Chapter 3 - Talking

Sienna's P.O.V.

I don't know what to say. Maverick seems to be telling me the truth that he's not here to kill me, but he also admitted to being trained as an assassin. What if this is a trick, and he's just trying to find a way to get close to me. He may be my mate, but that doesn't mean I'm going to run into his arms and accept him. At least not yet.

"It's too soon for me to accept you, but I'm not going to reject you. Let's go to my office and talk." His face falls, but he nods. As large as he is, he has an innocence about him. If he was kept in a cage his entire life, feeling the mate bond probably has a more intense effect on him than most.

"Okay." I turn and walk toward the pack house. Some pack members stare at us but don't say anything. A few unmated she-wolves openly gawk at Maverick until they catch me glaring at them. I may not have accepted him yet, but the bitches better keep their claws to themselves.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Diego mindlinks.

"No. I'll let you know if I need you. Thanks." When we get inside, I take Maverick upstairs to my office and shut the door behind him. I planned on sitting behind my desk but opted for one of the chairs in front of the fireplace instead. Maverick looks uncomfortable, as if he doesn't know what to do.

"You can sit down. Are you okay?" I ask him gently. He takes the other chair and turns toward me.

"Can I be honest?" he asks.

"Yes." Maverick looks down at his hands nervously.

"I meant what I said out there. The King kept me in a cage from the time I was a pup until now. I was only allowed out to train as an assassin and do small missions with others watching me. They beat me every day because the King said I needed tough skin. I learned to turn off the pain and numb myself to it. No one ever said a kind word or showed me compassion. My wolf, Eclipse, explained that they were trying to harden me against everything, so that I would be nothing more than a killing machine. However, Eclipse made sure that didn't happen. He helped me pretend to be what they wanted while keeping my mind focused on getting away. He mentioned the possibility of having a mate, but he didn't want to get my hopes up. I've never been in a pack house or had a regular conversation with anyone. I'm scared that I'm going to do or say something wrong."

Oh, my poor, sweet giant of a man. How could anyone treat such a gentle soul that way and force them to become an assassin? Thank goodness his wolf was there to help him. I want to hug him and tell him everything will be okay.

"I'm sorry for what the King did to you. He's a monster. He had my parents killed a few months ago by some of his assassins. That wasn't you, was it?" Please don't let him be responsible for their deaths.

"No. He only let me go on small missions to kill rogues. I have never killed anyone innocent. This was the first time he let me leave the palace without anyone watching me. He thinks I am nothing more than a robot to do what he wants. I'll understand if you don't want me as your mate. I'm sure I'm not the typical mate most women have in mind. However, if you do accept me, I promise to do whatever you need for me to prove myself to you. I smelled your scent when I was walking up the road to your pack house, and it made my heart feel something I've never felt before: hope." He's breaking through the barrier I was determined to keep around myself.

"You may think you're not what the typical woman would want in a mate, but I'm not like most she-wolves. I'm the last remaining female Alpha. I need a strong mate by my side to be my Beta and help me run the pack. I don't care about what people may think is an ideal mate. I want a man who's not afraid of having a mate who is an Alpha." Maverick comes over to kneel in front of me. He looks into my eyes, and I see so much pain and sorrow in his eyes.

"If you give me a chance, I can be everything you want in a mate. I don't know what it all means to be a mate, but I'm willing to learn." He holds his hand out to me, and I hesitate. We haven't touched yet. I know once we do, we'll feel the sparks, and it will strengthen the mate bond. I slowly put my hand in his and close my eyes. The sparks spread through my body and Rieka howls with excitement. When I open my eyes Maverick is staring at me with tears running down his cheeks.

"What's wrong?" I ask him softly. He grips my hand tightly.

"For the first time, I feel something that makes me feel alive. I no longer feel numb." I can't take it anymore. I slide out of my chair, so I'm on my knees in front of him. When I wrap my arms around his neck, he buries his face in my neck, and his body shakes as he cries. He puts his arms around me, and with his size, I feel like I'm wrapped in a large cocoon of warmth.

"Mav, let's spend some time getting to know each other so you can see what it's like to be in a pack. If you still want to be my mate in a few days, I'll accept you." He pulls away from me slightly.

"Did you call me Mav?" he asks.

"Yes. Is that okay?" He runs his hand lightly over my cheek and through my hair as though he's making sure I'm real.

"I prefer it, actually. It makes me feel like a new man. Thank you for giving me a chance." I put my hands on his cheeks and wipe away his tears. The King is a horrible beast and needs to die ten times over for all the people he's killed and for trying to break this man.

"You're a good man. Do you want me to show you around the pack, or do you want to stay here for now?" I will do whatever he wants to make him comfortable.

"Can we stay here for a little while?" I nod and sit with my back against the chair. Mav sits next to me, and I take his hand. He probably doesn't realize it yet, but he may struggle to adjust to life away from the palace. I'll be here to help him through it all.