10

Warning: This story contains violence and abusive themes. Read with caution and at your own discretion.

Ada had spent a week in the house before Vincent was able to arrange for someone to be with her at all times when she was out of the house. Jessie, his Beta, and Zach, one of his friends who was loyal and strong, shadowed her no matter where she went.

She was in the blueberry fields, picking. Zach and Jessie were at either end of the row she was standing in, keeping an eye out. She was not sure if she felt more safe, or smothered. She didn't go anywhere outside of the house without either of them, and she had to wonder if there was a better use for their time.

Vincent hadn't had any luck in finding out who had attacked her and it was getting to him. He was irritable and had distended himself from the rest of the pack. Being suspitious of everyone, he was not trusting anyone, save for a select few.

Ada knew he could not co tinue in this way, and had already decided she had to do something about it. If he pushed his pack away like this, they would lose their trust in him and he would never be accepted as their alpha. She couldn't let that happen.

He had a family and a pack. She was not going to let him throw it all away. Especially over her.

She returned to the house later and went to her room, waiting for him to come back. It was late when he did, but Ada was not going to let him co tinue to stew.

She felt him pass her door and she stood, walking silently across her floor. She opened her door after he closed his and stepped across the hall, putting a hand on his door.

"Vincent." She called through the door, but there was no response. She could feel him in there still, but he was silent.

"Vincent I know you're in there. I can feel you." She said, a little louder. For a moment she didn't think he was going to open the door, but she heard footsteps and his door ripped open. He stared out at her with a hard look. She just stared back.

His gaze began to soften as they stared at one another and she watched his shoulders sag.

"What is it, Ada?" He asked. She didn't respond and just walked in his room. He made no move to stop her. Once she was inside he closed the door and she sat on his bed.

Vincent stood by the door for a moment before he walked over and sat beside her. She spoke before he could.

"You have to stop looking for the person who stabbed me." She felt him tense and she could feel the glare on his face. Once more she spoke before he could.

"They are scared. Rogues are like the boogie man. I'm here in their pack and I'm the thing they fear." She turned her head slowly and let their eyes meet. He stared at her, but said nothing.

"They need to trust you, Vincent. Your pack needs to know that you have their best interest in mind. We might be mates, but I'm still a monster. You and Emily have seen a different side, but they have not. I'm just the shadow that looms over them in the night. That is all they will see." She explained.

"How can I get them to see?" He asked, sounding unconvinced.

"Give them time." She replied. His face screwed up and he shook his head.

"And if you get hurt again?" He demanded, rounding on her.

"I have two of the best people watching over me. The only way someone can get to me is if they let them." She pointed out. He seemed to deflate and stepped toward her.

"Why won't you let me in?" He asked suddenly as he moved in close to her. He kneeled on the floor before her and looked into her eyes.

"Its hard to let people in. People mean pain." She replied. She didn't like the look in his eyes.

"But I will try. I've not wanted to care for anyone in a long time. Caring meant betrayal or pain. I can't undo a lifetime of conditioning in just a few weeks. It's going to take me time, Vincent." She said to him. His eyes widened slightly at her words.

"So you are willing to try?" He asked, looking surprised.

"Of course. I would not be here if I wasn't. I just..." She stopped and lowered her eyes.

"I didn't know my whole pack had been killed. I thought most of them were alive. Even if my family was dead, I still had a pack to go to." She closed her eyes and lowered her head more.

"When I found out they were gone.." She sighed, then felt hands on her face and she opened her eyes again.

"You have a new place to live. You have a new pack." He gently stroked her face.

"Not yet." She said to him as their eyes met again.

"We all just need time." She said to him. He nodded his head, then he leaned forward and his lips gently pressed against her own.

Ada felt a heat blow rapidly in her body. It started in her chest like an explosion, stealing her breath from her lungs and traveled further through her. Her stomach lurched and twisted up, her arms and legs tingled and a shudder surged down her spine.

His lips were soft, and this close she could smell his scent more strongly. Fertile earth and pine. It was an all consuming scent that robbed her of thought and all she could feel was his lips and his hands on her face. The kiss was over far too soon.

They looked into one another's eyes for a long time. Vincent then climbed on the bed and pulled Ada with him. He wrapped her in his arms and held her close.

"We will take things at your pace." He said to her, though he burried his face in the hair at the back of her neck. He inhaled deeply, his arms tightening around her as he kept her pressed against his chest.

Ada woke alone the next morning, still in Vincent's room in his bed. She felt rested and though her back ached, she felt good. A quick sniff told her that food was in the room. On a tray beside the bed was a platter with fried eggs, French toast and orange juice. It smelled amazing.

It had been a long time since Ada had good food before being brought to this place. Most of the time it was preserved foods or whatever they got during a hunt. Cooked food like this was amazing. She knew she was never going to take it for granted.

Once she was finished, she crossed the hall to her room, changed the bandages on her back; it was hard to do alone, then changed her clothing. She was back in the blueberry fields today, though there was going to be more people there. She was not at all surprised to see Zach and Jessie waiting for her outside the doors of the house and the three of them walked along the paths.

For a while, the three of them walked in silence, only the sounds of their steps interrupting the sounds of the birds chirping.

"What's it like out there?" A voice finally broke the silence. Ada turned and looked at Jessie, who seemed curious but troubled. Facing forward again, Ada answered.

"Its hard. You cant trust anyone you run with and it's likely you wont remain with that group for very long. we dont get home cooked meals and we have to take care of our own injuries."

There was silence again until they reached the work shed where Ada picked up the basket full of pint containers for the blueberries.

"Are all the wolves out there like you? Were they all taken?" Jessie asked, Ada shaking her head.

"No. Not everyone. Some were born into it, some were exiled and others were rejected by their mates and they couldn't take it. The smallest group are those who left their pack just to be rogues. Those are some of the worst wolves. They are cruel and uncaring." She walked with them toward the row.

"So you run in groups, do you have alphas?" Zack asked. Ince more Ada shook her head.

"No. There are leaders of the groups, but not alphas. The leader is simply the wolf who can kill the current leader. Someone is always looking to take what you have out there, be it power, food, or clothing. You always have to watch your back." She replied as she carried the basket along.

"Tjvat sounds exhausting." Jessie complained. Ada could not help the small grin that came to her face.

"It is at first. But when you have to start doing it as a child, it eventually becomes second nature." She pointed out. Once more they fell into silence.

"Do rogues fight differently from pack wolves?" Zack asked after they had reached where Ada was supposed to be working that day.

"Yes and no. We are taught how to take down or kill. If it is a kill mission, leathl strikes only. You go for the next and face mostly. If it's not to kill, you go for the legs. This will trip them up and you are more likely to get away." She was already picking berries. It felt weird to be telling these things to them. They were pack wolves, but they knew little to nothing about rogues.

"Why do rogues attack packs?" Zack's words seemed weighted. He was genuinely curious, but at the same time he was cautious, as if the question might set Ada off. Or it might be something he didn't want to know.

"A few reasons. The main one is fear. There are far more pack wolves in the world than rogues. The best way to keep from getting wiped out is to make sure that the pack wolves are too scared to hunt them down." The two seemed surprised, but they said nothing.

"They also attack for supplies. Food, clothing, things like that. Most of the time a rogue will hunt for their food, but packs or humans always have preserved foods and we do need more than just meat." She said, then paused here. The next part was the hard one.

"They also attack to take pack wolves. Children to be raised, women to be used, men to be hunted. It bolsters the fear that pack wolves have and encourages the rogues." She sighed, lowering her eyes.

"Have you ever.." Jessie started, but Ada could hear Zack elbow him in the ribs.

"No. I have never taken a pack wolf. I never went on a job that was for that, or if I was tricked onto one I left. I still remember what it was like that day when I was taken. I never wanted to make anyone else feel that way." She replied.

"Did you ever even try and stop it?" Zack's voice held an edge of anger.

"Yea. A few times. The first time I was still young. I was beaten with a belt and starved for three days. The next few times I got whipped, and the last time I tried, all the males in the group took turns attacking and raping me. One wolf was not going to make a difference." She continued to work, but she could hear the two move away behind her. They were whispering to one another, but Ada couldn't hear what they were saying.

No one said anything until it was time to break for lunch. Ada figured that the boys had learned too much and needed time to process the information. As they got their food and found a quiet place to eat, Ada learned this was not the case.

"I'm sorry if the questions we asked brought up some bad memories." Kessie said to her and she looked between the two.

"I live with the memories every day. I have had to deal with and get over them so I could move on and live." She pointed out, sipping the stew that was made for the workers that day.

"So... You're not upset?" Jessie asked, to which Ada replied with a shake of her head.

"I think it's good to talk about it. It helps."