"Thank you so much, Rose. I don't know what I would've done without you," Mr. Witmer said as he shook my hand happily. He was holding his mate and bringing her close to his side.
"You don't have to thank me. I only did what I had to do," I replied with a small smile even though I knew that they couldn't see me.
I felt Lucian's gaze on me as he stood by my side.
"It's rude to stare, you know," I said as I watched the Witmer couple leave.
Rose was howling happily inside of me at the thought of her mate being different than his father and the bloody council. He actually came to help.
I even noticed that he was wearing a special outfit to help him fight, and he also had his weapons ready.
Looks like he, too, was on a mission.
"Not rude if I'm looking at something that belongs to me," he answered with a smirk.
I growled at him. "I'm not an object for you to own," I snapped and turned around to leave.
How dare he? Even if I were his mate, we're equal.
I knew that he didn't really mean it in a bad way, but I was too nervous. I couldn't face him without my nerves going into overdrive.
"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I promise," he pleaded as he marched up next to me.
He grabbed my hand to stop me from walking when I didn't answer.
Sparks immediately shot up my arm, and it felt as if someone had started a firework festival in my body.
"Please," he pleaded once more as he stared into my eyes.
We remained this way for what seemed like forever, and truth be told, I didn't want it to end.
"Why did you come help them?" I found myself asking softly.
Lucian seemed to know what I meant as he answered.
"Same reason you did," he replied with a ghost smile on his lips.
"Maybe." I shrugged my shoulders.
His smile widened into a grin.
"Aren't you going to remove that mask and show me your face?" he asked the question I was dreading.
My blood drained from my face, and my words were caught in my throat.
I couldn't show him my face. Better yet, he couldn't know who I was.
What would he think when he realized that his mate was actually nothing but a slave working for her pack?
Lucian noticed my silence as he sighed.
"Would it really be that bad if I saw you?" he asked hesitantly. His eyes were sad, and I felt very guilty.
"Soon. You'll eventually know, no doubt," I stated the obvious.
Wasn't it always like that? Weren't secrets always bound to be revealed one way or another? It was inevitable, but at least I knew that it wasn't now.
Lucian sighed. "Yeah."
We both turned to look at the WinterHails as they scrambled around tidying where the battle took place.
It was a comfortable silence until Lucian spoke.
"Um...Rose?" he called, making me turn to look at him. "That is your name, right?" he asked hesitantly with a raised eyebrow.
I hesitated a bit before begrudgingly nodding my head.
It was my wolf's name, not really mine, and I hated how I was lying to him like that.
"Um...okay, then," I mumbled. His eyes screamed to ask a question, but he seemed very hesitant to speak.
"What is it, Lucian?" I asked after a while.
He sighed before speaking. "Why did you kill those rogues, Rose?" he asked as he looked intently at me.
Once again, my words were caught in my throat.
I turned my body away from him, so now he faced my back.
"I had my reasons." That was my only reply.
A part of me hated that he thought I was a killer, while the other part worried like a maniac thinking that he'd just straight out reject me.
Rose howled inside of me in pain, but I kept my composure.
"Are you one of the good guys or the bad?" I heard Lucian ask.
"What do you think?" I asked back in a low tone. I wanted to know what ran through his head, what he thought of me, and what he thought of this whole situation.
"Well," he started as I felt him walk up in front of me.
"From what I saw tonight, I have no doubt in my mind that you work for the good," he continued.
He held my chin with his index and thumb, raising my head so he'd look into my eyes.
"And I wouldn't care even if you were on the bad side. You'd still have me by your side," he finished with a warm smile.
The butterflies in my stomach started World War III, and thankfully, I had a mask on, so Lucian wouldn't see my flaming cheeks.
By my side? Rose was howling in joy, but then a realization hit me.
No, no, no. He couldn't get himself involved else he got hurt because of me. I couldn't live with myself.
I'd already lost my parents, and I wasn't ready to lose him.
I gently pushed his hand away.
"This concerns me and not you. Don't get involved," I said in monotone before jumping quickly to the nearest tree branch.
I heard Lucian call after me, but I didn't dare stop jumping from one tree to the other or turn to look at him.
I grabbed my bag, which I had kept hidden on a tree, before jumping my way back to my packhouse, ignoring the only person who mattered to me the most of all in this world.