The Rogue's Fate

by Missy De Graff

  "My mom," he whispers in a strained tone and drops his head low.

  The corner of my right eye starts to twitch as fear floods my body. Closing my eyes, I ball my fists so tight that my fingernails dig into my skin.

  "Caiden? Are you okay?" Sammy asks, placing a hand on my shoulder. Shaking my head, I begin to filter through all the mindlinks in the pack, looking for the person projecting this predominate feeling of fear.

  My heartbeat quickens and my stomach twists in knots as I find her.

  "MIA!" Gavin rushes into the room and screams, "Mia!"

  My eyes open wide and I look to Gavin for answers. Listening to his heavy breathing, I notice beads of sweat rolling down his temples. He’s wide-eyed with a crazed look on his face.

  "Let's go," I command, rushing past him and out the door to my black Hellcat. I reach out to Mia in the mindlink, but she doesn’t respond. Gavin, Dylan, and Sammy climb into the car, and they barely have their doors closed when I step on the gas and peel out of the driveway leaving a cloud of dust behind us.

  "Gavin, can you reach her?" I ask. Glancing in the rearview mirror I see Gavin's eyes wide in alarm.

  "We need to hurry!" He shouts.

  "What's going on?" Dylan asks.

  "I'm not sure. She's so frantic, her thoughts are all jumbled," Gavin says. I notice he is clenching and relaxing his fists. I taught him that. It is an old trick my dad taught me to help control my wolf in times of stress and anger.

  "Is she still with Lucinda?" I ask. Gavin’s eyes are closed and he bites his lip, but he nods.

  "Don't worry man, Lux won't let anything happen to her," Dylan's chin rises up in praise as he says her name, a smile slowly spreading across his face.

  "It's not Mia I'm worried about," Gavin whispers. His tone is barely audible and full of despair.

  My chest tightens and my pulse races. If it is not Mia, then it is Lucinda. I glance to Dylan, who is sitting next to me in the passenger seat. His face is like stone—emotionless, but his fists are clenched tight and his knuckles are white as hell.

  Chapter 12

  Lucinda

  Tilting my head toward the hand on my shoulder, I catch the familiar stench of cloves and bayberry. At one point in time I yearned for his scent, but now I dread it with my life. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath, extinguishing the butterflies and settling the queasiness in my stomach. As I exhale, I wink at Mia to calm her nerves. Her eyes are wide and I can smell the distinct scent of fear rolling off her body.

  Turning around to face the man standing behind me, I let his name roll off my tongue. "Hello Felix. To what do I owe this honor?"

  His deep brown eyes bore into mine. Feeding off power and dominance, he holds my stare and waits for me to falter. I will never give in to him.

  "Lucinda, what a wonderful surprise," he says in his haughty English accent. His pink lips curve up to the right, forming his classic smirk, and his eyes never leave my intense glare. Both of us are unwilling to back down or give into the other, until the edges of his lips curl into a smile and he begins a deep, rich laugh.

  "Glad to see you haven't changed," he says. "Still so stubborn."

  I hide my smirk. I won that round, I wonder what it will cost me in the future.

  "You do realize you're trespassing on pack territory, right?" Mia interjects, her last word catching in her throat as Felix takes notice of her for the first time, his eyes squint and nostrils flared.

  "Am I? Oh, what a shame," he says in a controlled tone. "I don't pay much attention to pack business or territories."

  "The Alpha is on his way." Mia’s cheeks are bright red, but she does not sway even under his harsh glare.

  My eyes dart around, looking for Cody. I find him in the same spot, but he starts walking toward us.

  "Cody, why are you here?" I ask him through the mindlink, careful to block Felix and any other of his misfit wolves that may be lurking nearby.

  "We got a tip that someone we're looking for is here," Cody says. "What are you doing here?"

  "Running away from Felix, just like we planned." As soon as the words leave my mind, a small grin appears on Cody's face, brightening his creamy hazel eyes.

  "To me, it looks like you're shopping," he says with a wink as he passes me to stand next to Felix.

  “Felix, you should leave,” I say. They need to leave before Caiden arrives, that will only cause trouble for everyone.

  “Not yet.”

  Knowing the drive is only a short distance and that's driving at the speed limit, I send Cody a message through the mindlink. “Cody, please persuade him to leave.”

  “Sorry, he's determined. No changing his mind.” Cody makes a frown. “And too late.”

  "They're here," Cody says out loud.

  Just then, my heart skips a beat as ripples of power surge through the air, declaring the presence of the Alpha. From the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of Caiden and Dylan walking side-by-side. Their lips are drawn in a hard, straight line. Their eyes are solid blocks of black, I know they’re fighting for control against their wolves. This is not good.

  I've always known Dylan was powerful, but seeing him now, next to Caiden–his tense jaw and broad shoulders–the two could be related. And I sense the power that emits from him. This is not good.

  Being the daughter of an Alpha, I am powerful myself, and Felix is very powerful. I can't tell if he is more powerful than Caiden, but he has no control over his power-hungry nature. He once confided in me and shared a story about a witch that cursed him. I didn't believe it until I witnessed his power-hungry wrath firsthand.

  Having so many powerful wolves in such close proximity will not end well.

  "Lucinda," Felix says, bringing me out of my inner thoughts, "come with me willingly and there will be no trouble." I search his eyes for something, anything to tell me that he is sincere, but I find nothing. My time with Felix taught me two things. Felix is not a man to cross, and you shouldn't enter a fight with him if you value your life, because you will die.

  "No. She's not going with you!" Mia says, pointing her finger at him.

  "Kitten, we've been through this before. You're a powerful Alpha and you deserve a powerful mate, someone like me. Come back with me." Felix coos in a calm voice, ignoring Mia's outburst.

  I bite the inside of my bottom lip to calm my rampant nerves. Glancing to Caiden and Dylan, I notice Sammy and Gavin have joined their flank.

  "She's not going anywhere with you," Mia seethes. I see the flash in Felix's eye before his hand crosses his chest. I step in front of Mia and grab his forearm, successfully blocking his backhand slap. I have been the unfortunate recipient of those too many times.

  As our skin touches, a tingling sensation surges through our bodies, uniting our power as one. I quickly release his arm and stumble backward a step, my eyes wide as I watch Felix. That’s new.

  Strong arms catch me from behind before I fall flat on my ass. I instantly recognize the scent, cumin and fresh cut grass. A warmth spreads across my limbs, settling in my chest. Looking up from under my eyelashes, I see Dylan smiling. His eyes soften for a moment and then turn cold as he lifts me to a standing position.

  "You're trespassing. Leave. Now." The sound of Caiden's voice brings my head snapping to him. He stands a foot in front of us, face to face with Felix. Caiden, I hope you know what you're doing. Be careful. I plea silently to myself.

  "Gladly. I'll just take what's mine and we'll be on our way." Felix says, his eyes glued on me. Caiden and Dylan both turn and give me a once over.

  Caiden raises his forehead and tilts his head in an awkward angle, watching me. Dylan on the other hand, raises one of his eyebrows and I see a small smirk forming.

  Rolling my eyes, I cross my arms and flash Felix the best evil eye I can conjure. Through the mindlink I ask Cody, "How many times do I need to say no until he understands—I am not his."

  Cody's eyes look to the ground as he
flashes a playful grin before responding. "Yeah, I don't think he got that memo."

  Well, this will play out one of two ways. Neither of which are good for me or the Blood Moone pack. Sigh. Why did we have to go shopping?

  Chills race through my body, causing goose bumps on my arm.

  He doesn't know I found my fated mate—not that he would care. It's shameful to turn your back on your fated mate. Rejecting me as Dylan has is a disgrace. But I have accepted Dylan's decision and I hope one day I will understand his motives. However, it doesn't mean I want Felix as my mate. No. The wicked things I’ve seen him do, I would rather be dead than be bound for life to that controlling and psychotic monster.

  Chapter 13

  Lucinda

  Dylan smirks and his eyes gleam of mischief. That look means trouble—I know it all too well. When we were younger, before he pulled away from me, we would get into all sort of trouble together in school and then after school, we would run to our secret hideout in the woods before our fathers could punish us.

  The last time we were in our special place, wasn't because we were hiding. Well, we were hiding, but not because of trouble. Dylan was nervous, it was right before the announcement of him as the new Alpha, to be the successor to my dad. We went and stayed there for three days. Everyone looked for us, we could hear them calling our names, but no one found us. Our secret hideout went against a wolf’s natural instinct—only cats climb trees. We vowed to never tell anyone about our little secret hideout. Why? Who knows. The vow was Dylan's idea. At the time I thought it was because he was ashamed of hiding and being nervous. But now I wonder if he knew how handy it may become in the future.

  Reaching forward, I grab his arm. I need to defuse this situation before it erupts into something deadly. And by the look on Dylan's face, he's on the verge of losing control. Think fast and calm his wolf. There are too many innocent bystanders.

  “Hey, I’m not his,” I say in a calm voice, studying Dylan’s eyes– the pupils restrict and dilate– completely overtaking his beautiful green irises.

  He leans forward and whispers in my ear, “I know.”

  The warmth of his breath on my neck sends chills down my spine. I turn to look at him and my nose brushes against his jawbone.

  Sweeping my long brown hair off my shoulder, Dylan examines my neck. With his calloused thumb, he traces the sweet spot—where the collarbone meets the shoulder. This is the location where wolves mark their mate to claim them as their own and bond their wolves together forever.

  My palms begin to sweat and my mouth goes dry. My heart quickens as his fingertips brush against my bare skin.

  "Calm down, Cinda, and slow your heartbeat. All the wolves within a mile can hear that thumping," Cody says through the mindlink.

  Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and manage to slow my pulse. When I open my eyes, Dylan is watching me and gives a slight nod. Was it a nod of approval? What the hell. Do I still have such an effect on him? Interesting.

  “It would appear she doesn’t belong to anyone,” he says and turns to show Felix my unmarked neck. That's right, still unmarked and unwanted. Let's broadcast it to the world. Sigh. Felix’s smile fades to a grimace.

  “No. Not yet,” Felix says through gritted teeth. “I have special plans for her tonight.”

  Dylan’s free hand clenches into a tight fist and a low growl penetrates my ears and I my shoulders quiver.

  Only my wolf can calm him from the path he's heading down. So I step closer to him, taking his hand in mine and holding it close to my chest. Looking up at him, I smile and bring his fist up to my lips, kissing his knuckles. I need his wolf to calm down so Dylan can regain control before he does something stupid and gets us all killed.

  “Remember our secret hiding place when we were younger?” I whisper. Staring at me with dark, onyx eyes, he nods.

  “I’ll be fine, he won’t touch me,” I say as he squeezes my hands one last time before walking away. I hear a low growl and turn to find Caiden watching Dylan walk through the crowd and down the long corridor, heading toward the mall exit.

  “She’s not going anywhere.” I startle at the sound of Caiden’s voice. His voice cuts through the silence, projecting his dominance and authority, I sway on my feet from the power he’s emitting.

  “Why do you protect a mere rogue?” Felix taunts.

  “Is she what you came for?” Caiden asks, ignoring his taunts.

  "You didn't answer my question," Felix says.

  "You're trespassing on my land. This is my territory and I'll be the one asking the questions." Caiden's voice is deep and rough.

  My breath hitches as I study Caiden. Mia said he has been mentally unstable since the attack a few years ago. Oh Caiden, hold it together. Don't let Felix see your weakness.

  Caiden and Felix continue their unrelenting stare. Caiden’s hands clench and unclench, while the vein running across his temples throb. Felix, on the other hand, is enjoying himself. He lives for these moments.

  Reaching out to Cody in the mindlink I say, "Cody, please stop this."

  Cody steps forward and answers Caiden's questions. "No."

  “Of course she isn't the reason we're here. But finding her is a nice surprise. She’s a bonus to our successful mission,” Felix says, flashing a wicked smile and winking at me.

  “Mission? What is your mission here?” Caiden asks in a strong and authoritative tone, puffing out his chest and rolling his shoulders forward.

  “We’ve been hunting a witch.” Felix flicks his wrist in the air.

  My eyes dart to Felix, “The witch that cur—”

  “Yes!” Felix snaps, cutting me off. “And I’ll kill her this time.” His eyes narrow into tight slits.

  "You're hunting a witch?" Caiden asks.

  "Yes. We picked up her trail a few weeks ago and followed her here."

  "I haven't heard any reports of a witch in my territory."

  "Witches excel at disguising themselves. Unless you're intimately familiar with their putrid stench, you wouldn't know a witch from a human."

  "You've captured this witch?" Caiden asks.

  "Yes. And it was on our way out that I picked up the mouth-watering aroma of mint and honey." Felix's eyes roam over my body and he licks his lips.

  “Cinda, he’s putting everyone on alert,” Cody says through the mindlink. Damn! Felix is ruthless—he doesn't care who lives or who dies, or about innocent human bystanders. I can't let a fight break out. Sensing the urgency of the moment, I take a deep breath and know what I must do.

  Rolling my eyes, I step forward between the two Alphas who continue their struggle for control of the situation. Placing my hands on each of their chests, my fingers curling in repulsion as they touch Felix's body, I say, “Fine, I’ll go with you, as long as you leave this Pack alone. Deal?” A smile spreads over Felix’s face and Mia's whimpers flood my eardrums.

  “Wise decision, kitten, let’s go,” he says, extending his hand out to me. His long and twisted fingers disgust me, so I turn my back to his outreached hand and instead search Mia's eyes that are filled with tears.

  "Hey, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, okay?" I flash a grin. She nods once before burying her face in Gavin's chest.

  "Cinda, what are you doing?" Cody says through the mindlink. "You escaped once, he won't let you escape again."

  I send back, "I know what I'm doing." I hope.

  Chapter 14

  Caiden

  “Lucinda,” I say grabbing her wrist to stop her. “You don’t have to go with him.”

  “It’s okay. I wasn’t going to stay here much longer anyway,” she says with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

  “I told you I’d protect you.” I step forward and close the distance between us.

  “I know,” she whispers, dropping her gaze to the floor. I tilt her chin up to look at me, and her eyes penetrate deep into my soul. I look for something, anything to tell me what she's t
hinking. Rising up on her tiptoes, she kisses me on the cheek. The touch of her moist lips on my skin sends a frenzy of emotion into my heart.

  “Thank you for everything,” she whispers.

  And I watch as she turns and walks away with Felix. His arm drapes over her shoulders and stabbing pains shoot through my chest.

  “Touch me again and you won’t live to see the sunset.” I faintly hear her say. The pain in my heart alleviates ever so slightly at the sound of her voice.

  “No! Caiden, do something!” Mia sobs behind me. I stand, frozen in shock. My mind is racing with emotions and I can't breathe. The last time I felt this dreadful pain, I lost my mate, Elizabeth. The memories of those dark times rush forward.

  During the rogue attack several years ago, after my father was killed, the rogues stopped fighting and retreated. They took a few captives back to their camp for entertainment. Elizabeth and I were among those captured. Chained in silver, my wolf was repressed, my strength drained, and the mindlink with my pack was cut off. We were isolated and on our own. They tortured Elizabeth for several days before she was brutally slaughtered. They forced me to watch.

  Powerless to help her—each whelp, cry, howl, and whimper—rang in my ears. The image of her swollen eyes are forever etched into my memory, tiny pieces of my soul shattered with each tear she shed. The agony that overcame me when she took her last breath sent me into a wild and crazed rage. I'll never know who they were or what they wanted from me, because they’re all dead. For days all I saw was red.

  That's when I met Dylan. He found me in the wild, stumbling around aimlessly. We were close to my pack territory so he guessed I was from there. He took me to the outskirts and awaited one of the guards, who instantly recognized me. I had not shifted out of my wolf form for days. He said I was a feral creature and had regressed back to our primitive statehood, more or less, a crazed beast. He doesn't know how right he was. I was a feral beast, loose in the wild.