by Toni Goode
The cabin was lightly furnished with an old couch and some wooden chairs. It didn’t look like anyone had been there for quite some time. The lights came on as she stood there, and she suddenly now felt self-conscious as Nicholas looked at her. She was half tempted to tell him the real deal, but she couldn’t trust him. She couldn’t trust anyone. She knew her family would be looking for her. She knew that word would get out soon about her disappearance. She tried not to think about it.
Nicholas got the fire started as Joey came back into the room. “Check for water and supplies.” Nicholas barked orders at the young guy and then looked back at Emma. His eyes landed on her bare legs and then slowly looked up her body. “Come with me.” He said as he began to walk down the hallway and she reluctantly followed him. He stopped at a door and opened it. It was a bedroom with a cot and a dresser. He opened up the drawers and pulled a pair of sweat pants out of it. “Put this on before you end up with pneumonia.” He said seriously as he tossed the pants at her and turned around as she put them on quickly. “So why are you heading to New York and how did you become a rogue?” He asked, and she swallowed hard.
“New York is welcoming to rogues.” She said quickly, and he looked at her now. “And I’m a rogue. Things happen and here I am.” She said quickly.
“So, you don’t have a family at all?” He asked with confusion as he looked at her and she nodded her head no. “Who told you about New York?” He asked. There was something about her that rubbed him the wrong way. It just seemed too off for her to be a rogue. He wasn’t against most rogues, hell some of his best friends were rogues but that was another story altogether.
“I have no family. I really do not mean any harm or trouble. I am just trying to get to New York.” She said quickly. She knew about New York because she had overheard her father at one of his elder meetings. He spoke of the abomination going on in New York and how rogues ran the place. Not to mention John was going there. She was sure he was there now.
“Ok. I believe you.” He said quickly and then he walked past her as he left the room. “Red are you coming?” He asked, and she jumped as she quickly joined him in the hallway. They got out into the living room as the storm continued to come down hard. The lights flickered as Joey came back in the room with a bottle of alcohol. Nicholas looked at him. “That’s all you could find?” He said with annoyance.
“It’s been awhile since any of us have been here.” Joey said as an explanation as Nicholas shook his head.
“Fine. Just hand it over.” He held his hand out as Emma sat down on the couch and Nicholas sat on a nearby chair. He took a swig of the alcohol. He looked to Emma and handed the bottle to her.
Emma downed the alcohol which just so happened to be whiskey. She gulped it as some of it ran down her neck and she pulled it from her lips. “Sorry I was thirsty.” She said as Nicholas looked at her shocked.
“I can see that. How long have you been on this journey?” He asked, and she glanced at the wooden floor.
“ Awhile.” She answered somewhat truthfully. “Where exactly am I?”
“Right outside of Richmond, Virginia.” Nicholas said as he looked at her and took another swig.
“Oh wow.” Emma let that settle in her mind. At least she had made good time. “I really appreciate you being so understanding and as soon as this rain lets up, I will be out of your way.” Emma said softly as he looked at her.
“Oh. Yeah that’s not gonna happen. You’re not going anywhere.” He said as she blinked in shock. Had she heard him, right?
Emma looked at him. “I’m sorry but did you say I can’t leave?”
“Basically. I must make sure you are not a threat to my pack. You understand that, right?” He raised an eyebrow and she swallowed hard again.
“But I told you that I am just passing through.” She began as he took another swig of the alcohol.
“And I am telling you that until I get you cleared back in town then you can leave. Is there a problem? Is there something you aren’t telling me?” He asked with suspicion.
“No, but.” She began, and he stood now and cut her off as he handed her the bottle.
“Then it won’t be a problem to come into town with me and let me make sure that you are who you say you are. I mean considering I didn’t kill you on the spot. I think it’s only fair.” He said seriously, and her eyes got wide as she nodded her head She needed to find a way to get out of there. She couldn’t have him finding out who she was. She couldn’t go back to her pack and back to Lawrence. She would die first.
“Everything ok?” Nicholas asked as she took another big swig of the whiskey.
“Yeah.” She said quietly. She would have to find the right time to make an escape. She just wasn’t sure when that was.
Chapter Four
Emma stay fairly quiet as they sat in the cabin and drank the whiskey. She decided to befriend Nicholas, maybe that way she could win him over and leave sooner rather than later.
“When did you become a rogue?” Nicholas asked after nearly twenty minutes of silence. The rain was still coming down in buckets.
“A while ago. Time is confusing when you’re on the road all the time.” She lied.
“Haven’t you thought of settling or finding another pack that may take you in?” He asked. There was something about this girl. Something that told him that she wasn’t being a hundred percent honest not to mention she was incredibly easy on the eyes. Her long red wavy hair and her amazing curves on her body. The sight of her, made the wolf inside of him crazy with desire.
“Maybe when I get to New York.” She said quickly. She couldn’t see herself joining another pack. She knew how bad it looked to others. Rogues were never a welcome sight. “You said you know a lot of rogues?” She asked as she tried to keep him distracted.
“My fair share. Not everyone conforms to the rules of a pack. I respect that as long as they live their life in a positive way.” He said honestly. One of his best friends Steele is a rogue. He had been one of Nicholas’ pack members, but he did better on his own. A lot of Nicholas’ town didn’t agree but he was Alpha, so his opinion was highly respected. “Do you know any other rogues?” He asked.
“No, I stay to myself.” She said quickly.
“You seem to be in very good shape for someone who has been living on the road.” He said with his head cocked.
“I um. I do alright. Sometimes I do small jobs in different towns for some cash and then I’m off again.” She lied even though that was her plan. Whatever it took to get to New York, so she could really have her life back.
“You work beside the humans?” He asked with shock and she nodded her head yes. “Interesting.” He finished off the bottle alcohol. Joey was already passed out and sleeping in front of the fire place. “I’m gonna see if there is more of this somewhere.” He said as he stood up and then walked into the kitchen as Emma quietly stood and looked around. She looked at the door and then the window.
Nicholas found an old bottle of vodka hidden in the back of one of the cabinets. He knew the only way he would get more information out of that rogue was to get her drunk. “I hope you’re not against ten-year-old vodka.” He said as he stepped back into the living room, but she was not there. The sound of a door moving down the hall got his attention as he put the bottle down and made his way towards the hall. He saw the bathroom door closed and he knocked. No answer. He knocked again. “I found some.” His voice trailed as his nose caught a whiff of something. It was the rain and it was coming into a nearby room. He looked to the bedroom and then ran to it. His eyes getting wide as he saw the open window. He ran to it. “Son of a bitch!” He yelled angrily and then jumped out the window. Immediately he saw the ripped shirt and pants. He yelled up at the sky as he became drenched and then he leapt into the air as he shifted into a large black wolf. He howled loud before taking off after her.
Emma jumped over a bunch of rocks as a loud howl was heard. She knew she had been found out, but she kept running.
She couldn’t have him find out who she was. She needed to get far away and so she ran even faster through the storm that surrounded them.
Nicholas could still smell her as he ran but her scent was fading with the storm that crashed down on them. He kept running even though he saw that they were getting close to another territory. One he really didn’t want to cross. There was bad blood between his pack and the territory up ahead. His father had been killed by their Alpha when Nicholas was only sixteen. He had seen it happen with his own eyes and as he got close to the border, the memories began to flood his mind.
He had only been 16 at the time and for the most part he lived a carefree life. At this particular moment it consisted of sneaking a six pack of beer in the middle of the woods.
Nicholas had always been sort of a loner. It was hard to be anything else when his father was the almighty leader of this town and one hell of a hard ass as well. It seemed like those around Nicholas either feared him or didn’t speak to him at all. For a teenager that was a hard thing to deal with and so he spent a lot of his time like this, alone.
As he drank the last beer the sound of voices caught his attention, but it wasn’t just any voice but the voice of his father. He immediately threw the beer can on the ground as he crouched down behind some bushes.
Off in the distance he could see his father along with some other members of the council. They all seemed to be in a heated discussion even though Nicholas couldn’t make out what they were saying. So, he quietly made his way closer.
"I think we should just leave things be Joseph, this isn’t our problem." One of the older men named Jack said to his father.
"How could we in our best conscience let this happen? I say that now it becomes our problem." Joseph said as he looked at the other council members.
"We don’t even know if this is true. It could just be a way for the Lunar Clan to trick us out of the truce." Victor said quickly.
"The only way we will know is if we see for ourselves." Joseph said seriously.
"Brother please don’t do this, just stepping onto their territory is grounds for death." Victor said with concern.
"We can’t just sit around while they torture an innocent!" Joseph said loud. "I’m going, now who is with me?" He looked around at all the faces as they cast their eyes down. "So be it." Joseph said with a nod of his head. He would be going it alone and he was ok with that.
The sound of Nicholas stepping onto a branch made them all look in his direction as he fell back onto his ass. Before he could even scramble away his father had him by the collar of his shirt.
"What the hell are you doing here Nicholas!" His father snapped at him as he began to ramble drunkenly. "Have you been drinking!" He yelled loudly.
"Dad I want to go. I want to join you." Nicholas said quickly.
"None of that was for you to hear." Joseph shook his head.
"But dad I want to go. I can help." Nicholas began quickly.
"Get yourself home to your mother, now Nicholas!" His father rumbled as he let go of his collar.
"But dad I can do this. I can help." Nicholas said again.
"I won’t tell your mother about this Nicholas. Don’t make me change my mind, now go!" Joseph turned from him as Nicholas sighed and stood there. "Now, Son!" He said again as Nicholas huffed and spun around then quickly began to run away.
Nicholas was never one for listening to the rules when he was a child but now he listened to them too much. He got closer to the border of his town. Images flooded his mind once more of a time from long ago.
Nicholas’ heart was racing as he ran through the woods. His father had told him to stay back but he knew he couldn’t. He felt overwhelmed to help his father. To prove to him that he could do this even if his father believed he couldn’t. He stayed far enough back as he watched his father cross the dangerous territory that belonged to the neighboring pack. Everyone knew this was a death sentence and he didn’t understand why his father felt the need to go there. What could be so important to make him break such a truce? He watched from a nearby bush as his father was immediately surrounded. Seemingly by at least ten men and he put his hands up in surrender.
"Look what we have here!" Nicholas was surprised by a voice behind him as he jumped up and came face to face with a member of the other pack.
"Nicholas!" His father yelled out to him, but it was too late. Within seconds a large blunt object was coming down on the back of his head as he fell hard to the ground and everything turned black. Nicholas watched in horror as his father fell to the ground. Immediately they were both dragged through the dark woods.
They ended up in an abandoned building as Nicholas tried to fight the men who held him, but it did no good. They tied him to a chair as they began to kick and punch his father’s motionless body.
"Leave him alone!" Nicholas yelled as he tried to fight against his restraints, but it was pointless. He couldn’t move, all he could do was watch as two men beat his father to a bloody pulp.
"It is a shame to realize your father isn’t as strong as you thought, huh kid?" A larger man smiled as he came into the room. Joseph gasped for air as two larger men held him up. Nicholas continued to try and fight against the rope that restrained him. "You knew better then to come here Joseph." The man said as he neared him.
His name was Anthony Romano and he was the pack leader of the Lunar Pack. Nicholas had heard horror stories about this man. How his kind still fed off the innocent and killed without a second thought but to see him in person was another thing. It was unreal and frightening at the same time. They truly came from different worlds.
"Get away from him!" Nicholas yelled as the man ignored him and continued to look at Joseph.
"Your son has quite the mouth on him, it would serve him right to learn a lesson or two in respect!" Anthony said seriously.
"He's just a boy." Joseph said as he looked at the man in front of him.
"Even boys need to learn a lesson from time to time." Anthony grinned.
"Just let him go, it’s me you want." Joseph pleaded with the man.
"And why is that Joseph? Is this really because of the human?" Anthony slowly circled him. "I would think that you would have better things to preoccupy your day with than to be concerned with how I spend mine." He raised an eyebrow. "Does your son know how affectionate you are with the humans?"
"They are living breathing things!" Joseph said sternly as Anthony now looked at Nicholas.
"Do you see how they have clouded your fathers mind. I mean he had risked his life for what? To save one of them?" He shook his head.
"I stand by my father." Nicholas said bravely.
"Well then you are just as stupid as he is!" Anthony snapped at him and then spun around. "Why don’t we see how much you really care." Anthony said as he snapped his fingers at one of his men that were at the door and then quickly they were stepping out of the room.
"Just let my son go, you have a son yourself and this isn’t their war!" Joseph said as he looked at Anthony.
"My son isn’t a pathetic excuse for a boy!" Anthony yelled.
"Why don’t you untie me and see how pathetic I am." Nicholas snapped at the older man who looked at him wide eyed and then walked over to him.
"My my, you do have quite the pair of balls now don’t you boy!" Anthony grabbed him by the face and squeezed as Joseph yelled out for him to stop but Nicholas just stared at him with rage in his eyes. "The next time you speak out of turn will be your last." He snarled at him as the door opened and Anthony spun around as one of his men dragged a crying and screaming woman in. Nicholas gasped at the sight. It was a real human, he had never seen one up close like this.
"Please just let me go." The battered woman cried as she got tossed onto the ground.
"This is what you want to save? This is what you are willing to die for?" Anthony yelled.
"Anthony don’t do this. You don’t have to." Joseph began.
"You really are an embarrassment to the race Joseph
!" Anthony said with disgust. "She is nothing but a weak, diseased ridden rat." Anthony yanked the woman up by her hair as she cried out.
"Stop this, just stop this!" Nicholas yelled as Anthony looked at him. He was absolutely seething.
"You’re willing to let your father die for this piece of trash?" Anthony yanked the crying woman over to him. "The same kind of person who would have you locked away like some lab experiment!" Anthony yelled as the woman cried louder and he spun quick. Without a second thought he back handed her as she fell to the ground crying hysterically.
"She can’t even defend herself!" Joseph yelled as he tried to fight against the men who held him, but Anthony ignored him.
"This is the kind of thing that comes into our towns and destroys them. This is what tears families apart!" Anthony yelled towards Nicholas.
"Don’t listen to him Nicholas. They are harmless to our kind." Joseph said pleadingly.
"Harmless? Didn’t you have to leave Georgia because of this. Because of them. They would kill you without a second thought!" Anthony snapped.
"He's lying Nicholas. Look at her, look at what they have done to her." Joseph said as he saw the light leaving his sons eyes. Nicholas looked at the girl then at his dad.
"Your father is a fool." Anthony snapped again. "He doesn’t deserve to breath another day!" He said as he got in front of Joseph and grabbed him by the back of his hair as he groaned in pain.
"Don’t! Don’t do this!" Nicholas finally yelled out as Anthony looked at him. "Dad it’s not worth it" Nicholas surprised them all as they looked at him. Anthony smiled big.
"That is not the way I raised you Nicholas." Joseph snapped at his son.
"Look at her dad. Your life is more important than that." Nicholas said seriously.
