The Alpha’s Silver Mate

A Silent Promise.

Ruelle’s POV

I was in a daze. Everything happened so fast, I almost got a whiplash. But I came to one conclusion that both terrified me and awed me at the same time.

This man was out of this world.

It all went by in a blur, my hands latched onto his neck with my legs hanging on both sides of his body. As soon as I got on his back, Thorne’s ‘Hold on tight’ rumbled in my mind before he sprinted in the direction Carlos went. I was pulled back so hard I almost fell off before I caught myself and leaned into him, holding unto his neck. The fact that Thorne was practically sprinting into battle did nothing to soothe the whirlwind of emotions in my body, especially my lower body at the fact that I was still completely naked beneath his coat, his thick fur rubbing against the bare skin of my legs.

What an unexpected turn of events.

The wind blew my hair back as he swept past the trees in a sprint, running straight into the tussle between Carlos and a rogue.

‘Lower your head’. He growled. I did as I was told, pressing my chest to his furry back and making sure I was as flat as I could be above him. I’m sure the plan is to not them see me on him, which was pointless because I’m sure they did.

Thorne overthrew the rogue just as it was about pounce on Carlos. I watched as the rogue flew across the clearing all the way to the other side, landing with a loud thud by a tree in the distance. He was the only one left. I’m sure Thorne didn’t sprint down here to fight one rogue. The others must have run off. It was peculiar to the rogues especially the one on this side of the coast. They wreaked havoc and ran away, never bold enough to fight. But they always came back.

Thorne stalked over to where the weak wolf lay and pressed his paw against his neck, standing over him in a territorial manner. He did not intend to let this one go. The rogue was too weak to stand, judging by the height from which he fell, I suspect he would have broken a few bones, therefore probably be unable to walk. He lay whining on the grass, his eyes half open.

Carlos and the guards pulled the rogue from underneath Thorne’s paw and dragged him away, walking ahead. I rose my head, unable to hide my curiosity.

“Where are they taking him?” I said aloud. He simply growled, turning around and walking in the direction we came. I frowned, sitting up completely but with my hands flat against his back. “And where are you taking me?”

‘Home’. He replied.

“Oh..”. I trailed off, deflated. I had totally forgotten that he was already on his way back to his pack. For a moment I had forgotten that he was an Alpha and had people to serve. I didn’t want this moment to end. I didn’t want to go home and not see him again.

I hesitantly lowered myself to his back once again, resuming my former position. I pressed my cheek against him, relishing the feeling of lying on his back without fear of loosing my life.

I was suddenly overwhelmed with the feeling of Him. I was clad in his cloak, lying on his wolf, drowning in his scent. It was mind bugling and it made me want to cry. I couldn’t even explain what was happening to me. I didn’t understand it. I met this man just two days ago in this forest and for some reason it felt like we have known each other for such a long time. Him leaving back to the south felt heavier than it should for someone I just met a few days ago.

But I knew it couldn’t be like that.

For once in my life, I entertained the hope of having someone all to myself and it was him. Something that wasn’t there before was ignited within me the moment he walked into this forest and it sparks every time our gazes meet. I would have easily concluded that I was being crazy over nothing had this feeling been one-sided. But it wasn’t. He felt it too, I know he did.

I lay silently on his back, my eyelids drooping as I revel in the rhythm of his gait as his muscles constrict with each step. I searched my head for something to say. I wanted to say something. I wanted to ask him when I will see him again, if I ever see him again. I wanted to ask him if he was really okay with never seeing or speaking to me again. He was going to drop me home and leave and that would be the end. It tore at my heartstrings.

He was silent throughout the journey back, only the rhythm of his footsteps against the grass and his calm breaths. My eyes blinked shut as I willed myself not to shed the tears that were threatening to spill past my lids.

The next time I opened my eyes, Thorne was standing a safe distance from the entrance of the keep. He didn’t wake me up when we got here, instead stood silently with me on his back until I woke up. I wondered how long he stood before I did.

“We’re here.” I announced the obvious, sitting up on his back and rubbing at my eyes. Thorne lowered himself on his legs to make it easy for me to climb down and I did, albeit with a heavy heart. I stood for a while, staring at my Papa’s mansion from here before turning to look at Thorne who had now risen to his full height and was now a full limb taller than me.

He still didn’t say a word. I hated that it felt like I was the only one frustrated about this. It made me want to pull at my hair.

“Thank you for bringing me home.” I said, resigned. My hands moved up to smooth against his coat. “And for the coat”. I let a small smile linger on my lips. I was still grateful to him despite the fact that he was making me claw at my insides. I was internally loosing my mind. Why wouldn’t he say anything? Would he really just leave?

I turned on my feet with a deep breath, shaking my head. I guess what we had was only real to me. Even if it wasn’t one-sided it wasn’t enough for him to stay longer and figure it out.

I walked a few tortured steps ahead before coming to a stop, my bottom lip sliding between my teeth. I turned to look at him. He still stood there, his piercing green eyes raking over me with an unreadable expression. I knew we couldn’t exactly have this conversation right now. He was in his wolf and we needed to talk in person. He also couldn’t shift back because I was with his coat.

I walked till I was standing right in front of him. He sat on his haunches, looking down at me. My fists were clenched by my sides and my breaths came out in little angry puffs from my flared nostrils. I looked up and held his gaze.

“Why go through all this stress if you were only going to leave?” It was a stupid question I know. And the more frustrating part was that I knew the answer to it.

Thorne couldn’t have possibly let me come home by myself after hearing of rogues in the woods, and all through his stay in the Keep, I was the one searching him out. He didn’t do anything out of the ordinary but my silly little desperate and pitiful self already planned out a future with him in my head. It was pathetic. I was pathetic. There was no way he was going to postpone his leaving because of me. Who did I think I was?

“Will you really just leave?” My voice was small this time around, desperate. My hand reached up, stroking the spot between his eyes. He lowered his head for me to have better reach, his eyes blinking closed. Those were the little things that gave me hope. He never refused, or showed any signs of indifference. In fact he fueled the burning hope in my heart with his responsiveness. He wanted me too. Only the Gods knew what was stopping him.

He lowered his face until he was almost eye level with me, his breath fanning all over my face. Thorne was making sure not to say anything. At this point I could tell it was deliberate. Maybe he didn’t want to make any promises, and ironically, a single promise was all I wanted from him. It was all I needed to put me out of my misery. He stuck his tongue out and licked a stripe on my palm that had been on his face, causing a giggle to pour out of me.

I pulled away from him, lighter this time, my chest no longer aching. He found a way to make me smile even in his silence. For some reason that made me feel better. It made me entertain a little hope that I was going to see him again. The question was when, and it saddened me. He stared at me through heated eyes, holding my eyes with as much care you use to hold an egg.

But he still didn’t say a word.

I tuned to leave again, my steps lighter this time, but my heart still burning within me. I didn’t look back until I had stepped unto the Keep, scared that if I do I would want to run back to him. I heard a slight shuffling behind me as soon as I stepped within the comfort of the Keep and I turned, using my eyes to search for even a shadow of him in the woods.

He was no longer there.

My vision blurred with tears as I turned back to the Keep, a few stray tears rolling down my face and dropping unto his coat.

Thorne had left and I had no idea when he would return. If he ever would. That day, I walked with my head hung low into the Keep and straight to my room.

Locked the door.

And cried myself to sleep.