pull he felt, or the first time she'd had an inkling that Liam was flirting with her. Yet she realised that never before had she felt so content in herself whilst alone. Every other time, it had been someone else's acceptance of her that had made her feel happy with who she was. Does that mean I'm not happy with who I am? Sam brushed aside the feeling, I don't need any negative thoughts right now. Let me live in my happiness for just a minute longer.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Sam fell asleep happy. Not a happiness caused by the attitude of others, but a happiness and a contentment that resided within herself.
***
The feel of fingers softly stroking her face gradually woke her the next morning. In her half-sleeping state, Sam recognised the familiar pine tree scent next to her and nuzzled closer to the hand. Then she froze.
Liam can't be here. Surely he wouldn't do this to me. Surely he hasn't come to see me during the mating season. I must be dreaming. This must be a dream.
Sam's eyes flew open, and she took in the figure leaning over her. The green eyes, strong jawline, and short brown hair shockingly familiar.
"WHAT. THE. FUCK" Sam hissed the words out, severely punctuating each word. Her bitter words were cutting, yet, as Liam attempted to answer, she silenced him with a growl. Her eyes glowed red. Not caring for a second that she wasn't Alpha of the pack, she let her waves of dominance wash over him and he cowered on the bed, his head lowered in submission.
She maintained her death stare for a few moments longer. But then her reasonable side took over. Liam wasn't her mate, she would have known the second she'd smelled his scent. Although this realisation calmed her slightly, she still couldn't believe Liam's blatant disregard for her choice. The way he'd so obviously ignored her wishes, obviously not caring about her enough. And at this thought, her anger rose again, her canines slipping out.
"P-p-please... At l-l-least let me explain," Liam's voice wobbled as he spoke, not out of fear as he knew that Sam wouldn't hurt him, but because of his natural Omega submission.
"I didn't just ignore your requests, you're my friend and I would never break your trust like that." He forced his words to be steady and strong despite the urge to cower back down.
Sam huffed at his words. He was making a lot of sense yet the animal inside her refused to back down. She wanted to him shiver and cower. In her eyes, no matter the reason, he'd still risked the possibility of them discovering that they were mates, despite knowing full well that she had no desire to have a mate.
"This better be good." As she spoke, she released her hold on him, calming her eyes to a dull amber. Her voice was still tinged with frustration, but Liam brought his head up, meeting her cold stare. A small smile tugged at his lips, and his eyes were twinkling. Sam couldn't help but notice that something was different, his eyes seemed brighter than usual, happier. Gone was the usual brooding look, the furrowed brows and dark looks. He still had a bad boy vibe about him, but he shone with a newfound confidence that seemed to light him from within. His positivity confused Sam,
"Well blurt it out then!"
"I, well you see, I was at the meet right, and there was this guy, and we got into a huge fight, and he was enormous. Like not Aiden enormous, but even bigger than that. Prison hair cut, tattoos the lot..."
"Will you get to the bloody point..." Sam released a sigh of exasperation.
"Well... long story short... I met my mate!!" Liam's face broke into a huge grin. True happiness shining in his eyes. Sam's eyes widened, her jaw falling slack as shock registered on her face. Realising she was speechless, Liam continued,
"She's absolutely incredible, you're gonna love her. She has this long hair that flows like water down her back, and the most intoxicating scent, and her eyes... you could just lose herself in those eyes. And her body, my goddess. Anyway, Aiden knows obviously, we haven't been able to keep our hands off each other all week and he is in the room next door. But when I heard from Obi that you were here, I just had to come and tell you! And I figured that since I'm mated now... goddess I'm never going to tire of saying that, those words, they just make me so happy," Liam paused, his eyes turning dreamy. "Anyway, I figured that since I'm mated I could come and see you."
As the information registered in Sam's mind, she found her emotions were conflicted. She felt so incredibly joyful at Liam's news. He deserved more than anyone to be loved, and he seemed genuinely happy, which in turn made her happy. Yet underlying that, there was a hint of jealously, but also a sense of loss. Shaking her head, she shoved the negative emotions down, matching Liam's grin with one of her own.
"That...That... I'm so happy for you! That is so amazing, did you bring her?" Sam eyes quickly glanced around the room, and she heightened her senses to see if she could detect someone outside.
"Sadly not, I told her I needed the day, and I think she understood."
"Shame, I really wanted to meet her." Sam's words were genuine as she spoke. No matter what those other emotions meant, she truly was happy for Liam, and she wouldn't let any dark thoughts ruin this time for him. Sitting up straighter, Sam turned so that she was crossed legged in front of Liam. Settling her shoulders, she rested her chin on her hands.
"Tell me everything!" She squealed. "I want to know every last detail."
"Every detail?" Liam's expression was teasing, and Sam knew immediately what he was getting at.
"Well, maybe not every detail..." Sam chuckled. "But her name would be a good start..."
YOU ARE READING
Permission to escape - The Rogue Pack
Werewolf"You, I was thinking of you" she admitted. Aiden groaned, curling his hands around's Sam's waist as she spoke, her words like an enchantment to his ears. Her body fit into his perfectly, her short height of 5'2'' only adding to his sense of dominanc...
