The Lost Rogue Heiress

SEVEN - Mine

CHAPTER SEVEN

As Olivia came down off her cloud of ecstasy once more, her sanity began to return, albeit slowly. She had no idea that the mate bond would be so damn powerful. Not only did she toss away any inhibitions she may have once had, but the electricity that was created between them when they touched was perilously addictive. She could get used to it, for sure.

Her mate was throwing up some serious red flags, however, and the logical side of her brain began to turn its wheels. Why did he run? Was he a criminal? Was he an actual rogue, and not one of the reformed Rogues that were a part of her grandfather's pack? Who had she just shared herself with?

Your mate, that’s who. And it was HOT. I’m proud of you, Liv. That’s how someone with Alpha blood is supposed to act.

Athena approved, but Athena represented everything animalistic and instinctual about them. Athena would probably stand behind their mate if he was an ax murderer.

Not true, and don’t think about me like I’m not right here. I would not be okay with an ax murderer. Now, if we’re talking petty theft…that body…I don’t know, Liv, we might be shacking up with the con man. I’ll draw the line at the murderer though if it makes you feel better.

Athena’s sarcasm made her grin as she reluctantly pulled herself off of her mate. Desmond. Even his name sounded attractive to her; damn wolf genes. Athena howled with laughter inside, and Olivia decided that she was better off owning her choices. She was the granddaughter of an Alpha, after all. We were well on our way into the twenty-first century; she had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

Nevertheless, it was still a struggle not to blush as she stood before him. Her nakedness didn’t bother her; it was unavoidable for shifters. It was her uncharacteristic boldness that she had just displayed that she wasn’t sure how to deal with, and although she was completely confident in the moment, now she was hesitating and questioning herself.

Olivia, you’re stronger than you’ve ever given yourself credit for or tried to be. You’ve spent your entire life suppressing these strengths, these instincts, these powers…All because you thought it was the best way to protect yourself. Now we know why you felt the need to in the first place. You have some serious power buried underneath all the mental abuse that Jadewood has subjected you to.

Athena was right, of course. If Olivia looked back on her life as an Omega, she couldn’t even begin to recall the number of times she felt like she was suffocating not only herself but Athena. Times when she could feel massive amounts of energy coursing through her veins when she was put in less-than-ideal situations, and she forced herself to suppress it. Olivia had never felt as though she was living the life that she was meant to, and it wasn’t because she thought she was better than the Omega that she lived and worked alongside.

If anything, Olivia had an overwhelming desire to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. She never understood why it was so incredibly difficult for her to submit to the pressure of the pack members that were deemed above her in station. Everything was slowly starting to make sense, and her actions tonight only proved that she did possess the Alpha genes that urged her to dominate, not submit.

Recognizing the instincts for what they were was only going to be part of her struggle, however. As Athena had pointed out, she had been subjected to the mental abuse and brainwashing of the Jadewoods for her entire life. They had ingrained in every Omega within their pack the belief that they were inferior, less than, and unworthy. Olivia knew these were not habits and thoughts that she was going to be able to change overnight, because although she never allowed them to break her, no one could receive that kind of treatment for that many consecutive years without it altering their reality.

It’s not going to happen immediately, Liv, don’t fret. There’s no such thing as a great Alpha, Luna or otherwise, that was born that way. They had to learn, to be trained over many years to hone their skills. Not just the skills that warriors need, either. They had to learn how to be great leaders. You could be one of those great ones, Liv. You’ll just have to learn. And I know you can. I know we can.

Athena’s usual sarcasm had vanished and in its place was the side of her wolf that only she had the pleasure of knowing. Olivia had never taken advantage of her wolf’s strength and wisdom. She had seen it as early as ten years old when Athena had first entered her life. There were adults in her life as an Omega child, but none that took on the role of raising her or teaching her beyond simple skills that were required of their stature.

Thank you, Athena. You’ve always been there for me. You’ve…you’ve always been exactly what I needed when I needed it; my mother, my sister, my best friend…even my pain in the ass when I needed it.

She could feel Athena’s sad smile through their bond, but she was still able to get her to chuckle at that.

Seriously, though. I don’t know if I’ve ever thanked you for—well—everything.

Athena didn’t reply, but she didn’t need to. Olivia could feel her emotions through their bond. It was Athena’s love and encouragement that gave her the strength to stand a little taller and raise her chin a little higher. She was the granddaughter of a powerful Alpha, and now she needed to start acting like it.

Olivia looked down at her mate who was still sitting naked on the ground, leaning back on his arms to give him a better view of her. Not realizing she had been covering herself, she relaxed her arms and stared back into his eyes with a new appreciation for herself.

Desmond noticed her internal struggle and gave her a devilish grin. She knew at that moment, that regardless of what happened next, tonight happened exactly as it was supposed to. All wolves were stronger with their mates by their side, and somehow she knew she would need every drop of strength for what was next.

That’s right, Olivia, he will give you strength. Listen to those instincts now, learn to listen to them instead of burying them as you have always done.

“I’m not sure what you’ve heard, but no one has ever called me Princess. I certainly wasn’t raised as one,” she told Desmond.

“No one has ever called you Princess to your face, Mate, but I assure you our pack knows who you are and has always called you our Lost Heir, our Forgotten Princess.”

“Heir-ess,” she enunciated to him. “I’m not a fan of the whole princess title either, so why don’t we drop that part? I may not have been raised as one myself, but I’m very familiar with one and she and I could never be categorized the same.”

That’s the Omega training talking. You are the same as Lizzie, if not more. You are and have always been her equal.

Athena’s words were gentle yet firm. The message was clear: other people weren’t going to believe in her if she didn’t start believing in herself.

“I’m much more than a Princess, Desmond. I’ve lived a harder life than any princess, and it might not be yet, but it will be my strength. The best person to lead a pack is someone who understands their people’s lives, and I do because I’ve lived it. I haven’t been sheltered away in some guarded room in a tall tower. I have been beaten and nearly broken; I have been ridiculed and defiled all in the name of the pack hierarchy. I worked until my knuckles bled and my bones cracked—so, please, don’t call me princess. That’s not me,” Olivia paused for a beat before she finished. “I will be your Queen one day though, but until then you can just call me Liv.”

Desmond’s eyes glazed over in anger at the mention of someone hurting his mate, but he also saw the strength in her amethyst eyes. Zane wanted blood, he’d rip every Jadewood part piece by piece to make sure their evil never harmed her again. Desmond knew there were better ways to exact revenge, however, so he calmed Zane down before he spoke.

“You actually want to do this? You want to rule this pack?” Desmond asked in disbelief.

“I may have been gone, Desmond, but these are my people. These were my father’s people. But no, I don’t want to rule anyone. I will lead them, though. And I will protect them. With my life.”

Desmond raked his fingers through his shiny black hair before he lifted himself up to stand in front of her. Now it was his turn to look conflicted and unsure. Olivia saw it in his eyes and wanted to comfort her mate, knowing that whatever the conflict was, would be no match for the two of them together.

She reached for his hand, but Desmond pulled away and crossed his arms, turning away from her. There were those damn red flags again. What could be troubling him to make him pull away from her before he even got to know her? Olivia knew their bond was the kind made of steel, she could feel it in their connection and they hadn’t even marked each other yet. They didn’t even know each other, and she could feel her energy connected to his on a molecular level. This man was the other half of her soul. How could he not see that?

“What is it, Desmond? Tell me.”

Desmond looked down, not trusting himself to look into her piercing gaze without succumbing to her every wish and desire. His mate was immeasurably powerful, he could still feel her energy sizzling through his body from their connection. She would never look at him like that again once she knew everything. She would reject him, for certain, and he couldn’t afford the weakness that would bring him.

“I, Desmond—” Olivia knew before he had even finished his name what he was about to say. She could already feel his intentions through the bond and it felt as though someone was stomping on her chest, preventing her from getting air. She knew that whatever was pressing him to say those words, he was only doing it because he felt like he didn’t have a choice. It didn’t seem like she was going to have a chance to prove him wrong, either.

Unless, of course, she didn’t hear him finish the words to that fateful declaration. Olivia’s eyes glowed a deep purple in anger as Athena came rushing forward. They both let out a deep, assertive growl as she shifted into her wolf form. Knowing that if he finished those words, it wouldn’t matter how strong she could be, it would weaken her enough to prevent her from being able to stop him.

In less than a second, she pounced onto Desmond’s chest. It was the last thing he was expecting, and he was knocked onto his back so hard that all of the air left his chest. With her paws digging into his chest and pinning him to the ground, Athena’s eyes continued to glow and she released a small bit of their Alpha strength through their bond to their mate as Olivia growled her words to him through their bond.

You will NOT reject us, Desmond. You are mine and I am yours, and the next time I see you, you will act like it.

Olivia didn’t give her mate a chance to respond. He was still gasping for air when she bolted for the path that would take her back to Jadewood territory. Back to Aries.