The Rogues Who Went Rogue
Chapter 69

When Margaret and Tate entered through the gates, they saw Stella on the far left in a squatting position as she tried to get the best angle to take a picture of the bed of orange flowers swarming with ladybugs. The teenager zoomed in on one of the insects, muttering, "Don't move. Don't move. Just one second, and..."

In the microsecond before she tapped on the button, the ladybird she set her sights on flew away, and the teenager groaned before falling on her bum and sulking while she silently cursed the uncooperative insect. That was the moment when the same ladybird landed on her knee. Stella tried not to get too excited, and very carefully positioned her phone at the best angle she could get before taking a perfect snap. Her lips curled up into a successful grin as she squealed to herself.

Tate couldn't help but smile at the sight, as did Margaret. She hadn't seen her pup being this excited about anything since her fifth or sixth birthday.

Seeing that Stella had no problems keeping herself entertained, Tate prompted Margaret, "Shall we?"

He gestured towards the right, where the entrance of a maze stood. She nodded and they entered the maze together. When Margaret noticed that they were alone, she felt more comfortable running her free hand over the plants and leaves that made up the maze. The alternating re and pink flowers beautified the leafy background, and the light rays only made the flowers stand out more than they already did. "This place is stunning," Margaret commented.

As her hand continued running through the leaves and pausing momentarily at flowers, Tate replied, "It pales in comparison to you, Mar."

Her eyes snapped to his soft brown orbs, and she felt the familiar feelings of affection. But her smile faltered slightly when she recalled how that same emotion left her the last time. Even so, she couldn't deny that she found it easier, much easier, to trust Tate.

The way he looked at her and spoke to her amplified his desire to know and understand her. Her wolf fell for him instantly, and her human part started falling for him on the day they spoke on his jet when they collected her pack members. A large part of her wanted this to be real and true, to be her forever.

As these thoughts went through her mind, she asked as confidently as she could, "You truly know how to get into a woman's heart, don't you, Alpha?"

Tate chuckled. "I wish that was true. I suppose the ability to charm creatures is supposed to be an Alpha's in-born talent?"

"It most definitely is."

He pulled them to a stop before taking both her hands and looking deeply into her rosewood eyes as he whispered, "I only ask for the ability to charm a certain red wolf. I wonder if that's too much to ask."

Despite her widening smile and pink cheeks, Margaret feigned ignorance and uttered, "Well, you've already charmed Stella so I'd say you got your wish. That little red wolf sticks to you like a magnet."

He closed their distance when he asked, "And what about the not-so-little red wolf?"

As Margaret tried but failed to hide her smile, she confessed in a mutter, "You're getting there."

Tate's wolf howled in happiness as he pecked a soft kiss on her knuckles before leading her deeper into the maze with a wider smile. The flowers were now in white and blue.

"What were your parents like?" Tate asked carefully.

"Mom and dad were conventional people when it came to belief systems. The no-s*x-before-marriage kind of parents. Dad was a nurse in the pack clinic, and mom was a botanist. I take on after my mother, loving greenery and all.”

Tate wondered if he would be pushing it too far if he asked his next question, and decided to just give it a go, "Any brothers or sisters?"

"No...fortunately," she said as her eyes dimmed.

"Goddess, I'm sorry I asked, Mar. I didn't mean to hurt..."

"You didn't," Margaret insisted, and their gaze locked as she went on, "You don't have to apologize for trying...Tate."

The way she said his name was so beautiful that Tate's heart swelled as he replayed the way his name sounded with her voice. She went on, "I miss my parents everyday, and sometimes, I just wished I was at least given a chance to say goodbye." After a few more steps, she continued, "I ventured back to Fleet Wood a few times after I was casted out, but every time I went near the border, I just...”

"Got stuck," Tate finished for her. "Because the Alpha's Authority was used to keep you out."

Margaret's eyes were brimming with tears as she uttered in dismay, "I never imagined the power could be that effective. I thought I would at least be able to howl from afar, and mom or dad would hear me. But I couldn't even howl or scream when I tried to do it near my pack. I could never reach out to them to tell them where I was, to let them know that I was alive. I have no idea what Alpha Draxon did to my parents' phone numbers because when I tried calling them from random phone booths, the line was suddenly non-existent. After twenty-three times of trying to enter Fleet Wood in two years, I just stopped trying." There was a pause before she muttered, "I've never felt more alone."

The sharp pain from reliving the memory of that helpless moment in her life cut through her heart, and Tate's arms wrapped her in a tight embrace as he let his shirt soak up her hot tears. "You're not alone, Mar. Not anymore. You have me, and I'm not going anywhere." Her wet orbs and tear-stained face looked up at the most handsome face she had ever seen. The way he held her made her feel sheltered and protected. His scent was as soothing as it was assuring, calming the anxiety and fear that she hid under lock and key for more than a decade. Tate's very presence assured her that she could be at her most vulnerable with him and not be taken advantage of. She may have had a mate before Tate, but Tate made her feel like she was falling in love for the very first time.

Tate carefully cupped her cheeks and wiped off the tears before pecking a soft kiss on her forehead, and he said, "You don't have to go through with these things by yourself anymore. I wasn't there for you then, but I am here for you now. I need you to know that you'll never be alon ever again, that we'll get through the rough patches together, okay?"

Margaret looked deeply into those brown orbs held nothing but a promise - a promise that she didn't have to run anymore, that she was safe, that she was...home. She managed a smile and whispered, "Thank you."

Tate chuckled briefly before he said, "Mar, you don't have to thank me for things like this. You really deserve nothing less."

Margaret's eyes watered again, this time out of joy as they came to the center of the maze where there was a fountain. The gushing water was a sound that Margaret would never get tired of hearing. When they stood before the fountain, Margaret dipped a hand into the cool water before she noticed, through their reflection, that Tate was staring at her side profile with a blissful smile.

Margaret...well, Margaret's wolf, to be precise, decided to take a leap of faith, so she closed the distance between them as she asked, "What about you, Tate? What's your family like?”