Chapter 3: Dark Thoughts

Rain’s POV

I took her to the hospital wing of the castle, barking orders left and right at doctors and nurses to fix her. I couldn’t help her in this; she was human, so she was even more fragile than even the omegas. Not that I particularly liked having weaklings like omegas in my pack. They were good for cleaning and fucking, but not much else. I did remember a time when I was told that “the strong protect the weak”. But out in the real world, weakness was weakness.

And weakness got you killed!

Which in turn made me a fucking hypocrite, because I would die protecting the little human on the bed. She was the fucking embodiment of weakness, and still, I’d lay down my life for hers. I’d kill every single wolf that would want to harm her. Pack or rogue. Hell, I’d even kill my own mate in order to protect her.

She was MINE!

For 10 years I’d been searching for her. Planning my revenge had kept me going all these years, but she had been the one who kept me sane. The thought of meeting her again, hoping she’d be my mate. However, that plan had fallen through, as I met my mate a couple of months ago.

Unfortunately...

I shook my head, refusing to think about that--- person! Sure, there was a bond there, and I could always feel her at the end of it, but she wasn’t the one I desired. So, quite frankly, I didn’t care that she’d left me. In her own words, she wasn’t ready to settle down and wanted to see the world.

I hadn’t stopped her.

I think a part of her felt snubbed by that because she honestly did everything in her power to make my life miserable. Too bad for her, she didn’t know I already was a cold-hearted motherfucker, who really didn’t give a shit about petty things like jealously and being possessive.

All I ever truly wanted was my Azura...

I looked down at my little angel again, not liking how pale she seemed. She looked so little in the hospital bed, that I wondered how old she really was. Seeing her, you’d think she was no more than a teenager. But it had been 10 years since I saw her last.

She was definitely an adult...

Looking at her, I didn’t know what was going to happen next. I’d dreamed of this moment so many times, but never had I imagined finding her beaten and bloody. In any pack we attacked, I’d always given my men ONE simple rule to follow:

NEVER. HURT. HUMANS!

If there was a human within the pack, they had to be taken to me. I’d look into their eyes, searching for the one who saved my life.

I’d never found her.

Not until last night…

I gently caressed her cheek, careful not to touch any of the bruises or cuts that marred her face. My wolf let out a soft whine, wondering why we didn’t feel sparks when touching our mate. The poor bastard had lost touch with reality; neither we nor her would feel the sparks of the mate bond until we’d actually claimed her.

Because we would!

But we had to be smart about it...

My fingers slipped into her blond hair and I realized that I liked the color. Hell, I liked everything about her. She was so beautiful, despite the swelling and discoloring. I wasn’t sure that I was cable of love, but everything I had, I was going to give it to her. Sure, I’d killed her dad, taken over her pack, and effectively destroyed everything she knew, but I didn’t care.

I’d somehow make it possible!

I wasn’t sure how yet, but I knew that I was too much of a stubborn prick to let anything stand in my way of getting what I wanted.

Especially when what I wanted was her…

I’d just have to convince her that I wasn’t a danger to her. That I could work for her forgiveness and be a good mate to her.

I could and would do it!

Even if it took me the rest of my life to do so...

“What are you going to do with her?” Elijah asked, stepping into the room after talking to the doctor. He wanted to know more about her; all I needed to hear was that she was going to make it. That she would be OK and just needed some rest now.

“Isn’t it obvious?” I asked, not taking my eyes off her. A part of me didn’t want to, afraid that she would disappear right before me. That I would lose her and all of this had just been a dream. “I’m going to mate her.”

“For fucks sake, Rain,” sighed Elijah, shaking his head in disbelief. “She’s the enemy’s daughter! You can’t take her as your mate!”

I let out a low growl, not liking what he was saying. But I wasn’t stupid either. I knew how this worked and what happened when we took over a pack; especially when we’d just killed the fucking werewolf King. It was always like this...

Us versus them!

Good versus bad!

He was right…

I’d just taken over the pack, things were too unstable right now for me to even consider something so drastic. Taking the daughter of my sworn enemy as my mate would cause an uprising. Dividing the pack and then all that was left for my enemies to do, was to sit back and watch as we descended into chaos.

They would be picking us off one by one...

Perhaps when things had calmed down and peace was once again roaming the lands. Perhaps then, the pack wouldn’t revolt against me for mating the enemy's daughter. But right now, tension was running high. Emotions were hot and anger was still poisoning their blood.

And I knew all about that poison!

It had been running through my veins ever since that night 10 years ago. When I was stripped of everything, I had to watch my parents being brutally murdered, my sister raped and killed before my very eyes. And then---

I snatched my attention away from my second in command, as a storm brewed in my chest. My mood always darkened when my memories returned to that night, and my wolf let out a furious howl, wanting out – wanting blood! But as I turned my focus on the azure beauty lying in my bed, it immediately dimmed. Just like it always did when the past came to hunt me. My mind eased, and I was able to think clearly. She’d saved my life that night and so many times after that. She’d been the only light I’d had for all those dark, lonely nights I’d spent as a rogue. The only reason I kept on moving forward when hate and anger wanted to consume me.

The only reason I knew anything good existed in the world...

It was all because of her!

And I’d failed to keep her safe…

No more!

I’d make sure that no matter what, no one would ever lay a hand on her. I’d protect her at any cost, but I couldn’t fight my entire pack for her. I needed another way so that, in a couple of years, I’d be able to claim her as my own…

But how?

My wolf pushed to the surface, liking the idea of the woman being ours. He didn’t care about politics or how many people he had to fight to protect her. He just wanted her with him – like he’d always dreamed of! He pushed images of us together; happy and with her belly swollen with our pups.

Which inspired an unconventional idea at best...

“Then she’ll be my surrogate,” I proclaimed, smirking as I looked up at Elijah, his mouth hanging open in stunned surprise.

“What?!” He exclaimed, gaping at me. And the dark, wicked part of me enjoyed that look on him. It made me want to punch him and make him bleed. Hell, he was one of the reasons why my wolf had to stay away from his mate.

He deserved to bleed!

“I’ll need an heir, don’t I?” I said instead, knowing I had to keep my darkness under control – and not hit my beta. “She’s mine and anyone who touches her forfeits their life!” I cocked my head to the side, my cold gaze making the big guy squirm in his place. “Have I made myself clear on this?”

Hell, I bet some of the people here would find a certain, sadistic justice to that. Forcing the daughter of my enemy to bear my pups.

Little did they know…

“Perfectly,” he muttered, breaking eye contact and keeping his head low and neck exposed in a show of submission. A neck I wanted to sink my teeth into and rip his head from his body!

“Good!” I replied, gesturing towards the door. “Now fuck off!”

My Azure beauty was about to wake up…