Rogue Rage

Chapter 14

Where to start? That was the real question. I glanced at Sam. I wasn’t sure where he wanted to go from here. I promised him Great Alpha Stone, but now that the brother of the Luna was involved, I wasn’t sure either of us was going to get what we wanted. After the time I spent studying the pack, I was sure that Maddock was close enough to his sister that they spoke regularly. I always noticed a bit of tension between them, but they still remained close. I wasn’t sure of much, except that he would turn me in.

“I was climbing back up the mountain to see which direction you and he were headed, so I could inform Alpha. I—”

“The Alpha, Luna, and Beta left before the sun came up this morning,” Maddock interrupted.

“Why?” Samuel asked, tension coursing through his voice.

“They’re headed to Alpha Arura’s pack. Until they return, Leon is in charge.”

Samuel cursed and ran a hand through his short, greying hair. His poker face was starting to slip. “I should have spoken with the Alpha last night.”

I stiffened, hoping that Maddock didn’t notice. “About what?” Maddock asked.

I watched Samuel struggle to come up with a half-truth. Samuel would do his best not to flat out lie about this information to his pack. Especially, to the family of the Alpha. Extended or otherwise.

I needed to speak or I would be in cell or dead by nightfall. “I asked Samuel to take me along. I was at the cliff when climbed up. I convinced him that if we ran fast enough to the place that he believed Damian to be in, we could cut K—" I caught myself, licked my lips and continued. “We could cut the rogue off before he made it back to them.”

Maddock looked from me to Samuel, “Is that true?” Samuel and staring at me and I knew even that much when send him over.

“When we did find it, we agreed that I was small enough to sneak in undetected if I masked my scent with mud.” I continued before Samuel had a chance to answer.

“What do you do in the pack, Mabel?” He asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

I swallowed this time. I couldn’t lie my way out of this one. He could easily check into it and find out if it was true or not. I felt the sweat on my brow roll through the grime down my cheek.

“She’s a nomad.” A nomad? “She arrived with my daughter and stayed behind to help her adjust to life here.” Samuel said somewhat nonchalantly.

It was a clever cover, even with one dangerous flaw. Nomads were usually known by everyone. Pack members made a point of learning their names and treating them well because nomads brought technology, clothing, supplies, preserved food, news, and trends from the outside world. If someone wanted anything beyond pack borders, they befriended a nomad. That was the problem. The only small advantage was that women usually paid closer attention to them than men did. Men tended to submit requests and move on. Whether Maddock was the same was a gamble I did not like taking.

“So, you’re from the same pack as Samuel?” Maddock asked. My stomach tightened. “That explains why I didn’t notice you until recently.” Until I was carrying that crate of alcohol. I’ve been here for months. You never noticed because I made sure you didn’t. I hated how much the comment stung. Being invisible was the whole point. It was what had kept me alive. But hearing him explain me away so easily made something small and bruised inside me ache. I was not memorable to him. I was not someone he had missed. I was only a coincidence he had finally looked at long enough to name.

I nodded because I did not trust my voice. It was foolish to feel hurt. Invisibility was my trade, and I had sharpened it into something useful. Still, the lie gave Maddock an easy reason to believe he would have noticed me sooner if there had been anything worth noticing. I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth and bit down until the sting steadied me. I needed to stop being so sensitive. This was not my pack. I had no pack. I barely had a name. And once Samuel turned me in, I probably would not have a life either.

Maddock turned to Samuel, “A nomad has no business sneaking into an enemy camp.”

“I won’t do it again,” I said, my voice weary enough that Maddock could probably mistake it for guilt over being scolded. I did not care. I was depleted. I had barely slept, had not eaten, and my body ached from everything I had forced it through. It was not the first time I envied wolves for their stronger bodies, and with the future waiting for me, I doubted it would be the last. The thought drove another dagger into what remained of my pride.

My stomach growled for the millionth time today making Maddock sigh. I’ve starved before, but I wasn’t this physically active or at the bottom of an adrenaline rush at the time.

“So, what exactly did you hear?” If Samuel felt remorse for my hunger or my aching body, he did a great job of disguising it.

“It sounded like the intruded discovered the Alpha of the rogue was sleeping with his pregnant wife. He asked if the child was his or the Alpha’s and the Alpha admitted that the child was of his own blood.” Samuel inhaled deeply. “The intruder than ran off and the Alpha sent wolves after him.”

“There’s only one reason he’d do that.” Samuel sighed, clearly relieved.

“If there was intel that he gathered here, he likely won’t be sharing it with Damian. Not unless tortured but Damian didn’t ask them to bring him back alive.”

“Do you really think that he would wait to be tortured before giving up information that might save his life? Hell, he’d likely trade it for a quick death.”

I had not thought of that. Still, knowing Keith, I doubted it would go that far. With the rage burning through him, he would probably fight until they tore him apart. Jace had been his whole world, and Damian had defiled it—defiled her. I did not know what to feel. This was the world I had grown up in: pure things twisted, corrupted, and reshaped to serve the rogue Alpha’s needs. None of it was new. And as much as I understood Keith’s pain, I could not bring myself to pity him. He had traded too much information to Damian in exchange for Jace’s safety. He was not innocent of the crimes Damian led.

I couldn’t reassure Maddock though. “Do you mind if I go in now? I’m a bit exhausted and filthy.”

“Of course,” Maddock gestured for me to leave the cliff first. “Sam and I will follow shortly. Have a good rest, Mabel.” I looked at Samuel. I knew the worried look on my face was evident. I couldn’t help it though. Samuel looked impassive. I hoped that was to my benefit.

“Okay, good night.”

“I’m going to speak with Leon tonight. Tomorrow morning, you’ll tell him everything you heard and saw.” He spoke as I turned away. “In detail.” I nodded and continued toward the pack border.

When I laid down to sleep that night, the last thoughts running through my head were of impossibly blue eyes, a delicate voice, and a beautiful face.