Permission to love - The Rogue Pack

Chapter 8 - Aiden

I held out my arms for the young wolf. They seemed so scared, their slim body shaking slightly. And they were so cold, their fingers ice cold against my chest as they attempted to hold themselves still. I felt like they were trying to withdraw from my embrace, as if they were willing themselves back into Sam's arms. 

Yet I couldn't bring myself to tear my eyes away from my mate. She was observing the purple-eyed wolf as she passed them over, her hands lingering before with a sigh she dropped her arms, taking a step back as she did. But it didn't bother me that she wasn't looking at me. I was drinking her in, taking in every minute detail, every part of her gorgeous face that I'd refused to let myself observe before.

Since I'd met her, I'd had to force myself to not scrutinise her face. She was like one of those old renaissance paintings. The more you looked at it, the more beautiful and intricate details you noticed, and the more you fell in love with the masterpiece. Sam was the same. So for three years I'd forced myself to look away when I found myself staring, urging myself not to observe as intently as I wanted to. 

But now I could. I could look at her, I could watch her, I could carress those gorgeous curls, run my hands over her cheeks, cup her face in my hands. I could drink it all in, I could drink her in. 

But the situation wouldn't allow it. Whenever I'd pictured finding my mate, I'd pictured it almost in slow motion. As if time would freeze for us, life standing still so that we could have our moment. Fate hadn't been so kind. So even as she moved towards the door, I stared at her, wanting to look at her, wanting to take her in, wanting something more, something I wasn't getting just from looking at her. 

I couldn't tell what it was that was missing, but something as missing from this moment. No matter how quickly I moved my eyes over her; her curls, her back, her ass, her thighs, her calves, her feet, something was missing.

As she reached the door, she paused, and I felt the wolf in my arms hold her breath, as if in anticipation. That's when Sam turned, her eyes locking with mine immediately, and everything seemed to fall into place. I knew what I had been missing. As Sam stared into my eyes, and I stared into hers, that's when time stopped. 

A lifetime stretched past before with a sigh, she twirled, marching through the open door. I watched until  she'd gone, until the door swung closed, blocking the light from the corridor. A knot forming in the pit of my stomach.

***

"I can stand." A soft voice snapped me out of my trance, and I blinked a couple of times to bring myself back to reality.

"Honestly, you can put me down." I looked down at the wolf in my arms. Their voice wasn't as I expected, it was soft and soothing, yet there was a deep tone to it, a pain that made them seem wise beyond their years. 

I gently lowered them to the ground and as they stumbled, I wrapped an arm around their waist, steadying them as they tried to regain control of their legs.

Moving my focus away from the small wolf, I looked up. The eight other prisoners had gathered around me, looking at me expectantly. With a lurch I realised that they were waiting for me. They saw me as the leader, I had been with the girl who had saved them so I must be the one to follow. But I had no clue what I to do.

I shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot, wracking my brains for an idea. What would Sam do? Well she definitely wouldn't just stand here silently looking lost, now would she??

"Erm... I'm Aiden, and erm..."

"Are you here to help?" A burly looking woman piped up from the back.

"Yes." At least that was a question I could answer. "I'm going to help get you out of here."

At my words, I saw a couple of the younger wolves' eyes fill with hope, a dim light appearing in their pupils. But the older wolves didn't react.

"No offense cub, but I don't think that's possible." This time, a grey-haired man spoke. Other than the wolf beside me, he seemed the weakest of the group.

"I've been here for seventeen years," he continued, "and never has anyone managed to escape." At his words, some of the wolves nodded in agreement.

"You just can't escape from a place like this. Even if we got out of the compound, they'd find us." This time, murmurs could be heard from the wolves as they confirmed the truth of his words.

Unsure of what to say I held my tongue. I knew what Sam had expected of me as she'd left, I'd understood that look in her eyes, the look that screamed 'keep them safe!' But I didn't know if she expected me to keep them here, protected in the cells, or if I should find a way out.

"Can you really help?" Their voice was barely a whisper as they spoke, and I hunched over slightly to hear their words. "Can you get us out?" As I  watched, a glimmer of subdued hope appeared in their purple-eyes, and their voice grew stronger. "Can that girl help us?"

Keeping my eyes fixed on the wolf at my side I answered.

"That girl... that wolf was Samantha Beorhtwulf, Alpha of the Rogue pack. Just like you," I looked around at each member in turn, making my voice stronger to make sure they heard every word "just like all of you, she was a captive of the DIR for many years." I couldn't help but hesitate, I wasn't sure how much Sam would want me to share. It took her two years to tell me. I doubt she wanted nine random strangers finding out.

"She was taken very young, and I guess you can all imagine what she went through." I gestured at the cells around me. "Four years ago she escaped. She ran the DIR into the ground, or at least she thought she had. Turns out the DIR has multiple levels at which they operate, but these levels don't interface. It's their way of maintaining anonymity... But the point is she escaped, she got out, she found her freedom. And she's here right now to help you find yours."

A thick layer of tension filled the air as I finished speaking. I could sense that many of the wolves were trying to hold back the blossom of hope they felt as I finished my story, whereas others appeared doubtful, almost disbelieving of what I had said.

"There's nothing I can do to prove what I am saying." I continued. But I need you to trust me. I need you to trust that I am going to try my best to get you out of here. Because if you don't trust me, then we have very little chance of success."

A  deafening alarm suddenly sounded throughout the room, an ear-piercing shriek that chilled me to the core. Around me, the other wolves tensed. I quickly rushed to the door, pulling it open a crack. Peering out, I smelt the acridness of smoke and the crackle of flames reached my ears, accompanied by a slight shattering noise.

"Get them out of there." Sam's mindlink washed through my thoughts. Yet this time I didn't feel the usual discomfort that I did when she invaded my mind. This time her presence was soothing, almost intoxicating. She seemed to connect with my thoughts in the short time she stayed in my mind.

"Get them out." She repeated her message, and my mind cleared. I knew what I had to do.