The three men took a little step back and averted their gazes from me. Except for the one guy who pinned me to his chest. He was gaping at me, clearly surprised. "You're… You’re a girl!”
The guy beside him coughed while I blinked slowly at his sudden realization. They probably assumed that I was a male like most rogues in no man’s land. He looked away in embarrassment when he realized that his surprised expression was too obvious and his statement sounded a lot more frantic than shocked. He looked to be in his early twenties and was a bit slimmer than the other three guys.
He rubbed the back of his hair as he mumbled, "Uh, sorry about that... Didn’t know you are a girl."
I nodded slowly in acceptance of his apology; my senses told me that it had been sincere – my Omega senses are still open, just in case they are planning something dubious. The fourth guy stepped forward, and I shifted my weight uneasily to turn and face him.
The basket, well, similar to the burrows I slept, it matched my size and unlike the burrows, there are tiny holes where light and air could peek in. Luigi is currently carrying the basket in his jaws and they all took turns carrying the basket with me in it. They covered more ground in a day than I could in a week on foot. I bet we are almost halfway to their territory.It was a silent run and quite relaxing in my case. Now I felt bad for letting them carry me in a basket. They were probably mindlinking each other and their pack, but I wouldn't be a part of the pack link until the Alpha bound me to the pack in a ceremony of acceptance.When it was already dark, they made me sleep in the basket while they curled up around it in case wild animals ambush us. It was unsettling to sleep, but I trusted them to keep any predators away. Most animals wouldn't mess and challenge four full-grown werewolves.I was surprised that they didn't pick up on the scents of rogues w
We crossed the street and began walking up the main walkway to the pack house's entrance. Although I was nervous about meeting the Luna, the large double doors ahead, draped with vines and flowers, looked truly inviting and kind in my eyes.Sighs, I was a rogue, as well as a runt. Those two words kept bothering me and trampling my confidence. I was afraid of being turned away again once she sees me up close. And if the Luna rejects me, I would be in unfamiliar territory with no real resources or supplies that I had accumulated at my previous location.The gentle breeze carried the scents of lilacs and jasmine to my nose, but with an odd undertone. I took a deeper breath; I'd never smelled anything like this scent before. I was curious as to what kind of tree or plant it was. On cool nights, it reminded me of the rich smell of the deepest parts of the forest. The scent practically demanded that I pay attention to it.I was a runt, but not a slow thinker. Sc
I sipped my tea slowly as I looked over at my mate, who was sitting beside me on the bench at the table. He was adding cream to his coffee, but I could tell he was mostly focused on me, even though his eyes were focused on the cream pouring into his cup. The others were still reeling from the impact of their ordeal. My Omega senses had mostly recovered, but they still had a long way to go before they could return to their former level of ability. This is the first moment I could experience the power of a mate bond. Now I understood why mates are crazy in love with each other. Mate bonds do give that relentless power, like fanning the flame even brighter, even if you simply exchange glances with your mate. I was still staring at him when his amber eyes locked into mine. And a smile formed on his lips, my heart just skipped a beat just by his smile. "By the way, my name is Aeonix, but everyone calls me Nix," he introduced. His presence and scent made me feel at ease in
I laughed as I ran under a curved, fallen tree, built as a jungle playground for young pups, without ducking it. While Nix had to take a detour around to catch me. If he tried, I wasn't sure he'd be able to wiggle his way into the middle of this tree in his wolf form. He was simply too big for something intended for children. I may have been running quickly, but he was only trotting to keep up, adjusting his speed with mine.We left the jungle playground and head out to the forest. As we got closer to the deepest part of the forest, I slowed down and Nix took the lead.As I studied the smell of the trees and plants around us, I followed him up and down various trails. He was walking quickly, and I was trotting alongside him. We entered a small meadow, and I perked my ears at a bush on the other side, but I wasn't concerned because I could smell and sense the approaching sentry. A grey dappled wolf emerged with a rustle. Nix was not surprised to see him and approached t
We took a break by a stream to get a drink. A large log had fallen across the creek and was partially off the ground because it was propped up against the far bank. I quickly scrambled up on top of the log after glancing at Nix, who was still drinking. He raised his head and tilted it as he looked at me with curiosity.I was now sitting on the log, level with his brow. I grinned at him, despite the fact that my face was not yet in any way level with his. He hadn't moved from where he was standing next to the log while drinking. I knew I'd never win a wrestling match with any wolf, let alone an enforcer, but that didn't stop me from leaping onto his back.As I landed on his shoulders, I wasn't sure if he felt the impact of my fifteen-pound body. I knew my toes wouldn't be able to reach through the thick fur on his back, let alone scratch him. They did assist me in holding on as I grabbed a mouthful of fur and wiggled side to side amusingly. As he flopped down to his sto
As we passed other members in the streets, I received a lot of strange looks. But I can sense no threat from their stares. Most were simply excited while whispering with those around them when they noticed that Aeonix is holding my hand. I opened my Omega senses and tried to reach their surface emotions. I found that some of them were surprised, intensifying the murmurs around the place. I can sense their happiness and anticipation. A couple of them were envious, and I caught one or two disapproving glances. But positive emotions prevailed. I gave out a shy smile, relieved that most pack members accepted my presence in their territory.Nix encouraged me to walk around the territory, pointing out each shop and stall and explaining what they typically sold. But my gaze was drawn to the library. I didn't read very well in my younger days and wasn’t quick at picking up the contents of a book, but I enjoyed trying until I fall asleep. And when I became a rogue, I didn't have
We eventually arrived at another store with baked goods on display in the windows. The smell of the bread and cookie was drool-worthy. I licked my lips in an attempt to savor the delicious smell. I heard Nix chuckle on my side and I gently jabbed him and rolled my eyes. I didn’t know that an enforcer can tease and make jokes. As we walked inside the bakeshop, a woman in her thirties raised her head, wiping the flour off her brown apron. "Ah, Nix, it's good to see you again.” She turned to look at me and asked, her motherly voice reminding me of my late mother, “Who's your friend?" Nix grinned as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me in closer to his side. "This is Etheral," Nix said glancing at me and then back to the lady. The smile on the lady’s face was replaced with confusion. She gaped at Nix and said, “Wait, I can’t believe this. Are you two—?” The lady shifted her gaze between me and Nix. She clapped her mouth when Nix kissed my
The dining hall was filled with delightful food wafting by my nose. The hall was pleasant and gorgeously decorated. I remembered my original pack’s dining hall where my parents would serve me my favorites every time. My original pack was as beautiful as this pack, it smells like home.We were seated at a long rectangular wooden table and after we ate our first meal, Henry opened a topic and the conversation just went on and on casually, diving into different memories – their worst and best ones.I laughed as Greg told me about what his whole class did during their graduation ceremony. Greg said that they didn’t attend the ceremony and just ran away to the forest in their wolf form. It was as if they are claiming their freedom. Greg even called it 'Free Doom of the Dumbs.' Before taking a drink, I shook my head at his stories. Henry and Soren were part of Greg’s mischievous moments. Henry took the spotlight and exaggerated his own version of thei