Fateful Pursuit: A Soul Bound Tale

"Call me." Felicity had been hugging me, or rather resting her chin on my shoulder for the last five minutes, murmuring instructions into my ear and telling me random things she had heard about my mate. I don't know why because the only thing it did was make me more guarded around him. I did not want to be tied to a tree upside down.

"I will," I said for the hundredth time, rolling my eyes and patting her back sympathetically. Despite multiple goodbyes before, Patty didn't make this one any shorter. Janine had already taken her turn before as she knew Felicity was a time hog.

"No, you won't! You'll be too busy making gorgeous babies with your gorgeous mate in your gorgeous home with fabulous pack mates!" She whined.

"Woah, who said anything about staying there? Aren't you getting a little carried away?" I asked her with a smile.

"He's your mate." She stated the obvious.

"I know that."

"You aren't planning on staying with him?" She looked shocked. Janine, who was picking blades of grass from the ground, stood up and looked at me shaking her head.

"Did you mention that little detail to him?" Janine asked me.

"I don't see the need to." I shrugged. "I'll check out the scene, maybe stay a month till my leg heals and go out again."

"But he's your mate and haven't you heard? Your home is where your heart is!" Patty exclaimed.

"This is my home." I pointed out to her. "I love you, Jules, and Cayden more than anyone in this world, but that doesn't mean I stay here, do I?"

"I'm afraid that's not how a mate bond works, Miracle." Jules interrupted. "I know how much you want to preserve your wild spirit, but he's your mate, and an Alpha, nonetheless. He won't let you out of his sight for long."

I pondered over that for a short while, simultaneously thinking about how little Jules and Patty really knew about me. Cayden and his parents were the only ones who knew my true reasons for continuing to stay a rogue despite their readiness at accepting me as a part of their loving pack.

A mate bond was strong, but surely Alpha Jackson would understand my reasons. If not, then too bad. I made a mental note to remind myself to bring up this topic as soon as possible, as being on the receiving end of a well-known temper wasn't a part of my bucket list.

"We'll see," I replied, pursing my lips. From my peripheral vision, I could see Alpha Jackson standing close enough to see me, but far enough to give me enough privacy to say my goodbyes.

His rigid posture and flickering eyes made a small smile slide onto my face. He probably felt my state, for at the exact moment that I looked at his face, his eyes met mine. He nodded once and started to make his way towards me.

Jules and Felicity were still talking about me, so I quietly murmured "Alpha alert" under my breath, which caused them to shut up instantaneously.

"Are you ready to leave?" He asked in a gruff voice. I was tempted to pull his cheeks and coo at him, but I had a feeling that he wouldn't appreciate the gesture. Instead, I patted his arm awkwardly.

"Just a minute. Where is Cayden?" I asked Jules. She was about to reply, but I heard Cayden running up to me with sweat dripping down his face.

"Sorry I was late, there were a few things I had to do," he said, smiling.

"What's more important than telling me goodbye?" I asked him with a pout.

"Getting you this." He waved a dusty box in the air that looked pretty old.

"What's that?" I asked curiously while ideas popped into my head, some of them normal and others rather absurd.

"Something that Dad told me to give you when you found your mate." I felt tears well up in my eyes when I heard Cayden talk about his father, who I came to love as my own despite the rarity with which I met him.

Last year, in a rogue attack, Henry passed away, and his wife died of depression a few weeks later. That's when I truly felt like an orphan. Henry and Margo had hearts of gold, and when I received the news, it was too late as they had already been buried and I couldn't say goodbye.

I took the box in my hand gingerly and opened it to see the contents inside.

There was a white gold necklace and a letter. I kept the letter in my jacket pocket to read later privately and removed the necklace.

It was a locket, and when I opened the pendant, there was a picture of Henry, Margo, Cayden, Pat, Jules, and I on one side, all of us laughing. It was clicked a year before they died, and I wasn't sure how they actually got so many people to fit in such a tiny frame. The other side was empty.

I held it out to Cayden, who placed it on my neck. I heard low growls coming from my mate, but I ignored it and hugged Cayden tightly.

Arden came to my side and gave another, more forceful growl, and Cayden reluctantly let go of me.

"Take care."

"I love all of you!" I said one last time. I rolled my eyes at my own theatrics; it wasn't like it was the last time I was seeing them, but it sure felt like it.

"We love you too." Arden growled again.

"Oh, shut up!" I told him annoyed and made my way towards the black Prado that was parked a little distance from where we were standing. I opened the back door and got in, waiting for Arden to get in, but I was surprised to see him holding open the door for someone who I was presuming was supposed to be me.

"Sorry." I sheepishly rubbed my neck. "I don't think people do that anymore."

"First impressions matter, Little Rogue." He smirked and got into the car finally. The door closed, and we started our journey towards his pack, a place I could finally strike off my list.