Dark Times

Chapter Twenty-Three

SEXUAL CONTENT INCLUDED

I knew he was following me, though I didn't care enough to stop. I wanted privacy, something my life had been lacking since he'd come stumbling through it. As I made a beeline for the tent, I found myself wishing I'd put up more of a fight about leaving Peter for dead. Maybe if I'd really made an effort to drill it into Igor and Trish's head that loyalty means nothing, I wouldn't have been in this position.

I'd have never crossed paths with the Alpha, and then I'd have never met my mate.

But I wasn't stupid. I knew fate didn't work like that. Anyone that wasn't born to die met their mate. If I didn't meet him when I did, fate would have us cross paths again sometime in the future. Maybe she'd have us meet at the war against the Council, or maybe I'd stumble across another pack when he was visiting. That was how fate worked. There were no exceptions.

All that was left now was for this ridiculous bond to end.

"Lorelei, wait."

I didn't listen. I stormed straight into the tent, humming loudly in my attempts to ignore him.

"Lorelei, if I have to shout for you to stop again."

There weren't many other places I could run to now anyway. He definitely hadn't won. I'd entered the tent. He now stood blocking the entrance. Hastily- as if fearing I'd make a dive- he zipped the exit shut. Even then, he still blocked it with his body.

"Alright then," He said, clearing his throat. "I'll give you your reasons." I raised an eyebrow, backing myself up into the corner. How kind of the enemy rogues to leave us a blanket. For my mental sake, I decided to picture her or him as a clean rogue. "You are the single most problematic, disruptive and challenging woman I've ever met. You're intentionally difficult, reckless, obnoxious and annoying. And yes, Lorelei, you were right. You're a bitch. You're rude, aggressive, violent and vicious." He really did know how to capture a woman's heart. Truly, at times like these, mine beat only for him. "But you're my mate, and that makes you my problem."

I pushed myself into the far corner, drawing my knees up towards my chest. "You just keep on hiding behind that word." Mate. "Do you think saying it validates what this is?" He turned his back to me, digging his fingers through his hair. He pulled at it, groaning. Through his shirt, I saw the muscles of his back contorting. "It must be strange running around with rogues when you're such a high and mighty Alpha."

"I'm not trying to validate anything. You're right. I don't love you." He didn't lie, and that was something I respected. Once, I'd seen two rogues meet and realise they were mates. The bloke had said he loved her instantly. It was something I couldn't wrap my head around. Sure, you could love the thought of someone. But how can you really love someone if you don't know them? "I've barely known you for two weeks. In that two weeks, you've stressed me out more than anyone I've ever met. But I'm trying here. I can't keep trying if you won't let me in. You have to let me know who you are."

What if I didn't know who I was? Had that thought ever crossed his mind?

"What does that have to do with suffocating me?"

I wasn't going to let it drop.

"In that fight against the rogues, you didn't shift at all. You got yourself hurt. I thought you were going to die. My wolf can't handle that." There it was again. The honesty. The spirit of his wolf couldn't handle losing its mate, but the man could. The man hadn't connected with me. "Today, I had a choice. I could let you march out there and risk your life fighting as many rogues as you wanted. I could run the risk of you dying when you don't shift. My other choice was to knock you out in the least violent way I could find. I went with that, Lorrie. If you gave me the chance to change it- I wouldn't."