Stealing His Mate

Sebastian

The whole ride home, Lila’s words kept echoing in my head. It was like a twisted version of Cinderella.

The evil stepmother, the spiteful sister, and then there was me. I was far from being a prince charming.

No wonder she wouldn’t eat. Her words kept playing on repeat in my mind: I’ll never submit to you, not ever. I’ll die first. I thought she was just being dramatic, I didn’t think she meant it.

I couldn’t understand why it was such a big deal. All wolves submitted to their pack alpha. What made this situation so different?

I wondered if she knew what her father had done to her mother, or that his other mate had killed her. The other mystery was who had murdered the luna. It couldn’t have been Alpha James. He didn’t seem to have the guts for that.

I was tempted to go back there. Confront him, but I needed to get back to Skylar. My first priority was to make sure she didn’t starve herself to death. The Moonstone Pack could wait.

Then I would have to figure out a way to make her mine. Usually, she-wolves were all over me. Just my luck that my second chance mate despised me.

The odds of finding her mate would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Plus, if I killed him and she found out, it would be the end of the line. I needed a different plan.

I wasn’t sure if I was capable of wooing any female, but I could try to be a bit gentler. If I kept her in my territory and was careful about who I let in, her mate wouldn’t be an issue.

Little Skylar was mine, and I planned to keep it that way.

By the time I got back home, I had been gone for two days. It took about a day to get to Lila’s cottage, and another day to return.

Five days.

If she was still refusing to eat, it would have been five days.

When the doors to the pack house opened, Kyrian was there to welcome me.

“How is she?” I asked immediately.

Kyrian just shrugged.

“What do you mean?” I growled. “I trust you to take care of everything while I’m gone, and all you do is shrug?”

Kyrian sighed.

“I have, I do. But that doesn’t include chasing after rogues and prisoners. That’s not my job.”

I narrowed my eyes.

He was against me bringing her back from the start. Now he would just let her die.

My wolf tried to surface, but I managed to keep control, only letting out a growl.

I think it was my wolf that felt the connection to Skylar more than I did. Although he did want her submission. He was alpha after all.

“I’ll deal with you later,” I hissed.

Then I turned and headed toward the dungeon.

As I walked down the stone steps, I hoped I would catch a mate scent. It would mean that her first mate had chosen another path.

The only scent I got was the smell of a rogue.

When a wolf is made a rogue, the scent is very faint. The longer they stay a rogue, the stronger the scent becomes. I needed to get her into my pack, one way or another.

I didn’t know which cell they had put her in, so I just followed my nose.

When I saw her lying on the cold stone floor, I lost it.

She still had the ropes tied around her wrists.

The tiny nightdress clung to her body, soaked with sweat.

How could they just leave her like this? I know I told them to put her down here five days ago, but I didn’t tell them to leave her tied up.

I grabbed the cell door and using my alpha strength, I ripped it off its hinges.

One of the guards came running in, to see what the noise was.

“Get these fucking ropes off her now,” I growled. “Then get me some water.”

I dropped to my knees and cradled her in my arms while he cut through the ropes with a knife.

I pressed my hand to her forehead. She was ice cold, but she was breathing. I guess that was something.

She moaned, as her eyelids fluttered open.

She stared at me.

“You…” she mumbled, “won’t… submit.”

I gently brushed a loose hair from her sweat-soaked forehead.

“Shh, Skylar. I know,” I whispered.

Luke, the guard on duty, handed me a bottle of water.

I pressed the rim to her lips, but she shook her head.

Skylar gently shook her head.

“Just drink,” I ordered.

I dribbled some water over her partially opened lips.

She was still trying to resist me, even now. Her need for water overpowered her refusal to comply.

I gently stroked her cheek with my thumb.

“Still being a stubborn little one, even now.”

She closed her eyes, silently giving up the fight. I knew she didn’t want to, but her body was telling her otherwise.

This time, when I dribbled the water, she opened her mouth willingly.

“Good girl,” I praised. “But I really wish you didn’t nearly have to die to do as you were told.”

She sighed heavily. If she’d had the strength she would have argued, but she didn’t.

She opened her eyes and stared at me.

Then she opened her mouth to speak.

I shook my head and pressed my finger to her lips.

“Save your strength, Skylar,” I told her sternly.

She sighed again and closed her eyes.

She didn’t struggle as I picked her up and carried her bridal style from the dungeons. Either she didn’t have the fight left in her, or she didn’t have the energy.

I somehow thought it was likely to be the latter.

As I walked, I mind-linked the pack doctor.

I need you in my chamber!

When I reached my room, I kicked open the door and gently laid her on the bed.

Skylar’s eyes fluttered open, tears pooling in them.

I stroked her face gently.

“Shh,” I soothed.

I shouldn’t have been surprised really. She had been through a lot. Maybe I should have been more understanding.

I hadn’t intended for her to be starved of food and water.

I couldn’t believe she was still tied up. Why hadn’t the guards untied her?

A single tear slipped down her cheek.

“P-please don’t…” she pleaded.

Her voice was so soft, I almost missed it.

I frowned, confused.

What was she asking me not to do? For the first time, I could smell her fear. What was she scared of? Me? She hadn’t been scared before, just defiant and stubborn.

“Skylar, what’s wrong? You need to tell me,” I said, trying to understand.

Her eyes squeezed shut, and a sob slipped out.

“P-please don’t…force me,” she cried. “To…to…mate.”

I was taken aback. My wolf stirred within me.

Not with desire, even though we both felt the pull towards this small wolf, but with anger. Why would she think I would do that?

I pushed him back, keeping a lid on both his fury and mine.

“Skylar, look at me,” I commanded.

She opened her eyes, brimming with tears that were ready to fall.

I gently brushed her face.

“I would never…not unless you wanted me to. Why would you think that? Is that why you wouldn’t submit to me, as your alpha?”

Her lip quivered, and she nodded.

“Sh-She told me, that’s what you would do.”

I clenched my jaw. She? Who was she? There was only one person I could think of… her sister.

Before I could ask, there was a loud knock on the door.

Skylar jumped, whimpering.

I pushed our conversation to the back of my mind. I needed to focus on her well-being.

“Come in,” I called to the door, before turning back to Skylar.

I took her hand in mine, gently rubbing my thumb over her knuckles.

“It’s just the doctor.”

She seemed to relax a bit, the scent of her fear starting to fade. I hoped she believed me. I might be harsh at times, but I would never do that.

As the doctor walked in, he raised an eyebrow and wrinkled his nose.

When I glared at him, he bowed and offered his throat in submission.

I knew he wanted to question why I had a female rogue in my room, but that was none of his concern.

By the end of tomorrow, she wouldn’t be a rogue anymore; I’d make sure of that.

“She has silver and Wolfsbane burns. She’s also dehydrated and has some other minor injuries,” I informed him.

The doctor nodded and approached the bed.

Skylar tensed as he came closer, so I wrapped my arm around her, gently pulling her against me. She looked at me nervously for a moment, then seemed to relax a bit.

My hand rested on her hip. I gently rubbed circles with my thumb. I could almost feel the soft texture of her flawless skin through the thin fabric of her nightgown.

No, Skylar, I would never force you, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t starting to desire her perfect little body.

I pressed my lips to the top of her head, inhaling her scent.

I wondered what she would smell like without the rogue scent. Was this the start of the mate bond? Could it mean that her destined mate was getting close to another she-wolf?

Hope bloomed in my heart, especially when she looked at me softly with those beautiful green eyes, like a thousand emeralds sparkling in the light.

The doctor cleared his throat.

“She has a slight fever that will pass when her wolf re-emerges. The wounds on her legs and feet will heal normally, I just need to bandage her wrists and hands and apply a salve.”

I nodded and smiled at Skylar.

“See, you’ll be as good as new in no time.”

While the doctor applied the bandages, I held her. Running my fingers up and down her side, occasionally giving her delicate body a gentle squeeze.

I closed my eyes, picturing her lying there naked for me.

When he was done, the doctor stood up.

“I would suggest feeding her, little and often. Get her to drink as much fluid as she can.”

I nodded and watched as he left.

I rested my hands on Skylar’s shoulders, gently massaging the back of her neck with my thumbs. She visibly relaxed as my thumbs moved across her soft skin.

“Now we need to find you some clean clothes, and get you cleaned up,” I suggested.

She was about to say she could do it herself, but then she glanced at her bandaged hands.

I chuckled.

“You’re just going to have to let me take care of you, aren’t you.”