Picture of the rogue on the side (: ------->
Chapter 1
I sat on the edge of the river bank, allowing the soft rapids to trickle around my bare feet. It's been a while since I came here. I always used to come here to clear my head seeing as though I can never get peace and quiet in the pack house. I discovered this place when I was about fourteen; the day I was told that I would have to mate our future alpha, Alec, once I turn eighteen since I am the beta's daughter, which is less than a year away now. We've been best friends since I can remember, so once I was told by my parents that I was to marry him, my life turned upside down. He was my best friend, so how could I marry him and take place as Luna of the Miakoda pack? Why couldn't my pack just let him and I find our own mates like normal wolves? Three years after hearing the news, I guess I've somewhat adapted to the thought of marrying him by now, but I couldn't get the fact out of my head that once I do I probably will never meet my true mate.
I sighed and stood up, ready to head back to the pack house when I heard a rustling in the bushes to my right. Instantly my wolf senses took over and I zeroed in on the spot I heard the noise. Preparing myself for defense, I instinctively took a brief step back which was all I need to do to come over the edge of the river bank and begin to fall backwards, heading directly to the crystal clear, cold water. I'm not saying it's dangerous, seeing as that it's only about five feet deep and has close to no current, but would you want to fall into freezing water fully clothed? Didn't think so.
Just as I was about to fall into the icy waters, I felt two muscular arms wrap around my waist and hoist me onto the soft grass. I let out a squeal of surprise and closed my eyes as I felt weight on top of me. I slowly opened my eyes to be met with piercing, almost golden-looking ones. I laid there on my back, breathing heavily from the fright, yet unable to tear my gaze from the stranger leaning over me. I hadn't even noticed that my entire body seemed to be humming with excitement, tingling in every spot that his body touched mine. He finally broke my trance by putting on a boyish smirk and standing up, offering his hand. I cautiously took it, not breaking the gaze as he lifted me up so I was standing.
"Aren't you going to thank me for saving you from the treacherous river?" The stranger implied.
"O-oh, yeah... Um, thanks." I said with a blush as I looked away nervously. He chuckled and took a step towards me.
"You know, you really shouldn't be out this far. You could get snatched up by a bunch of rogues." He said with a small grin. I noticed that he looked kind of beat up. He had small scars and scratches on his arms along with grass and dirt marks. His dark brown, almost black, colored hair was ruffled on top of his head, and his skin was tanned from no doubt being under the sun for hours; but I couldn't help but think that he was utterly gorgeous... His white T-shirt was tight against his taut body, making his abs slightly visible. He was definitely hotter than any other guy I've seen, despite his rough appearance.
"I'm still on my territory. Besides, my pack would save me." I said defensively. There was no doubt on my mind that they would, considering we're one of the largest and most powerful packs in the country.
"I wouldn't rely too heavily on that, princess. You're pretty vulnerable way out here. By the time they got to you, you could be dead. Or at least in another state." He smirked.
"Why, are you going to kidnap me?" I scoffed.
"I just might." He smiled while I laughed. "So, what's your name princess?"
"Well it's not princess, so you can stop calling me that." He just smirked and looked at me expectantly. "Amaya. My name is Amaya." I sighed.
"Hmm, Amaya... I like it." He said with a playful glint in his golden eyes.
"What's your name?" I asked, getting more confident since he didn't seem to be a threat.
"Well, " he said, taking a large step towards me so that his body was nearly flush with mine. He leaned forward toward my ear, slowly blowing out a brief breath, causing me to shiver slightly before continuing. "if I told you, I would have to kill you." he breathed across my neck in an almost whisper. I gulped, my earlier confidence completely gone.
"W-why?" I stuttered
"Because it's a secret." He whispered into my ear again and leaned back to smirk at me. I huffed and turned on my heel and began to walk away. "Hey, where are you going?" He asked as he jogged to match my pace.
"Home." I said curtly.
"Oh, is the little princess pouting?" He cooed. I jerked to a stop and spun to face him, all the while he had a big grin on his face.
"Do you enjoy pissing me off?" I demanded.
"Yes." He said with a smirk.
"Why? I asked, exasperated.
"Because it's cute." He said and lightly pinched my cheek. My facial expression must have been priceless, because he immediately burst into a fit of laughter while I scowled at him and blushed.
Suddenly I got an idea. I glanced behind him to see that we were about four feet away from the river bank. Perfect. I recomposed myself and waited for him to stop laughing before I began my plot.
I put on a seductive smile and took a slow step towards him, looking up at him through my lashes. "You know, I've never really met a guy as muscular as you..." I said seductively as I lightly trailed my finger up his chest. His eyes slightly widened and he took a small step back. I smirked and continued. "It must be... Hard to keep such a nice body like you have." I purred while looking into his eyes. I didn't realize until now that he was atleast a good ten inches taller than my 5'3 height. I heard him gulp as he took another step back. I leaned up so that our lips were only an inch apart and slowly breathed outward.
"And every time you touch me... It sets my body on fire..." I lightly breathed across his lips while I placed my hands on his shoulders, ready to shove him backwards into the cold stream.
Before I knew what was happening, I was shoved up against a nearby tree with him pinning my arms up against the trunk. I gasped in surprise as my heart skipped a beat.
"Did you really think I was gonna fall for that?" He said huskily, although I could barely focus since his body was flush with mine, sending it into a frenzy. Why am I reacting this way?
"I-I don't know." I stammered. I looked into his now dark, lust-filled eyes as he chuckled and leaned closer, his sweet breath fanning across my face.
"You're so oblivious, princess. I'm a rogue, can't you tell?" His dark eyes bore into mine. I gasped in surprise. That would explain why he looked and acted so different than anyone in my pack. I mentally slapped myself for not realizing. I mean, I've never even seen him before, so how could I not know he was a rogue? "And those tingles that I'm sure you're feeling right now at my touch, those are because you're my mate." he smirked. I felt like a child that knew nothing about being a werewolf. I mean, of course I know what having a mate is supposed to feel like! So how did I not realize?
I was literally speechless. I just stared at him, completely stunned until he spoke again.
"But you shouldn't get mixed up with a rogue, I've heard they're bad news." He almost whispered while leaning close and closer to my lips. I closed my eyes, waiting for them to meet as I felt his warm breath breathing across them. And then it was gone. I opened my eyes and looked around. He was gone. Vanished. Disappointment took over as I stripped down to shift into my cream colored wolf and began my way back to the pack house. That's when what he said came flooding back to me and hit me like a ton of bricks.
My mate is a rogue.