Chapter 16: Don’t Know What To Do

-Serena-

The two wolves looked at each other, and it was like they were having a silent conversation between them for a moment, while I just stood there watching them. I wasn’t sure what to think of all of this. Why had Rogan brought me here? What was he going to do with me? Why did no one else know I was going to be brought here? I found it hard to believe they had prepared a torture party for me if this one was so shocked by my presence. No, it was clear Rogan had worked on his own, but why? What did he gain from bringing me here?

“Alpha, why?!” the other werewolf asked.

“Rhys, I …”

Rogan looked at me, and I looked up at him before he turned to this Rhys.

“I had to.”

“Why?!” he asked. “She is a hunter!”

“And also, my mate.”

Rhys turned dead quiet, and just stared at Rogan for a long time, who eventually looked at the ground in front of him, clearly not sure what to say. So, it seemed like everyone hated the fact that Rogan had chosen me or … I had been chosen as his mate. I still didn’t get what it was really about, but clearly, it was a big deal for these animals, and the anger showing in this other man’s eyes, just told me no one was going to be happy about this.

“No …”

“Yes,” Rogan said.

Rhys turned to me, his eyes so damn cold and looking like he was ready to kill me. Rogan stepped in front of me though and blocked me from his view.

“Alpha, you need to kill her, or let us,” Rhys said.

I looked around Rogan, able to see Rhys now. This one meant business. I could see it in his eyes. He wanted me dead, and I couldn’t say I was surprised. Rogan surprised me though, protecting me with his whole body, what the hell? I couldn’t really understand that, and my head was trying to tell me he wasn’t really protecting me, he just had to keep me safe in order to make sure he kept himself safe. He said when you had found your mate, they became important to you, and you would do anything for them, so I could only assume me dying wouldn’t really do anything good for Rogan.

“I can’t …”

“Rogan!” Rhys said.

Rogan shook his head, and Rhys groaned, running a hand down his face, and looking so damn lost.

“You can’t be serious! Who else knows?”

“No one,” Rogan said.

“And you planned to … what? Bring her here and keep her in your bedroom?” he asked.

What?!

“Of course not,” Rogan said.

Oh, phew.

“I was planning to show her my world.”

His … what now?

“You can’t alpha. She is dangerous!”

I couldn’t deny that.

“She is still my mate,” Rogan said. “I can’t kill her. At least not yet.”

At least not yet?

”What does that mean?” Rhys asked.

Rogan looked over his shoulder and down at me. I looked up at him. He was so damn tall. All werewolves were, but the males were even taller, and I just barely reached his chest. Rogan turned around and then pulled a set of handcuffs from a pocket in his jacket.

“You can’t be serious,” I said. “You took those with you?!”

Rogan didn’t say anything and instead took my arm, cuffing me to the damn railing of the small staircase that led to the front doors.

“Don’t move,” he said.

“Couldn’t even if I wanted to,” I just said sarcastically, as I watched the two wolves walk inside, closing the door.

I could still hear their voices a little, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

“Fucking great,” I just whispered, as I stood there cuffed to the railing, watching the sun move higher and higher up in the sky.

It was strangely … calming.

-Rogan-

“Why are you doing this?!” Rhys asked. “What has gotten into you?!”

We tried not to wake the entire house, so we weren’t really shouting, but I could still hear the anger in his voice.

“Why haven’t you rejected her yet?!”

“You don’t think I have tried!” I growled lowly.

“Have you?”

“Of course!” I snarled. “I tried! I even tried extracting information from her, but I … I can’t hurt her. I can’t say the damn words without my wolf trying to stop me! I can’t just let her go!”

“Why not?!”

“Because she is *my* mate! You would get that if you had one too!” I growled.

Rhys narrowed his eyes not liking how I threw that in his face, but it was true. Rhys was only a few years younger than me, but like me, he hadn’t found his mate, and I was not surprised he could not understand my choice. I didn’t expect anyone could, which was probably why I hadn’t prepared them for this plan.

“She is the enemy!”

“I know!”

“Then what are you doing?!” he asked.

“I’m trying to change her.”

“What?”

Rhys looked at me confused.

“I’m trying to … change her.”

“You want to get her onto our side?” Rhys asked, but I knew he wasn’t really asking me. He was just trying to decipher what I was saying.

I still nodded though.

“She is brainwashed. They all are. It might just take you years to convince her that we are not the bad guys.”

“I know,” I said.

“We don’t have years, Rogan!”

“I know,” I whispered, looking at the ground for a moment, and feeling like my head was going to explode. “I know …”

“Then what are you planning to do? And what about Eric? And Julianna who you agreed to get mated to?”

“I … don’t know!” I said honestly. “I really don’t.”

“Have you even thought this through?”

“No! I haven’t,” I admitted. “All I know is that I can’t kill her and if any of you even try and I will rip your heads off.”

Rhys looked at me shocked, as he heard the possessiveness in my voice. It was a very bad idea to get between a male wolf and his mate, and even worse when it came to alphas. We were crazy when it came to our mates. We could barely stand other males even touching our mates. You had to pretty much get permission before you tried, or you might lose a hand.

“This won’t end well,” Rhys said but sounded calmer.

“I don’t know what else to do,” I said.

Rhys sighed, scratching the back of his neck.

“I will go insane or maybe die,” I said. “You know the consequences of rejecting your mate or even trying to kill her.”

Rhys slowly nodded.

“Yes … I know, but the others won’t be happy about this,” he said.

“I didn’t expect them to be,” I said.

Rhys sighed again, but this time in a more defeated way, as if he was finally accepting what was going to happen.

“I will let the others know. You take her inside and wait for a little. Give the others a chance to come around. They will most likely want to talk to you about this.”

I nodded.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I might be convinced but the others won’t be so easily won over, and even if I am helping you, don’t think I don’t believe this will blow up in your face.”

“It most likely will.”