Betrayed: Days of the Rogue

by Nicky Charles

  His body hardened at the memory. Damn. Grabbing the rug, he stalked to the laundry room, trying to ignore the ache in his groin. He needed to concentrate on keeping her safe, not sex. Damien was up to something…or another black wolf was in the area and what were the chances of that?

  Reno might claim he knew nothing about a mole, but the man wasn’t being totally honest with him, he was sure of it. A black wolf that was hiding its scent… Rafe rubbed his chin and tried to figure out what the hell was going on.

  Chapter 26

  Reno, Brandi and Brad sat in the Lycan Link cafeteria. A spring thunderstorm was raging overhead. Wind whipped the rain against the window panes. The pounding of millions of tiny drops combined with the rumble of overhead thunder to make a cocoon of white noise that effectively blocked out the conversations from nearby tables. It would seem the gods were providing some measure of security for his meeting, Reno mused. The Anti-Fae group weren’t the only ones who could find signs in mere coincidences.

  “You’re sure?” Brad gripped his fork tightly, concern evident in the way he ignored his meal.

  Reno took a swig of his coffee. “Given what Rafe told me, I have no doubt.”

  “We’ve been wrong before, with deadly consequences.” Brandi looked at him with concern, lines of strain showing on her face.

  “This operation is a crap shoot, Babe. You know that. We gamble and hope we’re right, but there are no guarantees.” Reno met her gaze and wished he could offer her the assurances she wanted, but he couldn’t. She was too tender hearted for this kind of operation. Hell, it ate away at him too and he was supposedly a trained, emotionless Enforcer. Every time he thought of the victims they’d failed to save bile rose in this throat.

  “Well, if this is our best bet, then we need to move before it’s too late.” Brandi began tapping her foot, obviously wanting to do something. Reno placed a calming hand on her arm.

  “We have to move cautiously. If we go rushing in, guns blazing, we’ll scare them off. Catching some of the key players in this operation is paramount.” He could feel her muscles tense under his hand; she’d always had soft spot for Damien and would find this next bit difficult. He knew he would. Sitting back and letting things unfold as they must ate away at his gut, but this was how Captain Fielding had orchestrated the plan. And with the captain on special assignment, making sure it played out as it must was his responsibility.

  “It’s the only way,” Brad agreed. “Given what Rafe told you, the fact that Damien is in the area, and a part Fae female as well, I’d say it’s highly likely that we’ve found the next target.”

  “Do we know anything about her?” Brandi asked.

  Brad shared what he’d learned. “Information is scant, but it appears she’s just entered the awakening phase, and possibly hasn’t even made contact with another of her kind. There’s no record of who registered her, which is a bit unusual, though it could have been some elderly family member who saw potential in her as a child. Anyway, her name’s Eve—”

  “This is awful.” Brandi interrupted, scowling. “The poor girl is being targeted for what she is, and she’s barely even realized it herself.”

  “Rafe is in the area. He might know her.” Reno rubbed his neck. “Thing is, do we tell Rafe what’s going down or not? He could become overly protective of her.”

  “And we need the attempt to be made, otherwise all we have is speculation.” Brad finally took a mouthful of food and chewed thoughtfully. “I wonder if they’d try to go after him as well?”

  “Dr. McRae is registered as a Lycan, even though he’s one-quarter Fae.” Brandi shivered and wrapped her hands around her coffee cup. The outer door near where they sat had opened and a blast of cool, damp air washed over their table. Several Lycan employees walked by, complaining about the change in the weather.

  Reno grunted. “That’s right. It’s not the common knowledge you might think it is. It’s only recently that he’s been more open about the fact. In the early years, it actually hindered him professionally.”

  “So his presence is likely immaterial to the operation in the eyes of the Anti-Fae group. We can keep him in the dark about the girl, but what about from the standpoint of his relationship with Damien?” Brad asked. “You asked Rafe to keep an eye on him. Can you now tell him to back off?”

  Reno chuckled. “He and Damien have been locking horns since the moment they met. I’ve had several phone calls from Rafe asking when I was coming to get Damien out of his hair.”

  “But will he turn a blind eye? Let things unfold as they must, or would he feel professionally obligated to step in?” Brad spoke in a lowered tone, watching out of the corner of his eye as the table beside them filled up with Lycans.

  Reno noted how a few of the newcomers stared speculatively at them. Idle curiosity or something more? Hell, he was suspicious of everyone lately. It would be good to have this over with. Apparently, his mate felt the same way.

  “I don’t like this, not one bit, but if it has to go down, I want it to work the first time.” Brandi compressed her lips and sat up straighter. “Perhaps we should think of a reason to have Dr. McRae recalled, to ensure he’s out of the way and doesn’t unintentionally interfere with the operation?”

  “Good idea.” Reno playfully tugged a lock of her hair. “I can come up with something based on the investigation into Rogue Retrieval. Rafe initiated it, so perhaps he should be here for an interview.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Brad nodded. “Send out an urgent request for him to be here as soon as possible. I have a feeling things are going to start to happen fast.”

  “Me, too.” Reno said staring out at the storm swept sky. “Me, too.”

  Chapter 27

  Rafe lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. He’d counted the wooden beams, studied the plaster for cracks and noted the cobwebs on the overhead light fixture. Rolling his head to the side he checked the clock. Damn. Two in the morning and he hadn’t slept yet. Sadly, it wasn’t that unusual anymore. Ever since Eve had come into his life, he and sleep were, more often than not, mere passing acquaintances. Soft sounds from her room revealed that she was turning in her bed. Was she awake as well or perhaps plagued by erotic dreams of the two of them together? He almost hoped she was. Why should he be the only tortured party?

  He tried to concentrate on something other than the woman who slept on the other side of the wall but as running out of options. He’d already gone over his latest funding proposal and reviewed repairs for each cabin. What else was there? His last case, but that was a road he didn’t want to walk down, not just yet. Guilt still ate away at him over the rogue’s death; not that he’d directly caused it, but he still felt there must have been some sign that he’d missed, something in the man’s history that he’d overlooked. Of course, the rogue’s future hadn’t been a promising one. Accused of killing a young woman, the man would have faced High Council once he was considered stable enough. When the were had come to the clinic, he’d had severe injuries due to resisting capture; indeed some staff were surprised he was alive at all given Rogue Retrieval’s recent history.

  Yet the man had survived, though he claimed to have no memory of killing anyone. Amnesia was a clever defence, of course. Or he could have had a blackout, his wolf taking complete control, but somehow Rafe had never felt that quite fit with what he’d observed. Idly, he traced the scar on his abdomen. Everything about the case had seemed wrong, even down to Annette warning him the man was agitated…

  Rafe felt himself tensing up the more he considered the case, and forced himself to put the matter aside. He was trying to relax, to get to sleep, and this wasn’t the way. With a sigh, he threw off the thin sheet that covered him and got up.

  Wandering over to the window, he opened it and let the cool air wash over his naked body. It was a still night, the waning moon large enough to illuminate the meadow beside his home. Frost glistened on the new grass and tree branches, while the musty scents of the spring thaw drifted by.


  His wolf stirred restlessly. The beast hadn’t been for a run in ages; he’d even foregone the full moon in favour of guarding Eve. Plus, being in wolf form around an empath was dangerous; werewolves had no defence against empathic abilities when they were in their animal state. Cocking his head, he listened for any sounds coming from her bedroom. Soft, rhythmic breathing meant she was sleeping. Perhaps, if he stayed near the house…

  After a moment’s hesitation, he swung his leg over the windowsill and slipped outside, avoiding the front door in case she heard him walking down the hallway.

  His breath was visible as the cold night air wrapped around him causing goose bumps to rise on his flesh. He didn’t care though, enjoying the feeling of freedom, of having the moonlight bathe his body in its pearly glow. The beast inside was impatient, sensing its release was close at hand.

  Rafe gave a half smile and relented to its urgings. Closing his eyes, he gathered the energy within him, pulling it in tighter and tighter, drawing out the exquisite moment when he hovered on the edge of conversion. Then he let go, the release of energy washing over him with a speed that would have left the untutored breathless. A deep sigh escaped him and he settled back, content to let his wolf roam unrestrained.

  The ground, that moments before had chilled his bare feet, was barely noticeable to leathery wolf paws. Indeed, it splayed its toes, digging its claws into the frosty soil while giving a huff of pleasure at finally being free. Cool air rushed into its lungs as it stretched its muscles and shook out its fur. Freedom after such a long confinement was a heady thing and it wagged its tail while staring about with keen eyes.

  Steam from its own breath faintly blurred the animal’s vision. The world was starker as a wolf, shades of grey replacing colour, but also granting an increased acuity, the slightest movement easily noticed. Nothing did move, however; there were no sounds of scrabbling claws or the near silent beat of owl wings. On this early spring night, he appeared to be the only creature about.

  A whine of disappointment escaped as it had hoped for a hunt, but no game was apparent. That didn’t mean the night was a complete loss however. Lowering it head, the wolf began to move, snuffling the ground, searching for a trail to follow. The musty scents of mould rose from the soil as last year’s vegetation began to thaw and decompose. His human’s scent lingered from earlier in the day, as did the female’s and...the rogue’s.

  He snorted pushing the traces of the other male animal from his nostrils. His wolf had no great love for the interloper. Shaking its head vigorously, so it’s ears flapped against its skull, the wolf erased the thought of the rogue and set off to explore in another direction. Field mice had been in the area earlier, a rabbit as well. For several minutes, the wolf happily explored the meadow.

  When it came to the location of the scentless tracks from earlier in the day, some time was spent trying to determine how such a thing was possible. The beast longed to follow the visual trail, to see where this other wolf had gone, but that would mean leaving the female unguarded, and he wasn’t about to chance that. All too soon his human signalled it was time to go home, and with a sigh the wolf turned and loped back towards home.

  About half way back, a light appeared in one of the windows and the silhouette of a woman could be seen. He froze in place. The female must have woken up and was now wandering through the house. Dropping to his belly, he began to commando crawl through the grass. Both wolf and man prayed its height was sufficient to hide their presence. When they came to the shelter of a bush, they shifted forms, the wolf only too pleased to let the man figure a way out of this predicament.

  Rafe crouched in the shelter of the bush. He needed to sprint from his present location to the side of the building, and then slink under the windows until he reached the one for his room. Eve was still visible, which was good as it meant she likely hadn’t realized he wasn’t in his room. Unless, she’d already gone looking for him first and was now wondering where he was…

  He cursed softly not enjoying feeling as if he were part of some bad slap-stick comedy. Buck naked and hiding in the bushes. Having had no clothes on when he’d phased into a wolf, he couldn’t ‘think’ clothes back on when he shifted to human. A growl of frustration escaped him, and he curled his toes against the coldness that was starting to creep up his legs.

  One minute, then another…finally she moved away from the window and he darted across the open space heading towards his bedroom. Once there, he grabbed the window ledge and began to lift himself up. Barely had he begun the manoeuvre, when he heard Eve knocking on his bedroom door. An unfamiliar wave of panic washed over him, and he scrambled to get inside, but the door was already being pushed open.

  Eve opened Rafe’s bedroom door without waiting for him to respond to her knock. Urgency meant that social niceties would have to wait for another time.

  “Rafe, come quick. There’s a—” Eve stopped mid-sentence, her mouth ajar.

  She hadn’t been in Rafe’s room since that first day when she’d madly rushed about checking that the doors and windows were locked. At that time, she hadn’t paid too much attention to the décor. And now, well… Vaguely, she noted the rumpled covers on the large king-sized bed, the landscape on the wall, the minimal clutter. What really drew her attention was the icy cold air that filled the room, the curtains that were fluttering in the breeze and…Rafe McCrae climbing in his bedroom window…completely in the nude!

  The light spilling in from the hallway revealed him in all his glory. One leg was drawn up and resting on the window ledge, the other was hanging down, stretching to touch the floor. His muscles were still bunched from the effort of levering himself up. She gaped at him, not sure if she was more surprised that he was naked, or that he had obviously been outside like that.

  “You were looking for me?” Rafe nonchalantly finished climbing in the window and then snagged a robe from a nearby chair. After pulling it on, he tied it shut and then closed the window before giving her an inquiring look.

  Realizing she’d been staring at him, Eve felt her cheeks heat up and she belatedly averted her eyes. The covers on his bed were a tangled mess. If she didn’t know better, she’d say he’d been having a sexy romp. However, since she was the only other person here, that didn’t seem likely.

  “Um…yeah. I got up to get a drink and was looking outside when I saw a wolf. It was different from the last one—more of a chocolate brown—and slinking towards the house. Sorry I barged in.” She flicked a glance at his bare legs and then the window before averting her eyes again. “I sort of panicked.”

  “Another wolf?” Rafe looked concerned and ushered her from his room. “Where did you see it?”

  She led the way to the kitchen, shivering slightly in her sleep-shirt; the cool air in Rafe’s room had penetrated the thin material. Rubbing her hands up and down her arms in an attempt to warm up, she nodded towards the window that faced the meadow. “It was right over there, where we were early today.”

  “Hmm…” Rafe glanced outside. “And you’re sure it wasn’t the same wolf? It’s awfully dark outside.”

  Eve shook her head. “The moon is still nearly full. I had an excellent view and I’m positive it wasn’t black.”

  He was silent for a moment; she could almost see the wheels turning in his head. What was he thinking about? When he answered, he seemed to be weighing his words carefully, as if not sure of her reaction to what he was about to say. “I suppose there could be two wolves in the area.”

  “Two wolves stalking us?” That wasn’t very comforting. Her consternation must have shown on her face, for Rafe stepped closer and placed his hand on her shoulder. The thin material of her sleepwear was no barrier against the heat that generated from his body. It chased away the chill and she relaxed her tense muscles. Biting her lip, she held back the contented sigh that filled her.

  “Don’t worry, they’ll be gone soon.”

  She looked up at him, saw the concern in his eyes, the faint lines of worry
that marred his brow. He looked tired, too, as if he hadn’t slept properly in ages. Without thinking, she reached out and cupped his face, gently rubbing her thumb over his jaw. It was rough with stubble and she shivered, imagining how it would feel against other parts of her body. Slowly, she trailed her hand down to his chest and let it rest when her palm was over his heart.

  They stood there, staring into each other’s eyes, a warm cocoon-like sensation imperceptibly wrapping itself around them. Eve felt herself being pulled into the depths of his eyes, like she was melting into a pool of warm chocolate. A feeling of peace and security spread through her. No matter what happened, she knew Rafe would take care of her. His strength and caring flowed into her, filling her with a sense of contentment. A smile hovered on her lips and she pushed the same positive feelings towards him, wanting to give as much as she was receiving.

  His eye lids lowered and the corner of his mouth curled up just before a contented, rumbling sound came from deep within his chest. Startled, Eve broke eye contact and jerked her hand away from his chest, staring in surprise as the muscular wall in front of her where the noise seemed to have originated.

  Rafe coughed and cleared his throat, stepping back. Eve blinked questioning what she’d heard…or at least thought she’d heard. It must be all this talk about wolves that was affecting her mind; for a split second she could have sworn the man had sounded just like a contented wolf! At the same time, the feeling of well-being that had filled her moments before began to fade. Realization hit that she’d been forging a bridge with Rafe once again, and the idea pushed any questions about rumbling sounds to the back of her mind.