Freeing the Warrior's Deceived Mate

Chapter Six: A Date

Amelia POV

I was beyond elated. Birdie joined me in my trailer, texting on her phone while I tried on outfits. “What do you think of this?” I asked. I had put on overalls with shorts, high top sneakers, and a yellow crop top. I stuck my hands in my pockets and attempted to pose while she ran her eyes over the outfit.

“It’s alright,” she said with a noncommittal shrug.

I wasn’t likely to get much more out of her than that, I knew. I sat down on the kitchen table with a lighted makeup mirror I had borrowed from her. I wasn’t very good with makeup, so I was going to skip it, but I was pretty good at doing my own hair. As I twisted and braided, I contemplated how to bring up my next question.

“Birdie,” I asked, finishing my braids and turning to face her, hands planted firmly on my knees as I leaned forward and looked at her. “What would you think if…” I hesitated, and that got her attention more than my words had.

“What would I think if what?” she asked, putting her phone down and looking at me quizzically.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Okay, first, please don’t mention this to Kyle or Alpha,” I asked. I wasn’t sure why, but I felt a rising panic in my mind at the thought of them finding out what he’d called me, and how accepting I had been of his touch.

Birdie’s curious expression turned guarded, “Amelia, is something wrong?”

“What? No,” I said, too quickly. “It’s just… that guy. At the party. The big, tall handsome one?”

She nodded, though she wrinkled her nose at my description, “Yes…?”

“What… would you think… if he had called me ‘mate?’” I asked, slowly. “I mean, what would that mean to you?”

Her expression grew blank, as if she had suddenly put on a mask. “Well, if a wolf from a rival pack called me much of anything, I think I would disregard it. Especially after the way he and his attacked us.”

“Well, sure,” I said, “But I just… had three days to think on it, you know? And did he and his actually start the fight, or were they just trying to talk? Maybe this whole thing has been a misunderstanding.”

“Ames,” Birdie said, standing. “This guy. What do you think about him?”

I blushed immediately, unable to hide my desire. I thought he was the most gorgeous man on the planet. I thought I would let him do whatever he wanted with me. I wanted him more than I’d wanted anyone else, ever.

Even if a silly little crush on Kyle was all I’d had to compare to.

“I think he’s… handsome,” I replied, choosing my words carefully. When Birdie didn’t continue, I added, “I think he was very gentle with me at the party. And… I liked the way he held me.”

“Goddess, Ames, do you hear yourself right now?” she said, slapping her palm to her forehead. “This is a wolf from a rival pack. If Rhyner heard the way you were talking about him, he’d never let you out of camp ever again. He’s the enemy. Tattoo that on your forehead if you need to remember it, because any wolf that isn’t a member of this pack is strictly off limits.”

I sat in stunned silence. I remembered giggling with her over all the handsome boys she’d met at parties, and what she’d done with them. How far she’d gone.

I felt foolish. I’d thought we could giggle over this little one-sided crush together.

“Focus on your date with Kyle,” she said, and I was acutely aware of how she spat the word ‘date.’ She stormed from my trailer, letting my screen door slam on her way out.

Suddenly, I was less excited about my outing.

Just moments later, Kyle knocked on the door. He looked like he’d done some cleaning up. He’d combed his hair and was wearing a clean shirt. He beamed at me, a smile I’d once found so charming, now made me a little uncomfortable. “Ready to go on your first official legal outing?” he asked, holding the door open for me.

I skipped down the steps. “Sure,” I said. And I was. I tried not to let Birdie’s anger with me spoil my mood as I loaded into his pickup truck. He took off past the pack borders and into the town.

“So, where all you want to go today?” he asked. “Rhyner said I could keep you out until sundown. That’s… oh… five hours?”

I was elated. “I wanted to go to a bookstore first.”

Kyle scratched the back of his neck. “Sure thing. We’ll hit that first.”

Tiberius POV

Four days had passed with no movement on the case. The rogues were lying low. Their movements around the town had been minimal, and in very low-profile areas. By the time any warrior from our pack could respond, all traces of them were gone.

Alpha Servando was getting more and more agitated as time went on. The search radius kept expanding, and yet they still hadn’t found the camp. Alpha was worried that with the mounting pressure, the rogues would move on soon, and we would lose our chance to bring them in.

And so, Cai and I were out patrolling the town daily. It had been slow going, boring, fruitless, and thankless work so far. I was growing more and more irritated alongside my alpha. My mate was out there, and I had no idea if she was worth pursuing or if I should reject her immediately. The idea of rejecting her repulsed me, but then again, so did many of the crimes her pack had committed.

Another day of riding around the town with our eyes peeled was met with little enthusiasm. Cai and I were both getting too tired to keep it up.

“Hey,” Cai said, putting his drink down before he’d taken a drink. “Hey, look at that.”

I pulled my eyes away from my phone for a split second to glance at it, then locked eyes on the object in question. “That’s the truck. The one my mate left in.”

“Kyle’s truck,” Cai said, “Which means Kyle must be close.”

I tried not to get my hopes up, but couldn’t help but think, which means my mate might be, too.

Cai pulled over into a parking space and waited. The truck was in front of a hardware store on a block filled with assorted stores and a café. He could have been in any of them. “Should we wait?” I asked.

“No,” Cai said. “If we wait here and he’s just in the hardware store, he might get in his truck and drive off before we can catch him. I’ll check the hardware store, you walk the block and check windows.”

“Sure,” I said, getting out. Cai jogged to the hardware store, and I did as instructed, walking the first line of stores, then crossing the street to walk the other line. My heart stuttered when I walked past his truck- her scent was there, and fresh too.

She was here.

I followed the scent to the bookstore and café across the street, heart pounding. I’d been thinking for four days about how to confront her, what to say, how to say it. Now that I was close, my mind was blank. I entered the store hesitantly, body tense. I was waiting to pick up on Kyle’s scent.

It was there- the scent of a rogue male, at least- but it was faint. As if he’d come in for a moment, and then left. But hers was strong. I walked through the rows of shelves and found her in the romance section. I could tell she had been holding a book and reading the blurb on the back, but when she’d caught my scent, she’d pressed herself against a bookshelf, as if to hide from me.

I raised my eyebrows at the display. “Is that how you usually find books?”

She opened her mouth and looked dumbfounded. Her eyes cut to the other end of the aisle, as if she thought running might be her best bet. “Relax,” I said, leaning on the bookshelf. I towered over her, and I caught the way she swallowed anxiously and smirked. “I only wanted to talk to you. How about I buy you a coffee? We can sit and talk in the café.”

She looked as if the idea terrified her, which didn’t sit right with me. I wanted to touch her, to soothe her, but I held back. It was hard for me to think of her as a hardened criminal when she looked up at me with trembling hands, though.

“Just one coffee,” I said. “Or a tea, if that’s what you prefer.”

She swallowed again, and hesitantly nodded. “A tea would be… fine.”

I smiled. It was a small victory, but it left me elated. A chance to have some questions answered. I escorted her to the café section and let her pick her drink. She took a long time reading the menu and considering, and I marveled at the way her small mouth turned into the tiniest frown as she weighed her options. After she’d ordered a hot citrus and mint tea, I ordered myself a black coffee with some creamer and sugar. When she eyed the pastries, I added a couple of them to our order as well, and brought them back to the table, where I presented them to her.

“Oh!” She said, surprised. “Thank you.” She blushed a little, her tawny skin turning ever so slightly red. I found myself far too entranced by her mouth as she blew on her tea, then brought the cup to her lips to drink. “What… did you want to talk about?” she asked, softly.

My heart seized. “Your pack,” I replied, softly, speaking quietly so we wouldn’t be overheard. “I was curious why you’ve settled in the area.”

“Oh,” she said, and I could already tell I was losing her. “That’s… I really wouldn’t know. That’s Alpha’s decision.”

“I see,” he said. “And what about Kyle? Where is he?”

She looked surprised that I knew his name, though she immediately tried to hide her reaction. “He had something to do in the area.”

“Something?” I pressed, “Like what?”

She looked into her tea, shifting uncomfortably. “I’m not really sure. He said he’d be right back, though.”

I glanced through the window. I didn’t see him approaching, so I still had time. “And what about you?” I asked. “What do you do for the pack?”

She turned pale. “Nothing,” she replied, too quickly. “I’m just… I was just…” she tapped her mug, as if thinking. “…born into it.”

I frowned, my heart growing cold. Suspicious answer- she must have been involved. “I just realized I forgot to ask your name,” he said. “That was rude of me. My name is Tiberius Roan.”

“Amelia,” she said, quietly. “Amelia Gold.”

“A pretty name for a pretty girl,” I said with a stiff smile. “Now, Amelia. You don’t look like the kind of person who likes to hurt others-”

The look of genuine confusion that passed over her face stopped me from completing that thought. “…are you that type of person, Amelia?”

“No?” she answered, brows knit together and lips pouting.

“So why are you traveling with the Blood Fangs?”

A look of realization crested, and she laughed- she actually laughed. “So that’s what this is,” she said, drying her mouth. “You’re mistaken,” she said with a smile brighter than any sun. “We’re not the Blood Fangs. I’ve never even heard that name before.”

I searched her face for any indication she was lying. I couldn’t find any, but if she was traveling with such a notorious pack, maybe she was just that good. “Then what pack are you traveling with, Amelia?” I was aware that I was repeating her name a lot, but I couldn’t help it. I loved the feel of it on my lips.

She smiled brightly. “The Harvest Moon Pack.”

Amelia POV

The conversation was tense and unexpected. I didn’t understand the flicker of expression that passed his face when I mentioned our pack’s name. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything. I knew Alpha Rhyner would probably be unhappy to hear I had this conversation at all. “…Have you heard of us?” I asked, unable to stop my curiosity.

He shifted uncomfortably. I couldn’t help but feel a little relieved- so far, he’d been on the offensive since he’d found me in the shop. It felt nice to throw him off kilter a bit. “I… have heard of the Harvest Moon Pack, yes,” he admitted. “Amelia…” he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “What is it your pack does? Why does it travel?”

“Well, we’re too poor to hold territory of our own,” I said. I was beginning to hope that this conversation might actually help the pack- maybe if we just talked to our rivals, we could stay in this area a little longer.

I wasn’t sure why, but I would have liked the opportunity to talk to Tiberius more.

“We sell jewelry that we make ourselves,” I continued, “And we find abandoned items to pawn off. Some of us work as contractors. Some of us work as servers.” I paused, looking at him and trying to gauge his reactions to what I was telling him. “We’re really harmless. I guess other… more established packs are territorial and keep chasing us out.” When he continued to sit and stew in silence, I added, more quietly, “I… confess I don’t leave the pack much. You’re the first wolf I’ve met outside of our own.”

He seemed perplexed by that. I barely noticed when his hand slid across the table, his fingers entwining with mine. “And why is that?” he asked, lowly.

I swallowed again, relishing the parade of sparks I felt just at mere contact with him. His hands were so warm, his scent so comforting. I felt like I could tell him everything about my gift, and my alpha’s too-strict rules.

But logic won out- I knew I shouldn’t.

“I’m not a very strong wolf,” I replied, pulling my hand away and putting it in my lap. “Alpha Rhyner just wants to make sure I don’t get hurt out there, is all.”

He nodded. “And what… do you think…” he swallowed, as if the next question was so unbearably difficult to say aloud that he was struggling to form the words. He froze for a second. “Sorry, Amelia,” he said, pulling a pen from his pocket. He scribbled down his phone number and slid it across the table from me. “Call me- I would love to finish this conversation. But my brother has run into trouble with your friend outside.”

I stood, “Kyle?” I asked, worriedly.

He nodded, and when I followed him to the door, he put a hand on my shoulder. The parade of sparks made me bite my lip, and I wanted to lean into his touch. “It’d be better if you waited in here, Amelia.”

I frowned and watched him leave. I’d lost my chance to ask him why he had called me ‘mate,’ but I had his number now. Maybe Birdie would let me borrow her phone to call him.

No, I realized. She’d been so upset about me meeting him before. Now, she’d probably tear the paper to bits when she realized that I’d talked to him again. Alpha Rhyner would be pissed too… and Dale.

I realized that I had very likely just lost my weekly excursion rights on my very first trip.

I left the bookstore anyway and trailed after Tiberius. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything. Kyle and Tiberius’s brother were in a heated argument just outside of Kyle’s truck. Kyle pushed the other wolf- hard. The boy was slimmer, and staggered back.

Tiberius replaced him. He was easily a head higher than Kyle, with broader shoulders and more bulk. “Hands off my brother, rogue,” he growled.

Kyle’s eyes shot straight to me. “Amelia,” he said. “Get in the truck.”

“Kyle, wait,” I said, jogging to catch up. I put myself in between him and Tiberius, putting my hand on the larger wolf’s chest. I wasn’t sure why I knew I could calm him, but I felt it so completely I didn’t hesitate. “Tiberius, please. We can talk about this, can’t we? Do we need to fight?”

His hands came to rest on my shoulders, and a confliction entered his features that I didn’t understand.

Kyle grabbed my arm and jerked me to his side, “I said get in the damn truck, Amelia.” He jerked the door to his truck open and pushed me towards the seat.

The action elicited a growl from Tiberius, and without warning, he lunged. Kyle took a fist to the face, and Tiberius followed him down to the ground, pounding into him. “Tiberius, no!” I cried out, lunging.

The second wolf put himself in my path and blocked my sight. “I’m not exactly sure what your story is,” he said, “but I’m sure you’re not going to want to watch this.”

“Please,” I said, trying to push him away. He might be smaller than Kyle, but he was bigger than me- and stronger. “We just need to get back to our pack.”

“I hate to break it to you, princess,” he said, “but there’s no going back to your pack. You’ll be coming with us.”

The color left my face. Alpha Rhyner would definitely never let me leave again after this. I staggered back, collapsing into the passenger seat.

I looked at Tiberius- he had Kyle on his knees, holding his wrists together. The fight was over. There was no way I could fight Tiberius and his brother in order to save him, and I couldn’t allow myself to be taken in either. I swallowed the lump in my throat. When the second wolf turned away just a moment, I kicked him hard. It caught him off guard and he staggered.

I slammed and locked the passenger door, then slid to the driver’s side and locked that door too. From outside, I could hear Tiberius roar, “Amelia!”

I found the keys in the spot Kyle usually had them hidden- under the seat- and put them in the ignition. I’d never learned how to drive, but how hard could it be, anyways? The second male stood in front of the truck, so I reversed, punching the gas too hard and slamming into the car parked behind me. It gave me the wiggle room I needed to push it into drive and floor it, tires squealing as I sped out of town.

The only thing that prevented me from causing an accident on the way home was how deserted the roads were. I pulled to a stop outside of our encampment, eyes blurry with tears and hands shaking in fear.

My first and only excursion and I’d lost one of Alpha’s strongest warriors, and one of my only friends.

He’d be furious.