#9 The Lonely Rogue

Caspian

I can’t explain how frustrated I am with Junie and her sudden need to go into the human realm without me. I had no issues with her leaving the castle and visiting her friends, I wasn’t even bothered by the idea of her working in the human realm. But, with everything going on that directly involved her, I couldn’t understand how she would want to go without me. I couldn’t understand how angry she was with me for wanting to protect her. She was being reckless.

Before I could say anything I would regret, I had to leave her standing in the hallway. I was two seconds away from proving her right, and locking her up like a prisoner. At the very least, she could take Cole and her four guardsmen with her. I didn’t care if it was overkill. If I wasn’t going with her, she was taking every last one of her guards.

I was pacing my office in an absolute rage, too worked up to be present at the family breakfast and too blinded by fury to risk heading to the training grounds unsupervised. I was shocked when Jett walked into the office without knocking.

“What are you doing here?” I asked in a panic.

“Your Luna dismissed me.” He huffed, throwing himself down in the chair with a look of anger that matched mine.

“Why does it feel like you’re blaming me for her actions?” I glared.

“Because I am.” He didn’t even bother to argue.

“You should be there to make sure she’s safe.” I sighed, sitting down on the chair next to him.

“Right, and argue with her? No thanks.” He shook his head with a frown, “Anyway, you sent the entire guard with her, she’s fine.”

“I think the outskirts rogues are working with Cohen and that it’s a larger plot against not only me, but the entire royal family. Somehow, Junie’s family is already involved. Once word gets out that she’s my mate, she’ll be smack dab in the middle of everyone’s crosshairs. They probably already know since I let it slip to that rogue she-wolf at the restaurant the other day.” I grumbled, cursing at myself for being so careless and stupid around Brittney, the rogue wolf.

“Malcolm is questioning the Coopers?” Jett asked, sitting up in his chair to look at me.

“He is.” I nodded.

“Then, we’ll have more news shortly. Malcolm is the best integrator in the realm.” Jett said, not telling me anything I didn’t already know.

“I just hope that, if they get wind Junie is back in town, the rogues won’t move against her in the meantime.” I said.

“If they do, Cole will inform us and the guard will protect her. The rogues are nothing against them.” Jett said confidently.

“I’m worried about their numbers. I fear we don’t truly know them.” I mumbled.

“Then, bring Junie back home and lock her in her room.” Jett said matter-of-factly. I shook my head at him,

“Don’t think I haven’t thought about it.” I said, not proud of myself.

“If you want her to be happy and pleased with you, then she needs her freedom. Her freedom comes at a risk.” Jett said.

“Since when did you start making sense?” I cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Since I met my mate and had to contemplate the same things.” Jett admitted.

“Leaving Viv is difficult?” I stated more than questioned.

“So is not being in the realm as your Beta. Both have consequences.” Jett said, ever so duty bound.

“It’s only been two days, I’m not drowning without you already, Jett.” I chuckled mildly.

“I know. I can’t help but think long-term.”

“Long-term, Vivian will move here just as Junie will. I have already worked up a plan to have the bar move here as well as Viv’s parents.” I said.

“Her parents?” Jett looked nauseous.

“Oh, yes. You aren’t getting out of having in-laws on my watch, Jett.” I teased him and he grumbled under his breath.

“Do you just want to ride my ass all day, or do you want to get some work done?” Jett grumbled.

“I’m too pissed to work.” I replied.

“Training, then? Don’t worry, I won’t let you kill anybody.” Jett laughed and I shrugged,

“Why not?”

After quickly changing into training gear, I jogged down to the busy training fields. Jett was already sparring with someone by the time I got there, so I decided to hit the weapons room first.

Inside a stadium that had an open, dome-shaped roof, were a variety of weapons and targets to choose from. In living with tradition, the realm trained their wolves in all sorts of fighting styles including swordsmanship and archery. My least favorite weapon was the bow. Thankfully, we had the skillful archers to handle that skill.

However, sword fighting was another story entirely. I picked up a perfectly weighted blade and stepped up to the mat where one of the trainers was already waiting for me.

We stood facing each other with our swords between us at the ready. I swung first, carefully aiming my blows to first distract my enemy and then swiftly end him. In a matter of seconds, I had the trainer on his knees with my blade to his throat. After several more rounds, my forehead was beaming with sweat and I was breathing heavily. I hung up the sword and wiped my face off with a dry rag before leaving the stadium.

I met Jett on the sparring mat and, for hours, I brutally pushed my wolves to the limits. One after the other, I took down my competitors, Jett included. By the time evening rolled around, I wasn’t even tired, but my body was sore. I was thinking about hitting the weight room and pool for a cool down, when Jett came running up to me with a look that dropped my heart down to my stomach.

“Junie left the bar without telling anyone.” He said breathlessly.

“She what?” I shouted.

“She used her friends to ditch the guards and Cole.” Jett looked terrified. I jumped down from the mat and started running towards the castle; Jett was hot on my heels.

“Your mate helped her with this?” I said accusingly.

“I’m afraid so. She won’t tell anyone where Junie went, but I’m sure she knows.” Jett said.

“How did she manage to evade seven highly trained wolves?” I snarled.

“I don’t know. She’s smart and cunning. She’s your mate.” Jett snapped at me and I didn’t even waste the time to glare at him.

In seconds, I was stepping through the portal and onto the streets of Charleston. Jett and I piled into one of the cars, declining a driver so I could take the wheel instead. I sped towards the apartment at a highly illegal rate of speed, whipping the car into the parking lot and storming into the bar. At least my idiot wolves had good enough sense to close the bar and remove the crowd of drunk humans before I arrived. They were all gathered around a table, looking guilty.

They jumped up when they saw me, everyone besides Vivian. I felt Jett tense up beside me, obviously wanting to go to his mate, but denying his urge to perform his duty as my Beta, instead.

“What the hell happened?” I snarled.

“She distracted us.” Cole said, stepping forward.

“All of you?” I asked.

“She used them.” Cole nodded towards Vivian who was surrounded by three of the bar’s staff members.

“What did she tell you?” I turned my glare on them.

“Nothing. Viv just asked us to help distract the new guys.” Sophie said, guiltily glancing towards Cole, “She had me stay near Cole since we have history.” I glared at Cole who just shrugged.

“Toonly and I each distracted the guys who were posted with us.” Clyde said, not looking even a little bit guilty for his actions, his loyalty clearly placed with my mate.

“I had some of the other staff help too, but they’re human.” Viv shrugged.

“Why did she need them distracted?” I asked Vivian in a low voice. For Jett’s benefit, I was trying to go easy on her, but it was difficult for my Alpha wolf to calm down.

“I cannot say.” She said, refusing to look me in the eyes.

“Where did she go, Vivian?” I asked in a less patient voice.

“I can’t tell you that, either.” She replied and I growled at her avoidance. Jett glared at me and moved to stand beside his mate.

“Jett, talk some sense into her.” I said.

“Vivvy, please, just tell him. She’s his mate and he has a right to know where she is. She could be in danger, out there all alone.” He said in a soft voice, taking Viv’s hand.

“She’s not in danger and she’s not alone.” Viv replied.

“Is she….with another man?” I grumbled and Viv quickly shook her head,

“No, nothing like that.” She turned towards Jett, “And being her mate doesn’t automatically give him a right to her whereabouts. That sounds an awful lot like control, Jett.” She frowned.

“Vivian…..” Jett released a frustrated sigh.

“I won’t say anything else.” She huffed, crossing her arms.

“Damn it, Vivian, where is she!” I yelled at her, grabbing her arms and shaking her.

Jett growled at me, grabbing a fist full of my shirt and throwing me away from his mate. I stumbled and fell into a table, it broke underneath me as I fell. I jumped up and into a crouch, my pitch black eyes glaring at Jett.

“You are my Beta, you will submit!” I snarled.

“My loyalties are to my mate first and you second.” Jett said, wrapping an arm protectively around Viv as he moved to stand in front of her.

“I am your king!”

“And she is my everything.” Jett replied in a cool voice before I lunged towards him.

Jett met me in the middle, keeping me away from his mate. My fist slammed into his face, but he barely flinched. He shoved me away, hard, and landed a blow of his own. I felt Jess threatening to take over before Vivian started to shout,

“Stop! Please stop!” She was crying. Jett flinched at the sound of his mate’s sobs and immediately ran to her side, folding her against his chest and glaring at me from over her head.

“I know you miss her, I know you’re scared, but you can’t act out against my mate like that.” He said.

I sighed and clenched my hands into fists, struggling to reign in Jess and our anger.

“I’m sorry, Viv.” I mumbled, “I just know what it’s like to lose a mate and I can’t let that happen again.” I admitted. Viv struggled out from under Jett’s arms and sniffed.

“Junie told me you lost your first mate.” She said and I nodded,

“I did and that makes me terrified of losing her.” I let my voice soften.

“I wouldn’t have let her go if I thought she was in danger.” Viv said.

“I know that, but she’s in danger everywhere.” I tried to reason with her. She looked up at Jett who smiled and nodded encouragingly.

“She was so upset because of her fight with you. She thought you were being controlling and not telling her the whole truth.” She said,

“The whole truth about what?” It hurt me to know that Junie was so unhappy with me that she’d run away.

“About the information you’ve been getting from her dad and brother. She thought you would hide stuff from her to keep her from getting upset.” She said and I immediately began to put together the pieces.

“She went to Cypress.” I said and Viv nodded.

“Jett, Sophie, Toonly, and Clyde will stay here. Everyone else, with me.” I said, already moving towards the door and stripping out of my clothes.