Her Rogue, His Queen

The Beginning-Part One

Three Weeks Later

“Yeah…Yeah…Yes, Mama, we are arriving now to the territory.” She rolled her eyes in mock frustration, looking over to her best friend, Gabrielle, in the passenger seat, who chuckled lightheartedly at her antics.

“Don’t give me that tone, Little Girl,” Her mother’s voice replied over the speaker of the SUV she was maneuvering onto the barely visible road through the woods of the territory she had acquired, “I am still your mother,” she said not unkindly.

Dominic sighed, her affection for her mother evident in her expression and her voice, “Yes, Mama”

“Now,” her mother continued, “You’ve called the number I gave you, correct? Were you able to get up with my friend? Is she able to help you?”

“She is meeting us there, Mama,” Dominic placated her mother, “Thank you for giving me her number”

A small pause met her words before her mother spoke again, “I just want you safe, My Love,” she said softly, and Dominic’s heart clenched briefly in her chest, the pain at being so separated from her parents a twist behind her ribs, “You are out there, by yourself, with who knows what kind of dangers that could accost you at any moment, and your father and I two states over, unable to get to you. To be of any use…to help you”

Silence fell in the SUV, and Dominic grunted as they hit a large pothole, the vehicle and its passengers talking a small leap in the air before settling. Leaning forward when they reached a smooth patch on the path, Gabrielle placed a hand on Dominic’s shoulder in a show of comfort and support.

“She is not alone, Mrs. Collins” She said in her low alto voice, “She has me. I am, and I will be, right here with her every step of the way. She will not be alone. I will let nothing happen to her; you have my word.” Gabrielle turned sincere grey eyes to her friend, her smile soft, “She is like my sister, more than she is my friend. I would protect her with my life.”

Dominique felt her heart swell with the words coming from her best friend's lips. Gabriel had been her lifelong best friend since they were toddlers. She had been sad to leave her when she was exiled, hugging her as tightly as she had her father and mother before she had left. It was only after she had been approved for the alpha position that she had heard of her friends plight.

Gabrielle, like Dominic, had been rejected by her mate. An orphan, with no family lineage to her name, Gabrielle’s fated mate, Trevor, Like Dominic’s mate, had only cared for status and conventional, physical, beauty. With her pale, golden yellow curly hair, melanin free, alabaster skin, and ethereal grey eyes that seemed to look into his soul, Gabrielle unnerved and disgusted him.

Buoyed by the actions of his new Luna, Trevor rejected and shunned her, proceeding to make her life miserable at every turn while living in the pack. With no family, save dominic's mom and dad, and her heart sister already exiled, Gabriel did exactly as Trevor had hoped she would, and removed herself from the pack. Never to return.

Receiving the news from her mother of Gabrielle’s plight, Dominic had immediately called her friend and offered her the position of beta to her alpha.

Gabriel immediately accepted.

Meeting her in a human town, the two had embraced tightly, tears in both their eyes. They took a little bit of time to reconnect at a small cafe near the airport where they would be catching the plane to get to her territory.

“I have Gabriel, Mom,” Dominic said, reaching up to squeeze her friends hand on her shoulder, “we will watch out for each other.”

“Make sure that you do.” her mom replied taking a firm tone with her two daughters, “Look out for each other. Protect each other. Watch each other’s backs. That is what you need to do.” her mom continued, “I am so proud of you, My Darling, that you did this, accomplished this.”

“Thank you, Mama, for all your support.” Dominic said wholeheartedly, “I couldn’t have done any of this without you”

Be wary of Elder Wolf Richards,” Her mother said suddenly, as if remembering that important detail of a sudden, “If he is the same as I remember him from our youth, he is a vile and arrogant snake. He will not make this easy for you, Dominic”

“I will be careful, Mama” She soothed, sensing her mother’s worry, even through the phone, “Thank you. I love you.”

“Call me back when you are settled in, and you and Susan have had a chance to talk. And send pictures!” She encouraged, excitement tinging her tone once more, “I want to see the land that the Goddess has given my baby!”

“Yes, Mama. I gotta go. I will call you soon!”

“Bye Baby. Talk soon. I love you”

“Bye, Mrs. Collins!”

“Bye Gabrielle. I love you, Sweetheart. You two take care of each other”

The line disconnected and Dominic sighed heavily, her brows furrowing. Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. Gabrielle watched her worriedly, her mouth turned down in a slight frown.

“Nicki?”

“I’m okay…” she exhaled deeply, loosening her grip on the steering wheel. Taking a sharp turn, she swerved around the corner, almost grazing the bark of the oak tree she drove past.

“Nicki.” Gabrielle said her name more firmly this time, reaching out to touch her tense arm. “Stop the car”

With a sharp exhale, Dominic put the vehicle in park, dropping her hands from the steering wheel, replacing them with her forehead in the middle of the wheel.

And for the first time since the rejection of her fated mate, and her exile from her home, Dominic let out a hard, heartbreaking sob.