THE ROGUE HE DENIED

Chapter Thirteen

I walked towards the pack house. It was so huge that even standing from the mountain one could still see the top floor.

I sensed Hannah's presence from behind me. She had been tracing me for a while, but I chose to ignore it.

I turned to face her. “You have something to say?” I furrowed my eyebrows.

“Yes Luna. I’m sorry for tailing you,” she looked around and leaned in a bit closer. “I wanted to know if you’re okay.”

“I’m very much okay,” I said, faking a smile.

“But you’re quivering, the pack members look worried.”

I turned around to see some of them that passed by me with a worried look.

“Don’t you sense their fear? I can tell that they’re too scared to greet you, because they feel you’ll crash out on them,” she whispered.

I closed the distance between us. “Really?” I looked around. “What should I do?”

“This may sound stupid, but just laugh like I’m telling a funny joke.”

I laughed, because of what she said and not because she told me too.

“Are you for real?” I laughed more. “Well, I think I feel a lot better. I should keep you around.”

“Really!” She clasped her hands together. “I could show you around the pack house.”

“That’s nice.”

Silence fell as we walked towards the pack house.

“I'm sorry all this happened to you. I had no idea. I really am.” She lowered her head.

I didn't know what to say, so I kept quiet.

“I don't wish to be your love rival. I never saw Ragnar the way he sees me. We became really close after our pack was attacked by rogues and our parents died. I didn't know consoling him and being really close to him would make him fall for me, I just saw him as a sibling and nothing more. I'm sorry.”

Without a word, I hugged her tightly. “It’s alright, I was never mad at you,” she pulled away from the hug and looked at me suspiciously. “Well, a little.” I rolled my eyes, and laughed.

“Because I would resent my mate and his lover if it happened to me,” she laughed. “So Luna what do you have in stock for your pack?”

My breath hitched, being a Luna comes with so much responsibility. I was only concerned about injuring Ragnar’s ego and becoming free from his b*****e.

“I…I'll see what…maybe I can–”

“I was just kidding, don't push yourself,” she laughed. “But if you do have a brilliant idea for the pack, don't hesitate to speak to Ragnar about it. Ignore his grumpy attitude.”

“What do you love to do?” She asked. “I myself love cooking.”

She talked and talked about everything she liked until we got to the pack house kitchen.

As soon as I entered, I was greeted by the pack members in the kitchen.

“Good evening Luna.” They lowered their heads, stopping what they were doing.

The name somewhat frightened me, it held responsibilities and I didn't handle that when I was with my family; My brother did most of the work.

Hannah saw how starstruck I was and smiled at them. “She's really beautiful, isn't she?”

“Yes, yes she is.” I heard them murmur among themselves in reaffirmation.

“You don't seem comfortable here,” Hannah whispered to me, as everyone around me was trying to speak to me.

“Ha…ha… who said?” I looked at her awkwardly but she just smiled in return.

Kendrick and Hannah were surely meant for each other, all they do is smile.

“Ladies, ladies.”

Hannah tried to settle them, but they still kept on chattering about how they had been waiting for a Luna, how their pack would change drastically from years without a Luna.

“Ladies,” I said not too loud, but all of them stopped talking and looked straight at me.

My eyes widened at the little effect I caused them. This time I looked at them, startled. I paused my lips together, feeling my cheeks hot.

I didn't want them to perceive me as a weak Luna, so I had to say something.

“I'll be on my way now, see you all later,” I lowered my head. Almost immediately Hannah tapped me. I looked up to see they had their heads lowered. I realized and raised my chin.

“You are all dismissed.”

They continued what other things they were up to and did not focus on me. I looked at Hannah and we both laughed.

“I didn't know why I lowered my head,” I whispered.

“You have a lot of things to learn,” she giggled quietly.

Hannah and I spent the day together touring the pack house. It was so huge. Every family had their own living space. It was past midnight when Kendrick came to take Hannah, who was with me in the library. They said good nights and left. I was left alone in the library, no one else was there. I thought of sleeping in the library because I didn’t want to go back to that room. But I was worried about what my pack members would say. They would know that I was rejected and I was formerly a rogue. The thought alone was shameful. I was grateful no one asked about my roots.

I sighed as I laid my head on the cushion staring outside the window into the dark sky. A mind link came in, it was from Ivana.

“Luna, your room is ready.”

“I’m not going back there.”

“It’s a new room. In the West wing, I’ll direct you.”

“Oh,” I said and closed off the mind link.

RAGNAR’s POV

I watched her as she walked away, her hips swaying with every step. Compared to the last time I saw her butt, it was fuller and they looked softer…

Snap out of it!

I caught sight of Kendrick standing off to the side with Hannah tucked against him, and the second he spotted me, his face went hard.

"A word," he said, not asking.

"Not now, Kendrick."

"Now." He stepped away from Hannah and closed the distance between us fast enough that I had to plant my feet. "Wondering who let Noelani out?” A sly smirk built across his lips.

"Of course it’s you. This is the best you could do?" I spat.

“Unfortunately, yes, so I don’t let your cruel act break our strong years of friendship over something trivial.”

“Trivial?” I glared at him.

"Yes, Trivial.” His demeanor shifted to a much calmer one. “You’d be fine buddy,” he tapped my shoulders. “Hannah is mine. She’s been marked already,” he winked, a sly grin spreading across his lips.

I swatted his hands off my shoulders. I didn’t go back and forth with Kendrick because I knew that behind his smile when pushed to the wall, he could be slier than any beast. Also, I didn’t want to spoil our friendship or have a reason for Hannah to hate me more.

I looked at Hannah and immediately she looked away, turning her back at me. I roughly pushed past him and I made my way back to my house.

Ivana was waiting near the front door when I got there, wringing the hem of her apron between her fingers.

"Alpha," she said, bowing. "Should I prepare a different room? For the Luna?"

"What's wrong with her current room?"

She hesitated. "It's just...the room is laced with—"

"I'm aware of what the room is laced with."

She flinched and bowed her head lower. "Of course, Alpha. I'm sorry."

I rubbed a hand down my face. "West wing," I said finally. "The room beside mine. Move her things tonight."

"Yes, Alpha." She nodded and hurried off.

I went up to my study, poured a drink, and sat behind my desk without touching it. Ajax paced in my head, restless, refusing to settle.

'You should call her now,' he said. ‘She doesn’t know you have a room prepared.’

I set the glass down.

‘Then she should sleep out.'

•••

Later that night I got up for water. As I passed her door, her intoxicating smell slipped through the gap at the bottom and filled my lungs more than ever. My skin prickled. Ajax stirred hard in my chest, already pulling toward her door before I had decided anything.

I masked my scent without thinking and my feet carried me toward her room even though I didn't want to go. I stood outside the door for a second, telling myself to turn around. But I didn't, I couldn’t.

I heard the tap running inside. She was humming, low. I planted my feet and fought Ajax back.

'Don't,' I warned him.

'She smells like she's ours,' he said. 'Because she is.'

'Not now.'

He didn't listen. He shoved past me and took control before I could stop him, and my hand was already on the door handle.

The bedroom was empty. The bathroom door was open a c***k, steam curling out through the gap. I pushed it open further. She was in the tub, smothering the bubbles from the soap lather along her arms, still humming, completely unaware of my presence.

Wet strands of her hair clung to her face and trailed down to her shoulders, the rest weren’t visible. Her skin glistened beautifully in the natural lighting of the bathroom. My eyes dropped to her breasts, where the bubbles partially revealed her cleavage. I felt my groin harden as we stared at her.

‘No, Ajax. Look away!’

He ignored me, wanting to mark her right then. I could feel it clawing up the back of my throat, that same pull I had been fighting since the night I first caught her scent in the woods. I held him back as hard as I could while he just stood there staring at her like he had never seen anything worth looking at before.

Then she winced.

Her hand shot to her chest and she gasped, sharp, like something had punched through her from the inside. Her face went pale fast, drained of color. Her lips parted like she was trying to breathe and nothing was coming.

I knew that pain. I had been carrying a smaller version of it every night for weeks, ever since I rejected her.

'She's having an episode!' Ajax yelled.

'Get back. We shouldn’t be bothered about this. We have our own pain to carry.' I snapped back.

‘We?' Ajax asked. He was already moving. “No!”

He crossed the bathroom in two steps and pulled her up out of the water, one arm under her knees and the other around her back, wrapping a towel around her before she could slide back under. The second our skin touched hers, it felt like a current ran straight up my arm and into my chest. Even Ajax paused for half a second as it caught him off guard too.

'Do something,' he demanded. 'Mark her. Now. It'll stop the pain, I know it will.' He growled.

'No.'

'She's dying!'

'She's not dying. Not anytime soon.'

He ignored me and pulled her pain toward us, taking most of the pain off her. He let the pain burn through our chest instead of hers, enough that my knees nearly buckled carrying her.

As soon as he placed her on the bed, her eyes shot open. She sucked in a sharp breath, gasping like she had just come up from underwater.

Neither of us moved. I couldn’t help it, my eyes dropped to her perky breasts, then to her hardened n*****s. They were glistening under the light. Since when did they become much bigger?

She realized I was holding her and scrambled back against the headboard, yanking the blanket off the bed to cover herself, water still dripping off her hair onto her shoulders.

Her hand cracked across my face before I even saw it coming.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice came out roughly, barely above a rasp. "I don't care who is in control right now. Just get out of my room!"

I took full control back from Ajax and pinned her against the headboard, one arm braced beside her head, the other tightening round her neck.

"Don't ever do that again," I snapped.

She clawed at my arm, trying to pull it off her neck, while Ajax screamed at me in my head to let go.

"Don't ever come into my room again," she choked out, glaring at me. "Have you ever heard of privacy?" She said, struggling to breathe.

Then her knee drove up hard right between my legs.