Some time later, Lucky opened her green eyes, her vision hazy at first. She took in her surroundings, looking for the familiar walls and windows of the suite in Vegas. Where was she?
Slowly her confusion dissipated, replaced by euphoria. She was free! They had done it! She and Nyah had gotten out of that hell! They were probably all over the news as the giant black wolf loose in Vegas. She had to pinch herself and even when it hurt she still wasn't sure she wasn't dreaming. She was no longer going to be forced to have sex with strangers and pretend to like it. No more beatings. No more sick, twisted rich people! The vile, disgusting, smelly, greasy human waste piles were dead!
The events of the previous evening were a bit of a blur. She remembered blood, lots of it, clawing her way through the wretches, a lot of blood. Nyah had been soaked in it.
She recalled grabbing one of the money bags, running out of the building, and washing herself off in the fountain. She felt a bit embarrassed, remembering the screams of horror from some, and then there were others who looked on like it was some kind of Vegas show. "Sorry to ruin your vacation photos folks, but sometimes a wolf just doesn't want to be covered in nasty smelling blood." Nyah and Lucky shared a laugh about the memory.
She wondered if they had found the men yet. She wondered what they would think. No one had seen her, other than the players, in a room with no cameras for obvious reasons.
The only thing capable of doing what had been done on that floor had surely seen exiting the building, and that was her wolf. She wasn't naive enough to believe an investigation wouldn't try to connect the dots. She knew that no dot could possibly land on her human form, and she wondered if they would ever figure out what had happened. She doubted they would ever conclude that a young woman was to be the grand prize in an illegal poker game, but in a surprise turn of events, she turned in to a huge black wolf and killed her captors, making her escape. She didn't think she was in any danger of being caught. She doubted that anyone in the illegal human trafficking ring, if they caught wind of what happened somehow, would want anything to do with her. She felt no remorse for what she had done, nor did Nyah. What those evil people were doing was so wrong that if anything she had been too merciful, making their deaths quick.
She shook her head, once again taking in her surroundings and wondering how she had run in to this wolf, right as she had started to worry about what to do next. Escape had been the main plan and she hadn't thought far beyond it, only enough that she had grabbed the bag of money to start a new life. She'd had a moment of a different kind of fear, finding herself alone in the dark, vast desert that went on in all directions as far as one could see. Running in to this wolf had been a Lucky break, pun intended.
She was inside a rather high quality tent, with the stranger she felt like she had known forever. She remembered that she had fainted. How long had it been? She peeked out the front flap. It was dark outside, that initially terrifying inky black dark, but the sky was spattered with so many stars! The desert air had a bite to it, chilly at night. She had no idea where she was or what was going to happen but she was free!
She noticed that she was wearing a large black sweatshirt, a pair of sweatpants that could easily have fit two of her in each leg, and a pair of warm, thick grey socks. Her hair felt clean, as though it had been washed. She supposed maybe the man had dressed her in some of his clothes, she would have been naked once she shifted out of wolf form. She noticed a few sparkles of glitter, and half laughed half shuddered at the memory.
She heard a snore and saw the man, the one she met when he was a big black wolf, sleeping peacefully in a a red sleeping bag. A yellowish dog, who looked like a slightly plump Labrador, curled up next to him with his head on the man's shoulder. The man's arm encircled the dog, who was snoring louder than his human.
Lucky couldn't help but smile, they were so cute, laying like that. Nyah chuckled at the sight as well, finding the concept of a wolf having a pet dog entertaining.
What was it about this guy that made her feel safe? What was going on? She had a feeling Nyah might be able to explain some of it, so she asked her to explain as best she could what this current turn of events was all about.
"Well," Nyah began, "each werewolf has both the wolf and human souls bound together. The Moon Goddess created us this way. We can get in to more of werewolf history later, but what you are wanting to know now is about fated mates."
"Fated mates? Is this wolf my fated mate?"
"Yes, he is. You can tell that because of the energy between the two of you. The way he makes you feel safe. Given what you have been through I can see why the Moon Goddess thought it would be best for you to meet your mate quickly, to help you move past the trauma of what has been done to you by other men."
"How do I know he is my mate?" Lucky couldn't deny what her wolf was saying was true, and that Nyah made sense, though Lucky remained a bit skeptical.
"Well, here is one test. I want you to reach out and touch him. Anywhere, just press your hand against his chest."
"What if I wake him?"
"Trust me, he won't mind." Nyah insisted. So Lucky did what her wolf told her to do and touched her palm to the sleeping man's bare chest. Electric sparks seemed to flow between them. She pulled her hand back in surprise! Nyah continued, "those electric sparks you feel are part of the mate bond. You and he, and I and his wolf, were made for one another by the Moon Goddess."
Lucky gave her an incredulous look. "So what happens next?"
Nyah chuckled. "Normally, you probably would have gotten it on like two horny teenagers and marked one another by now. Marking is where he bites your neck, and you bite his. It comes naturally and solidifies the mate bond. One it is made, it cannot be undone until one of you dies."
Lucky considered all of this. It was a lot to digest given where she had just come from. "What's up with the dog?" The Labrador had woken up and made its way across the tent to snuggle up against Lucky, gazing at her adoringly. He was awfully cute. She admired his sweet brown eyes, he was a master of puppy dog eyes, this one! She petted his soft fur, scratched behind his ears. He let out a contented sigh and laid his head on Lucky's belly, snoring again in no time.
"I think he likes you," the man spoke, startling her. She continued petting the dog, sure she had turned ten shades of red. She was more embarrassed by her jumpy reaction than anything else.
"I like him too," Lucky replied. "What's his name?" Heck, what's your name? She laughed at herself, thinking of the Carrie Underwood song.
"His name is Mr. Flaps. Or Flappy, he doesn't mind being called Flappy. He seems to think it is a compliment, his ears do flap quite nicely in the wind, but mainly he got the name from what he does when he catches a rabbit. He flaps it back and forth, to kill it quickly so it doesn't suffer and we have dinner."
"Flappy," Nyah snorted. She was laughing her wolfy head off. "He should have seen what I did to those demonic bastards. That was some flapping for sure." Lucky couldn't help herself, a giggle escaped her.
She hoped the man wouldn't be offended, "I was laughing at my wolf. We have been through some shit, putting it mildly. My name is Lucky," she told him, with what she hoped was a charming smile.
"I'm Traven." He smiled back. "My wolf wants to be sure Nyah knows his name as well. It's Miles."
"Well, Traven, it's nice to meet you, Miles, and Flappy." She felt happier than she had felt in so long, the whole situation felt so cozy, so perfect.
They lay in their sleeping bags, silent for a moment. Lucky finally broke the silence, saying "you probably are wondering what I was doing running through the desert like that."
"Well, Lucky, from the state you were in I imagine you were running from something. And that, my little mate, is something I can well understand." Traven sighed deeply. "You probably dreamed of your mate being an Alpha or a Beta, not a Rogue like me."
"What do you mean? What is an Alpha? Beta? And what is a Rogue?" Lucky was confused. "I guess I should tell you, I had no idea I was a werewolf until about a month ago. I was raised as a human, in an orphanage, so I am assuming my parents were werewolves. But I had no idea. I'm sure glad I am, though. Or I would still be in that hell." Lucky shuddered
Traven burst out laughing, "oh my little mate, what am I going to do with you?" He shook his head. "How about we get a good nights rest and we can get started on your werewolf education in the morning?"
"Sounds great." Lucky scooted closer to Traven, laying her head against his chest. Flappy adjusted his position accordingly. Soon, all were wrapped in sleep's embrace.