Rogue Rage

Chapter 7 (Maddock)

“Alpha,” I said, irritation tightening my voice. I didn’t mind coming to talk to my old friend and brother-in-law, but something about leaving Mabel alone with another male bothered me. Gabriel was sparring in the training area with a young warrior.

“Don’t hold back. A rogue sure as hell won’t. Every strike is an opportunity, so don’t waste it,” he shouted to the kid. I shook my head, trying to focus, but my thoughts kept circling back to Mabel. Sam was old enough to be her father. That should have made it harmless. It should have made me feel ridiculous for caring. Instead, the thought of leaving her alone with him scraped at something sharp and possessive inside me. I sighed under my breath. Do I really have a crush on this somewhat average-looking girl? The image of her meeting my eyes beneath the waterfall, then calmly turning back to her shower as if I hadn’t affected her at all, flashed through my mind. Heat and frustration twisted in my chest. This girl was getting under my skin, and somehow, after only a few encounters, I was already losing my grip.

The young warrior finally drove a hit into Gabriel’s midsection. It landed with a hard, meaty thud, the kind that should have knocked the air from a lesser man. Gabriel barely moved. He only smiled, like the boy had finally stopped wasting his time. The kid tried to play it cool, but pride flashed across his face in the shape of a cocky grin. “Good. See? You can hit.” Gabriel rolled his shoulders, loose and unbothered. “Tomorrow, I want you to do it a hundred more times.” The grin on the kid’s face faltered, but only a little. He couldn’t have been more than fourteen or fifteen, and landing a strike on the Alpha—even one Gabriel let him have—was still a hell of an achievement.

Gabriel turned, finally acknowledging me. “I thought Kate was here, but I guess I missed her.”

Gabriel grabbed a rag from the wooden fence around the sparring ring and wiped the sweat from his neck. “She took Michael to wash up before the meal.” I nodded. Michael might not have been born from my sister, but no one with sense would dare claim he wasn’t hers. The kid had latched onto Kate after the attack on our pack, and she held on just as hard. Their bond was solid—hard-earned and fierce, the kind that didn’t need blood to make it real.

Every time I saw her with my nephew, she dragged me straight back to our mother—the way Mom’s eyes never left us, always watching, always ready to step between us and the world. The memory hit low and deep, a brutal ache I couldn’t shake. Then Kate’s eyes flashed through my mind—the way they looked when I had tormented her after our parents died—and the guilt opened up like an old wound.

“You good?” Gabriel asked, trying to pull my attention back.

“Just thinking. Sam told me it was urgent?” I did my best to silence the darkness and give Gabriel my full attention.

He gave me a grim look while wiping the back of his neck. “I was checking the perimeter last night. Nothing dramatic, just making sure the guards were properly posted and the fence was solid.” I nodded and waited for him to continue. “I noticed something there. A scent that didn’t belong to either of the guards. Kate said your nose has always been the strongest she knew. Look into it.”

Normally, being trusted with something like this would have been an honor. Knowing Kate had been the one to recommend me hit harder than I wanted to admit. After everything I had put her through, she still saw worth in me. She still trusted me. That kind of faith humbled a man. It made me want to refuse—not because I didn’t want the task, but because I wasn’t sure I deserved it. Still, if this was Kate asking through Gabriel, then the answer was already settled. I would do it. No excuses. No hesitation. For my little sister, I would stand guard until my bones gave out, and if it came to it, I would lay down my life without shame.

“Whose post?”

Gabriel inhaled. “Max and Drew. They’re brothers of the highly respected Maxwell and Darlene.” Gabriel paused after mentioning their parents. There was something unspoken there. Anyone else might assume he wanted me to be lenient. However, trust wasn’t a free pass. Max and Drew had earned their place, but that didn’t mean I could take their word like gospel or go easy on them. If something slipped past them, I had a duty to dig until I found out how.

“I’ll be thorough.” He nodded his appreciation at my understanding of the delicate situation.

“Come on, the meal should be starting.” He hopped the fence easily.

I wondered if Mabel and Sam had already made it to the tables as we walked to the gathering area. Once we got there, I craned my neck in every direction. I couldn’t spot either of them. They should have made it back by now.

“Looking for me?” The sugary voice came from behind me. I couldn’t help but want to shoo away the clinging groupie.

“Hey, Addy.”

“You’re so cute when you act shy.” She winked. I almost rolled my eyes, but I held it back. A few days ago, I might have brushed her off as harmlessly annoying. Now it sat heavier. I hated knowing I had encouraged her and Bianca, even if I had never promised either of them anything. Bianca had figured me out first. She had enough pride to step back once she saw I wasn’t offering anything real. I respected that. Addison, though, seemed to mistake Bianca’s absence for surrender. That left me with the responsibility of making things plain. No games. No half-truths. No letting her keep reaching for something I had no intention of giving.

“Excuse me, Addison. Do you mind if I borrow my brother for a while? There’s something important I need to discuss with him.” My spine tingled at the sound of Kate’s voice. I turned to her, doing my best to meet her eyes. Sweat began to trickle down my back. She gave me a smirk. “Something told me you needed saving.”

“I need saving too.” Gabriel hugged her from behind, one hand over her swollen belly, and kissed her cheek. Little Michael stood next to her, holding a handful of utensils for the table. She smiled and kissed Gabriel back. They were the perfect family. Another reason for me to accept any task Gabriel gave me—he gave her smile back.

Months had passed since Kate fell into the river, but I still remembered the terror like it had carved itself into my bones. I remembered the panic, the helplessness, and the brutal weight of realizing I might lose her before I ever had the guts to make things right. I had apologized. She had forgiven me. But forgiveness didn’t wipe away what I had done, and part of me knew I didn’t deserve the peace she tried to give me. I had thought I could keep living the way I always had—careless, loud, untouchable. I was wrong. A man couldn’t call himself honorable while pretending the damage he caused didn’t exist. The worst part was that I couldn’t hide any of it from her. The Luna’s power had blessed her with a kind of empathy, a way of feeling the pain and struggle of her pack, and that meant she could feel mine too.

She ushered little Michael to sit at our table and placed a plate down in front of him. She glanced back at me, and for a moment, I thought everything would be revealed. I thought her features would soften further and she would comfort the darkness I carried. Ease it. The thought knocked the air from my lungs.

Only the sympathy didn’t come. Kate looked at me the way she always did—with affection, humor, and the kind of steady warmth I hadn’t earned but needed more than I could admit. I was grateful for it. I didn’t want her pity. I had no right to stand there looking broken when she was the one I had hurt. So I pulled myself together the only way I knew how. I sat across from little Michael while my older brother Leon and his mate, Joan, settled beside me, and I made myself act normal. I laughed at dull comments, threw in stupid jokes where I could, and wore the easy grin everyone expected from me—even while the shame sat heavy in my chest.

“So, you leave tomorrow?” Joan asked, catching my genuine attention.

“Yes, Leon, you’re in charge until I return. Don’t let Maddock touch anything in my office.”

I raised my arms defensively. “You do realize they’re gonna do it on your desk?” I pointed at Leon and Joan. Joan’s face went beet red before she reached around Leon and punched me in the arm. I’d feign pain if it didn’t actually hurt. The woman was strong. It was no wonder Gabriel had Kate training with her constantly, and why she was Leon’s mate.

“Alpha, I would never. I swear on all my honor.” She placed one hand over her heart as she spoke.

Gabriel laughed it off. “Well, if you do, you’ll have to replace my desk. And that is no easy feat. The Great Alpha had that custom-built from another pack.”

Kate tensed a bit before turning to Michael and helping him gather his utensils on his plate.

“When we come back, I’m going to the training grounds.” Michael said excitedly.

Kate tensed again and stood, “I’m going to wash my hands.” Once she walked away, Gabriel rubbed Michael’s back and told him to stay put. Then he went to console his mate.

“Hey, little warrior,” Joan called to Michael. “Make sure you give your mommy lots of hugs and kisses on your trip to Alpha Aurora’s pack, okay? Tell her everything that’s on your mind and ask a million questions, okay?” Michael nodded happily and continued to eat. I watched him shovel in food absentmindedly.

Michael was a good kid, and that made the whole thing hit harder. I understood exactly how much it would tear into Kate to lose him for years while others shaped him into an Alpha far from home. She loved that boy with everything she had, and he had never been the kind of child who wandered far from her side—especially not since she became pregnant. He was always talking to her stomach, dead certain the baby was his little sister. The thought put a dull ache in my chest. He wouldn’t even meet her until he came back a grown man, and even I could see the kind of pain that would leave behind in all of them. I wondered what kind of man Michael would return as. A good one, I answered myself.

“Not going to eat?” Leon said, pulling me from my thoughts.

I hadn’t gotten a plate. “No, not hungry.” I stood, ruffled Michael’s hair, and decided to turn in early. I’d look for Mabel tomorrow.