The Rogue Luna

Alpha Kane's audience hall was full as the pack conducted its daily business, but at that moment it was silent enough to hear a pin drop. The air was heavy with tension. All eyes were on the woman who was being dragged towards their leader. Her frame was so thin that even at a distance Kane could see her collarbone, and her clothes, although they looked like they might once have been fine, were worn and little more than filthy rags. Her skin was covered in mottled bruises, some old and yellowing, others fresh and dark blue. Mud and blood caked her feet and matted her hair. She snarled as she passed the members of the pack, her upper lip drawn back to reveal her elongated canines. Kane was seated on the raised dias at one end of the hall, waiting for her to be brought before him, but he watched her carefully, his wolf not far from the surface and ready to leap to the rescue if any of his people looked to be in danger. He need not have worried. The silver collar around her neck did its job, weakening her wolf so that, aside from her fang-like teeth, she could not shift further into her animal form. The collar was attached to one end of a silver pole; the other end was held by Brandon, Kane's strongest warrior and closest friend. The contraption prevented her from being able to get near to her captors while still forcing her to go where they wanted. Nevertheless she still strained against her bonds and her neck was red and raw from rubbing against the metal that was like poison to their kind. 'She is strong!' Kane mindlinked his second in command. 'You're telling me? It took six of us to bring her down.' Kane narrowed his eyes in seriousness. 'What was the impact?' 'Scrapes and bruises mostly. But she managed to knock Samson out.' 'Will he recover?' 'Maddy says he'll be fine in a day or two. She's keeping him in the infirmary as a precaution.' Kane breathed an imperceptible sigh of relief. 'Good. And congratulate the men for bringing her in.' 'Will do. But boss - be careful with her.' Kane didn't need to be told twice. His warriors weren't just strong, they were skilled and well-trained. If she had almost managed to fight off half a dozen of them, even in her malnourished and unkempt state, he knew not to underestimate her. She was close now. He could see the glow of her red eyes as they darted around his hall, looking for an escape. "Alpha Kane!" Brandon greeted him aloud, pressing his right hand over his heart and bowing his head. "I present to you the Rogue!" In unison the pack howled, raising their heads to the high ceiling. The noise reverberated off the walls, deafening, and agitated the female further. Kane could smell the waves of fear and anger radiating off her. He raised his hand and his pack hushed. Standing, he descended from the dias, his eyes locked with those of his captive. "Rogue!" His voice was like a roar. "You have trespassed into the territory of my pack! What say you?" She growled at him in response. The pack stared at her in shock. Pack law stated that all rogues who crossed the boundary of a territory must be brought before the Alpha who ruled that territory. If they were originally from that pack they would be executed, but that was rare as few rogues had any desire to return to those that had exiled them. More commonly the rogue in question would submit to the Alpha and promise never to return before being escorted back to the boundary of the territory with their tail between their legs. To growl at an Alpha, in his own hall, at the heart of his lands, showed only blatant disrespect. Kane had never seen a rogue behave in such a way. There wasn't a hint of submission in her demeanour. If anything he suspected that if she were freed she would go straight for his throat. He signalled to Brandon to hold her steady as he closed the distance between them. 'Mace? Are you there?' He called for his wolf. 'Always brother.' 'Something is wrong.' 'I agree.' Mace replied. Kane could sense his wolf's confusion. 'Smell her.' Kane sniffed the air. She was so enraged that at first all he could detect was her fury. It smelled like the acrid fumes of gasoline. 'Concentrate.' He focused, so near to her now that he could sense the warmth of her body. There! She wasn't just a rogue. Kane could smell power - she had Alpha blood in her veins. But that could not be right. It explained her strength and her reluctance to bow to him, but females with such bloodlines were considered precious to their packs. They were protected, cherished and beloved. If such a woman had been banished, Kane would likely have heard of it and some pack somewhere would have offered to take her in. Unless she had done something dreadful? 'No. She is innocent.' Mace was confident. 'But how do you know?' 'I am your wolf,' came Mace's simple, but infuriating response. 'Keep going.' There was no point in arguing. Kane knew he and Mace were two halves of one whole. He trusted his wolf like he trusted himself. That was it! But how! Kane had never heard of such a phenomenon. There were suggestions in the history books he had studied that people could lose their wolf but for the wolf to take over - it was unheard of! Mindlinking Brandon, he quickly relayed a set of instructions to summon Maddy from the infirmary and to bring her supplies. They would need her for this. He didn't want to voice his discovery out loud There was no need to share it with the rest of the pack unless it was absolutely necessary. They would be horrified at the fate that had befallen the female. 'Mace. Tell me I am wrong here.' 'I sense it too brother.' Or rather there was something they didn't sense. She had no human.