Chapter Fourteen

CHRIS

I had hoped for a disconnection of our mate's bond too when Lucy pronounced those words. At first, I felt like my heart was going to shred apart for a moment but it was gone within seconds. She ran away into the woods with teary eyes when she realized that her rejection wasn't going to change anything about our fated bond.

"We need to leave now my lord," Glen said. "We need to leave before anyone notices that you are gone from the pack."

He was right, besides it was the death ceremony to honor the Omega that had lost his life during the attack on our pack weeks ago. The ceremony was to be held in a few hours and my absence would cause a fuss in the pack so we returned.

Preparation had begun, everyone painted their nails with charcoal and mud and red clay in mourning.

The time for the ceremonial rite began. The body of the late Omega was brought out and laid on the pyre we had prepared. The mage came forward to perform the spiritual rites, then he handed a torch to me.

I lacked words to say that would console the family of the bereaved, instead, I lit the pyre and watched as the body burnt to ashes. The wolves howled their lament and the Mage chanted prayers to the ancestors that they would receive him with open arms.

"It is customary for the Alpha to honor the fallen memory. Now that we have a new Alpha, he will continue the rest of the ceremony," the Mage said.

The Mage gathered the ashes of the dead and handed them over to me, then we moved to the sacred oak tree where we believed our ancestors dwell. I poured part of the ashes around the tree, a significance for easy passage to the other world, then I spread the rest around the park symbolizing his continuous duty to protect the pack forever. On a day like this, we also remembered those who had lost their lives in the past and asked our ancestors to receive their souls.

"The funeral rite has ended, let's all go home and be assured that he is always here with us to protect us," I addressed the crowd.

Everyone departed to their various huts mourning while I returned to the palace with my mother and the rest of the elders

“By the way, where have you been? I searched for you all day. You can't be leaving the palace as you please, you are a leader now and a leader must always be available for his subjects,” she said.

“I had businesses to attend to outside the pack and it was very important,” I said.

How was I supposed to tell her that I was with my mate who was also a rogue without making her flare up in anger? I asked myself. I had no answers to my questions so I decided to keep it to myself until I find a way to resolve the issue.

I lay on my bed to rest but all I could think of at that moment was her. I wondered what must be running through her mind, especially after what had happened earlier.

I recalled walking into her hut without her noticing my presence. What could have been going on in that little head of hers? Was she thinking of me too? She wore a smile on her face when I walked in. I loved how feisty she was, she was a replica of whom my father had described my mother to be when they had first met.

Lucy was perfect to be my mate and Luna of this pack if she wasn’t a rogue. There was more to her that I needed to know, especially why she and her family were banished from this pack. I couldn’t bring myself to ask my mother without sounding suspicious. Nevertheless, I was going to find out the truth.

I stood at the window as these thoughts flooded my mind, then I felt the arms of someone wrapped around my waist. I turned and realized it was Cecilia.

"What is troubling you, my lord?" she said with concern.

"Who let you in?" I asked. "You need to leave immediately."

"Luna Maeve sent me to you in case you need anything,"

"If I need anything I'll let you know. You may leave," I said as I tried to remain calm but Garvin was growing impatient, I bet he couldn't stand the sight of her as I did

"You'll need me soon," I heard her mumble as she left.

I ignored her and continued to wander in my thoughts. I wondered why the bond had not broken even after she had rejected me. I had always heard that a mate bond could be broken if one or both parties involved didn't want to be together.

"You fickle-hearted humans, a rejection wouldn't change your fate, Chris," my wolf said through the mind link. "She's ours, it's our destiny."

"What do you mean by destiny? She's a rogue and it's taboo to be with one," I said to my wolf.

"It doesn't change anything Chris, nothing is going to stop me from being with my mate, not even you. I'd rather end this miserable body if you don't bring my mate to me!" Gavin growled.

I too wanted my mate by my side but the situations surrounding her were beyond my control. Aside from being a rogue, she hated me and my family and wanted nothing to do with me.

I hurried out of the pack early the next morning to the rogue's pack. I took two of my finest guards with me and made them wait a few miles away from the rogue's territory while I went further.

I stopped by her hut but she wasn't there so I waited for her hoping she would return. After a long wait, I decided to go to the rogue's pack in search of her.

There she was, mingling with the young man I saw her with before.

"I knew I would find you here," I said, moving closer to her.

Her eyes widened with shock when she saw me, she pulled me by the hand until we got to a hut.

"Are you crazy? What do you think you're doing here? she snapped.

"You weren't at your hut so I came here to look for you, didn't you miss me? I teased.

She rolled her eyes at me. " You would be dead by now if anyone had noticed your presence here. You can't just barge in here like you govern this place, this is our territory."

"Are you worried about my safety or you're worried because someone else might get the chance to kill me before you do?" I said.

"This is not the time for sarcasm, you need to get out of here," she warned.

"Come with me then," I said, holding her hands but she quickly pulled her hands from mine with a stern look.

She stuck her head out through the window to check if it was safe to leave.

"It's clear, leave now and never come back here," she said with a fixed glare.

I sighed in frustration. "I just want to talk, you can't go on hating me for something I know nothing of."

She ignored me and slammed the door, leaving me to stand outside alone.