Reagan's Pov
"Alpha," Joy and Festus said to me as I walked pass them. They had callouses look on their faces, but they looked essentially content.
"What's the matter?" I said to them as they ran to me, both of them not taller than the hinds of my knees.
"We're hungry," they said.
Joy was the very blonde one and Festus hair seemed to have the semblance of sand, it was dirty blonde.
"Where is your mother?" I asked calmly.
Right at that moment, I heard an old truck pull over. Not long after, the front door opened and a very blonde woman stepped in, she had a look of surprise and dread plastered on her face when she saw me.
"Alpha… king," She muttered quietly. She was dressed in one of those old coattails that were popular worn during winter and she was wearing a winter cap similar to that of her children, except hers was pink.
"Camille," I said, adding a bit of pressure to my tone when I spoke. "Where have you been? The children are hungry." Her face dropped down to the floor. Then she quietly placed the full sack she was carrying and walked over to me causing the two children to look over to her with excitement on their faces. She crouched down to face them. "Have you two been waiting long?"
"Momma, I'm hungry." Festus said.
"Oh honey, I'm sorry.." Camille said softly, a huge contrast to what I actually knew her as.
"Momma, me is hungry too." Said Joy.
Camille embraced them both and once they were secured in her presence, she told them. "I'll go to prepare you something yummy."
"Like what?" Festus pressed.
"Goat meat."
I looked to the bag Camille had brought in, tracing the scent of human blood in it. I swallowed, she still hadn't let go of that past incident, had she?
"Momma I want rice and stew!" Joy said demandingly.
"Don't worry, I'll give you rice and stew." The Camille I knew would never give into any demands asked of her so easily.
I wondered to myself. Was this how having something to protect changed people?
"Come on now, let's go." Camille locked pinkies with her children and gave me a far away look before she left.
Her scent lingered and I briefly noticed the yellow scarf around her neck before losing sight of her.
I exhaled lightly, thinking to myself. Was I the same way as Camille now? Open. Vulnerable.
Once upon time, I was a devilish beast and I had a tracker with me who was the same, if not worse than me. However, she fell in love with an Omega werewolf of a weak clan that she decided to stop working for me but I told her no and that it wasn't worth it. But she choosed her path, and I only let her go once I discovered that she was pregnant with her mates babies.
But then, one thing happened that seperated her from her human side completely. On the day of her delivery in a human village, her mate was discovered to be a werewolf so he was taken away to be killed and the other humans came to take her babies and she couldn't protect them due to her weakened state.
It was only when she recovered she went to find her mate and found him protecting their children with his fur body. He had died, all the while without defending himself from the onslaught of the humans. And the humans were afraid to be close to him because 'according to the rumours' he sprang back to life whenever anyone attempted to hurt a single one of his babies.
Camille has still not forgiven any of them for killing her mate so she hunts every one of them down and kill their descendants too. I had tried to stop her from doing it but now that I had my mate, I couldn't anymore. Even without knowing her, my instincts told me that I would ruin anyone who tried to hurt her. Then I remembered my lifeline. The sweetest of them all. It was the moment I laid my eyes on my mate.
My eyes glinted as I wondered, what she was doing right now. I was not comfortable with her in prison but I was more than okay going to make sure she was fine. I didn't care what that made me. Many would assume that I was conceited because I was king but that couldn't be farther from the truth.
I cared about every single one of my people, especially felt maybe a little bit possessive of them as though they were my own flesh but that had a reason. We had to be a little more on guard because the outside world didn't know about us, but most especially because they were cruel. Camille has had her fair share of experiences related to that topic.
I didn't want anything similar to happen to me. This thought somehow made me grew even more restless so I decided to go and see her.
I walked through thc hallway to the underground prison and the moment my man guards saw me, they bowed and saluted. I ignored them and headed straight for the array of locked prison cells. The guard in charge of my mate saw me and immediately went to unlocking the padlock by the door. He opened the door and I stepped in. Her scent overwhelmed me and the monster in me was excited. I held back, pulling in the reins of the deep feelings I was going through.
Then I walked towards the bench she was laying, instantly feeling bad for the way it looked. Was it comfortable enough was her was what I was wondering. But that thought didn't plague me as much as seeing her struggle in her sleep.
I raised a finger to touch her and then hesitated.
There was consequences for unlocking love with a touch. I didn't know if I was ready for that, but most importantly, I didn't want my mate to feel rushed and pressured all for the sake of my own lust.
My brows furrowed and I felt a deep pain in my chest once I realized that perhaps there were infirmities she was dealing with before she met me which put her into such fear that she even dreamed about It.
I shook my head.
If I ever find out…
Then her eyes began to flutter open. As though there was a switch in me, I began to relax the tensions about my face and body until I was eerily calm. I wanted to be the most safe and secure person to her and I really hoped she knew that I was going to be there for her at all times. She was mine as I was hers, the bond was meant to last for life.
When she fully stirred awake, she seemed almost surprised to see me. And if I could, I'd capture the moment with my eyes and keep it in my memory forever. She was fully an angel to behold.
Then I invited her to walk with me. She said something witty and strong but I was willing to drop even my life for her if she asked. She was the most beautiful being I'd ever come across and I just wanted to slow down the moments between us so I could enjoy every blessed time with her. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself internally as my mate said the most strong words to me but I could not even take offense in it. The love I had for her in my heart overpassed every offensive thing she may say to me. But when I reached out to her concerning how she was my fated, her response to it wounded my spirit. I would not lie.
Even the way she looked at me when she uttered that statement. It was as a sharp thousand daggers reaching my heart.
I wasn't done processing my feelings on how to respond when she turned away from me, leaving me wanting more than I met her.
Oh dear soul, I thought. If only you know how much the need of your love has wounded me.
And if only I could tear open my heart and show you how abundantly my oceans of peace and unity prays for you. That you will find me in love, and rejoice over me concerning the love that I have over you. Although I am Alpha and king. For you, I am man and wolf, yours. Forever yours.
I watched silently, my beast inside scrawling and fighting me on the ribcage to escape and go to her. Behold, the burden of mine I have to bear.
I've unlocked love for her without meaning to. It was like the automatic brunt in my soul being filled up automatically upon seeing her, only to be firmly uprooted after knowing her.