The Rogue Queen

Chapter 6 - The Rogue King - Calliope

Stepping around the side of the truck, I found myself staring into a very familiar set of eyes, the rich brown and gold tones pulling me in as they did before. I was temporarily silenced by the intensity of the moment, lost in the connection we once had. Only once Anderson got out of his vehicle and came closer did I snap back into the present.

"Everything okay, Cal?" he asked.

I nodded to Anderson to let him know it was okay, and he returned to his SUV. Alastair gave me a broad smile, but it didn't reach his eyes; there was only pain there currently. Pain that generated a deep rage. Then it hit me. I remembered where I had seen him before. My memories came flooding back.

He was Alastair, the Rogue King. He was far more handsome now that I got a good look at him. I actually found it hard to look away.

Alastair, standing tall and commanding, exuded a powerful presence that made it impossible to look away. His deep, dark hair framed his rugged features, and his piercing golden-brown eyes held an enigmatic allure that drew you in. He bore a hint of stubble on his strong jaw, seemingly from days without shaving, an alluring ruggedness that ignited curiosity. Muscular and well-built, his broad shoulders filled out the slightly snug flannel shirt he wore, the fabric straining at the buttons, giving just a teasing glimpse of the strength and virility beneath. It was as though he wore his physicality like an invitation, leaving you to ponder if his appearance had always been this irresistibly tempting. The thought made me blush and I shook it away and focused back in the moment.

My former alpha and father-in-law, Jonas Monroe, had come to me, stating we had received an anonymous tip that Alastair would be coming into our territory to kidnap one of our own. I was to lead a team and capture him, and it was because of him that, out of fear or desire to protect myself and my mate, my magic had awakened, sending a shockwave through the small prison hall where his cell was. The force was strong enough that it had killed three of my packmates. The very ones I had just stood trial for. Asher and I survived due to our bond and the general strength of a future alpha pair. Anything less, and we would probably have died too.

I had hit my head so hard that I had a difficult time remembering everything from that night. It was part of what was used against me. The memory of that night had often felt like a blur, a haze of pain and fear.

I frowned at the memory, and as I regained my composure, I spoke to him. "Blind or are you just stupid?" I grumbled. "I could have run you over!" Despite my initial irritation, I found myself happy in his presence.

"Sorry, I had no other way to attract your attention." he replied, wearing a sheepish smile.

"Okay, you have it now." I responded, still guarded, but his explanation had softened my stance.

"Do you think we can go somewhere a bit more private, and not just outside your former packlands? They kind of want to kill me, and I kind of don't want that."

Rolling my eyes, I motioned for him to get into the truck. I noticed he seemed eager to join me, and in moments he was buckling in, and so was I.

"So where are you going?" he asked.

"I have a rough idea. It is just Anderson and I so we really can go anywhere."

"Look, um... I feel bad for my part in your situation. I never meant any of this for you. I just wanted my mate and to leave."

"You were trespassing."

"Your asshole, I mean alpha would never have let me onto the land otherwise, how else was I to get my mate, hmm?" he said, looking out the window.

I felt bad, really bad. Cindy was his mate, and she had died from the magic blast. I remembered the look on the faces of the guards when I woke up, and they saw what had happened. The horror in their eyes. I could only imagine how he felt waking up to her being dead. So now I wondered what did he want from me? I was responsible. I killed his mate. Did he want revenge?

"So… what do you want from me?" I asked, straight forward and to the point. No need to beat around the bush.

He looked at me, and I could see from my peripheral vision as we drove along that his face showed no signs of harboring ill will.

"I am sorry about your mate. I never..."

"It's not your fault... I mean directly. I don't blame you." he replied. "I would have been in and out if not for the fact my own beta betrayed me."

"Ahh, the anonymous tip?" I questioned. He nodded, looking out the window.

"Alastair, what do you want?" I asked again, this time with a gentler tone.

"For starters, maybe a ride home?" The jovial tone he returned masked his pain, and I let him have it rather than calling it out like I normally would.

"And after that?" I raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"I'll be honest, I don't know, but I figured you didn't have anywhere to go, and I am intrigued by your unique talents."

I tensed up when he mentioned my 'talents'. He didn't seem afraid of my magic, and if I was honest with myself, I was grateful for that.

"Okay, I can take you home. I won't be staying with you, though; I plan to move north towards Untamed Wilds so I can learn to control my new 'talents' without harming anyone."

I could tell he had more questions, but he didn't ask them. After giving me directions, he directed his focus to looking out the window in deep thought.

"So, this Beta of yours, what are you going to do when you catch up to him?"

He looked back at me, and his eyes had gone dark and cold. I knew what he was thinking without him saying a word.

"So...how do we get you home?"