Chapter Fifteen

LUCY

"Father, when are we returning home? You said we would go back soon. I miss home," I whined.

My father faked a smile and lifted me in his arms. "We have to stay here for a while until everything settles down at the pack," he said.

"What is going on at the pack? Is a war going to break out at the pack?" I asked.

He smiled again, this time it was real. "You are too inquisitive for your age, Lucy. I'll explain everything to you one day."

"Why not now? I'm old enough to know anything," I continued whining.

"I was asked to leave for something I didn't do. It was a misunderstanding and I'll make sure I clear my name so that you and mother can return home soon alright?"

"Lucy-

"Lucy,"

"Hey, Nathan, what are you doing here?" I said, wiping the tears off my cheek.

"Why are you crying? Did anyone hurt you?" Nathan asked.

"I'm not crying, something fell into my eye. Why are you here?"

"I haven't seen you for days now. Oh, how did the duel go between you and your mate,"

"He's not my mate!" I snapped at him

“I’m sorry, I didn't mean to stir up anger in you. You can reject him if you don’t want to be with him,’ he said.

“I did! I fvcking did,” I squealed. “It didn’t work."

The humiliation and disappointment I felt that day was something I wouldn't forget in a hurry. At first, he looked frightened when I said those words but he regained confidence when he realized those words weren't going to break our ill-fated bond. then, I saw the smirk on his face, he seemed to be enjoying the torture I was going through.

I wished I could lay my hands on him but I couldn’t bring myself to do anything. Rather, I raced home and buried my face in the bed, sobbing.

Standing on this cliff was the only way I could find solace, the memories on this cliff could last for a lifetime.

“Lucy, we need to go now, your mother has been worried about you. She said you wouldn’t talk to her,” Nathan said.

“I need to be left alone, Nathan, please can you let me be for now,” I pleaded.

“I’m not leaving you here alone, you are coming with me right now and that’s an order, Lucy,” Nathan said.

Muttering a curse, I did my best to ignore him as I pouted all the way home. My mood got better after I mixed up with everyone, I missed the drill, the tension, everything. It felt good to be back home, maybe staying away was a bad idea after all.

I was having a chat with Nathan and my other folks when Chris showed up in front of me with a charming smile. My eyes widened with shock when I saw you. I grabbed him by the hand and dragged him to my hut before others noticed his presence.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” I snarled.

“I came to look for you, you weren’t at your hut so I had to come here,” he said.

“I thought you were smarter than this, anyways I’m not surprised. You need to get out of here before anyone finds you lurking around here.”

“Come with me then, I came here because I need to talk to you,” he said softly, holding my hands. His dark eyes never left mine.

I became nervous and avoided his eyes, my jaw tightened, and so did the pit of my stomach.

“You must leave before someone sees you here,” I said and opened the door for him to leave. He pleaded that I go with him but I declined and slammed the door at him.

I plunged onto the bed, pondering what he had said, I also wondered what he wanted to talk to me about but I resisted the urge to go after him. Whatever he wanted to say wasn’t important to me and nothing he said would change the way I felt about him and his household. He would always remain my enemy, whether we were fated to each other or not.

The sound from the bell brought me out of my reverie, there was an intruder in the pack. My heart skipped a beat when I thought of the possibility that he had been caught by one of us. I rushed out and joined the others who were on their way to the field to see who the intruder was.

I froze when I saw him tied up and his face battered. My wolf howled uncontrollably, forcing itself to take control of my body.

“Let me handle him myself,” I said to Cade. “This is the moment I’ve always been waiting for, please let me deal with him by myself.”

“That won’t happen, we all know how obsessed you've been about attacking the alpha and his pack. I won’t allow you to jeopardize our moment now that we have this son of a bitch,” Maverick objected so I turned to Cade for approval and he agreed.

“Let her do her thing,” Cade said. “Don’t screw things up, Lucy.”

I huffed a sigh as everyone returned to their homes. I took him to the dungeon where I was asked to torture him with a silver-tipped cane but I couldn’t bring myself to do it rather I punched him hard in the face. I hated the fact that I couldn’t do the one thing I had been waiting for years to do, I hated the stupid bond that existed between us, and I hated the Moon Goddess for choosing him as my mate.

Maverick and other young men walked into the cell where I was with Chris. “Do you need help?” The smirk on his face made me uncomfortable, whatever his plan was, I knew it was up to no good.

I declined but he ignored me and went to meet Chris who didn't seem to care about the situation he was going through.

Maverick began to administer heavy punches to Chris’ face, he and others tortured Chris with silver metals and all I could do was to watch.

“Are you going to stand here and watch them torture our mate?” Maia said through the mind link.

“Why didn’t he leave when I asked him to? What is he trying to prove? I can’t get involved in this else everyone will know that I’m his mate and that automatically makes me their enemy,” I said.

“I’m not going to stay here and watch those filthy wolves harm our mate, I don’t mind hurting this weak body if I have to,” Maia said.

I knew how aggressive my wolf was and the things she would do to Maverick and the others for torturing him.

“Do something, you human else I will,” Maia threatened.

“Enough Maverick!” I snarled. “He’s mine until I say otherwise.”

“Do your thing, little wolf. I hope you can handle it,” Maverick sneered and left with the others.

Chris was already weak and bleeding from the torture, there was no way I could leave him here to spend another night here. He wouldn't survive another round of torment and who knows they might decide to behead him and send his head to his people as a gift. We, rogues, were known to be brutal with things like this.

At midnight, I untied him and led him out of the pack whilst no one was watching. The nearest place to hide him was my hut in the woods so I took him there. He weighed a ton so it was difficult to carry him.

I met with his guards who were already searching for him, they charged their swords at me and tried to strike me but he squealed at them.

"Touch her and you'll have me to contend with," he said. They apologized and helped me carry him to my hut where I nursed his wounds and was left alone with him to care for him.

"Go back home before my mother sends a search party after me, let her know that I'm alright. Don't tell her or anyone of my whereabouts and what happened," he instructed his guards before they left.

It felt awkward to be alone with the man I grew up to hate, we were supposed to be at loggerheads with each other but here I was nursing his wounds. I felt bad for letting crazy Maverick trash him this way.

"Why did you help me? You should have just let me die or kill me yourself, besides you hate me," Chris asked.

"Don't be flattered, I still hate you and will kill you myself so enjoy my good deeds while they last big wolf," I scoffed.

A wide smile smoothened on his lips showing his perfect dentition and cute dimple on his left cheek. I felt butterflies in my core and swallowed hard.

This is not good, I thought.

"Oh, this is good, wolfie, this is really good. Look at how alluring he looks, he's so perfect. He's strong-willed like us and has a good heart," Maia said.

"It still doesn't change the fact that he and his family gave mine hell for something we didn't do," I snarled.

"He had nothing to do with what happened to your family, give him a chance and we might find out what really happened to your papa."

"Enough, Maia!!" I screamed aloud and Chris jolted from the bed.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I ran out of the hut, weeping while he called out to me to return. I turned deaf ears to him and continued running till I grew weary.

Maia's words lingered in my head. What if she was right? What if I was being too harsh on the wrong person and what if he knew nothing about his father's deeds?

There was only one way to find out and until I did, I wouldn't approve of him as my mate.