A Rogue's Choice

KATIE

I strolled across the lush grass, the soft texture a delight under my bare feet. The waterfall ahead of me sparkled in the sunlight, water cascading over rocks.

A stunning red-headed woman sat by the pool, her fingers dancing on the water’s surface.

As I neared her, she turned to me.

“Mama?” a voice echoed.

Her smile faded.

“You shouldn’t be here, sweetheart,” she said, her voice soft and soothing.

“I missed you, Mama.” My voice broke as tears streamed down my face.

She smiled again. “I missed you too, but it’s not your time. You have to go back!”

The scene before me started to blur, fading into darkness.

I called out one last time.

***

“Mama…please!” I sobbed.

Suddenly, I was awake, my own voice pulling me from sleep. My cheeks were wet with tears; I never cried.

A hand gently cradled my face, a large thumb brushing away the tears.

“Sshh, sweetheart, it’s okay!” he said.

I tensed, recognizing the voice. It was Kane, Alpha Kane. Why was he here? Was he here to finish what his beta had started?

A sharp pain made me whimper.

“Sshh, stay still, sweetheart. Just open your eyes for me.”

His hand remained on my face, sending a tingle through my body. “It…it hurts,” I stuttered, keeping my eyes shut tight.

His hand moved from my cheek to my forehead, his thumb gently massaging.

“I know, sweetheart. Just try and open your eyes.”

I finally did, looking up at him.

I gasped. He was smiling gently at me. I expected anger, like Beta Nathan’s, but there was none.

His dark brown eyes were soft, a gentleness I hadn’t seen before. No man had ever looked at me like that, not even my father, not even when I was a child.

Kane’s dark brown hair was neatly trimmed, and he had a well-groomed beard. I’d seen many men and rogues, but none as handsome as Alpha Kane.

“Such beautiful eyes,” he murmured. “Now, where does it hurt?”

I blinked, trying to gather my thoughts.

I moved my hand toward my nose, but he quickly stopped me, gently holding my hand.

“No, sweetheart, don’t touch it!” he ordered.

I gasped again. His voice was gentle but firm, as if his words alone could make you obey. That scared me.

Kane lifted my hand and pressed his lips to my knuckles.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said.

I stared at him, speechless. Kane chuckled, then looked across the room. “Lena, can we get my little friend here some pain relief?”

I hadn’t noticed anyone else in the room. Usually, I would have. Even if I couldn’t see them, I would have picked up their scent. But right now, all I could smell was him.

I looked at the woman approaching me. She was tall and beautiful, her black hair shiny and styled in a short bob. Her eyes were a deep blue, and she had a warm smile. She must be his mate. I felt a pang of jealousy.

“This may sting a bit,” she warned, holding a needle.

I watched as she pulled back the blanket covering me and gasped. My clothes were gone. I was in just my underwear.

But that wasn’t the worst part; there was a large bandage across my stomach.

“Wh…what did you do to me?” I whimpered, trying to sit up.

The pain intensified, and I hissed.

Kane quickly held me by the shoulders and pushed me back down. “It’s okay. You were bleeding. The doctor had to operate,” he explained quickly.

Lena, who I assumed was the doctor, held my leg and injected me with the contents of the syringe.

I winced, but it was over quickly. I was more concerned about what they had done to me and where my clothes were, until I started to feel drowsy.

“Wh…what did you just give me?” I started to panic, my breathing becoming erratic.

Kane looked at Lena.

“It’s okay,” Lena said, “it’s just a painkiller; it might make you sleepy. You need to rest to heal!”

This didn’t calm me down at all.

“I want to leave!” I screamed, trying to sit up.

Kane held me by my shoulders, his thumb rubbing circles. “Just stay calm, sweetheart. This is for your own good.”

He didn’t understand. None of them did. My heart pounded, and I gasped for air.

“Please... He’s gonna kill me!” I pleaded.

Kane frowned. “Who... who’s going to kill you?”

My breathing was ragged as I struggled for air. “And Terence... he’s going to…”

I clutched my chest, trying to catch my breath.

“Who the fuck is Terence?!” Kane growled.

I whimpered, barely breathing when I saw the anger in Kane’s face.

Kane looked horrified as he saw the fear in my eyes and realized how much he had scared me.

He put one hand on my back and the other on the back of my head, pulling me into his chest.

“Be careful, Kane! She’ll rip her stitches!” Lena snapped.

Kane glared at her and retorted, “It won’t matter if she stops breathing or has a heart attack, will it?!”

Kane shifted his focus back to me, his face softening along with his voice. His hand traced a path on my bare back. “Hush now, just breathe,” he cooed.

A gasp escaped my lips, my back arching in response to his touch. It was like a jolt of electricity coursing through me.

This wasn’t the same jolt Nathan had given me; this was pure pleasure, reaching deep within me.

My breaths started to steady as his hand kept up its soothing rhythm on my back.

“No one’s going to lay a finger on you...” Kane paused before asking, “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

I blinked, the drug clouding my senses.

“K... Katie,” I managed to whisper, my eyelids growing heavy.

Gently, Kane eased me back onto the bed. “Well, little Katie, no one is going to touch you because you’re mine. You belong to me,” he murmured, a soft growl in his voice.

“I... I don’t want to belong to anyone...,” I mumbled, the drug lulling me into a peaceful darkness.