Chapter 18 - Jace
“Rogues?” I grumble, my hackles already rippling over my spine. Jux’s senses heighten at the mere mention of them, even though we’re sitting in the pack house in a meeting and nowhere near danger.
There are several other Alphas in attendance around my table.
The mood is somber. We were all in Black Ops training together.
We’ve seen what Rogues are capable of. We’ve dealt with the bad side of them.
But we also saw another side, where some of them were just lost wolves, losing themselves slowly and slipping into madness.
But even that madness is dangerous, and regardless of how I wish I could do something to help the Rogues who wanted help, my pack is my priority.
My pack and the smaller packs around mine look to me for protection and guidance.
“We have to flush them out,” Jacob says, tapping his fingers against the wooden table.
“We have to fucking destroy them,” Hendrik growls, heated as usual. “Why are we sitting here doing nothing?” he snarls.
“Hendrik, sit down. You know full well that we need a plan before we rush blindly into the forest. It’s a massive piece of land,” Axel scoffs, shaking his head. I wish Hendrik would take a page from Axel’s book and learn how to be silently dangerous instead of outright aggressive.
I’d choose Axel to be on my team any day over the hot-headed temper that Maddy carries around with him.
“Alright,” I say, standing up and pacing as I think.
“The sooner we deal with this, the better, but yes, we need a plan. I suggest that we Alphas, our Betas, and the strongest four members of each of your security forces join the hunt. The rest will stay with our packs to protect them while we are gone. We can’t take the chance of leaving the packs unguarded; we have to consider all risks. ”
“Bullshit. If we take all of our men and attack the Rogues with everything we’ve got, there won’t be any risk to our packs,” Hendrik snaps.
Axel clenches his jaw impatiently. None of us says anything, ignoring Hendrik and his continued willingness to calm the fuck down.
“Do we agree?” I ask, “Or does someone want to add to the plan?”
Jacob stops tapping on the table and leans back in his chair. “What time do you want to run?”
“We know the training. We were all there. Alphas and Betas. Our security personnel will follow our commands. I assume you’ve all been teaching them the basics of what we learned? I reckon we should leave after dusk. Our wolves are stronger in the moonlight,” I say.
“So are theirs,” Jacob says.
“But we know the forest better than they do,” Parker says, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. “Especially in the dark.”
“Rogues are packless and will always be weaker than a wolf led by an Alpha. Their version of a leader isn’t the same. They’re all fighting for control, to be the top dog. Even if there are many of them, they won’t be organized or functional. Not like us,” Axel explains.
“I know, I know, but we don’t even know how many there are,” Jacob sighs.
“What do you want to do then?” I ask Jacob calmly. “All suggestions are welcome at my table.” Hendrik scoffs at this remark but says nothing.
“No, I’m just thinking out loud. We do it your way. It’s the best way. I know it is. I just hate that they’re so close to our borders,” Jacob says, pushing his shoulders back and sitting up straight again. “We meet at dusk, here.”
“Parker?” I say.
“Agreed.”
“Agreed,” Hendrik adds bitterly when I look at him.
“Agreed,” Axel nods.
***
We spend the afternoon preparing and reviewing the training with our security teams. It’s after dusk, and there are three teams in the meadow at the tree line that leads into the forest near my compound.
The sun is sinking behind the horizon, and already the sky is losing its orange tint. The moon is a sharp sliver above us.
We are all in wolf form. We are agitated, hyped, and eager to run. Jux is frothing to get into the forest, to feel the thrill of the hunt as it pulses through his veins. He loves this. He always has. But for the first time ever, there is another thought in his mind. Mira. Mika. Our mate.
Is she safe at home?
We don’t like leaving her.
It’s adding to his agitation. He wants to be near her.
Even when Jux isn’t the one in control, Mira is always on my mind.
I’ve become used to her taking up a large portion of my thoughts.
When I’m not with her, while I’m working or training my pack, I wonder what she’s doing.
I picture her working, reading, cooking, or walking.
I see her smile. I imagine her body, her movements. I hear her laughter.
I often think about how it feels to make love to her. I’m still shocked by how good it feels with her. How unique. How nothing I’ve ever had in the past has ever been close to that.
Even now, as I’m just about to run into the forest and lead a Rogue hunt, I’m caught up in thoughts about being with her again. Talking to her, tasting her. Holding her and fucking her.
Jux whines and kicks at the dirt in agitation.
We’ll see her soon enough. I promise him.
Next to me, Mudder howls, a deep sound that vibrates through every wolf around us. They all lift their heads to the moon and howl too. Including me. Jux snaps at Mudder.
The sun is gone. The moon is here, let’s move.
Run! Mudder signals to the rest.
Our pads are silent against the damp forest soil. Raw nature streaks past us. My eyes are sharp, tuned into every detail. Every scent gives away some kind of information.
I know every piece of this forest well enough to instantly notice change. A drop of perspiration. An unfamiliar marking on a tree. The scent of a stranger.
I lead us along the path, following those scents. Each of them has a clue.
Behind me, the pack runs in formation. A perfect machine. A silent killing force ready to annihilate anything that crosses our path.
I click my jaw, and my canines snap sharply together. Instantly, everyone stops. Hackles raised. Smell that? I ask Miles silently. He snorts. Stale. He replies.
Heavy panting behind me is not from extension, but from excitement.
Dropping my head low, I listen and sniff the air. Wind moves through my pitch black fur like a message. Carrying more information.
Left.
Bolting forward again, we’re on the move. It grows darker the deeper we venture into the forest, and the higher the moon rises above us. It gives off very little light tonight, but we don’t need it. We know this forest well enough, and the wolf sight is leading us.
We run for hours, pausing, sniffing, staying low, and moving through the trees invisibly. We search the forest, hunt the river bed, circle around, and come back through the center of our joint territory.
But after hours, the only thing we find is an empty camp. An old fire that hasn’t been lit for days, maybe even weeks. A pile of torn clothing. Scraps and leftovers and a broken tent. There is no scent. No definitive trail to lock onto. It doesn’t make sense.
They were here. But they’re not coming back to this spot by the looks of things, Jacob says. His dark grey wolf, Agura, stands next to me on a rock overlooking the Rogue’s camping grounds. I can’t smell them. Do you remember how potent they smell? From our hunts in Black Ops?
I do, he says, lifting his nose to sniff the air. Did it rain last night?
No rain. Nothing to wash away the scent. I can smell one or two stranger wolves, but not a rogue pack, I tell him.
The rest of the pack is searching the area for clues as to where they might have gone, but they aren’t having any luck.
We could try and follow their scent out, Miles suggests, as Mudder stands staring up at me from below the rock.
Is there a scent strong enough to follow? I ask.
Not really, he sighs. Which is pretty weird.
It would be a waste of valuable time. I’d rather get back to the compound and protect the pack while we wait for more information.
Jacob's wolf snorts in agreement.
Mudder leaves to pass on the message to the others.
It’s almost dawn when we return to the compound.
The other Alphas have gone to their own packs, and I have Mudder running at my side, along with my security force at our flank.
I let off two sharp barks as we burst through the tree line into our meadow, and they bark back before turning toward their respective homes.
I’m eager to get back to Mira. Even though I saw her early yesterday morning, before the pack meeting, the entire day and night have now passed without having her near me. My body is yearning for her. And Jux is getting angry and impatient to see her.
Alone, I run faster, driven by my need for her.
Outside her cottage door, I shift back into human form before stepping inside, naked, feeling the bite of cold early morning air against my skin.
`The warmth of her scent surrounds me as I walk into our home. But it’s softer than it should be. She isn’t here. Jux snarls in disappointment.
It's ok, she might be in her workshop behind the house.
I jump into the shower in a rush and pull on some sweatpants and a t-shirt before hurrying to the workshop to check on her.
She must have been working all night. I know she was worried about the security systems, especially with rogues in the area.
She wanted to make sure everything was running properly.
“Mira?” I say quietly as I walk into her workshop. Jux is somersaulting with excitement when he catches her scent.
“Mira?” I call her name again.
There is a low hum of computers…
My heart drops into my stomach.
Mira is lying on the floor next to her desk. I sprint to her, kneeling and scooping her into my arms.
She lets out a stressed little sigh but doesn’t open her eyes.
Frantic, I carry her into the cottage and lay her down on the bed.
“Mira,” I call her name with urgency as I brush my hand over her face.
“Jace?” she murmurs. “You’re back,” her voice is weak.
“You passed out!” I blurt out, scared that she isn’t alright. “I found you lying on the floor in your workshop!”
She shifts her body to sit up, and I quickly slip my arm around her to help her.
“Oh,” she says shakily. “I was…I was exhausted, but I had to double-check everything. I think…” she sighs softly and lifts her hand to rub her eyes. “I think I just underestimated how much I could push myself,” she smiles gingerly.
“Mira, you worked yourself to exhaustion. I don’t like this at all,” I snap. Jux is growling in anger, wanting her safe.
She giggles. “I’m sorry, I just really wanted to make sure the pack was safe,” she says.
I sigh, pulling her into my arms and hugging her close. “Thank you, I know. I want the same thing, but not if it means you are going to make yourself sick,” I say.
She snuggles into me and closes her eyes. “Did you find them?” she asks sleepily.
“We didn’t. We’ll have to wait now,” I tell her, pulling her with me as I lie down on the bed and drag the blankets over us.
“I should finish up with…” she mumbles.
“Not a chance,” I scold her, holding her tighter. “Not a chance, my little wolf,” I whisper against her ear and stroke my hand over her silky caramel hair. “Sleep.”