Page 166 of The Delta's Rogue
Animals scurry, dart, and fly away as my lycan tears through their otherwise peaceful home with our power rippling through us, but even they sense that I’m not here to hunt. The only ones I want to harm are the ones who hunted down and harmed my mate and all the other females like her. They will face the full force of my wrath, and they will learn what happens to anyone who hurts what’s mine. Their fate will serve as a warning to any who may pick up their mantle after I’ve disposed of them.
We reach our destination, and I slow my steps. Sarina opens her eyes at my decreased pace. Her dark brown eyes widen as I set her on her feet at the edge of the clearing—Sarina’s clearing. The one where we met, kind of, and the one where we said goodbye to each other.
It’s empty now. All traces of their stay here have been worn away by the years and the meticulous way they erased their existence from the area before leaving.
She tiptoes forward, her focus completely on the empty clearing. She gazes at every tree circling the area, and her eyes linger on the spot where her tent used to be—like mine have done so many times over the years.
I leave her to reminisce, backing away towards a tree on the west edge where there is a stash of clothing. I shift back to human form as I reach into the hole. My neck and shoulders roll and crack as I shake the shift off, relieving my muscles of the slight tension from carrying Sarina while running.
I’m not tired or sore—not like I was yesterday—but carrying her placed my arms in a position that isn’t ideal for running.
I dress quickly and jog back to the clearing, ready to join my mate. Ready to wrap my arms around her and bury my nose in her sweet, floral and fruit-scented hair.
When I reach the clearing, Sarina is gone.
“Sarina?!” I spin in place and scan the uneven treeline for any trace of her. “SARINA!”
I yell again when I can’t find her glinting, mischievous eyes, or the shimmer of her dark tawny skin. My heart leaps into my throat, bringing the hottest, most acidic bile from my stomach with it.
I’ve lost her. Once again, I’ve lost her.
How could I lose her? She was right there, a few feet away from me, and I turned my back for no more than a minute. We weren’t followed. There is no one around for miles.
I continue spinning, focusing on her scent instead of on trying to catch a glimpse of her.
Before I can track the direction, I’m tackled to the ground and pinned flat on my back. Sarina straddles me, her hands gripping my throat and a gleam of pride in her eyes at catching me off guard.
“I took you out again, Pretty Boy.” She smirks, her mouth an inch above mine.
I shut my eyes, and sigh in relief.
Her heavy breaths fan across my lips with each of her exhales. My hands settle on her hips, my lycan desperate for contact with her body.
I can’t help but laugh at the playfulness and the memories her surprise attack brings. “You had a knife last time.” My chin lifts so my lips brush hers with every word.
“Yet even without it, I caught you by surprise and took you down without breaking a sweat.”
“You’ve always been strong,” I muse, stroking her sides. “My perfect match in so many ways. Strong, brave, clever…”
Her throat tightens, and her lips tremble as water lines her lids. She drops her head to my chest. Tears splatter across my skin, and she sputters out a soft sob as her full weight collapses onto me.
I roll us onto our sides, and she curls into a ball next to me as I wrap her in my arms. The tears continue, growing stronger with every unsteady breath she forces into her lungs. I keep her tight in my embrace, though, never pushing her to divulge the reason for her sudden shift in demeanor.
She doesn’t need to give me a reason. She doesn’t need to explain herself. Her healing won’t be linear. There will be giant steps forward, followed by leaps and bounds backwards, and I will support her through it all. I will be her strength when she has none left. I will take care of her so she can take care of her kingdom.
No.Ourkingdom.
“I should have b-been able t-to get away from them.” Her words come out choked and wet and broken. “There’s n-no reason they should have c-caught me as easily as they d-did.”
“Sarina, that’s not—”
“It’s my fault they caught me,” she sobs. “It’s my fault I can’t feel our bond or my lycan. All of it is my fault.”
I tighten my grip on her, tucking her head under my chin and drawing her in as close as I can. Her heaving sobs echo off the trees even with her face buried in my chest. Guilt floods into me—the guilt she feels for getting taken and the guilt I bear for letting her leave without me all those years ago. But our combined guilt is unfounded.
“This blame is not yours to bear,” I murmur with my lips in her soft hair. I’m reassuring myself as much as I’m reassuring her. “You did nothing wrong. The blame belongs to no one but the foul men who took you and that bitch of a witch, Amara, and whoever it is they’re working for.”
“I let her break me,” she confesses in a whisper. “The things they did to me, the things I let them make me do…” Her chin lifts, and I lean my head back until her broken, haunted, red-rimmed eyes meet mine. “I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive myself for any of it.”
