The Exiled Rogue is my Mate

Chapter 4

"Everyone, I need you to keep your noses and ears sharp." My dad barked the instructions.

Beside him, I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying as much as possible to hold in a sigh. If I had made the slightest noise of displeasure, he would have heard it. His senses were that sharp. How was I part of this again? That's right, the Alpha had selected a few wolves for the patrol to survey the movements going on at the border near our pack. I was one of the selected few. I was hundred percent sure my dad had something to do with it. I should have known better. His refusal to make any further argument during dinner about my future should have given me a hint. And then the staredown between me and him during the Alpha's speech. My old man was not the kind to let an issue go so easily.

"Yes, sir," I heard Zack's voice through a mind link. One of the things I was grateful for was that despite the fact that Zack was the Alpha's son, he still had respect for my dad.

"Affirmative," another member of my park said.

Dad nodded and surveyed ahead from our spot. From my sideview, I took the time to study him. His eyes narrowed and his jaw grounded at intervals. It was so intriguing to see how serious he could be sometimes. Yes, at the moment, the situation called for it, but sometimes his seriousness had some trace of charisma within.

I turned my attention ahead. A low growl rumbled from Dad's throat, and soon enough I knew why. I heard it. Footsteps. Loud footsteps that.

Soon enough, we spotted them. A group of large men dressed in black outfits.Even though I couldn't see their faces clearly, from their stances, I could tell they were dangerous. Squinting my eyes, I noticed something strapped to their outfits. I swallowed a bit. It had to be weapons.

"Everyone advance a bit, but keep your distance," Dad said through a mental link. "They could be armed. It may not be silver bullets, but don't take any chances. It

"Yes, sir." I heard the chorus.

I advanced a bit, but dad put his hand on my wrist to stop me. I turned around and gave him a curious look. The message in his eyes held a sort of warning. I mentally groaned and hoped for the love of the moon goddess that he wasn't planning on giving me a speech. Sometimes, his speeches were almost as long as Alpha Xavier's. And that's saying something. Besides, his timing would be terrible.

"Gwen, you have to be careful," he said. "You've never been on a patrol before, so you may not know how it works."

"Dad." I pulled my hand away with a huff. "I may not have been to one, but that doesn't mean I'm naive or green. It's not like I'm going to spring an attack or charge at them like a lunatic. I'm just keeping a closer lookout. Besides, wasn't this your order?"

He stared plainly at me without saying a word. I arched an eyebrow in return. His eyes darted back to the men, and then a sigh left his lips.

"Just be careful." He patted my shoulder slightly.

"I hear you," I muttered and walked away.

In the distance ahead, the men had gathered together, and we're talking. Their voices were hushed. From the way they looked around, it seemed like they were waiting for someone. Taking careful steps along the path, my mind drifted, wondering why he was all of a sudden careful and fatherly. It was a surprising contrast to his usually stern demeanor. It was a bit warming though. But I would be the last person to admit that. The last thing I want is some long speech on how soft I was.

Distracted by my inner monologue, I forgot to keep my eyes on the road. My left leg kicked against a small stone. The little object rolled and collided against the trunk of a tree. Before I could decipher, I heard one of the men turn sharply.

"Someone's here!" he yelled.

"s**t!" I cursed under my breath.

The men began to open fire. I didn't know if it was panic or just plain stupidity, but shooting blindly in the dark didn't seem like the most logical thing to do. I would have laughed if I wasn't starting to avoid any stray bullets.

I dashed quickly and hid behind a tree. I caught a scent seconds later. One of the men passed the tree I hid behind. I came out of my hiding spot and hit him on the neck. To my shock, he dropped to the floor. I guess I underrated my own strength, considering I had never done any form of sparing before. The shooting had died down a bit.

Taking a slight look at my fallen victim, I backed away and retreated. I needed to find the remaining members of my pack. I hoped they were alright. In the pandemonium earlier, I had a feeling they would have scattered.

For the second time, my foot decided to conspire against me and put me in a more dangerous situation. It struck something again. This time it was not a rock or a pebble. It felt like a rope.

I heard it before I felt it. A loud explosion surrounds me. The earth shook beneath my feet, and I found myself lifted into the air. I landed roughly on my back, and my head collided against the ground. I was reeling, and I was sure I saw a star or two. And then many stars. My vision became blurry, and I saw outlines of them. The men that were supposed to be guarded. Slight panic took over me as they approached.

"There's one of them!" One cried.

My body could not move. I had never felt pain like this. I was quite sure I had broken one or two bones.

And then the men stopped.

"What the hell is that?" My blurry vision could make one of them point to something.

I heard a growl from somewhere. The men turned around and fled with started cries.

"What...the hell?" I slowly groaned in confusion.

I rolled to my side and discovered what drove them away. It was an animal. I slowly blinked and made it o

ut to be a werewolf. Its glowing eyes shone in the darkness as it approached me.

I slowly slipped into darkness.