"Alpha," he says extending a courtesy bow.
"Please sit."
"No. This will be short." Charles is one of the oldest members in the pack, and he knows our history better than anyone. He was good friends with my grandfather, though that relationship didn't travel down to my father. My father and he never agreed on anything. This is the first audience I've had alone with him since becoming Alpha and I'm already annoyed.
I offer a curt nod for him to proceed.
"You're playing a dangerous game."
"I'm not playing any game."
"The rogue—"
"What about her? Have you learned something of interest?"
"We've been through all our records, both pack and personal, as well as memories, notes—"
"Get on with it."
"We shouldn't get involved."
"Involved in what exactly?"
"The rogue’s life."
"Why not?"
"The Blood Moone pack has never been an ally with the Dark Ravens. We have no allegiance. We owe her nothing."
"I appreciate your council—"
"Don't let your personal feelings interfere with your duties as the Alpha of this pack, or you may find yourself—"
"Are you threatening me?" My biceps flex as I clench my fists.
"You're introducing the potential for a power struggle, do you realize that? Either between her and your Beta, or even with you!" He huffs out a large breath.
"Yes, she is powerful with Alpha potential. But—"
"But what? But nothing! Do you trust her?"
"Yes."
Charles throws his hands in the air and lifts his head to the ceiling. "You're a damn fool. I pray to the Moon Goddess to save us all."
My chest tightens and my shoulders roll forward. "I think we're done here."
Elder Charles turns and steps out of the room. I take large strides to the speed bag in the corner and give it hell. After successfully letting out my frustration of the day, I return to my station at the desk and pick up another grievance letter, complaining about how bad of an Alpha I've been.
"Hey Caiden, do you have a minute?" Sammy's voice echoes through the empty room. The pen in my hand falls onto the hard wooden desk and I look up to find Sammy standing in the doorway of my office.
"Hey Sammy, come on in and take a seat." I rub my left temple with my fingertips. Sammy sits on the edge of his seat and keeps his eyes cast down. "Caiden, I feel a pull. I think my mate is close," he says.
I lean back in my chair and cross my arms behind my head. I know where this is going and I don't like it.
"Caiden, I want to follow the pull. I want to go find my mate," Sammy says with wide eyes.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath before speaking.
"Sammy, you are one of my closest and most trusted friends. I want nothing more than your happiness. But right now, I need you here to help protect this pack. When—"
"When what, Caiden? When Dylan returns, then what?"
"Then maybe—"
Sammy throws his hands in the air, "Maybe? Then maybe I can go? You'll just have another reason, another excuse why it isn't the right time—"
"It's not like that and you know it," I say through my teeth. But it is. Sammy could have left years ago, but I always thought of a reason for him to stay.
"Whatever. I get it." Sammy stands with such force that his chair tips over. "Thank you for your time, Alpha."
The way he says Alpha stabs a dagger deep into my soul. Sammy will get over it, eventually. His wolf is hurting and angry, but Sammy will survive.
After he leaves, I stare out into the forest once more.
“Caiden,” I hear the soft voice of Mia calling me from the other side of the door. I knew it would only be a matter of time before she found me. I’ve been sulking and hiding in my office ever since I sent Dylan and Gavin on their mission to find Lucinda.
“Caiden,” she says again, opening the door this time. “They found her, she’s okay…but, Gavin said it’s best they camp tonight and journey home tomorrow.”
My nose twitches. “Why are they camping? They should get as far away from Felix as possible. I don’t trust him.”
“Well, if you would open your mindlink you would know why!” She raises her voice and crosses her arms, giving me the look only a sister would give an Alpha.
Growling, I say, “I’m not questioning the judgment of your mate, I just think they’d be safer back on our pack territory and under our protection.”
“Well, she, um…” Mia licks her lips and blinks back tears, “she’s not walking so well. She needs to rest and heal a bit before traveling.”
Why does it pain me so much? I feel remorse that I allowed her to go with Felix, and guilt that I'm not the one to save her. I regret I was not able to protect her from this. It is like—no I cannot go there. The images of Elizabeth are dredged up.
My shoulders roll back and my chest rises with the intake of a deep breath. I begin to shift. Brushing past Mia, I head for the back door in a hurry. I need the solace of the woods tonight; it will be a long night.
Chapter 19
Lucinda
“Hey,” I croak as I open my eyes. “You…you came for me?” In this moment, looking at Dylan, I see my best friend from childhood sitting next to me in the tree.
Lurking in the treetops, high above everything else below, I felt we were again in our secret hiding place. I remember how we would spend endless nights hiding in the trees, gazing at the stars, talking about anything and everything until we fell asleep. I miss my best friend and the old days of carefree nonsense.
But I can’t stop this nagging feeling. I should be happy that Dylan, my mate, came for me, but my heart skips a beat at the thought of the tantalizing scent of Caiden. Even though I didn’t want either of them to come—part of me wishes it were the Alpha here with me now. What is wrong with me?
“Don’t think too much of it,” Dylan says, turning away from me and wiping his eyes. “I didn’t volunteer, Caiden ordered me.” At the sound of his name a warmth rushes to my cheeks and I quickly divert my gaze before Dylan notices.
After a moment of silence, I turn back to him and whisper, “What happened to us?” Staring straight into his eyes, he shrugs and looks away. “We were so close, until your mother—”
“Stop!” he snaps, “I told you, things change.”
“They didn’t have to. I would’ve been there for you, whatever it was you were going through. You didn’t have to go through it alone.”
“Yes, I did,” he whispers.
“Dylan.” I reach up and gently brush the back of my fingers down the side of his cheek. My fingertips feel a slight tingle rush through them.
“Don’t,” he says, removing my hand and placing it back down at my side. “Can you walk?” I nod and wince as I try to move.
“How did you find me?” I ask, as Dylan wraps his arm around me and helps me slide down the tree.
“Gavin’s an excellent tracker,” he says with a sly grin. “But like most wolves, he doesn’t like heights.” I hear a faint snicker as our feet land firmly on the solid ground.
"What?" Gavin says with a shrug of his broad shoulders and a crooked smile. "There was a distinct burnt tire aroma that lingered in the air from Felix's car. It was intoxicating." His sense of smell and tracking ability never ceases to amaze me. But I guess when you are raised in the wild, your senses aren't dulled by humans. At least that's what Gavin told me once.
“Cinda, get over here!” Gavin yells just before he engulfs me in a bear hug. I let the comforting smell of leather and tobacco wash over me. Sigh. I relax and take a small comfort in the strong arms of a dear friend, my body sagging in Gavin's embrace. I am safe with these two here, though I know it won’t be long before Felix discovers I’m gone.
“Gavin,” I mumble, “uh…I can’t breathe.” I squeak out as I feel his chest rise with fits of laughter
and he loosens his grip around me.
Stepping back he holds me at arm’s length by my shoulders, his scrutinizing gaze examines my body.
“I’m fine, I’ll heal.” I attempt a weak crooked smile.
“Oh Cinda—” Gavin begins.
“Stop!” I hold up my hand as I yell. “I said I’m fine, leave it alone.”
“We need a place to camp tonight. You’ll walk better in the morning after some sleep,” Dylan says, clearing his throat.
My wolf blood provides the ability to heal quickly, but the damage that’s been done by Felix—a very powerful Alpha—will take a few days to completely heal. Hopefully tonight I’ll heal enough to walk comfortably since I don’t want to shift yet.
"I'll go take a look," Gavin says.
Dylan and I squat down near a bush and wait. After a few minutes that felt like hours, Gavin returns.
“I found the perfect place, it’s not too far from here,” he says.
Gavin and Dylan help me hobble over to this little gem of a place. It’s beautiful, a little opening tucked away in the earth on the underside of a hill. The side of the hill has eroded over time, but the roots of the large tree on top of the hill remain intact and create a secret dwelling underneath.
“Go on you two, I’ll take first watch,” Gavin says, motioning to Dylan and I. He walks a few feet away and disappears behind a tree. I groan, realizing he’ll be talking with Mia tonight. I will have to do serious damage control with her tomorrow.
Shaking my head, I sit down on the cold, damp earth and watch Dylan sit across from me. He half reclined against the wall and I try to lay down. This is a small shelter, so when I lay down, I end up near his feet. I'm unable to get comfortable, so I toss and turn on the hard ground. Dylan lets out a deep sigh.
“Come on.” He holds his arm open for me to snuggle next to him. Just the reaction I was hoping for. When we were younger our families went camping together, and I could never sleep on the hard floor– ironic for a wolf, I know. So I always snuggled into Dylan's chest and slept as sound as a baby.
Sitting down next to him, I concentrate on slowing my pulse. It’s been a long time since we’ve been so intimate and civil with each other– and alone. My head finds the soft spot on his chest and his arm wraps around me, creating a warmth on my arm where his hand rests.
“Thank you,” I whisper. I feel his body tense underneath me.
“I’m only doing what is expected of my position as a Beta,” he says, letting out a deep breath.
“So that’s it. We aren’t even friends?” I ask. After a few moments of silence, I sit up and look him straight in the eye. “Surely we can still be friends, after all that we’ve been through.”
“No, we shouldn’t be. It wouldn’t be good for either of our wolves, they’d be frustrated all the time,” he says, returning a blank stare.
“I can handle it, can you?” I challenge.
“It’s not just about handling it,” he starts.
“Then what exactly is it?” I demand. “We were best friends one day, then the next you threw it all away. You turned your back on me as if you were rejecting me right then, almost as if you knew—” My eyes sparkle with curiosity, a burning question popping into my head.
“Don’t be silly, that’s too young to find your mate,” he scoffs.
“And yet you pushed me away, just like you did when you found out—” I continue.
“Coincidence, if I knew before it struck that would be like cheating fate, right?” He cocks an eyebrow at me.
“How would that be cheating fate, unless you found out early and did something to alter it—” I say through a yawn. “But we all know you can’t alter who your mate is, right?”
“Go to sleep, Lux.” He guides my head back to his chest.
“Good night my friend.” I snuggle into his arms.
“We are not friends,” he says, which brings a smirk to my lips.
“Then we agree to disagree on the matter of friendship.” I yawn again.
“Sleep,” he says again, and I hear a faint chuckle in his chest.
Waking in the morning, a smile creeps across my face before I open my eyes. I linger in the warm embrace, trying to remember my dream that left me feeling lighter than air. Opening my eyes, I look up at Dylan, and his eyes are fully dilated – jet black. I draw a sharp breath. This is not good.
“Whoa! Dylan, calm down.” Slowly sitting up, I move out of his embrace.
“What’s going on with you and Caiden?” He growls.
“What?” My cheeks burn as my dream pours back into memory, flashes of Caiden.
“You were whispering his name in your sleep!” He snarls and leans toward me.
“Umm, I was? I don’t know—” I stand up and take a step away. How embarrassing! I hope he doesn't tell Caiden. He curls his lips and lets loose a low growl.
"How close are you two?"
"Not that close," I say, taking steps backwards as far as I can go.
"Then why are you dreaming about him!"
“I don’t know! Something about him makes me feel…safe,” I stutter.
“SAFE?” He roars. “And I don’t?”
“Well, you haven’t really given me any reason to—”
“I’m your mate!” He says, cutting me off. Standing up, he rushes toward me, pinning me to the back of our little hideaway.
“Since when?” I growl.
He lifts my chin and I look up into his eyes. Clenching my jaw, bracing for a fight.
Leaning in close, he nuzzles my neck and sniffs my hair. Pausing over my shoulder, he kisses the sweet spot. My heart starts pounding in my chest and little tingles shiver up and down my body. Is this it? Is he really going to claim me?
“Mine,” he growls. I feel a slight quiver in my legs as his lips graze the sweet spot again. No. Wait.
“Oh yeah?” I taunt, “Prove it.” I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Do I really want this? Do I really want Dylan?
He starts to shake and his fists ball up into tight solid objects. He’s fighting for control; I know I shouldn’t provoke him, but he agitates me, which makes me push him harder.
“Never.” He steps back and walks away from me.
Chapter 20
Caiden
Sitting on the back porch, I stare down at my hands. Blood. I close my eyes, resting my elbows on my knees, and my head hangs low. I try to remember the events of last night. My muscles ache from the rage that coursed through my body. It's been a while since I lost total control like that.
What have I done?
Slamming my hands down on my knees, I curse the soothsayer, or whoever she was all those years ago. She waltzed into our camp on the eve of my twelfth birthday, the year I was to be officially named the next Alpha. She begged my father to allow her to present me with a gift. He hesitated at first, but eventually gave in.
The gift she wanted to give me was a gift of my choosing. She tried to entice me with thoughts of power, strength, and love. I refused. I didn’t want anything given to me, I wanted to make my own future. She became frustrated, but continued relentless offerings. After speaking with me for a while, she was able to lure out my deepest and darkest secret, my ultimate fear—failure.
My father and his father before him were strong leaders, and I didn’t want to fail them, nor our pack. My fear was that I wouldn't fill the shoes of the great Alphas before me. That I would fail my family's legacy.
Using this knowledge, she inflicted her own gift, as she called it– though it is more like a sickness.
She instilled within me a strength equal to no other, a greatness I couldn’t have fathomed beyond my wildest dreams. But with most things, it came with a price. The price for this gift is that I can’t control the inner beast that rages inside me.
When anger builds up it needs an outlet, and this cursed payment is released. My mind loses consciousness and ‘it’ takes over my fera
l side. The beast.
I remember the first time it happened. I was fourteen and to this day the memories still haunt me. I killed a human that was hiking in the woods.
Grief overtook my emotions when I realized what I’d done. I couldn’t remember the events, but my body was caked with blood, much like it is now. A few days later one of our patrol scouts found the maimed body in the woods.
My parents were grateful it was one of our own that discovered the body and not a human. That would've only complicated the situation. The body was disposed of with no trace. But in the human world, he is still an open missing persons case. He was a young man not too much older than me.
My dad blamed it on the Alpha growing within me, though I knew better. I locked myself up for months after that, working on self-control. Since then, the only time I’ve lost total control was when the bond broke with Elizabeth. Until last night.
Opening my eyes, I scratch at the caked blood that covers my hands, willing myself to calm down.
Images of Elizabeth flash into view. Her limbs hanging limp, dripping with blood, the deep gashes across her flesh, the parts of her insides that should never be seen, oozing from her body like poison, and her swollen face, her hollow eyes pleading to me for help.
I felt every pain they instilled upon her, and the lacerations that penetrated her delicate skin. Every cut, gash, and mark they left on her perfect body. I was helpless to do anything but watch as they slaughtered her piece by piece. I watched the excitement in their eyes, the thrill they got with each of her cries.
My muscles quiver and the darkness is nearing. Curling my fists into tight balls, I fight against the pull. The beast wants out.
“Hey,” I hear a soft voice say. The door behind me opens and I get a rush of mint and honey. I freeze in place, unsure what to do. I can’t let her see me like this.
From the corner of my eye, I watch her toss something on the ground inside the mudroom before the door closes behind her.
“Umm…thank you,” she whispers, placing her hand on my shoulder from behind. I flinch at the touch, but it provides a calmness that is much needed. Still, the beast within me is vying for control.
The Rogue's Fate Page 10
