Page 29 of Fated to the Rogue

“Let’s be quick then,” my Beta rushed.

I clenched my fist before shaking my head. Whatever the hell had happened, I already had too much to worry about.

???

For the first night since sleeping out in the open in the dandelion fields, I actually managed to drift off without a problem. It was impossible for me to feel relaxed after the recent chain of events, but I had gotten some help.

Once the meeting was over, Malin apparently contacted my mother to let her know about my condition. She knocked on my door as I was getting ready for bed and offered me her classic Passionflower and Lemon Balm tea. Although I hadn’t tasted the warm drink in a while, Mom would often prepare it for me when I had trouble sleeping back when I was still a pup. It always worked, and this time was no different.

In the morning, I tried reaching out to Dawn again, only to be ignored in the same way I had been the day before. She was still restless, even more so than me. Part of me wanted to stay in bed and digest the vision - if I could even call it that - but I didn’t want to skip training again. Plus, sparring usually helped get my mind off my troubles, and with the madness of the past two weeks, I could really use some clarity.

Unfortunately, the training session didn’t last long enough for me to unwind. While the warriors headed to the cafeteria to fill their empty stomachs, I decided to stay at the training grounds for a little longer. It was hard to dismiss my best friend, but I managed to convince him that the episode of the previous night wouldn’t repeat itself, emphasizing how I could benefit from the extra exercise.

It was around ten when I decided to take a break. My muscles were sore, but at least my mind was more at ease compared to how anguished I had been when I woke up. I left for the public showers, hoping the water would wash away the remainder of my worries. What I didn’t expect was to have company.

“Zephyr?” A feminine voice called - it took me a moment to realize it was Gina’s. Her eyes found mine as I was leaving the shower stall with only a towel wrapped around my waist. She didn’t bother hiding the way she openly ogled me.

“This is the second time you’ve found me when I’m alone. Are you stalking me?” I joked, recalling the time she had found me in my car by the cliff on the night before my first shift. It was easier to mask my distress with humor.

“Us wolves of Wind Howlers know how to mask our scents; if I didn’t want you to notice me, you wouldn’t have.”

“Fair enough.”

“I saw you walk in here by yourself, and I couldn’t help but worry. Hasn’t training been over for a couple of hours?” As she continued, I turned around to go get my clothes in my bag. The next second, I stiffened as I felt a pair of arms snake around my waist from behind. A low groan reverberated in my chest when soft hands caressed my stomach. “I won’t ask any questions unless you wanna talk. But I thought maybe you could use a…distraction.” Her fingers tugged on the towel, and I gladly let my head fall backwards.

Because of the stupid rumors, it had been a while since I had last gotten laid, and her idea didn’t sound half-bad. I glanced around just to confirm we were the only ones there, but I doubted anyone would walk in on us since training was over. Maybe I could-

“Don’t even think about it.” Dawn’s stern voice echoed inside my head, startling me.

“There you are,” I called out, annoyed. “Are you done ignoring me?”

“I thought you wanted me to shut up. Isn’t that what you said the first time we met?” Her words stung me. Yes, my she-wolf had always been full of snark, but she had never been this harsh.

A pinch of guilt struck me. “Dawn, I-”

“What do you say, Alpha Zephyr?” Gina cooed, reminding me of her presence.

I shook my head. “I did everything you asked me to. I’m letting you out every night. I’m listening to you. You had your release, so why can’t I have mine?”

“Release?” Dawn scoffed. “This isn’t release! This is you being a reckless asshole! How do you think your mate will feel when she finds out about the dozens of women you took to the bed you’re supposed to share with her?”

Fucking Crescent, what was wrong with this she-wolf? This wasn’t just her usual anger. I thought I could sense a hint of…jealousy? Why the fuck would she be jealous of a random female?

“Zephyr?” Gina asked again, confusion in her expression. I had to blink a few times to bring my focus back to her. After a few long seconds of staring at her in silence, I sighed.

“Sorry, I have to go.” I broke free from her grasp, turning my back to her once again.

Not bothering to get dressed, I exited the public showers wearing only my towel, leaving a baffled - and likely angry - Gina behind. I could really use a good fuck right now, but it wasn’t worth pissing off my rather unique counterpart when we were just starting to get along. It was surely something I would have to discuss with her later though.

After getting dressed in the restroom on the bottom floor of the pack house, I took the stairs up to the top floor, heading straight to my office. There was a lot I had to take care of, but between the bizarre vision and my she-wolf’s weird behavior, it wasn’t easy to concentrate. Instead, I decided to take in the view of my lands through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get our last exchange out of my mind. For some reason, I felt…bad, for the way I’dacted. Despite what Malin always told me, I don’t believe I should be ashamed of sleeping around when I hadn’t even found my mate. Still, it kind of felt like I was disrespecting Dawn. And I had probably done enough of that.

“Dawn?” She didn’t reply, but I could tell she was listening. Although her anger was subsiding, she still seemed pissed. Running my hands through my jet-black hair, I went on, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have considered having sex with Gina. Not before we figure out a way to fix our situation. It would probably be weird for you to watch us.”

“That’s not-”

“It’s alright. I know I’m a dick to you 90 percent of the time.” A sad laugh broke through my lips. “At least if the witch Laelius mentioned can help us, you won’t be stuck with me for much longer.”

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