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02

Gathering Firewood

HADEN

        Fate couldn't be this cruel.

All my life I had searched for the perfect woman - someone who would stand by me and be the Luna of this pack as we both protected it against the rogues that threatened to destroy us. All this time, she was on the other side fighting for the ones that wanted to tear my pack apart.

This had to be a sick joke.

There was nothing I despised more than rogues, yet fate saw it fit to pair me with one. How fucking laughable.

My eyes were lost in hers, an incomparable shade of blue, and I saw realization swimming in them, confirming that my wolf hadn't been confused. The woman - the rogue - kneeling before me was in fact my mate.

"You..." I uttered, trailing off as I released the grip on her hair and stepped back to fully take her in. Her kinky blonde hair, captivating blue eyes, pink lips I was tempted to lean into. Everything about her pulled me in.

I cursed silently, finding it hard to deny how beautiful she was even beneath all the blood, dust, and dirt. But Lunas weren't just captivatingly beautiful. They were supposed to be the support system for the Alpha and the pack - the nurturing, loving, and kind-hearted women who put the pack's needs before their own.

Not a fucking rogue.

I cleared my throat, refusing to let the revelation deter me from the chaos she caused.

"Who are you and who are you working for?" I growled at her, putting aside the way my wolf protested.

Stop talking to our mate like that, my wolf snarled.

She isn't our mate until I say she is, I snapped back as aI glared at the woman in front of me.

I already had a Luna in mind. Natalia was born to lead and she possessed the skills and temperament it took to be an Alpha Female. The rogue, on the other hand, was an unpredictable element, a chaotic force that could only bring damage and destruction, serving no purpose other than self-interest. Natalia was the one that would be by my side, not some rogue who turned up out of nowhere.

"Are you working with the Rogue King?" I continued to question her, growling when I watched her scoff. "Do you think this is funny, rogue? What about this situation could possibly be funny?"

"Oh I can think of a few things," she smartly replied, her defiant gaze locking onto mine. Her voice was smooth like silk, pulling me in and making it ten times harder for me to resist her. My wolf wanted to mark her and mate her right here, right now.

She would ruin us all.

Her gaze challenged mine, the audacity of her response only fueling the fire that was my frustration.

"Who sent you in my territory?" I asked again. This time, she simply rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly. She shook her head, a feeble attempt to move the stands of blonde hair out of her face. Remnants of branches and leaves fell to the ground at her movement and I narrowed my eyes at her.

My reputation of tearing rogues limb from limb alone should have her shaking in fear, but instead I get defiance. And this is the woman who I should claim as my mate? Internally, I scoffed.

Give me a fucking break.

"Who are you and what are you doing my lands?" I asked through gritted teeth.