Born Rogue

BORN ROGUE CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Chris smile skeptically, “A…ahhh…a…werewolf? Really?” Even after everything he had seen he still couldn't make the leap to that! “You have to be joking, but you look so serious,” Chris was babbling now.

“It's true and Freddy's in my head screaming at me for telling you!” Rowan told him very loudly because in her mind she was trying to be heard over Freddy.

“Rowan! Rowan! You can't tell him that! It's forbidden! It's pack law! They will kill him if they find out!” Freddy was just screaming over and over. To the point, he was nearly incomprehensible.

Chris watched this playing out on Rowan's face. Even though he couldn't hear anything, he could see she was hearing something.

Rowan was gesturing wildly in the front of the truck and she was screaming at what everyone outside thought was Chris, but was actually Freddy in her mind. She was starting to draw attention to them.

“You gotta calm down, kid. People are looking.” He told her, pulling her waving arms down and grabbing her face to look at him.

From the darkness, Boudica roused herself, awakened by Freddy's screaming. She followed into Rowan mind where the pack bonds were and saw Freddy's orange wolf, growling and snarling, standing beside Freddy, who was yelling and cursing!

“I'm sorry you intruded on my hibernation, but what seems to be the problem?” Boudica said to the trio.

Freddy and his wolf stopped and looked at Boudica.

“Are you Rowan's wolf?” Freddy said awe struck.

“Of course I am, silly man thing! Who else's wolf would be in the girl's head? No one besides yours.” Boudica sniffed with derision at Freddy's words. She bowed to Freddy's wolf. Then made a less regal bow, more of a Bob, to Freddy and said, “I am Boudica, Rowan's wolf. It's a pleasure to meet one of you.” She said snidely. Then curled herself around Rowan's legs, protectively. She licked her chops then told them coldly, “Neither of you has any right to yell at the girl! She's done nothing wrong. If you wish to yell you need only look in a mirror.” She told them with a stern glare.

“I'm Freddy and this is Tigger, my wolf.” Freddy addressed the females.

“Tigger?” Boudica scoffed. She rolled her eyes and said, “ Why didn't you stop him? At the very least your own self-preservation should have made you take overand stop him!” Boudica admonished.

“I didn't stop him, because it was his decision!” Tigger spoke for the first time. “He cares about the human, so I didn't stop him and he ignored my objections, just zoned me out like he did our Alpha.” Tigger shook his furry mane. He looked indignantly at Freddy.

“Now, you are Alpha! And we are in this predicament!” Boudica sniffed unhappily.

“She should still know the rules, my Lady.” Tigger bowed to Rowan's wolf.

Freddy looked at his independent wolf. He nudged him, “Why are you bowing and calling her my lady?”

“Because I have courtesy and manners!” Tigger said, lifting his head high. “And you are a simple minded, uncouth animal, who can't even listen to his betters!” Tigger side eyed Freddy and regarded his human half with derision.

Freddy looked insulted, “Hey, Buddy! You picked me, remember?”

“I'm foolish and impulsive! I should have watched you longer before I chose you!” Tigger scoffed.

Freddy glowered at his wolf, “Do you really think this is the best time for this?” Freddy snapped at his counterpart.

“Let's just say it's extremely hard to get you to actually listen to me. If you'd pay attention to me when I'm trying ro help you then we wouldn't be in this predicament. The only time I mean anything to you is when you want to use my strength and speed.” Tigger said grandly.

“You two sound like an old married couple,” Rowan interrupted.

“The girl is right. Perhaps it's best to discuss this amongst yourself at a later time. As of right now we have more urgent things to consider. It isn't Rowan's fault she doesn't know pack laws. She was treated abhorrent by the Alpha before and was never even made a pack member, because of her age. I have only just introduced myself to her. But we must all work together to survive right now. That includes Chris if he's willing to help us, because our options are less than ideal, gentlemen. I suggest we do our best to keep Chris as much out of our loop as possible and readdress this when our lives are not in mortal peril.” Boudica told them wisely.

Freddy was nodding and agreeing with the wise she-wolf and Tigger was too until he realized his human was taking her advice with no argument. He rolled his eyes at his human, wondering what had ever possessed him to choose this as his human partner for life. He concluded he must have been intoxicated or an i***t.

Chris was staring at Rowan as she disappeared into her head. He spoke to her only to realize she was ignoring him or couldn't hear him. It lasted forever it seemed. He pulled out and drove because they'd attracted attention. He was taking a rural highway north when she came back to reality.

“You're not supposed to know,” She told Chris.

“What? That you're werewolves!” Chris said flippantly. “Fine! I'll pretend I never heard that part. Just Chris Rowan and Freddy the talking, big-assed dog!”

“I'm really sorry. Freddy says Titan will give you money for your time and expense if you take me there.” Rowan said bashfully.

“I don't know if I can take you all the way to Wyoming. I have a job that I'm late for right now. If I still have it at all.” Chris replied in confidence.

“Freddy wants to know if you have a cell phone?” Rowan asked.

“Do you even hear me when he's talking to you in your head?” Chris rebuked, but pulled a black mobile out of his jean pocket.

“No, not really this is all new to me.” Rowan tried to explain.

“Well how do I know when to speak so you can hear what I'm saying?” Chris asked her as he handed her the phone.

Rowan wasn't there. She'd already gone back to speaking with Freddy.

Chris sighed and just put the phone on the seat beside her.

He stopped thirty minutes later at a gas station, with her still in a comatose state. He got gas and used the restroom. In his head he was hoping she wouldn't be there when he got back.

Rowan was still in her head when a black sedan pulled into the station. Boudica warned, “There's danger near you, little one.”

Rowan snapped out of it just as someone grabbed her from the truck! He grabbed her around her throat and collar and drug her mercilessly towards his car. She couldn't even scream as his meaty hand clamped around her neck.

Chris came out of the station and he saw a man strangling Rowan into the truck of a black car. He dropped all his purchases and ran at the man!

The man threw Rowan so hard into the car as Chris ran at him that the lid closed sealing her in!

Chris swung at the guy and was grabbed up in the same strangling hold he'd just used on Rowan. The man lifted him up in the air. Chris's feet swung helplessly. Chris swung his legs up. The left up under the man's arm and back, curling around to the front of his neck and face and the other straight up and over his shoulder. Then he squeezed.

The henchman swung Chris around breaking out the taillight of the car with Chris's face!

Chris went limp. And he dropped Chris on the ground, then picked him up and tossed him into the trunk with a whimpering Rowan. He got in with ambiguous onlookers wondering at the scene and drove off!