Reborn: Caged No More

An Easy Chat

Irene

I didn't think much of it when Vlad said he wanted to speak. All I could think was how lucky I was to have a supportive family and to run into Vlad at the right moment. Fate gave me a second chance and going through day one felt like a win. My pack had just made a deal to protect them, and I had managed to get out of the marriage that would kill me. What else was there to ask for? In this life, survival was my main objective and for that to happen, I couldn't stop until Theon gave up.

“It's a beautiful pack.” Vlad's voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked over my shoulder, my lips curling into a tiny smile.

“Thank you,” I said. Even though I knew he was being polite, it was nice hearing praises about our territory. We worked hard to preserve its natural beauty. “I've heard great things about the Black Raven pack,” I said.

A lopsided smile formed on his lips that made my heart raced. I quickly looked away. It was strange that even the simplest gestures from him made me feel queasy but I knew I couldn't allow myself to get attracted to him. Not now, not ever.

“Great things?” he said.

“Yeah,” I said, keeping a straight face. “Black Raven rules over an entire continent. You defeated an army of rogues and merged all packs under one alpha. How great is that?”

He chuckled. “When you say it like that, it is pretty great, isn't it?”

“Of course. It eliminates a lot of competition and conflict in the region, doesn't it?” I sighed. “Look at what's happening here now. One threat from Theon and we are on our toes.” I looked at him. “Thanks to you he backed off. Otherwise he would have done something by now. I'm not sure if we would survive if he attacked.”

“It was my pleasure,” he said, smiling.

We walked leisurely towards a bench. The banquet was set on the other side of the pack house, leaving the northern side of the garden almost completely deserted. It was the perfect place to take a break from the people constantly trying to spark up a conversation. A few of my distant relatives were still not satisfied that I left Theon at the altar. I was so tired of trying to tell them he wasn't the guy we all thought he was. His reaction to the rejection proved that he was far from the gentleman they all thought he was, but still, to some of them the rumors spreading among the northern packs were too degrading.

I stole a glance at Vlad. Speaking to him was a welcome change. At least he didn't want to talk about Theon.

A moment passed before I realised I was staring at him. Thank the heavens he didn't look my way. He seemed to be lost in thought. I kept stealing glances at him, admiring his features. In contrast to Theon, he had a chiseled face, tan skin, and growing stubble. He was the epitome of a heartbreaker, with dark, wavy hair and green eyes that gleamed like two emeralds. Like most alphas he was well built. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing his well-defined forearm muscles. When I saw the vein on one of his forearms, I swallowed. I could only imagine how well-defined the rest of his body was. It was hard to not wonder what he hid underneath his clothes. I behaved though.

Maybe I could sneak a peek if he shifts to his wolf during his stay…

Shit… I was thinking trash. My heart thumped in my chest as I forced myself to look straight at an empty bench in front of us. I had to start thinking about something else if I didn't want to embarrass myself. My eyebrows knitted together. What were we talking about before my mind took an unexpected turn? Oh, yeah. We talked about the eastern packs merging and our current situation…

Pursing my lips, I looked at his face. He seemed to be lost in deep thought and a little uncomfortable. s**t. Did he notice me drooling over him? Oh no…

I had to focus. “The eastern continent must be so peaceful,” I remarked, hoping to start a conversation. “No alphas fighting for power. No one threatens the little packs. Just live and let live. Why can't we all be like that?”

He frowned. “The eastern continent wasn't much different from the West about ten to twelve years ago. Rogue attacks were rampant. We had smaller packs, but after one pack lost their alpha and most of their army generals, they reached out to us for help. They were barely surviving when we arrived. Our pack drove those miscreants away. The pack became part of Black Raven after that.”

I nodded my head as I sat on a bench. I patted the bench, motioning him to take a seat beside me. “I heard about the attacks. I was a young pup back then. How did the other packs merge with Black Raven?”

“They too sought asylum eventually. We worked together to defeat the rogue empire. I'd say we were lucky. If we hadn't worked together, the rogues would have taken over. Their empire was pretty strong. Their plan was to disperse the wolf packs," he said.

"Wow," I mumbled

“A lot of them were traitors and criminals who were either banished from their original packs. Even their leader was a criminal my father exiled from our pack during his reign. He was very angry about it. I know because I was a recruit in the army when my father cast him away.”

“And you fought the war against him?” I asked, carefully studying his face.

He looked at me. I smiled, keeping in mind that regardless of how attractive he was, I couldn't admire him too much. It was unethical to fall for your brother's partner and pack's protector… at least I thought it was.

"Yes. Countless battles were fought against them. I lost my father to one of those fights. Thankfully I managed to finish the job before it escalated any further,” he said.

“That's a huge relief. I guess it's our turn to deal with a possible war,” my forehead wrinkled as I bit my lower lip. “I don't want to fight. Theon is brutal. Some of my pack members don't understand how he is.”

He cleared his throat. “You know quite a lot about him. Did you and him spend a lot of time together before the wedding day?”

My lips parted as I looked at him. There was something burning in his eyes. Was that jealousy? But why would he be jealous anyway? I must have imagined it.

“Not really. Our marriage was a pact. He was to protect us and we would provide him with the natural resources he needed for his factories. But then I…” I trailed off. I couldn't tell him that I was reborn. He'd think I was crazy.

“What?” He asked, intently looking into my face.

I offered a smile. “Let's just say I found out that he cannot be trusted.”

“Oh, really. An alpha whose word cannot be trusted. That's rich.”

Sarcasm dripped from his comment. My lips pressed together as I looked at my hands where the wedding ring would have rested by now if nothing had changed. It was bare and that was what I enjoyed tonight. I thought my hands looked good with just a wrist watch on them.

My lips quivered when I noticed what time it was. The clock had almost struck midnight. Within a few minutes, his border patrol security would notify him of a female rogue who infiltrated the pack borders. That female rogue, would turn out to be his fated mate - Jillian.

And then everything would change. This time, I wondered if he'd leave us alone after meeting her. I sure hoped he would.