Rose's Rebel

By Charlotte Abel

Noah didn't believe in predestined soul mates. True love is something you earn through hard work and sacrifice.
Sometimes it requires the ultimate sacrifice. When Rose is chosen for a mutual merge, he knows the right thing to do is walk away... Even if it destroys him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charlotte Abel
• Release date: Aug 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311795847

Charlotte Abel

Charlotte Abel is a full time writer that lives near Boulder, Colorado with her husband Pete. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys hiking, bicycling, archery and dog sitting. Previous careers include: dance instructor, jewelry designer and glass artist. "Enchantment," a paranormal coming of age romance, is her debut novel. She plans to publish "Shattered," a romantic thriller set in the remote Sawatch Mountain wilderness of Colorado, in the early spring of 2012.

Book preview

Chapter 1

The snow crunched beneath Noah’s snowshoes as he skimmed across the ice-glazed surface. Each breath frosted the hair on his upper lip. His left foot broke through the thin crust again, plunging him knee-deep into the snow. Ollie! Wait up.

Quit fooling around. The still, frigid air carried the sound of Oliver’s voice so well, it sounded as if he were standing beside Noah instead of fifty feet ahead of him.

Noah yanked his leg out of the drift. Damn snowshoes. He’d grown so much over the summer, none of his winter gear fit. Ma’d let out the seams on his parka and sewn extensions on the sleeves, but making new snowshoes was Noah’s job. He’d just never gotten around to it and winter had come early.

He and Oliver were two days into their hunting trip, and miles from home, when an unexpected blizzard closed the pass and blanketed the steep, mountainous terrain with two feet of snow. Noah stood up then dusted the frosty powder off his fur-lined breeches. What he wouldn’t give for a horse. But even if they had one, they’d probably just end up eating it to keep from starving. I’m not taking another step until you tell me where we’re going.

Oliver huffed then shuffled his way back to Noah. We’re meeting Paisley and Summer at the shepherd’s hut.

Noah and Oliver had known Paisley and Summer their whole lives, but the young women had recently joined the ranks of the servant girls—choosing to mate with different men in exchange for a hot meal, a scrap of fabric or a few days’ shelter in a warm cabin—instead of risking a failed merge attempt and being branded as an omega. It was better to be a servant than a slave.

Noah knew better than to spend time alone with either one of them. But that didn’t stop him from fantasizing about it. Why?

My mating instinct is getting stronger. I won’t be able to hold out much longer.

Noah’s breath fogged the air as it rushed out of his chest. There was only one reason for a man to resist his mating instinct. We promised Ma we wouldn’t try to merge.

She had no right to ask that of us.

Their older brother, Seth, had tried and failed. Ma forced Noah and Oliver to watch as the enforcers castrated then branded him. After they hauled him off to the omega camp, Ma made Oliver and Noah swear a solemn vow to never attempt to merge.

"It’s my life. Oliver brushed a patch of snow off the front of his parka. It should be my choice."

But…we swore an oath. Noah would never break a promise, much less a solemn vow.

You aren’t going to talk me out of it.

Noah dropped his right shoulder and lunged at Oliver, hitting him in the belly. Oliver managed to twist them both around as they fell, so he landed on top of Noah, knocking the breath out of him.

Oliver pushed off then stood up. That was stupid.

Oliver wasn’t any taller than Noah, but he’d stopped growing a year ago and bulked up. He outweighed Noah by at least thirty pounds, so he was right about that. Noah sucked in a painful breath. I had to try.

I don’t want to break my promise, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my short, human life as nothing more than a lowly ranch hand.

At least wait until the deadline. Noah was only eighteen, so he still had five years before he had to make his final decision. Oliver had three. If they passed their twenty-third birthdays without merging, they wouldn’t be allowed to try.

Oliver narrowed his eyes. If you aren’t going to attempt to merge, why haven’t you mated yet?

Heat spread across Noah’s cheeks. I’m going to talk Ma into releasing me from my promise.

I tried that already. It didn’t work.

How hard did you try? Ma was stubborn. It’d take more than a few heated arguments to get her to change her mind.

I woke up in the middle of the night last week and found Paisley in my bed, naked.

What was she doing in your bed? Noah took his mittens off to shake out the snow.

Seducing me.

Why? Paisley had plenty of partners, including full-blooded shifters. She didn’t need Oliver.

She said it was a favor to Ma.

Wow. That was low.

It’s hard enough to control my mating instinct without that kind of temptation. Oliver closed his eyes and exhaled through pursed lips. His breath formed a long, thin cloud in front of his mouth. The girl was all over me.

Just the thought of having a woman’s hands on his body aroused Noah. How’d you manage to resist her?

I almost didn’t. Oliver flashed a grin then frowned. I set a trap the next morning and caught a wolf last night. Paisley and Summer already agreed to break my fever after I merge.

Why’d you drag me into this anyway?

If I fail… Oliver let the sentence hang in the frigid air.

Noah shook his head. No.

Oliver grabbed Noah’s shoulders. I don’t want to wind up like Seth.

Then don’t do this! Noah jerked free. Let’s just turn the wolf loose and go home.

I’m going to merge, with or without your help. But I’d rather do it, knowing you’ve got my back.

I’m not going to kill you if you fail.

Kill me? Oliver’s body stiffened. I don’t want you to kill me!

You said you didn’t want to end up like Seth. Noah had only seen his older brother once since he’d become an omega, but that brief glimpse would haunt him for the rest of his life.

I don’t. If I’m too torn up to make it across the border on my own, I’ll need your help.

You want me to commit treason? No one but enforcers were allowed to leave New Eden, and even they had strict rules about how long they could stay away.

Only as a last resort. And if it comes to that, I want you to escape with me. We can fake our deaths so Ma won’t be punished.

The citizens of New Eden living on the western side of the pass weren’t as likely to report offenses that would invoke the law of extended accountability, but there were other considerations. She’ll starve if we aren’t around to hunt for her.

She’ll be okay. Oliver’s expression hardened for a split second before he wiped all emotion from his face. Caleb agreed to claim her as a concubine.

What? Caleb had been the only man in their mother’s bed for the past three years, but he was a shifter with a life-expectancy ten times that of a human. He wouldn’t want her in his bed forever. If he claimed her as a concubine, he’d be honor bound to feed and protect her for the rest of her life. It didn’t make sense.

Ma’s pregnant. And Caleb wants to claim it.

Why? The man didn’t own any land, and Ma’s small plot didn’t come close to meeting the twenty acre minimum. But even if Caleb managed to meet the land requirement, Ma was a servant so siring a son on her wouldn’t make Caleb an alpha…unless he intended to give her the gift of the wolf and make her his alpha mate. But Oliver said Caleb intended to claim her as a concubine, not mate.

Proving his seed is fertile will raise his social status and increase his chances of attracting a female shifter.

And he thinks claiming her as his concubine will prove the child is his?

Oliver nodded. It’s the only reason a shifter would ever take a pregnant servant as a concubine.

That’s a lot of added responsibility just to prove he’s fertile. How are we supposed to provide enough food for two extra mouths? We’re barely surviving as it is.

Caleb wants us gone before he makes Ma his concubine.

Noah fisted his hands inside his mittens. We were putting meat on the table before Caleb merged, much less set foot across our threshold.

Doesn’t matter. Oliver set his jaw. He made it clear he doesn’t want us around.

He can’t kick us out of our own home.

Once Ma becomes his concubine, he’ll own the house and the land.

That’s not fair. The tiny cabin and spot of land it sat on wasn’t much, but it was all they had.

Actually, Caleb said he’d let you stay, since you’re such a hard worker, but he’s kicking me out.

Noah’s body sagged. Oliver could hunt for food, but he wouldn’t survive without shelter. And without land, he couldn’t build so much as a lean-to on someone else’s property. He’d have to give up his freedom and become a ranch hand, pledging himself to a shifter for the rest of his life.

Oliver slung his arm over Noah’s shoulders and urged him forward. After I merge, we’ll move to the other side of the pass. I’ll join the enforcers. You can live with me and the girls until you decide whether or not you want to attempt to merge. If you choose not to, your prospects of indenturing yourself to a fair-minded shifter are better in Reuben’s valley anyway.

Noah stopped and turned to face Oliver. And if you fail to merge?

Then we take Paisley and Summer with us and start a new life in the outside world. Oliver squeezed Noah’s shoulder.

What makes you think they’d leave with us? Noah twisted and dropped his shoulder, shrugging Oliver’s hand off. If we get caught trying to escape, they’ll hang all of us.

It was part of the bargain I made with the girls. Oliver dropped to one knee and tightened the laces of his snowshoes. If I succeed, they’ll break my merge fever and I’ll take them both as concubines. If I fail, we help them escape and get established in the outside world. Besides, we aren’t going to get caught.

You can’t know that for certain. Noah folded his arms over his chest.

Summer and Paisley told me the enforcers serving on our side of the pass this year are lazy sons-a-bitches. They only open their cabin door for servant girls bringing them food, firewood and pleasure. They haven’t patrolled the borders since first snowfall.

I’ll help you cross the border if you fail to merge, but I’m not going with you.

You’d rather stay with Caleb and Ma? Even after they kick me out?

Of course not, but if I leave, I’ll never get the chance to merge. Noah still held out hope that he would eventually be able to talk Ma into releasing him from his promise.

Helping someone escape is just as bad as doing it yourself. If you get caught, you’ll hang.

Well then, I guess I’d better not get caught.

Noah’s heart raced as he, Oliver, Summer and Paisley approached the pit. The wolf sensed them and growled, low and quiet, raising the hair on the back of Noah’s neck. A chunk of meat turned slowly as it dangled from a branch of an aspen tree. Most of the pine boughs Oliver used to cover the pit had fallen in with the wolf.

Noah squatted at the edge. The wolf was big. Bigger than any wolf he’d ever seen. And aggressive. He bared his teeth and circled the pit, eyes darting from person to person as if deciding which one of them he wanted to attack first. Noah tilted his head to the side and looked up at Oliver’s suddenly chalky face. You sure about this?

Oliver jerked his mittens off then tossed them to the ground. He kept his chin up and his jaw locked as he removed his parka, vest and tunic. His teeth chattered as he stuttered, Try to distract him while I jump into the pit.

How? If this were a normal merge ceremony, the wolf would have been caged. Oliver would have gotten into position before the animal was released. But this wasn’t a normal merge ceremony.

I don’t care. Just hurry up and do something. Oliver stepped out of his breeches then rubbed his hands up and down his blue-tinged arms. I’m freezing.

Don’t be such a baby. Noah’s breath still fogged the air, but for some reason, he wasn’t cold anymore.

Summer picked up one of the pine boughs that hadn’t fallen into the pit and handed it to Noah. Try to get the wolf to bite the branch. She turned to Oliver and placed her palm on his bare chest. As soon as he does, jump in.

A twinge of envy tightened Noah’s belly as he stared at the obvious display of affection. His own mating instinct stirred to life as his mind drifted to what awaited Oliver after he merged. He loosened the wool scarf around his throat then tore his eyes away from the intimate scene and lowered the tip of the branch into the pit. The wolf barely glanced at it then shifted his eyes to Noah’s.

Noah poked the wolf’s shoulder.

The beast trotted to the other side of the pit, where Oliver now crouched at the edge, and growled at him.

Try something else. Oliver shifted his weight, knocking a chunk of snow into the pit.

The wolf lunged at him.

Oliver shot backward, landing on his ass.

The wolf’s teeth snapped shut, inches from Oliver’s bare toes. The beast’s claws raked grooves in the wall of the pit as he slid back to the ground.

Oliver crawled forward on his hands and knees. That was close.

The wolf circled the pit again, teeth still bared and dripping saliva, then stopped in front of Oliver, but the beast kept his gaze locked on Noah.

Noah reached in and patted the side of the pit. Hey, fur bucket! Over here.

The wolf moved faster than Noah could have imagined. He leaped across the pit and sank his teeth into the sleeve of Noah’s parka, just below his elbow. The weight of the wolf nearly dragged him into the pit. Noah wrapped his other arm around the trunk of the aspen tree. The wolf refused to let go. He stood on his hind legs and jerked his head from side to side, obviously determined to drag Noah into the pit with him.

Summer ran to Noah’s side, pulled his hunting knife from the sheath strapped to his leg then slit his parka up the back.

Noah pulled his trapped arm free, released the aspen tree and let the wolf have what remained of his parka. Blood soaked the lower half of his tunic sleeve. As the shock of what nearly happened settled in his mind, pain lanced up his arm. He cradled it against his chest. Damn it. That hurts.

Let me see. Oliver reached for Noah’s wrist.

Stop wasting time. Noah nodded at the pit. Get in there before he gets tired of shredding my parka.

Summer ripped a strip of fabric from Noah’s torn tunic then held the scrap in one hand and reached for his bleeding arm with the other. Let me see it.

I’m fine. Noah wiggled his fingers. But Oliver owes me a new tunic. He could make a new parka out of sheepskin. Woven fabric was much harder to come by.

Fine. Oliver grinned at Summer then glanced into the pit, where the wolf was still locked in mortal combat with Noah’s parka, and jumped.

Time slowed as Noah watched the ancient battle below. Within seconds, man and beast were both covered in blood—all of it Oliver’s. His screams drove a flock of crows out of the trees surrounding the pit. Snow fell through the branches, dusting Noah’s head and shoulders. He barely noticed.

Hang on, Ollie! Noah fisted his hands, as if doing so could strengthen Oliver’s grip. He had to maintain skin to fur contact until his body merged with the wolf’s. The only other merge Noah had witnessed took about five seconds. He started counting silently. One, two, three… His heart sank with each count. When he got to twelve, all hope of a successful merge died.

Noah laid on his belly and extended his hand into the pit. Come on, Oliver. Knock him on the head with a rock and get out of there. It’s over.

No! Oliver’s voice was weak but determined. He was on top of the wolf, his legs wrapped around the animal’s flank, ankles locked under his belly, one arm around the wolf’s neck, his other hand wrapped around his muzzle, holding it shut.

The wolf broke free then whirled around and lunged at Oliver, sinking his teeth into his throat. An arc of bright red shot into the air.

Something wild inside Noah snapped.

Without making a conscious decision to do so, he dropped into the pit and tackled the wolf. They rolled across the ground, a writhing bundle of fur and straining muscles. Noah’s back slammed into the wall. A flash of white light blinded him. The smell of blood, sweat, dirt and fear flooded his nose. Amplified sounds assaulted him from all sides—the girls’ desperate weeping, his own pounding heart, chittering birds, a crow’s caw and Oliver’s gurgling, futile attempts to draw breath through his ruined throat.

Still blind from the flash of light, Noah tried to stand, but tripped and fell. His arms and legs were tangled in something. He knew he couldn’t save Oliver, but he had to get to him. He had to at least hold his hand, offer some form of comfort as he bled out. Where was the wolf? The animal’s musky scent surrounded him. Hopefully, he’d knocked it out when they slammed into the wall of the pit.

When Noah’s vision cleared, everything looked different,

Reviews for Rose's Rebel

[danagrisim · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Even thou it is part of a series of books,it is different and it stands on its own.