The Alpha's Run Away Mate

Emily Lancaster: Rogue

FLASHBACK

When Lucas first saw of Emily inside a cell in the pack house, he was immediately drawn to her. He could still remember how he observed the girl's features mindlessly, respectfully yet unconsciously.

Wavy brown hair that cascades until the middle part of her back, framing and highlighting the sharpness of her jaw. Luscious eyelashes, curved eyebrows, and light brown orbs illuminated by the faint morning sunlight. Her nose is to die for, her lips are alluringly kissable and red.

‘She is gorgeous,’ Lucas thought to himself before he was cut away from the trance when Alexander entered the room and nudged him, elbowing his side.

“Quit checking out our guest, that is quite disrespectful— yes, even for you, Alpha,” Alexander muttered, a suspecting smirk forming by the side of his mouth.

“Oh, please shut up, Alex,” Lucas grunted rather lowly before he cleared his throat and looked away in growing embarrassment.

His best friend should not have seen him checking out the rogue, but oh, well...

“The girl's name is Emily Lancaster, an orphan and a rogue. She isn't aggressive, but rather cooperative when questioned,” Alexander started, looking over the cell to eye the unconscious stranger lying on the bed, eyes wide open but not moving, seemingly just listening to the two of them converse, observing mindlessly, “She has been wandering outside territories for years now, ever since her parents died— that of, she couldn't quite iterate without sobbing, thus I stopped asking. She survived like that, alone, as she has uttered herself.”

“And what is she doing here if she is a rogue? We do not cater to captive rogues, Alex,“ the Alpha husked, raising his brows in bewilderment. Why would his people even touch a rogue? They have barely made contacts with their kinds in the past years. His instructions were clear, too; never engage with them and only drive any away. “Let the woman go and venture the wilds again, live for as long as she could, get chased by immoral packs if she encounters one—”

“You know we would have let the girl go unharmed if she pleases, Alpha. We respect your commands more than anyone else's. However, when Emily Lancaster was seen inside our territory and was told to do leave for her sake, she begged for us to take her in.”

“Why would the girl do that, even?”

“That, we are not yet aware of,” Alexander shrugged, completely confused about the girl's reasons, too, now pondering it a tad deeper than he earlier did, “maybe you could extract more information from her.”

Lucas could only sigh and watch as Alexander walked out and waved him goodbye with a smirk. By then, he was alone with the strange girl inside a cage.

“Emily Lancaster, is that right?” He started, calling the girl by her known name, “I am Howling Tribe pack's Alpha, Lucas Sullivan. It is nice meeting you, Emily.”

“Alpha...” Emily slowly stood from lying face up, weakly mumbling each of her words, as if begging, pleading, “please, Alpha, please let me be part of this pack. I am tired of running away. Ever since I was orphaned, all I did was walk and run and try to survive from any chase. I am tired. So please, Alpha, take me...”

It only took Emily a great display of determination and an unwavering reserve for Lucas to agree and grant her wish. Maybe you could give credits to the privilege of being a pretty creature, or the physical and s****l attraction the Alpha felt as soon as they met.

Since Lucas granted Emily the opportunity to take an oath of staying faithful to the pack in an official ceremony for her residency, Emily has never looked any happier and jollier.

As soon as she knew of the news, she was in bliss. She almost jumped out of joy in front of Alexander, whom then delivered her the news. When she was finally out of the cell from a long month of being the Howling Tribe's first captive in years, she ran out and embraced Lucas out of utmost gratitude, and then Alexander.

Under measures to ensure the new girl's honesty and loyalty, for the first months, she was put on probation period and strict surveillance. Both blatantly and in secret. They didn't have to hide it from her, and she was totally fine with it when confronted.

It went on like that at least until Lucas granted her the same trust he always gave to each of his member, to never betray their pack. And he did.

Emily is a brilliant lady. Nice and kind, especially. At first, she spent most of her time roaming around the territory and familiarizing every corner. During those moments, she would help elders and women and play with children, slowly gaining their trust and companionship, building friendships and close bonds amongst the pack.

When asked by the Alpha why she was doing all those, she only said, “I have never had anyone to assist me, but I know how good it feels to receive help, or even just kind words, from a stranger. Those kind rogues I meet along the way, or nice members from other packs who wouldn't hurt me. Now that I belong to a pack and I have others to take care of, it makes me happy to pay that back and be that ‘stranger’.”

She is a precious gem.

And Lucas was happy that he accepted Emily in the pack. He would consider it as one of the best decisions he ever made since. He was glad that they found Emily and brought her to live with them that Emily found Howling Tribe and chose to be part of them. At some point, joyous would be an understatement.

Before Lucas even realized it, he has fallen deep into a trance, helplessly drowning and sinking into a new feeling. Emily is strong, she once fought three delinquents who tried to assault an old lady— which Lucas then punished right after. Emily is reliable, she knew a lot of things from wandering unsupervised.

Emily would make a great Luna, Lucas thought.

Aside from the fact that they were compatible and, Lucas also knew that the strange feeling can be named as love. He knew he was in love with the new girl, with Emily Lancaster.

With the way he kept on constantly thinking about Emily, day and noon until night. Heck, he would even see her often in his dreamland.

Maybe it was also the way he would always randomly wonder how Emily could be doing in the middle of a day. If Emily was safe. Or if the girl was sleeping soundly.

The Alpha could not get her off his mind, could not tear her off his heart. No matter how he tried to deny that fact, he knew the acquisition has already concluded and Emily Lancaster now has her palm wrapped around the organ that pumps Lucas's blood. And he wanted her, so bad that it was starting to tear his chest apart.

So, imagine the reaction of a man who was helplessly in love when he learned that the girl he would offer his world to, also feels the same way towards him? Imagine his bliss when Emily Lancaster reciprocated his out of the blue confession and actually accepted his unrivaled affection? Imagine the smile in lips widening to the extent he was afraid the side of his cheeks would tear?

Lucas could swear that he was the happiest man on Earth that day. He felt like floating in the air. He was luckier than a billion gold lottery winner. He felt like screaming into a void to boast that Emily was in love with him, too, and his love was never a one sided pining, never unrequited.

Of all the millions of possibilities, it has come down to one and now it is known that the feelings were mutual and Emily wanted him as much as he wanted her.

What are the odds of that, right?

That everything would seem unnoticeable under the night sky and the stars whenever they would kiss and make love.

What are the odds that they would ever meet?

If not with this realization, he would have kept asking about the odds— because then, those odds are just odds and will remain as only that. Who the hell cares about odds?

All that matters to him is Emily as his present and the only woman whom he sees his future in and with. Emily Lancaster. The girl he wants to have as his Luna, to have offspring with.

The girl he never imagined would break his heart and bring him destruction and a new start sooner, too...