Chapter 12

Vladimir

The male with white hair scratches the back of his head and looks around him, scanning the hallways. The Pack House is unusually quiet; there are no pups running around or teenagers shyly glancing at those they like. While I have never been a real member of the Silver Pack, I know there is a special bond between a werewolf and his pack. They can mind link, a thing I could never do since, technically, I am still a rogue. When Ana's parents died, everyone felt it. From what I understood, when a pack member returns to the Moon Goddess, a part of the pack's heart goes with him. I might not feel that pain, but knowing Mr. and Mrs. Radu died because they wanted to help me hurts so badly, and I want to claw my heart out of my chest. But Ana needs me, so for her sake, I must carry on. She rejected Mikael and has no relatives left in Romania. A cousin of Mrs. Radu lives in Paris, but Ana doesn’t want to move there. My eyes fell on my hands. Ana is smart and works hard, but since she lost everything because of me, she is my responsibility now. Elena might be my mate, but I know she will never accept me. I don't know what will happen to me next, but if I am not thrown in prison or sent to Siberia, where the cruel Forsaken werewolves live, I will provide for Ana.

"I think he got away," the male finally replies to Elena, and she growls in annoyance.

"And what are you still doing here? Go search for him and his Beta!" Elena huffs. The male turns on his heels, but Elena stops him. "Mark, take William with you!" she tells him.

Mark enters the office, and moments later, he and the other male, William, disappear down the hall.

I am left alone with Elena, and I don't know what to say to her. Her scent is maddening, and I feel Derayu wanting to free himself from the prison and claim his mate. I add more walls to the jail, fearing he will escape. He lets me know how angry he is and stops sharing his strength with me. Suddenly, my body starts throbbing with pain, and my knees buck. I grit my teeth and lean against the wall.

Elena looks at me with a poker face. "You need medical help."

I shake my head. I will heal like I always do. "Wh-w-what wi-will h-happen to m-me n-now?"

"You have been accused of a crime. It is a serious accusation. Max had no right to keep you as a slave and should have let the Council of the Elders know what happened. You will come with me to my pack," Elena says, and I can't stop myself and look into her eyes. "There will be an investigation and possibly a trial. If you are found innocent, you are free to do as you are pleased; if not..." she shrugs. "We will see what happens when that moment arrives."

Before I became a slave, when my family was still alive, we used to live in a small rogue community. It was pretty much like a pack, only without the ties between the werewolves. There was no Alpha either, and anyone was free to come or leave. There were rules, of course, and everyone was nice and helpful. A small school was built in the middle of the community, and all the adults took turns teaching the pups writing, reading, or calculus. I never finished my studies, but I have no problem working for many hours. I am sure I can earn enough money to secure a small house and put food on the table for Ana. I am used to eating little to nothing, so keeping Ana fed won't be a problem.

"As for the other thing," Elena keeps talking, and I know she is referring to us being soulmates, "I can't accept you!" I nod because I have known it from the beginning. "It would be better if we reject each other and be done with it. I, Elena Albu, a vampire huntress and member of the—"

I know I should accept her rejection without any demand, but the idea of losing my mate the same day I found her breaks something inside me. "C-can I me-meet yo-your wo-wolf?"

Elena tilts her head to the side and reluctantly nods. Her eyes turn amber, and she smells like wildflowers. The little wolf looks at me with longing, and my heart hurts for her. If not for my actions, she would not have been put in the position of losing her mate.

Derayu stops scratching the invisible walls that surround him and focuses his attention on his mate. I take a few steps towards her, and Derayu once more shares his strength with me. The pain disappears, and all I can think about is the adorable she-wolf in front of me. She meets me halfway, wraps her arms around my waist, and presses her cheek to my chest. A shiver runs down my spine, and I feel sparks all over my body. I close my eyes, put my arms around her and inhale deeply, wanting to remember her scent until the day I leave this world behind.

"Wh-what is y-your na-name?" I ask her.

"Mia!" she replies without hesitation.

'Mia,' I repeat the name in my head. I like how it sounds. I try to say it out loud. "Mi-M-Mia." I feel her smiling against my skin. "C-can I-I ki-kiss y-you?" My eyes go wide with the realization of what I have asked, and I wish I could take my words back, but it is too late.

Mia looks up at me with those beautiful amber eyes, and I expect to find anger in them, but all I can see is happiness. "Yes," she says and closes her eyes.

I don't want my first and last kiss with her to be in a hallway where anyone can interrupt us at any time, so I grab her hand and lead her down the hall. When I pass in front of the office, I see Ana sitting on a chair and staring at nothing while tears run down her cheeks. I feel guilty for not being with her, but I want a moment with my mate. After she rejects me, I will take care of Ana.

I lead Mia to the kitchen, and seeing it empty makes me want to kill Alpha Max for what he did to Ana and her parents. I open the back door, pull Mia into the backyard, and look at her. A cold wind rustles the almost empty branches of the trees.

"Vladimir," she purrs, and I close my eyes. So long has passed since someone said my name I forgot what it sounds like.

I put my arms around her, my palm resting on her back. "M-Mia," I whisper her name and bury my face in the crook of her neck. I run my nose up and down her skin, inhaling her scent, and she trembles. "I-I a-am so-sorry," I tell her and lift my head.

"For what?" she asks.

"F-for n-not be-being th-the m-mate yo-you de-deserve," I reply.

Mia frowns and stands on her tiptoes. "Elena is a fool for not wanting you!" she says and puts her arms around my neck. "But I do," she says against my lips.

If I were free to do as I see fit with my life, I would have loved Elena and Mia with all my heart.

I press my lips to hers, and they are softer than I imagined. While it is not my first kiss, it is the one I have waited for my entire life. I bite her plum lip, seeking permission for her, and when she opens her mouth, I push my tongue inside it and taste her. Her incredible taste explodes in my mouth, and I angle her head so I can kiss her deeper.

If I could, I would never stop kissing her. 

Derayu wants to get out, to claim and breed our mate, but I ignore him as I keep kissing Mia.

When I break the kiss, I am breathing hard, and Mia looks flustered.

"Can I meet your wolf?" she asks.

I shake my head, and she frowns. "H-he i-is n-not s-safe. H-he is fe-feral."