The Rogue's Fate

by Missy De Graff

  When Mia takes that tone with me, I know something is up. I head to the kitchen to wait. Grabbing a stool, I sit at the counter waiting for my little sister.

  "Caiden!" Mia walks through the doorway. Running to me, she lunges for my midsection and wraps both her arms around me in a tight hug.

  "Is everything okay?" I ask.

  "Everything is better than okay," Mia says, tightening her embrace.

  Wrapping my arms around her, I give her a squeeze just as Gavin walks through the doorway.

  "Am I interrupting something?" Gavin asks and I begin to laugh.

  Mia lets go and takes a seat next to me.

  "I'm just so happy that you finally met Cinda," she says in a high-pitched tone.

  "Yeah, she's pretty cool," Gavin says. "She'll be a great asset to the pack."

  "You'll let her stay, won't you?" Mia asks.

  "It's not up to me, remember? The Pack Elders will want to interview her, and then she'll need to meet each member, and in time she'll be brought to vote."

  Gavin grumbles under his breath, "That whole thing is so stupid."

  "Yeah, why did you even agree to all that?" Mia asks. "Oh wait, I remember. You weren't around so they kinda did it without your permission in the first place, right?"

  Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Mia wrinkles her nose and sticks out her tongue. Even when you are the Alpha, little sisters will always be little sisters. I shake my head.

  "What's done is done. But we can help her through the process by preparing her as best we can," I say.

  "And how do you propose we do that?" Mia asks.

  "Tomorrow when you're shopping, you have to talk to her and find out what type of trouble she's in."

  "Why do you think Cinda's in trouble?"

  "She said she was running from someone."

  "Really? Who?" Mia asks.

  "If I knew that, then I wouldn't need—Oh, never mind!" Sometimes my patience doesn’t extend very far with my sister.

  "Lighten up, Caiden." Mia reaches across the counter to rub my arm. "Just because she’s running from someone, doesn't necessarily mean she's in trouble."

  "Mia's right," Gavin says. "She could be running from an ex-boyfriend or something." My pulse increases thinking of Lucinda with someone else.

  Mia shrugs and her eyebrows raise while puckering her lips into a sassy pout. If she wasn't my little sister I’d reprimand her.

  I stand with more force than intended and dart for the door. As I pass behind Mia, I say, "Just find out what you can."

  Leaving the kitchen, I turn to head upstairs. Just then long black hair whips around and smacks me in the face.

  "Oh hi, Caiden," Sabrina says. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." Sure.

  "Sabrina." I give a nod of acknowledgment and continue past her on the stairs.

  Reaching out and grabbing my hand, Sabrina says, "Caiden, I've been meaning to talk to you. Do you have a few minutes?"

  "Can it wait until office hours in the morning?"

  "Are you actually going to have them tomorrow?" Sabrina asks. "It's been about a month since you've held office hours. It's been two months since you attended a weekly council meeting. And I can't remember the last time I saw you at a monthly pack meet—"

  "Is this what you want? To review my attendance record?"

  "No—"

  Narrowing my eyes, a low growl escapes. "Then hurry up and get to your point."

  "We need to talk about a plan to deal with the border attacks—"

  "There is no 'we'," I say. "Dylan, Sammy, and I have a plan."

  "Then what is it?"

  "It doesn't concern you."

  “But–”

  Stepping closer to Sabrina, my nose brushes hers. “Let’s get an understanding. I tolerate you because you are Patrick’s niece. He was an honorable Beta to my father, may he rest in peace. But, that is as far as it goes.” I clench my fists as I turn away from her wide-eyed stare.

  She begins to open her mouth, but I’ve had enough of this conversation. Rolling back my shoulders; my wolf shows his dominance. Sabrina is powerless and has no choice but to submit.

  Letting out a deep breath, I walk past her and continue up the stairs. Brushing past Dylan in the hall, I shoot him a glare and say through the mindlink, We need to talk later, and I head straight for my room.

  Laying down on my bed, I watch the small golden flame of my oil lamp dance in the air. It calms my nerves and eases the tension. My father gave me the lamp, saying it was an old family heirloom and he hoped one day I would pass it to my son. He told me, your eye is the lamp of the body. I never understood what he meant. But as long as the flame of my lamp still flickers, then I will keep pushing forward through this meaningless existence. No matter how hard it is to wake every day and look at the shell of a man in the mirror staring back at me, life goes on.

  Closing my eyes, I slow my breathing and try to relax. My eyes flash open as I'm startled awake by a loud banging noise. My scalp tingles, but the alarmed Alpha within me soon calms down once I realize it's only Dylan and Sabrina. They must be having one of their kinky sex nights. Gritting my teeth, I roll over and pull a pillow over my head, but it doesn’t drown out the constant moaning of Sabrina's annoying voice.

  I hear a light tapping on my door and sense someone in the hall. If someone needs me, why wouldn’t they use the mindlink? Getting out of bed, I quickly throw on a pair of flannel pants and open the door in time to see Lucinda slipping into her room.

  Running my hand through my hair, I ask, “Lucinda, is everything okay?”

  “Oh, hi. I’m sorry to wake you,” she says, shying away from my gaze. Her chest rises as she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

  “It’s nothing, I’m fine.” Her voice is calm and steady, almost too controlled.

  When she opens her eyes, she blushes as she notices my clothes or lack thereof.

  “Ahh! Ooo! Dylan!”

  Lucinda flinches at the moans and growls that break through the silence of the night. She flashes me a weak smile and starts to close the door. I get it.

  Crossing the hall, I shut her door, take her arm and say, "Come on.”

  As she follows me into my room, she warily looks around. What she was expecting? She stops to look at the soft light of the oil lamp that still glows on the nightstand. She turns to me and raises her eyebrows in question. I shrug. And then she traces the top of the glass with her fingertips.

  "Get some sleep,” I say.

  She crawls into bed and lays down on her left side. I crawl into bed behind her and drape my arm over her body, allowing the Alpha within me, my wolf, to calm her and put her wolf at ease.

  She soon falls asleep and I’m not far behind her.

  I wake up inhaling an intoxicating and sweet scent. Notes of nectar and peppermint drift through my nostrils, causing my lips to turn up at the corners. Opening my eyes, I gaze at this heavenly creature resting peacefully in my arms. How can Dylan reject her?

  When her eyes flutter open I say, “Good morning.”

  She rolls over to face me and a light shade of pink rushes to her cheeks.

  “Good morning,” she whispers and diverts her eyes away from mine. An uneasiness rumbles in the pit of my stomach and I push it aside.

  “First off, let’s get something straight. I’ll always protect you when you need it. But let’s not make this,” I gesture at our current situation, “a habit. I don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression.” Her eyebrows raise and her eyes widen.

  “OH! Right, of course,” she says, almost too quickly. Sitting up, she starts to scoot off the foot of the bed. A blush rises to her cheeks as she plays with the hem of her shirt. Damn it, I've embarrassed her.

  “Did I see Dylan coming out of your room last night?” I ask. She freezes and turns to look at me.

  “Yes,” she says with a cautious tone.

  “What did he want?” I ask, my s
tare penetrating her hazel eyes.

  “To talk.” She shrugs and turns her back to me. Her long golden-brown hair whips over her shoulder, causing her delightful scent to flood my senses.

  “You two can be civil with each other?” I cock an eyebrow.

  “Yes,” she says, glancing over her shoulder. A faint smile plays at the edges of her ruby lips. “When we’re alone, he’s different. He’s tender and caring, almost like we’re friends again. It’s only when we’re in a crowd, especially around other guys, that he’s an asshole.”

  Her face hardens and the tender smile falls from her face. “I guess we have a love-hate relationship. Well, mostly hate. We’re rarely alone.”

  Staring at the ground, the realization hits me as the meaning behind her words sink in. A low rumble of laughter erupts from my throat. Her surprised look tells me she hasn’t figured it out. I quiet my laughter, a mischievous smile taking its place.

  “Lucinda, the connection to our fated mate is like a double-edged sword.” I choose my words carefully. “Just as we’re hardwired to love our fated mate, we’re also very possessive of them.” I watch her carefully.

  “For some unknown reason, he’s trying hard to reject your love. But in doing so, he hasn’t the strength to control the possessive nature of his wolf. His hostile behavior is the backlash. His wolf wants his mate, but Dylan won't allow it. Therefore, he is doing everything he can to push you away, so unfortunately, you suffer the consequences.” My own heart yearns as I speak about mates.

  “How do you know so much about fated mates?” she timidly asks.

  “I found mine,” I whisper, looking away.

  I can't talk about my mate, not now, not with her.

  Chapter 9

  Lucinda

  Caiden's body tenses at the mention of his mate. Staring into his deep blue eyes, I search for answers to my unasked questions. But all I see is remorse and wistful longing before he diverts his gaze away from mine.

  “I should go before everyone wakes up.” He nods and his eyes remain fixed on the ground, so I stand to leave.

  In the doorway, I stop and give one last glance to Caiden. The morning light outlines his body, and the rays shine through the window behind him. His silhouette is heavenly. Paired with the backdrop of the English ivy climbing on the tree outside, it is a truly surreal moment.

  A sorrowful pain surges through me as I close the door. I just witnessed the Alpha at his lowest. A broken man sitting on the edge of his bed, head down resting in his hands. My chest tightens with grief for an unknown reason.

  Lost in my thoughts, I don’t notice Dylan standing in front of his door until I hear a low growl. I quickly turn to his direction and he glares at me. I scoot across the hall and slip into my room. It's too early to deal with his mood swings right now.

  After freshening up, I head downstairs and seek out the loud voices I heard from the stairs. Entering the kitchen, I find Mia and Gavin laughing, while Dylan sits brooding at the table.

  “Cinda!" Mia says. "Perfect timing—”

  “Are your ears burnin'? Because we were just talking 'bout you,” Gavin interrupts, flashing me a mischievous grin.

  Raising my eyebrows, I say, “Oh yeah?”

  “Pull up a chair. Gavin was just about to tell the story of the first time you all met,” a male voice says. I turn to see the man with sandy blond hair and emerald-green eyes. My escort.

  “Hi. I’m Sammy,” he says, extending his hand.

  “Cinda.” I firmly shake his hand.

  “So, as I was saying,” Gavin continues, “the first time I met Cinda, she saved my life. Dylan and I were out hunting when a band of rogues sprang on us. They were out for blood and went straight for the kill.”

  “Dylan went down. And a huge beast was headed straight for me. I took a second to ask Dylan if he was okay, and that was my mistake. The beast was faster than I thought and he caught me by surprise. During his attack, I lost my footing and we both fell to the hard ground. I was on my back with him on top of me. He was huge and I couldn’t shake him, next thing I know he sunk his teeth into my shoulder. I started to fade out. But then Dylan pounced on the guy, knocking him off me, and they rolled a couple times, landing a few feet away. Dylan stood in front of me, placing himself between me and the other wolfs, he was protecting me.”

  “There were seven of them and they had us pinned against a tree with no escape route. I was useless, lying on the forest floor, blood gushing. Then, out of nowhere, a black wolf leaps through the air and stands next to Dylan. A menacing growl escaped the black wolf, and he was baring his fangs. I could feel the power radiate off of this newcomer, I knew he was a strong Alpha.”

  “Then I felt something else. I looked at the tree line to see the most beautiful silhouette of a female wolf.” Gavin pulls Mia close to him and places a kiss on her forehead before continuing.

  “As you can guess, it was Mia.”

  “And? What happened with the black wolf and the rogues?” Sammy asks, clearly annoyed by the interruption.

  At this moment, the door opens and the my new favorite scent swirls in the air. And Caiden walks into the kitchen. My eyes flit away as he turns toward me. I hear a low growl and I know it's from Dylan sitting in the corner.

  “Gavin’s telling the story of how he met Mia and Cinda,” Sammy says to Caiden. Caiden smiles and nods.

  “Well, let’s just say I was terrified by the mysterious black wolf as I watched it shred the band of rogues to pieces. Dylan held his own against a couple of the rogues, but I was in awe of this newcomer. He had not only skill, strength, and speed, but also grace. It was the most amazing and utterly terrifying fight I’ve ever witnessed.” Gavin is the most dramatic storyteller, and everyone in the room is at the edge of their seat, hanging on his every word. Well, everyone except Dylan. He's still pouting in the corner.

  “In one swift motion, the black wolf lunged in and ripped out the throat of the rogue leader. After his lifeless body fell to the ground, the other rogues scattered into the trees.”

  “And then what?” Sammy asks.

  Gavin shrugs his shoulders. “And then I passed out.”

  “Seriously?" Sammy says. "What type of story ends like that?”

  Gavin laughs. “Who said that was the end?"

  “Then hurry up and continue, you damn fool!” Sammy jokes, and we all laugh.

  Gavin smiles and continues his story. “When I woke up the next morning, I was in a cabin with Mia by my side. I was in too much pain the day before to really think much about the black wolf, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out the black wolf was Cinda!” Sammy gasps and I chuckle, remembering Gavin’s face that morning. It was priceless, a golden moment worthy of framing.

  My eyes wander to Dylan. He stares at me, intently watching my every movement. But then his eyes soften around the edges as they meet mine, and I’m pulled into the bitter sweet memory of that night. The night my wolf finally got what she always wanted, and then lost it, again.

  I had fought before, but that was my first kill. So I was shaken up after killing those wolves, especially in such a brutal manner. Since that night, I've discovered that my razor-sharp canines are my best defense and my weapon of choice. But that night I was a mess. Dylan's strong arms had wrapped around me to calm my frenzied nerves.

  Heat rises to the back of my neck, as I remember other events of that night. His warm breath on my chilled skin as he nuzzled the sweet spot behind my ear. I remember the pleasure of his soft lips on mine and the gentleness of his touch against my bare skin.

  Mia took care of Gavin that night, so Dylan and I were left to our own devices. There was not much talking. Except right before I fell asleep in the security of his embrace, he whispered, I love you, Lux. I always have and always will. My heart swelled with joy that night, only to be crushed the next morning when I woke to a cold bed and to find him gone. No note, nothing—just gone.

  Pulling my
self back to reality, I lock a gaze with Dylan, a fire burning in his eyes. I know he was remembering that night too. And then Caiden’s fingertips brush against my lower back ever so gently as he passes behind me. Turning toward him, a shy smile tugs at my lips.

  Dylan abruptly stands, causing his chair to fall over, and storms outside. Mia raises her eyebrows at his outburst.

  Shrugging, Gavin says, “You know he's moody.”

  “Hey Cinda, if you're not doing anything today I'd love to show you around.” Sammy's voice cracks and a light blush rises to his cheeks.

  “Sorry Sammy, but she's booked the entire day,” Mia says, and stands and reaches out to me. I flash a small smile to Sammy. He seems like a nice guy. “But, she's free tomorrow.” Mia winks at Sammy and the grin falls from my face.

  “Great!” Sammy's lips curve into a dazzling smile. “Then I'll see you tomorrow.” My eyes widen and I turn to Caiden only to find his brow line pulled taut.

  “Mia, if you’re going shopping you should head out soon,” Caiden says, “And be back before dark.”

  “Yes, Alpha Sir,” Mia says with a salute.

  Caiden shakes his head and says, “Mia, I'm serious.”

  “I know, and it reminds me why I find you so cute!" Mia says. I doubt an Alpha wants to be called cute, even if it is by his sister. “Cinda, are you ready?”

  I nod and flash the most enthusiastic smile I can muster. Caiden chuckles and a smile that melts my heart lights up his face.

  “Hey, girls.” Gavin’s voice catches me by surprise. When I turn to look at him, his eyebrows draw close together and he clears his throat before continuing.

  “Be careful, okay? There’ve been more attacks. Please be on guard and be back before dark,” he says in a hushed tone. We nod, and to his delight we each take a cheek and give him a big kiss.

  “Yes, Daddy,” Mia and I say in unison as we turn to leave.

  Stepping outside, I see Dylan standing on the porch. He turns to face me as I approach.

  “Can we talk a minute?” he asks. I nod and walk down the porch steps away from the others.

  Scratching the back of his neck, he asks, “What are you doing?”