Alpha Kieran’s Rouge mate

Chapter9

“Have the Silvermoon pack report to me on why their Alpha has suddenly disappeared from the pack—and why no one thought it important enough for me to know.”

“Understood, Alpha,” Tobias nods.

He starts to speak again, something about the crisis in the northern region, but I barely hear him. My thoughts are elsewhere, consumed by her.

After her collapse in the woods, she’s withdrawn into herself again. Silent. Distant. Not like she wasn’t ever distant.

A familiar frustration coils in my chest. She’s in my home now. Under my protection. Yet she still feels like a ghost, slipping through my fingers.

“Kieran.”

Tobias’s voice jolts me from my thoughts.

I blink at him. He’s frowning.

“What’s going on?” he asks. “I’ve been talking about the northern region for the past five minutes, but you haven’t heard a word. Is something wrong?”

I exhale, leaning back against my desk, arms crossed.

“She has marks.”

Tobias tilts his head. “Marks?” He repeats.

I nod. “On her arms...” the memory flashes through my mind. “Whip marks.” I reply.

I remember the way they stood out against her pale skin, the way she moved like she was used to pain. Like it was normal.

I had to bite down on my tongue to stop me from asking her what happened, but ever since then, the thought has only plagued my mind.

“Whip marks?”

“Yes, whip marks.”

For a moment, Tobias says nothing, but I see the gears turning in his head. He exhales, rubbing a hand down his face. “That explains a lot.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“The way she was when we found her,” Tobias says. “She was running, Alpha. I had the warriors check for any sign of pursuit, but we found nothing. I didn’t think much of it since we do get a lot of strays here.”

That last part doesn’t sit well with me. What could she have been running from?

“Find out what pack she’s from,” I order. “I want to know everything about her.” I pause, thinking back to the way she sobbed in the woods. “Especially why she’s so against having a mate.”

Tobias nods, “I’ll look into it.” He turns to leave only to stop at the last minute. His brows arched up. “You know… this is the longest I’ve ever seen you talk about a woman.”

I shoot him a look, knowing what he was about to say, but the past is the past. People make mistakes, and I did. It doesn’t matter if the past was two weeks ago. “And?”

Tobias grins. “And it’s fascinating. You, the mighty Lycan King, fixated on an omega.” He taps his chin. “What was it you used to say? Mates are a distraction? A weakness?”

I glare. “I don’t recall saying that.”

“Oh really now? You don’t recall telling me exactly two Tuesdays ago that mates were a distraction you didn’t want and you hoped the goddess keeps yours always for you for much longer?”

“I don’t,” I reply stiffly. He’s never getting this out of me.

He chuckles. “Oh, but you did. Repeatedly. And yet here you are, brooding over your very own mate. Doesn’t the goddess work in mysterious ways?”

“Get out.”

He smirks but finally steps back. “Of course, Alpha.” His voice drips with amusement. “I’ll see what I can find about your mate. In the meantime… try not to think about her too much.”

I don’t dignify that with a response. He doesn’t deserve one.

Emma’s POV

The packhouse is quiet.

For the past two days, I’ve heard constant movement…footsteps in the halls, voices, and grunting of those training. But now, stepping out of my room for the first time, everywhere is silent, almost as if no one is in the packhouse.

Did something happen?

I hesitate in the doorway, half-expecting someone to stop me. But no one does. I look around, hesitant, but still, no one stops me, so I take a step forward, then another, forcing myself to breathe.

It’s fine. I’m just getting water.

The kitchen isn’t hard to find. It’s big, like everything else in this place, and completely empty. A large silver sink, dark granite countertops, the shelves stacked with food I don’t dare touch. I don’t belong here.

Still, my throat is dry. Ignoring the voice in my head that tells me to leave and not touch anything, I grab a glass and fill it quickly from the sink. Just a sip. Just enough to ease the dryness in my throat.

But as I turn to leave, I slam into something solid. Water spills over my fingers, soaking the front of a shirt that does not belong to me.

I freeze the second it happens, hearing the person inhale sharply.

“What the hell?” The person snaps angrily. I look up to see a woman in front of me take a step back, looking down at her now-damp shirt with a sneer. She’s tall, taller than me, with sleek blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She looks like a model, her picture plastered on many magazines. An absolutely stunning woman.

She looks like she belongs here.

I swallow hard, the voice in my head laughing at me. I should’ve stayed in the room. “I—I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

She lifts a perfectly shaped brow. “Who are you?”

The words make my stomach twist. I blink, feeling more awkward than before. The woman’s stare grows even more intense. “I asked you a question. Who are you and why are you in here?” She spits out, then huffs impatiently, reaching out and grabbing my wrist.

“You don’t have the pack marks, and you certainly don’t smell like you belong here, so I ask you again. Who are you?”

I jerk my hand back from her grasp, not missing the fire that flashes in her eyes. “I’m Alpha Kieran’s guest.”

“Oh,” she says in a mocking tone. “You must be the stray they brought in. The rogue, right?”

I don’t respond.

She looks me up and down, unimpressed. “You don’t look like much. Why did Kieran take in someone like you?” She mumbles the last part to herself.

She tilts her head as if she were studying me. “You should be grateful, you know. The King taking in an omega rogue like you? Letting you stay here? You must have done something to earn that kind of favor.”

I stiffen at the insinuation. What does she mean by ‘I must’ve done something to earn that kind of favor?’

“I beg your pardon?”

The woman steps forward, closer to me as though she wants to intimidate me, and maybe in a different setting, I would’ve been intimidated. Heck! I was intimidated a few seconds ago until she said what she said.

I don’t back down, and she notices this. She smirks, raising her finger up to me. She opens her mouth to speak but doesn’t get to say a word.

“That’s enough, Savannah.” A voice comes from behind, and when I look, I find another woman standing by the door. She’s shorter than Savannah, with warm brown eyes and dark curls pulled into a ponytail.

Savannah’s smirk doesn’t falter, but she lowers her hand. “Lena,” she drawls, turning toward the new woman. “Didn’t see you there.”

Lena crosses her arms. “Clearly.” She steps forward, placing herself slightly between us. “You should go. I’m sure you have better things to do than harassing the Alpha’s guest.”

Savannah huffs, rolling her eyes. “Guest.” She shakes her head, then glances at me. “I don’t know what you did to end up here, but trust me… you won’t last.”

With that, she turns and walks out of the kitchen.

A breath of relief escapes my lips. I didn’t even realize that I’ve been holding my breath.

“Don’t mind her,” Lena’s voice pulls me back. She turns to me with a small smile. “She’s always like that.”

“She’s always so…”

“Imposing? Annoying? Stuck up? Bitter?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I was going to say intense, but your words work too.”

Lena grins. “Trust me, everyone who meets Savannah has the same reaction. She thinks she owns this place just because she’s the Gamma.”

I shift uncomfortably, looking at the door Savannah disappeared through. “She… doesn’t seem to like me very much.”

Lena scoffs. “When has Savannah ever liked anyone? Trust me, that’s just how she is. Don’t take it personally.”

I nod, still reeling in what just happened. Lena leans on the counter, watching me. “So you’re Emma, Alpha Kieran’s guest…”

I blink, taken aback. “How do you know my name?”

Lena’s eyes narrow. “I see you haven’t met Tobias. He is the beta, and I am his mate, Lena. And, I know more than just your name.”

I stare at her blankly. “What else do you know?”

At this, Lena grins sinisterly. She leans closer to me as if she’s about to reveal some top secret. “I know you’re Alpha Kieran’s mate.”