The Cowgirl Rogue

Chapter 22

Xander bit back a smirk, and I had a feeling he knew what I was thinking while he drugged the wait. He wanted to see how "patient" I could be when we both knew that wasn't something I could handle unless I had a gun in my hand.

"Oh for the love of Goddess, please stop with the fucking mind games, Xander," I seethed, almost tossing my cards onto the table in front of me while I looked at him and scowled. "Why did you text me here? What news did you find out that was so important that you called me here?"

When there was a chance my mate could attack the pack that took me in...

I wouldn't admit this to anyone, but I was worried about the pack and Clint, not knowing what the future held for them when I was gone and out of sight.

Xander studied me, and he frowned. Guilt filled his eyes, and I had a feeling that he knew why I wanted him to say why he wanted me here when I had a job to do. "My apologies, Miss Rice," he said and dipped his head in apology. "I should have known that you were stressed about the pack you live in every once in a while."

"And yet you still do not tell me the reason why you have me here," I said sarcastically. "Now why is that?" I raised an eyebrow in question.

Xander didn't respond and shrugged, nor upset about my attitude like Aberforth was. "I do have people watching over your pack," Xander said and gestured around the common area. "As you can see, there are a few "empty" chairs that were filled with members of the group yesterday." He smiled and winked, teasingly. "It's not a normal check in day anyway."

I glanced around before I looked at him. I wasn't worried about the new empty chairs, knowing full well that they had checked in with him before they left, especially since they had gray ribbons tied on them to indicate that they were alive.

I was grateful that Xander had put some of his members near the pack, even though he knew that my mate could kill them if they were found, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

"Well?" Xander asked and smirked. He raised an eyebrow in question and stared at me with amusement in his eyes while he waited for me to thank him..

I shook my head, no, and he chuckled because he knew it wasn't going to happen. "It's not happening, Xander," I said coldly. "Nice try, though."

Xander shrugged, and a small smirk appeared on his face. He wasn't fazed about me not telling him "thank you" because he knew that I wouldn't do it. "It was worth a shot," he said. He cleared his throat and grew serious. "Anyway, the reason why I called you here is that we have received some reports about... the Falling Hills Pack."

I made sure to keep my face blank when he said the name of the pack I came from. However, I couldn't help the small shuffle in my seat when he said that name, and I knew that Xander picked up on it, even though he didn't say anything.

Corbin, however, shifted and looked at me. He didn't say a word, but I knew that he was nervous about what I would do when that name came out of someone's mouth.

Xander raised an eyebrow in question but dismissed it when I gave him no explanation.

"What have you heard about them?" Corbin asked, turning his attention to Xander. There was a small bit of nervousness in his voice, and it had Xander raise his eyebrow higher because it sounded like Corbin knew something that Xander didn't, and in fact, he did.

"Now, what do you know, Boy?" Xander asked, and Corbin bristled at being called "Boy," but he didn't do anything when I signalled him not to. "What has you so worked up?"

"It is none of your damn business, Xander," I said, not looking at the male that was supposed to be my "watchdog" and report what I do to the king. "I don't know why you have to be like that to him when it doesn't have to deal with him."