by Leia Stone
Both men were staring each other down. The rogue had dark black hair that was wild and dreadlocked; it hung halfway down his back. He was chiseled and buff with scars that littered his deep mocha skin. Not a word was spoken. A dominance challenge was in place. When a wolf wants to test someone’s dominance without a fight, it begins with a staring contest. Having been through many myself, I knew how tempting it was to test other wolves, but it was rude. You didn’t stare at an Alpha of another pack. Wanting to prove he was more dominant than Kai pissed me off! I could see sweat on Kai’s brow. Oh, this jerk! I shifted instantly without thinking.
“You’re trespassing, rogue! What do you want?” I shouted at him. My voice came out gruff, still going through the change. The man grinned from ear to ear. He broke eye contact with Kai to look at me. I hid my body behind Kai but stared at him.
“I’m here looking for you,” he said, holding my gaze.
“What do you want with my mate? Choose your next words carefully. They may be your last,” Kai told him boldly.
I could hear rustling behind me. Max and the dominants were coming closer, no doubt. I held the rogue’s gaze even though I was beginning to feel the strain. Anytime someone wanted to test my strength or my dominance, it only served to make me stronger.
The rogue grinned at me again. “There is a rumor going around that the Matefinder is here on Mount Hood. That she has found hundreds of mates already. I’m feeling a little left out.”
“Lower your eyes!” Kai told him.
My hands were feeling shaky. How long had I been holding his gaze? I wanted to kneel, to bow my head. It’s like he was putting those thoughts in my mind. No! A larger part of me wanted to prove I was stronger than he thought. Was that sweat on his upper lip?
“You’ll have to excuse me, Alpha. I don’t get company often. This is my idea of fun,” he told Kai.
“Well, it’s not mine. Take your eyes off of my mate, NOW.” Kai stepped forward and the man broke eye contact immediately. He looked at Kai and smiled.
“Just seeing what dominant females are like these days. You’ve got a strong one there, maybe even stronger than you.”
“You don’t have the greatest set of social skills, do you?” I mocked him.
He grabbed his belly and laughed manically.
‘He’s crazy,’ I told Kai.
‘They all are,’ he replied.
“May I join your run? I promise to be nice,” he asked suddenly.
I could tell Kai needed to tread carefully.
“What is your purpose here? Are you looking to join a pack? Are you setting up territory nearby? Or are you just bored and looking for trouble?” Kai questioned him.
“No, no. I don’t want to join your big, fancy pack. I like my small territory in Washington. No. I’m looking for something more … eternal.” His eyes found me again. There was a sadness there, but just as soon as I had seen it, it was gone.
“Explain,” Kai grumbled.
Then it hit me. “You’re looking for your mate. You want my help,” I exclaimed, stepping forward. One of the pack members, Jake, had run to a nearby cache of clothes that we kept hidden in the trees and handed me a large shirt. I slipped it over my head.
“Guilty.” He took a pair of sweatpants from Jake’s outstretched hand.
“She doesn’t find mates on command, and she cannot do it under force,” Kai told him through clenched teeth.
“I think we got off to a bad start. It’s been so long since I’ve been around other wolves, I’ve gotten carried away.” His eyes lost their yellow color. They became a deep sea blue. “I’m Kaden.” He reached his hand out. Kai shook it, but I could tell his guard was still up.
“Kai.”
I offered my hand. “I’m Aurora, Kai’s mate.”
The second our hands touched, I felt the pull of a vision. I let it take me. I saw Kaden as a young wolf, he was scrappy and always getting into fights. Something about his spirit was restless; he felt like he didn’t belong. He didn’t feel at home in a pack. He was always bullied and teased as a child. He thought it was because he wasn’t Alpha, so he fought his way to the top and became Alpha of a small pack in Tennessee, but he still wasn’t happy. He thought it was because his pack was too small, so he found a bigger pack and a more powerful Alpha to defeat. He fought that New York City pack Alpha and won. He thought at least that would bring him a small amount of peace, but it didn’t.
That’s when he knew. His restless spirit was unhappy around so many others, he needed to be alone. So he went rogue. He severed his ties to his pack and left on a journey of solitude. It was hard at first, but over time it became easier to worry about only himself. He was depressed that life had made him different. He felt alone. But there was something else there. A deep, dark secret he didn’t want anyone to know. He was seeking answers to questions that tortured his soul. Am I normal? Do I have a mate? I could feel myself getting confused about interpreting the vision until I saw his mate. Then it hit me. Why he had been teased, and why he didn’t feel settled. I knew where his mate was and there was a big problem. The vision broke and I pulled my hand back.
Kaden’s eyes were yellow. “What happened?” he asked as he rubbed his hand.
“You’re gay,” I said out loud.
“Aurora!” Kai yelled at me, looking embarrassed.
Kaden looked at me with wonder. “So you really do have visions.”
I nodded. “Is that why you went rogue?” I questioned him.
He sighed. “Being a gay werewolf doesn’t seem to go over so well with the macho Alpha lifestyle.”
“I know where your mate is. I’ve seen him,” I told him with confidence.
Kaden’s hand shook slightly. His eyes stilled on mine. “Are you saying ...” His breath was shaky.
“Did you think because you were gay that you wouldn’t have a mate?” I asked him incredulously. Kai rubbed his hands nervously on his pants.
“Yeah, I did,” Kaden admitted.
“Well, I’ve seen him, but there’s a problem. A big problem.” I looked nervously at Kai.
Kai stood protectively in front of me as I delivered the news. “He’s rogue too, recently. He went a little crazy and killed a human. The council is going to kill him.” The images that had flashed through my mind indicated the future, so it hadn’t happened yet.
Kaden breathed deeply as patches of fur rippled onto his body. “Tell me what you saw,” he commanded me in a deep, menacing voice. I felt Alpha power saturate my body.
Kai took a step toward him. “Have some respect and watch your tone with my mate,” Kai told him.
Kaden’s eyes flashed blue. “You’re right. My apologies,” he said with sincerity.
I nodded. “I saw your mate. His name is Chase. He is scared and alone. He doesn’t feel like he belongs in any pack. His mind isn’t strong; he doesn’t have Alpha strength. He is very submissive and is not doing well without a pack. He is going a little crazy and accidently attacked a human when they pulled a shotgun on him. He was trespassing on their property. Time is hard to tell. Killing the human has already happened, but the council hasn’t reached him yet.”
Kaden swallowed hard. “Do you know his location?” he asked me with as much submissiveness as he could muster.
I nodded. “On a small ranch near Colorado Springs, living out of a barn. I saw a name. ‘Mattie’s Pumpkin Farm’.”
Kaden nodded. “Thank you. If you ever need a favor. I owe you,” he told me and turned away to leave.
Kai looked at me with concern.
‘Kai, he can’t do this on his own. This guy, Chase, is rabid. I’ve seen him in my mind.’
“Hang on there, Kaden,” Kai called to him. “Let us go with you. He’s going to need to be taken into a pack to settle his mind. He’s rabid and will put up a fight. My father is on the council and I’m in the process of joining. Maybe we can appeal to have his case looked at again. Explain that he was scared and it was an accident.”
&nb
sp; Kaden looked at him and then to me. “I don’t work well in groups.”
Kai laughed. “I noticed that when you tried to challenge me a few minutes ago.”
Kaden smiled and seemed to think it over. “It’s a better plan than forcing my mate to come home with me and killing the entire council if they tried to hurt him.”
Yes. Yes it was.
Chase
We made a bold decision to take Max with us. We needed all the muscle we could get to tame Chase. We left Jake, Jai, and Devon in charge of the pack. We also brought Anna. I had a feeling her gift of extreme strength would come in handy. Kai was eager to retaliate on the vampires for killing someone at Safe Haven, but we both agreed this was time sensitive and Kaden needed our help. The five of us were in a rented SUV making our way to the farm in my vision from the Colorado Springs airport. Kai hadn’t been able to get ahold of his father because of the time difference in India. He tried him again.
We were in such close quarters, all of us could hear him pick up.
“This is Raj.”
“Papa, it’s Kai. I have pack business to discuss.”
They were so formal with each other.
“What is it?” Raj asked.
“Aurora has matched another mated pair.”
“Wonderful,” his father exclaimed.
“Well, this wolf, Chase, is in a bit of trouble with the council.”
“Ah, Chase Budd of Denver, Colorado. Yes, we just ruled on his case. He killed a human when he could have just injured them or scared them off. It was all over the news. Messy job. He will be terminated today by an enforcer.”
My stomach dropped. Kaden’s growl nearly rattled the car windows. Kai was driving and took a turn down a small farm road.
“Who was that?” Raj asked.
“That,” Kai gave Kaden a glare and then trained his eyes back to the road, “was Chase’s mate, Kaden, a rogue.”
“There’s a female rogue running around? What are you thinking? Take her into your pack.”
Kai rolled his eyes. “Kaden is a male, Papa, and doesn’t wish to join my pack.”
“A male? Two males. Oh. Ohh. Aurora is sure they are mates?”
Oh, my God. Awkward.
I stepped in. “Yes, Raj, they’re mates, but they won’t be for long unless you call off the enforcer. We would like the case reconsidered. He went rogue for personal reasons. He’s a submissive and can’t handle being alone. His mind is going dark. It was an accident. I can project my vision to the council through Jane, if you wish.”
“Hello, Aurora. Kai, in the future I’d like to know when my conversation is not private.”
Kai grumbled. “Yes, Papa.”
Raj continued. “I will bring up the issue with the council, but the enforcers were given notice this morning. The job already may have been done.”
Kai jammed his foot on the gas pedal kicking up gravel and Kaden began shifting. Being stuck in the back seat with three large werewolves was not conducive to shifting.
“You just kill wolves for making mistakes? There’s no rehabilitation program?” I shouted.
Raj laughed. “Oh, Aurora, what a fantasy world you live in, dear.”
Kai blew through a metal gate and gunned it toward a big red pole barn.
“We’re not like vampires. We punish for killing humans,” Kai told me.
Well, he had a point, but geez.
“Bye, Papa, thanks.” Kai ended the call. Kaden had fully shifted in the way back and was crouched and waiting to leap out of the car. Kai slammed on the brakes, coming to a halt at the opening of the barn.
“Smell that?” he asked and opened his door. He ran to the back and let Kaden out.
I inhaled. The rogue and two other wolves, the enforcers?
‘How many were needed to kill a poor submissive?’ I asked Kai.
‘One for doing the job and one to witness. It’s an official bureaucratic process, believe it or not,’ he replied.
Kai and I stripped down and shifted immediately while Max and Anna followed behind us. I heard growling in the barn and raced back there. A huge grey wolf had a small, timid, white wolf’s head in his mouth. A werewolf in human form stood against the wall with black gloves on. Kaden ran the length of the barn and lunged at the grey wolf’s back, sinking his teeth into his shoulder.
Max hadn’t fully shifted yet. “Wait! The council is reviewing this case. Your orders have been changed. Stand down!” Max shouted. The grey enforcer released Chase and lunged at Kaden.
The man leaning against the wall pulled a long silver chain from his briefcase. I looked closer. It was a whip. A silver whip. He addressed Max. “They all say that to save their wolf. Back off now. Interfering with council enforcers will be punishable by termination.”
Termination? Let’s call it what it was. Murder!
He pulled his whip back and flicked it at Chase, wrapping it around his neck.
Chase had been standing there in shock, looking at the markings on Kaden’s wolf. Chase pulled hard on the silver whip causing the guy holding it to fall forward and let go. Chase shook his head as if to shake his thoughts. Kai approached him slowly. Chase’s head turned in Kai’s direction and he let loose a deep growl. Well, this might get interesting. Anna took the enforcer’s leg in her mouth, ripped him away from Kaden, and pinned him to the ground.
I decided to shift into my human form before things got ugly.
The guy who had fallen, grabbed the whip tightly again.
I pointed at him. “Call the council and talk to Raj. I’m the Matefinder, and as you can see, these two are mates.”
The guy seemed unsure of what to do, noticing their exact opposite markings. “They may be mates, but he’s gone completely rapid. He killed a human. I have orders.”
“Call the council, now,” I said with gritted teeth.
He dropped the whip. Kaden approached Chase slowly, crouching in a submissive walk. Their eyes were locked, their fur patterns matched. Exact opposites. Mates.
Kaden tried to get closer. I knew they were seeing each other’s life review. What got them to this point, how much they had struggled in the past. The thing that happened to every wolf when they met their mate for the first time in wolf form. Chase growled, stopping Kaden in his tracks.
Kaden shifted. “His mind is going rabid. He can’t function without an Alpha or a pack. He’s sick.” He sounded scared. To see such a big, menacing guy pleading for help pulled on my heart strings.
‘What exactly does going rabid mean?’ I asked Kai.
‘Going rogue is only temporary when a wolf changes packs. If you aren’t mentally strong, you cannot make it as a rogue long term. Only Alpha’s like Kaden can and it takes a toll on the mind. You act crazy, like a rapid dog.’
An understanding passed between us. Kai looked at me. I nodded. Kai lunged at Chase and bit into his shoulder causing him to howl.
‘Blood of my blood,’ Kai told him. I felt Kai bringing him into the pack, the pack bonds were wrapping around Chase. As soon as I felt his energy join the pack, I recoiled. He was suicidal, depressed, hearing things, seeing things. The poor soul. He couldn’t think straight. Now that Kai had Chase in the pack, he let him go and stared into his eyes. Kaden looked ready to pounce on Kai at any moment if it went south. I looked at Max and flicked my eyes to Kaden. Someone would need to hold Kaden back if Kai had to fight Chase to tame him. Anna had the enforcer and I had my eyes trained on whip guy who was on his cell phone.
‘I need to make him submit to me. He was way too submissive to be a rogue for this long. He’s more submissive than Emma. He needs order, he needs rules, he needs to be tamed,’ Kai told me.
Chase’s eyes were wild, frantic, rabid. He looked ready to fight for his life. He stared into Kai’s eyes. Chase growled and crouched, ready to lunge. Kaden stepped forward and Max grabbed his arms pinning them behind his back. Kai growled back, long and deep. It made the hairs on my arms stand up. Chase began panting and finally dropped his eye
s and rolled over, belly up.
Pack, I heard his wolf say.
Kai nipped his neck and Chase stood, his eyes lowered to the ground in submission.
‘I’m so ashamed,’ he told us. ‘I thought I could make it on my own.’ Being part of the pack, he could communicate with us, but not with Kaden, because Kaden wasn’t pack.
Kai looked at me. ‘He will be okay, but he should stay with our pack for a while. He needs to mentally heal.’