THE ROGUE HE DENIED

CHAPTER TEN

NEOLANI POV

“How did you know?” I asked, watching him as he leaned back on the sofa.

“I saw you attack him,” Kendrick said, with a grin slowly forming. “And he didn't kill you.” He shrugged, as if the answer was obvious. “That only means you're his mate.”

“I'm not,” The words came out clipped and defensive. “I attacked him for a reason,” I stated, folding my arms across my chest. “I'm fed up with him.”

“You don’t need to lie, it's obvious.”

He was quiet for some time. ”I know who you are. I know who your father is,” He rose from the sofa slowly. “You're from the Crescent Pack.”

I didn't utter a word, he did the same, staring blankly at me waiting for a reply.

A lump formed in my throat as memories I had buried resurfaced about my family and the last time I ever saw them.

“Crescent Pack is no more,” I whispered. I tilted my head back fighting the stings in my eyes, blinking them rapidly. “My family was killed, I got lucky and survived as a rogue until I met Ragnar.”

Despite how simple my statement was, they gutted me. The lump swelled harder in my throat as tears blurred my vision and one slid down my cheeks before I turned away from him quickly. I refused to let Kendrick see me as a weakling. Heck I hated crying in front of anyone.

But I broke down anyway, the sniffling turned into a full crying session. My body shook silently as I sobbed, sniffling and wiping my tears with my palms. And for some reason, I was grateful he neither moved nor comforted me. It made me feel like I was alone in my room.

“Ragnar locked me away when he realized I was his mate.” My voice cracked. “At first I had no idea he was my mate because I had lost my wolf due to the incident. When I figured he was, I confronted and accepted him…” I took a pause as my vision became blurry again. “But he rejected me.”

I dragged in a long shaky breath to steady my breathing. “How do you know me?” I asked, confused. “Why are you even here?”

“My father was the previous beta of this pack before he passed away, so I always followed him to visit other packs to forge alliances.”

I suspected he was someone in a position, the aura he emitted wasn't from a regular wolf.

His expression showed he was contemplating if he should say the next word. Then his jaw tightened “Ragnar plans to announce to the pack members that Hannah, who is my mate, as their Luna. And once he does that, there's no going back, not even Hannah can say no. Ragnar is my friend and I know how cruel he can be when he wants something. " Lana howled in pain, and it jolted down my spine.

So Ragnar does love Hannah. I clenched my fists at my sides to endure the pain. “Why are you telling me this?” I asked, pretending I didn't care, but deep down I was hurt.

“I want you to come in place of Hannah,” his grin widened. Suddenly, I became suspicious of him. Too suspicious. “Although I doubt she realizes Ragnar's feelings for her,” he continued.

“No, I'm not doing that. I've already been rejected, my integrity is at stake. I won't humiliate myself further.”

He tilted his head. “But he didn’t reject you in front of the pack members, or did he?” his brows raised as he grinned, interested in my next reply.

I didn't answer.

“From the looks of it, he didn't reject you in front of the pack members. Seeing that you are being locked up here.”

I nodded positively. “Yes, he only said it to me, no one else was there.”

I looked at him from the sides of my eyes as he paced the room. “Also, I don't know who you are. Why should I help you? For all I know, I should hate Hannah and everyone associated with her."

“Because it benefits both of us,” his grin sharpened. “The never-ending ache in your heart. It will end.”

I gasped. “How did you know?” I thought I had hid my reactions to the pain.

His eyes flicked down to my hands, "You've had them clenched so hard for a long time, they are pale now,” before he looked up at me. “You know Ragnar seems to be enduring it well,” His gaze lifted back to mine.

I rolled my eyes. “Of course. He is an Alpha,” I scoffed.

He abruptly turned to me, “But you're an Alpha too, you carry the bloodline. The only difference is you became a rogue before you could fully be one.”

“It's not the same.” I crossed my hands and turned away from me. “My family died when I was nineteen, that's not even a proper age to become an Alpha–.”

“Not for Ragnar.” His grin vanished, his eyes held a heart throbbing story I wanted to know.

“I don't care.” I buried my curiosity. “I had an elder brother.” I whispered, but I knew he heard me.

Kendrick's voice softened with sincerity. “I haven't said this before when I should, because I was blinded by selfishness to convince you to do something you don't want to. But I'm sorry about your family's death. It must have been hard for you.”

“It was. I lost track of how many years passed while I was a rogue.”

“Don't you want to avenge your family?”

“I do want to…” I lowered my head. “But I can't, I'm too weak. It's like this room keeps draining my energy. I hate it here.”

“What did you expect?” His tone turned mocking again as he pointed at the silver door. “There's a huge silver door, acting like a regular door in your room. Of course, it's sipping your energy with every passing second.”

My chest heaved with anger. I never knew it added to my weakness. Some days I wake up fatigued and exhausted for no reason. How cruel of Ragnar to do something like this, to his own mate.

I hate him, I really do. I want to see him suffer like I have.

“I'll do it,” I met his gaze with determination. Anything to get out of this room.

“Trust me, he won't deny you when you show up in place of Hannah. He can't, anyway.” He tucked his hands into his pants pockets, casual as ever. “Nobody heeds nor trusts a lying Alpha, and Ragnar sure hates his authority being trampled upon. He'd rather die than look weak.” He grinned. It almost looked sly.

I didn't know why I trusted him, but I cared less.

He extended his hand and this time I took it without hesitation.

“Our little clandestine,” he murmured.