Another mate?

Tamara's POV

“I have always loved you and always will, Tam. Nothing can change that.”

Why does my mind keep replaying this same memory?

He pressed a soft kiss against my forehead, playfully fiddling with my fingers.

I beamed from one ear over to the next.

“Same here. I don't think I'll know what to do if I ever lose you.”

He raised my fingers up to his lips pressing what I thought was another sincere kiss. “That will never happen,” he promised.

Then like a switch he flipped his hand shooting out and grabbing my neck in a vice grip.

“It was all your fault! You stole her life. You-”

“Let go of me!” I choked out the words, kicking my legs.

I woke up with my leg striking between someone's thighs, taken off guard he wailed and crumbled on the floor.

“Are you okay?” I blurted out as he was on his knees.

It has been over 2 weeks since I cut off all ties with Crestwood pack and sought my own path, one that would eventually lead me back to revenge.

I had promised that I would make all of them pay, every last one.

Since then I had been wandering through the woods, last night I had settled myself underneath a tree with plenty of shade and now I was waking up to crushing someone's family jewels.

The man's falling cry attracted others who wore the same attire as him, uniforms of a darkish red hue with with the crest of a valiant bird surrounded by flames …wait could they be-

“Identify yourself and the pack that you are affiliated with.” One of the man's backups said to me, her green eyes glowing with the threat of her wolf rising to the surface.

“My name is Tamara…” I said gradually getting up to my feet, “...what just happened was an accident I-”

“Your pack!’ the woman repeated while the other guard helped up his fellow guard who was still a little shaky in the knees.

“I don't have a pack.” I said, stating the fact, “Not anymore,”

“And do you have a permit to be in this territory?”

I weighed my options before I answered that question.

Rogues were generally stigmatized wherever they went, it was an unspoken belief that each one was vicious and cruel.

Honestly I kind of believed that too.

Back then when I was happy I wondered why anyone who could have the comfort and safety of the pack would exchange it for the uncertainty of a rogue life.

Now I understood all too well.

I could simply run away now, but that could just put a target on my back and ruin any chance of getting that permit.

For now I'll just give in.

“No I don't have a permit,”

The woman came over and grabbed my arm.

“Then if you don't mind you'll be coming with us, our alpha will decide what to do with you.”

I gulped.

My pack scent was all but completely gone.

Maybe they won't find out that I'm-

“Tamara Vladis…” a deep voice called out my name in a tone that sent shivers down my spine, it slid past my ears like velvet.

The man who held the commanding voice sat at his throne holding me with a measuring gaze.

“It seems the moon goddess smiles on me today,” he mused, “bringing you to my doorstep like this.”

I had my eyes on the floor, there was something that was just so overwhelming about him that made me unable to look in his direction since I was dragged in.

“How do you know -”

“Who are you?” He cut me off with a chuckle, “Well they say keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer. I know everything about your family…”

He raised himself up from his throne stalking towards me.

“I heard you went missing not long after your wedding was canceled, I've even deployed some of my finest warriors to far off packs expecting that you would have run there…” He sighed with a feigned tiredness, “... Should have given me a heads up that you would be coming here, it would have saved me a lot of trouble.”

I took a deep breath, this place couldn't be my end.

“It seems you really despise the Beta of Crestwood pack, but I have cut off all ties with him, we are nothing to each other anymore and..”

The rest of my defense was broken off as he leaped into a deep laughter that shook the walls of the throne room. Then he held up my chin, “at least look me in the eyes when you're going to spout lies…”

This whole body went rigid.

A wave of sparks exploded between the two of us.

The thumping in my chest and the sweat that began to slide down my neck, the reaction was stronger than when I had with Caden in the past.

I can't believe this…I had a second chance mate, and it just happened to be a man that hated me and the family I left behind with a passion.

He snatched his hand back like he touched fire taking a step away and disengaging his eyes from mine.

“Take her to the upper cell,” he commanded.

The guards seemed confused, the one who was holding me by my right asked; “Alpha don't you mean the lower cell?”

He looked back without saying a word, I heard the guard swallow heavily.

“R-right, the upper cells…” he said and I was blindfolded, they probably didn't want me to know the layout of their packhouse in case I tried to escape.

When the blindfold was taken off I was in a room that was painted a teal green, there were no windows and lodged in a corner was a mattress.

I touched the floor first before reaching the mattress, my legs had gotten too weak.

In fact the rest of me was tapped out so I just laid on the cool floor like that, wondering what came next.

The glow of his eyes when our bond snapped into place reached back into my mind.

I had already suffered enough from my first mate, why would the goddess give me another?