An Apple For Two

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

TINY'S POV

MOMENTS LATER

"This is all Serene's fault," Akila hissed under her breath.

A laugh slips from me as I fling a swollen basket of apples on my back, "sure, Serene is a descendant from the moon goddess and align the stars for you and your mate to find each other like that."

She presses her back against a tree groaning into her hands, "this isn't a joke."

"You're right," I say briskly, "most women would be ecstatic to find their mate. Especially if he was a powerful beta."

Akila tosses an apple at me which bounces off my shoulder, "can it, Tiny."

I laugh as she scrunches her nose in distaste, "you know Serene is going to be smitten. We'll have to listen to her for hours talking about a good gene pool."

"You two make me sick," Akila sighs while clutching another basket of apples.

I discard her comment and wrap the parchment full from the morning hunt across my chest. As I walk past her, Akila stops me abruptly. Resting her hand on my shoulder, she scans my face intently.

"What did that rogue say to you?"

My eyes falter from hers and I kick the dirt under my shoes, "it's not important."

"Malarky." Akila gripped my shoulder briefly before letting go, "I know you better than anyone. I can tell it bothers you."

"He said the Rogue King is coming." I finally say, "I assume that's why alpha Gahiji requested me to visit."

"Oh," she simply says. It's been over a decade since the king of rogues has shown his face after the war.

"The things I saw that wolf do..." I trail off, fidgeting with the straps on my shoulders, "I don't want to experience it again. But the forest grows darker as time passes. I keep seeing clouds of gray smoke and ashes."

"Have you talked to Gahiji about this before?"

"Yeah," I bite my lip, "he told me to report to him only. But it's getting hard pretending like I don't see someone's dead grandma."

"The moon wouldn't place a gift on you if the goddess had a drop of doubt in you," Akila says.

I grin up at her sheepishly, "like a mate bond?"

She groans loudly turning from me, "this is what I get for trying to reassure you."

I laugh as I change the topic, "did you hear that rogue kept calling me princess?"

Akila peers over her shoulder rolling her eyes. "If anyone was a princess, it would definitely be you." She teases.

I pat her shoulder gently and raise my hand out to the sky, "the forest would've told me long before. Besides," I chime in her ear, "you couldn't get rid of me even if you tried. Mate or not."

She smiles at my sincerity, "you better mean every word."

I dragged my fingers across my heart into an x, "every word."

We haul our items through the forest back towards the house. Akila leads the way while I limp behind her. I try matching her speed but my legs ache from the hunt. I can't help but worry about my place. What if I can't shift? Without a wolf, I'll never be a true member of a pack.

Akila glances over her shoulder studying me, "you need me to carry the meat?"

Shaking my head in response, I join her side as we saunter the long driveway to the house. As we approach the porch, the front door swings open. We stop at the steps to see an unhinged Serene. Her blue eyes are clear like the sky with a distinctive twinkle in them. The excitement seems to ooze from her appearance. She clasps her hands on her cheeks with a toothy grin.

She shrieks as she rushes to link arms with Akila, "tell me everything!"