Gone with the Rogue

Three.

I'd finished my shift at the coffee shop and decided to check out where they dumped the rogue. I shifted once I was well within the privacy of the  forest and it took me fifteen minutes running to get there.

I hovered at the edge of the clearing and scanned it while scenting the area. All of the scents were fairly stale, the freshest being hours old. That must be the rogues scent, it mingled with several of my packs members.

I stalked out of the brush slowly, keeping my ears up and alert for any sounds. There was no doubt my father would be livid if he found out I had come back and snooped around.

The tang of blood tickled my nostrils as I investigated. I followed the trail to a damp spot on the dirt. This was where they'd left the rogue, still bleeding from whatever methods my father had used.

The body was already gone, scuffs in the dirt showed it must've been dragged across the border. I ignored the relaxing in my chest knowing it wasn't my mate they had dropped off here. It wasn't even the other other wolf I'd fought.

I recognized the scents of the wolves from my pack: my father, brother, the Beta, and Jace.

I sniffed again just to make sure it was really Jace. It was. He hadn't told me he'd also brought the rogue here. It must've been implied.

A low growl a few meters away interrupted my thoughts. My head shot up and I scanned the cluster of trees across the border. My hackles raised and I lifted my nose to try to catch my spies scent. I couldn't get anything since they were downwind from me which didn't help with identifying them.

My eyes widened when the peppered wolf from last night revealed himself. A warm feeling spread through my body at the sight of him unharmed. I quickly shook my head to clear any of those unwanted thoughts.

He walked forward slowly until his toes were a hairs width from the border. My breath caught in my throat at the first whiff of his sharp pine scent and I had to fight all instincts to press my body to his.

His intelligent green eyes took in every detail before he shifted in front of me. I took a few a weary steps back since he now towered over me. He had a layer of scruff on his cheeks that matched his dark brown almost black hair. His hair was messy and cute, giving him an almost innocent boyish quality. I noticed he had a scar on his eyebrow that made my heart flutter adoringly. I chided myself again and forced the feelings to the back of my mind.

"Shift, please," His voice was deep yet warm and soothing like a warm drink after being out in the cold.

"Please," My mate repeated, a tinge of desperation in his eyes. "I can't stay long and I want a glimpse of you at least once in my life."

I huffed softly and gave in. His eyes roamed my face, drinking up every feature like a parched man in the desert. His plump lips curved into an awe-struck smile.

"Hello," he breathed.

"Hi," I responded shortly.

My abruptness didn't seem to affect him. I couldn't mingle with this- this rogue. Even if he was my mate. It was against my packs laws.

His fingers twitched by his sides, as if longing to reach out and touch me. I took another step back.

"What's your name? Please," He asked and repeated the 'please' when he saw the hesitance on my face.

"Fallon," I pause, unsure whether to reveal my last name. "Fallon Blaccthorne."

His eyes widened and any joy vanished from his face.

"Knox Blaccthorne," he whispered. "He's your father?"

"Yes," I swallowed and glanced away, unable to take the devastation on his face. "What's your name?"

"Rowen Desecare," He said with a sad smile as the recognition flashed in my eyes.

"Leader of the Rogues?" I murmured.

"Looks like we're both a tough spot," he managed to get out a dry laugh.

"Looks like it," I agreed.

Rowen was about to say something else when my head whipped to the side. My nostrils flared and I looked back him, eyes wide with horror.

"You need to leave. Now!" I rushed towards him and placed my hands on his (amazingly firm) chest to shove him further from the border. "I'll cover your scent but you have to run fast. A patrol is coming."

He had the proper amount of fear as he stumbled back from me.

"I need to see you again," He begged.

I glanced over my shoulder and bit my lip, "Fine. Tomorrow night. 1:30 in the morning, if you're not here I'm leaving and never coming back. Got it?"

I needed answers from him. At least that's what I told myself for the excuse to see him again.

"Yes, thank you, thank you," he stared at my face a moment longer before he turned and shifted as he sprinted out of sight.

I changed into my wolf and rolled across the ground where he'd stood, trying to cover up his scent before the patrol arrived. I took the extra measure of urinating on the area. I'd just finished when several wolves padded into the clearing.

I bowed my head in greeting and they returned the gesture. Their eyes shown with curiosity at my being there. The leader shifted and waved his hand for me to as well.

I stifled the urge to roll my eyes once I was human again. The patrol leader was none other than Nolan Olher, easily the biggest brown-noser to my father in the pack.

"What are you doing out here, Fallon?" He tilted his head with a smug little 'gotcha' smile.

"I'm scenting the border," I replied in a 'duh' tone.

"And did your father tell you to? Because I'm pretty sure just thirty minutes ago I got orders from him to scent the border. He didn't mention you would be here," he said this in a voice that implied he was talking to a child, not an adult.

"Well you see, Nolan, I had nothing to do and remembered the fight last night and figured the border would need re-scenting," I said in the same voice. "If that wasn't obvious."

"There could still be rogues around, you could've been attacked." He said.

"I can defend myself," I cocked a challenging eyebrow at him.

He shook his head with an exasperated sigh, knowing I still held rank over him. He gave a tight smile that resembled something closer to a sneer.

"Well you've done your part, my patrol and I will cover the rest," He said dismissively and shifted before I could get another word in.

I snorted and shifted, trotting away. Once I was far enough away I allowed myself to suck in a deep breath I didn't realize I had been holding.

No one had discovered Rowen.