#9 The Lonely Rogue

Caspian

Junie fell asleep in my arms and I wasn’t about to move her. I settled myself against the pillow and rested my cheek on the top of her head, dozing off into peaceful slumber. When I finally woke up, what felt like minutes had most certainly been hours based on the lack of light outside my window. I stretched and realized that Junie was absent from my arms. Rolling out of bed, I started looking around the room.

“Junie?” I called out, but got no response.

I walked across my room and opened the door, knocking softly on Junie’s door.

“Come in!” Junie’s soft voice called.

I pushed open the door and entered her room, her sweet smell filled the room along with the hot steam spilling out of the bathroom. Junie walked out of the bathroom with her wet hair plastered to her face and a towel tucked around her body.

“I thought it might be you.” She smiled.

“You could’ve showered in my room.” I gulped, walking towards her.

“My clothes are in here.” She said, standing still as I moved closer.

“You don’t need those.” I smirked, tugging her towel loose and letting it fall to the ground.

She shivered as the cold air kissed her naked body. I ran my hands up and down her arms, warming her as I pressed my body against hers.

“It hardly seems fair that you get clothes but I don’t.” She pouts, tugging at the hem of my shirt. I obliged her, pulling off my shirt and tossing it on the floor.

“Better, my love?” I asked, trailing her body with my hands. She started fumbling with my belt and unbuttoning my pants,

“Almost.” She said,

I captured her mouth with mine, moving over it with urgency and pushing my tongue inside. My hands dropped down to her butt as I pulled her against me. Her hands were tangled in my hair, yanking it down from the messy bun I had it in so she could better control it. She finally got my pants off and I stepped out of them, walking her towards the bed.

After making love to my mate, we fell asleep in each other’s arms again, completely naked this time. A loud knock stirred me from my rest. I groaned and carefully moved Junie off my chest and placed her head on one of the large pillows. She didn’t even stir as I got out of bed, pulled on a pair of pants, and quietly opened the door.

“Malcolm?” I grumbled.

“The team you put on Cohen has something.” Malcolm replied immediately.

“Already? It’s only been a few days.”

“They picked up on a trail leading away from Cypress’ pack and it led them to a pack of rogues who claimed they were working for Cohen. They gave up his location a few towns over.” Malcolm explained.

“After all these years, why would Cohen get sloppy now?” I whispered, not wanting to wake Junie.

“I don’t know, but they are running the lead down anyway.” Malcolm replied urgently,

“Tell them to wait, I’m going to meet up with them.” I replied after a moment, shutting the door in Malcolm’s face and climbing back into bed.

“Junie, dearest.” I said, gently shaking Junie awake. She grumbled at me, her eyes fluttering open.

“Caspian?” Her voice was husky and filled with sleep.

“I have to go.” I said and that quickly got her attention. She sat up, her eyes wide awake.

“Why?”

“The team I put on the rogues and Cohen have something. I’m going to meet up with them.” I said, stroking my fingers up and down her arm.

“Do you have to go?” She said, her bottom lip quivering.

“It’ll be okay, my love, I won’t be long.” I assured her, cupping her face and running my thumb over her cheek bone.

“I want to go with you.” She said and I shook my head,

“It’s too dangerous for you. You need to stay here.” I pecked her lips with mine and stood up. She nearly fell off the bed chasing after me.

“Say please.” She demanded, grabbing my hand.

“Please stay here, my lovely Luna?” I smirked, pressing my forehead against her:s for a moment. She rolled her eyes but nodded,

“Okay, I’ll stay, if you promise to keep me updated.”

“I promise.” I agreed, kissing her forehead, “Get dressed and come down with me.” I added.

She threw on a pair of running shorts and picked up my sweatshirt from the floor, tugging it over her head. I grinned at the sight of her in my clothes, the sweatshirt hanging down past her knees as her petite body swam in it. I fished her hand out from under the dangling sleeve and led her out of the room, down the steps and into the parlor room where the rest of my family was waiting.

I didn’t even check to see what time it was, but based on the state of Ally, Malcolm, and my mother, I guessed it was very late, or rather early. Malcolm was leaning against the door, waiting for my arrival, Ally was curled up on the couch half asleep, and Mother was standing next to the fireplace keeping her hands warm.

“I’ll be back soon with news.” I announced, kissing the top of Junie’s head again before letting her go, “I need you all to stay here under the protection of your guards.” I added.

Cole entered the room then as if one que and took his post next to Junie, Luke and Nickoli were already in the parlor room. I nodded towards Cole before walking out of the room.

“Caspian, wait!” Junie called after me, grabbing my hand and giving me a quick kiss, “Be safe and I love you.” She said,

“I love you, too.” I smiled before giving her hand a squeeze and storming towards the portal room.

The team was waiting for me just outside of Myrtle Beach, where they followed Cohen’s trail to an abandoned trailer park. I decided against the car, and ran after them as Jess with Jett’s wolf, Gage, following closely behind. We met the rest of the team by daybreak and followed their lead. They had been scouting out the pack of rogues all night and devised a careful plan to surround and overwhelm the rogues.

We tore the camp apart, killing any rogues who wouldn’t surrender and chaining up those who did. We scoured every single inch of the camp and found no trace of Cohen. The prisoners were lined up against the trees, covered in filth and shaking, whether it be from the cold morning dew, their rage, or even a bit of fear. Jett and I took turns integrating them about Cohen’s whereabouts, but each one was as clueless as the next.

“I don’t think these fools have any idea what we’re talking about.” Jett grumbled.

“No, I think they’re just a bunch of random rogues.” I agreed.

“You think the rogues we integrated yesterday lied?” The lead wolf of the team I assigned to track Cohen, Michael, asked.

“Yes, I do. Who were they?” I asked.

“I thought they were a smaller branch, separated from the wolves you’ve labeled as the outskirts rogues.” Michael replied, looking disappointed.

“It was a set up. They weren’t separated from the pack, they were sent as decoys to lead you astray. Cohen organized all of this.” I growled.

“Why?” Jett asked just as a pain ripped through my body so fierce that it could only belong to one person.

“Junie.” I gasped, clutching my chest.

“What?” Jett grabbed my arm and yanked me around so I was facing him.

“This was all a distraction. The kingdom is under attack.” I announced in a breathless voice before leaping into action.

Everyone around me moved just as quickly, shifting in a single motion and running back towards the portal, not even bothering with the rogues who were still tied up. Without any instructions or orders given, every wolf responded to the call to defend their Luna Queen.

In half the time as before, we reached the portal and bounded through it, still in our wolf forms. Without stopping, Jess plowed through the door to the portal room and roared at what he saw. The castle reeked of smoke and blood and the vial aroma of rogues. Jett and the team were on my heels, ready for orders.

“Search the castle, bring me my mate!” Jess and I howled at the others while Gage remained at my side.

“The scent of blood and smoke is clouding Junie’s scent.” I said to Gage

“Focus, Alpha, you can find her.” Gage and Jett both responded in a calming voice. Jess closed his eyes and we both focused on our mate; her scent, the look in her eyes that drove us wild, her unruly curls, her soft skin and the feeling of it against mine…..

Her scent suddenly appeared out of nowhere and Jess took off after it. Running through the castle, Jess and I observed the war zone it had become. Curtains and couches were on fire, the wooden planks of the floor stained in blood and the carpets covered in ash and dirt, dead staff members and wolves lay everywhere; some were royal pack members while others belonged to rogues.

Junie’s scent took me to the foyer which was buzzing with activity. My mother was standing in the corner, shadowed in darkness, with Nickoli’s wolf beside her. I shifted and yanked a curtain off its railing, stomping out the fire and wrapping the remains of it around my waist.

“What happened? Where’s Junie?” I snarled to the room.

“The attack lasted no more than twenty minutes, as silently as they came, they went.” Mother replied quietly in a voice laced with shock and disbelief.

“Where is Junie?” I asked again, clearer this time.

“They took her.” Those three words made me hit my knees.

“Alpha!” Someone shouted in concern but I didn’t pay them any attention. Gage shifted and Jett knelt beside me,

“Where’s Cole?” I asked in a defeated voice.

“In the infirmary. He was nearly killed protecting Junie, the healers aren’t sure if he’ll make it.” Mother replied, glancing towards Nickoli worriedly.

I looked around the room again and realized that there was more blood here than anywhere else. This must’ve been where they took Junie, since it’s where I last caught her scent. I couldn’t imagine all this blood came from Cole and he was still alive, that thought alone sent me spiraling.

That is, until I saw a blanket sprawled out on the floor, clearly covering something up; the lump underneath was in the shape of a person. Next to it was a dead wolf, a wolf I recognized: Luke.

I stumbled to the blanket and ripped it off just as my mother screamed and everyone shouted for me to stop. Underneath laid a woman, a teenager, with her long, curly brown hair completely matted in blood and her green eyes staring up at me, unmoving. Her throat was slit and the blood was already drying around her wounds.

“Alice.” I sobbed, dropping over her body.