The Rogue Queen

Chapter 9

Oliver wished that he had taken the bike after all as he drove the car slowly up the winding dirt track. The tension in the car was palpable, and the silence was deafening. He wanted to find words to pierce the air, but they wouldn't come. Instead, he kept replaying over in his head the conversation he'd had with his aunt in her office.

"What are you doing Oliver?" Sarah's voice was full of concern. Her expression matched her tone.

"Helping you take folders to your office?" He replied sarcastically with a grin.

His aunt clicked her tongue, "You know very well what I meant. What are you doing with Freya? Your uncle and me, we've always supported you, always turned a blind eye to the shewolves you had in your bed, but this…this is different. It has the potential to get messy. She seems like a nice girl, but she isn't your fated mate, and you aren't her second chance. You've stacked her deck to work in Silver Inc. That's already a big step and a lot of responsibility for a newly graduated wolf. She's going to work hard to be accepted not least because she is new but because you know most will eye her with suspicion being from the south and sleeping with the boss isn't going to help."

Oliver swept his hand through his hair casually as though to brush off what Sarah was saying. "Nothing is going on with us. She doesn't even want a mate, not fated nor chosen."

Sarah laughed, "You're either lying or stupid if you think nothing is going on. A blind wolf could see the chemistry between you two, I see how you look at her and how she looks at you. Have you given up on your fated mate?"

"Of course not! I never had, and never will have any intention of taking a mate other than my fated one." He was outraged at the suggestion he had given up on finding his mate. How could his aunt even think that of him.

"Then take my advice and leave this well alone, because whilst you're telling me nothing is going on and that this is nothing between you and her, your eyes are telling me a different story. You've got a burning for that girl that I've never seen in you before. Stop now before this ends in tears for you both, especially if she doesn't want a mate."

'We've kissed Aunt Sarah, nothing more." Oliver was exasperated and could feel his irritation rising with the continuing questioning.

"Look, I love you like a son, you're an Alpha who has good judgement, but even you have to admit that bringing her here is an unusual step for you. You've never brought a friend here, let alone a she wolf. The Moon Goddess doesn't control our hearts, and I feel you're opening yours up to hurt if you don't stop now."

Oliver had been replaying the conversation over and over again. Why the hell did his aunt think that he would develop feelings so carelessly? He'd slept with many she wolves with no feelings, Freya wouldn't be any different. He wasn't an i***t and she wasn't his mate.

Come off it, she's not been off of our minds since that day she saved Luna Kate. Gunnar chimed in, ever the realist and frankly fed up of the constant replays in their mind.

That doesn't mean anything. She's attractive.

But Sarah's got a point, we've treated Freya differently from the start. We brought her to our pack, and she met our family. We've never even considered that before.

There are no feelings there for me. Are you saying you have feelings?

Well, not a feeling that I think is a mate bond or love, but WE do feel differently about her, more than we have other she wolves! Gunnar was getting agitated now. He knew that Oliver felt more for her than he would admit. He could feel it himself. Maybe not love, but there was an affection there.

Freya took a deep breath, catching Oliver's attention once again and causing his wolf to chuckle. She only had to make a sound, and his full attention was on her, Gunnar felt his point was proven, but he knew his stubborn other half would continue to deny it.

Denial is a river! Gunnar sang to himself before falling about laughing.

"Could I ask you something I've been curious about?" Freya asked nervously. She wasn't really sure how to phrase her question without it opening a can of worms or potentially angering the Alpha beside her.

"Anytime" Oliver gently offered, picking up the nerves in her scent.

"Is there a fertility issue in the North?" She asked bluntly.

Anymore blunt, and you would be a rock! Hera scoffed as Freya furrowed her brows.

"In what way? I don't really understand your question or what would lead you to consider there was a fertility issue."

Freya sighed, "Is there a fertility issue among ranked members that see them produce male offspring?"

Now Oliver was confused. He had no idea what she was implying or how she had drawn those conclusions, but he didn't want her to think he thought her dumb for the question. He knew for certain that dumb was something she certainly wasn't. In fact, he was pretty sure that he and the others had only scratched the surface of Freya's true potential in all areas.

"What I'm trying to say is, I've been at the training camp for a few years and in that time I've only ever seen one ranked female within the centre, so I was wondering if there was a fertility issue that was causing ranked members to have only males or substantially more males than females?" Freya continued.

"No." Oliver answered bluntly and chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment as the discomfort crept into his bones as the dawning realisation hit of how the North operated. "There's almost an equal number of ranked females. Of course, lots of ranked members and in particular Alpha's prefer to have son's, to ensure their lineage continues within their pack. But the truth is that when the decree was made about the training centres, ranked females weren't included in the mandatory listing, a legal loophole. Call it a perk of being a ranked member." The words were like vinegar on his tongue.

"I see." Freya huffed and stiffened in her seat. It seemed to her that once again, privilege was evident in the North.

The more I find out about this place, the more I don't like it. Hera hissed.

"Ranked members have the option of sending their daughters to training centres and some do, but more choose to send them across the continent. To learn about other packs and their roles."

"How presumptive that their precious ranked daughters will be fated mates with ranked wolves. I wasn't aware that the Moon Goddess discriminated." She sneered, anger bubbling to the surface of her skin.

Oliver could feel the anger roll off her, and he couldn't blame her. She was right. Ranked females were shown a privilege that Omegas weren't.

"The Moon Goddess doesn't discriminate when it comes to choosing mates. However, the Royal family does, as do many ranked members, including Alpha's. It's the reason why everything passes down the male line as laid out by the Northern laws. I'm not saying it's fair or that it's right, because it's not. A Luna should be able to defend her pack alongside the Alpha or in his absence. She can't do that if she's never been trained to fight, I know I'd want my Luna to be a trained warrior." He paused and took a breath before letting out a deep sigh. "I can't change things in the whole of North Freya, but I'm trying to change my pack. The things that are in my control anyway."

He watched as her shoulder relaxed slightly.

"Like what?" She pressed.

"I'd want all ranked members when they come of age to go to the training centre regardless of s*x, I want equity and inclusion for everyone in my pack, including Omegas. I have no control over lineage, don't think for a minute that it doesn't sit well with me knowing that one day if my first born is a female that she can't become Alpha, that either she mates someone who would take over my pack or if I had a second born son he would skip over his sister. That my daughter would have no birthright."

Freya sat still, the anger subsided, replaced with shock. She assumed that he would be in favour of how things were done here and that he would support the male line. She hadn't expected that from him. She tilted her head to look at him, and suddenly, he seemed so different to her.

"We're here." Oliver said suddenly as he stopped the car and jumped out before she could even process that they had stopped. The sun was sinking lower in the sky, casting everything in a red glow. Freya watched him walk around to the front of the car and stand, looking off into the distance.

Is he possessed? Or is he going to shift and howl at the moon? Hera chuckled.

Let's go find out. She laughed back whilst opening the door.

"Are you going to tell me where here is? Did you bring me here to murder me and dispose of the body?" Freya was trying to make light of the situation, Oliver stood stiff as a board, shoulders squared and back straight, his head tilted upwards slightly. She could see the wind blowing his hair lightly, his scent of spiced oranges whipped around her. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling his scent as a shiver ran down her spine. She took a cautious step forward before reaching out and touching his shoulder with the tips of her fingers.

'Ollie?" She called out, her eyes widening in surprise in the process. Oliver raised his eyebrows and let a smile creep across his face.

Ollie? That's new. Hera teased.

It just slipped out.

I like it!

"Normally, I'd object to anything but Alpha or Oliver, but it sounds good from your lips," he turned to look at, intertwining his fingers with hers before gently tugging her back behind the car.

"This is where I've asked for my cabin to be built. It's still on packlands but at the border. I wanted an escape, somewhere I could go to collect myself and to ground myself and remind me who I am when I'm feeling lost. Somewhere I can bring my Luna and my pups.' He waved his hand around the area before dropping Freya's hand and taking giant strides of what would be the outline of the cabin.

Freya swallowed, her mouth suddenly feeling as dry as the desert. She was lost for words. He had brought her somewhere deeply personal to him and it left her confused. She wasn't his mate. There was something there, a connection or an attraction. She wasn't sure, and for the first time she wished she didn't lack the experience so she could work out what was going on between them.

Oliver laced his fingers through hers once more before tugging her in the opposite direction through the trees. Leaves crunched and twigs snapped under foot as she followed his footsteps carefully in the fading light trying not to trip over herself whilst waiting for her eyes to adjust. They entered a clearing and she gasped as she realised they were pretty high up at the edge of a hilltop.

"It's my entire packlands, beyond that it's the no man's land between the Southern Kingdom. There's a waterfall over there to the right that's fed from one of the Silver Springs. You can swim further upstream."

"It's stunning." She was mesmerised. Never before had she seen such a view and she understood why he picked this exact spot. The Red Mountain Pack and the Capital didn't look anywhere near as magnificent as this did.

Careful, or you'll fall. Hera cautioned.

I'm nowhere near the edge!

You're right on the brink of it from what I can feel. For a change, there wasn't a hint of sarcasm in her wolf.

Oh.

Freya dropped his hand like it was hot coal.

"What do you want Oliver?"