fine, i'll let you in

but please keep yourself from breaking

a fragile heart that's only trying

M A D D I E ♛

A week had gone by since everyone else left and I was still getting coached at the routines of a pack life.

I never would've thought that I would be here in a pack at a table sitting with my mate's mom as she is telling me stories about my biological family.

She told me how she'd been well acquainted with my mother as she would spend summers here in Chase's pack whenever the leaders of their packs had trainings and meetings. It was through her that I found out that my mom was a Gamma's daughter.

I listened attentively, trying to paint a picture of who she might be.

Lucy also told me more of my father and how devastating he was when I got lost. I noticed that she always said the word in a way that she didn't believe in it, but before I could ask for more information, Chase came in.

Lucy grinned when she saw her son as if signalling him something but when she turned to me, she put on an innocent façade which made me feel even more suspicious.

What is going on?

There was definitely something fishy. It was like everyone around me knew what was up but no one was telling me anything.

I tried asking Kasen, the easy target, but even he didn't say anything.

Chase smiled when he saw me and I had to swallow because my heart was already at a speedy rate.

"Time passes by so fast when I'm with you, Maddie. Come, I have a surprise for you." she says and grabs my hand. I wasn't even able to say a word to Chase who just came in.

I switched looks from both of them, trying to figure what was going on.

"I'll for you here." was all he said as his mother dragged me upstairs.

Lucy was babbling something about being excited. She opened a door that led us to a room. I noticed right away that the scent in the room was a strong scent of Chase's.

It was a big room, but it was almost empty. It gave signs that it hasn't been inhabited for a while.

"This was Chase's room before he moved in the pack house. Come in." his mother bid me to go in.

Chase's room?

I went in and indeed, I could feel that this room was filled with his memories.

At the bed, I was squinted my eyes when I saw a green dress. Lucy quickly went and grabbed it and handed it to me.

"Now, love. We have to hurry. We don't want to keep Chase waiting for too long, now don't we." she says. I could feel the excitement and happiness in her voice so I didn't ask any more questions. I just took the dress and looked at it. "I'll come back in a bit so you just change." she says and leaves the room.

When she left the room, I was left with the powerful and calming scent of Chase and a green emerald dress in my hand.

What's going on?

'Anyways, let's just change first.' I tell to my wolf who also agreed with me.

I changed into the green dress and didn't forget to put a band with dagger at my right thigh. You could never be too careful.

Just as I was struggling to zip the dress up, Lucy came in the room and found me in having a hard time. Of course, she helped me. Next thing, she brought me in front of a mirror. There was a chair in front of it and she had me sit down.

"I brought this vanity in here when Chase introduced you to us. I knew it was going to be of use." she said, proud of herself. Vanity? Is this what this things is supposed to be called?

"What is happening? Where are we going?" I ask.

"Oh, not me, honey. Only you and Chase. So just be patient alright?" she says.

She fixes half of my hair up and put a similar green bow. She had a smile on the whole time she was doing this. She also put something on my cheeks and then something smooth on my lips that made it glossier that it normally was.

Finally, she gave me some flats to wear.

"Ah, you look perfect dear! I'm so glad my son has such a perfect mate!" she says and that made me smile a bit.

Did she really think that?

That I would be perfect for her son?

Even when I'm a rogue?

Even when I didn't know the life of a pack wolf?

Hearing that somehow made me happy.

"Th-thank you." I said. She also smiled at me.

"Your mom would be so proud of you, Maddie."

That made my smile grow wider and I nodded.

We left the room and we got down the stairs. I saw Chase quickly stand up, but to my surprise, he was now changed. He was wearing something more formal and something that I've seen some humans wore. I believe they called it a 'suit' or something.

He watched me as I descended the stairs and his jaw opens. I felt a bit shy and embarrassed being watched by him. I knew it. I looked weird didn't I?

A rogue in a dress, of course that would be laughable.

What if he thinks I look bad? Is it the bow?

"Maddie." was all he says, as if he was out of breath, when I reached the bottom of the stairs and he walks towards him. I noticed that his blonde hair was also sleeked back neatly.

"Chase." I answer back.

This made him chuckle like I said something funny.

"Isn't she gorgeous?" Lucy asks besides me. I looked at her, shy from the compliment.

"She's perfect, mom." he answered.

That made my heart race even faster and I had to break our gaze and chose to look at the ground. He must've have felt that and so he extended his hand towards me. I reluctantly took it.

"Off you two go now before the sun sets." Lucy says and shoves me gently and of course, I softly landed on Chase. The body contact was enough to start the mayhem of sparks going off.

"Alright, we'll get going now." Chase told his mother and we made our way outside their house.

We started walking towards somewhere I didn't know. Chase was still holding my hand.

After a while, I finally decided to ask him, but before I was able to ask, from afar, I see a place circled with little light bulbs hanged from above.

In the middle of it, there was a table with two chairs facing each other.

There was a candle in the middle and an arrangement of flowers.

It was an intimate setting, I could already tell. That made me turn to Chase.

"What's this?" I ask him. His lips formed another sweet smile that made my heart leap bounds.

"This is my surprise. Wait here." he says and runs somewhere first and then came running back.

However, this time he was carrying flowers. He stopped in front of me and handed it to me.

"Here, this is for you. I didn't know which flowers you liked so I just arranged a few in there." he says. I took them and stared at the variety of flowers that were arranged together, but strangely enough it fitted together.

But what was I going to do with these flowers? They would just wilt a day or two from now on, aren't they?

Is this some sort of pack tradition that I wasn't taught of yet?

I'm not sure, but Chase was happy to give them to me so I took and gave him a smile.

"Th-thank you. It's beautiful." I say. This made Chase smile even more. He grabbed my hand and led me to the centre of the well-lit place.

He pulled out a chair and I sat down while he sat at the place in front of me. I didn't know what to do with the flowers so I held onto it. I didn't want him to think that I wasn't grateful for it.

"Oh, you can put those on the table, someone will take them and put them in your room." he said and I nodded.

I looked around and observed. This... is a surprise he said.

Very different from the surprise that I know.

That had me smiling and I didn't even know it.

"I like that on you." Chase said all of a sudden and I looked back at him again.

"What?" I asked, rather confused.

"I like your smile on you. I'm happy that you've been smiling more." he says and it had me dumbfounded.

It was true and I didn't deny it. Smiling used to be unfamiliar to me. When I met the other rogues, I was able to smile, but lately, I've been smiling more freely than usual.

It must've been because I was able to find about more about myself, who my family is, where my strength came from, knowing that the rogues are safe or maybe it was because of Chase.

"Thank you, Chase." I tell him honestly. "I know I said I hated pack wolves, but thank you for showing you guys aren't too bad."