The Rogue's Daughter

Chapter 3: Avery Soren, The Rogue

Chapter 3

"Just Bane." Came the alluring voice of the most powerful man alive.

Bane stood in the middle of the woods looking serene. Today Alpha Bane Cohen wore a thick leather jacket and some jeans that were probably worth more than my life.

It was no doubt that the Shadow Howlers is the richest pack. They had the biggest land and the biggest amount of numbers.

Bane eyed me with curiosity in those beautiful silver orbs of his. "What are you doing walking in the woods alone?" He asked looking around the trees and the bushes that surrounded us.

He looked heavily concerned for some reason like he knew someone was watching.

Did he see yellow eyes?

"Oh, Marco left early for school so I'm walking." I answered approaching him and almost tripping as I did.

Bane was a good sight to see despite everything. "You're cold." He observed looking at my poor choice of clothes.

I was about to shake my head and say I was fine when I felt a big warm heavy material drape around my shoulders.

Almost immediately his musk smell invaded my nose. Oh god. He smelled good.

Bane had took his leather jacket off and was wearing nothing but a shirt in the cold morning.

"Alpha-" He cut me off by the glare that he shot me. "I mean- Bane, no." I continued feeling sweaty with nervousness from his presence. "You'll get cold." I say getting the jacket off me but he held it in place.

"I'm fine. You need it more than I do." He shrugged taking my wrist and leading me out of the woods and to the street where his black sports car was.

Why was he being so nice? Didn't pack people hate rogue folk? Why was he associating himself with a petty rogue? An unshifted rogue for that matter.

How'd he even know I was there?

I welcomed the heat that his car gave off as I leaned towards it. "Mhhhhmmm... Heat." I groaned feeling my fingers tingle.

Bane watched me from his seat an amused look on his face. I notice that he always did that. Watch me and look intrigued at the simple things I did.

"What?" I asked when his gaze made my heart flip off again. Damn you, heart.

Bane shook his head another habit he does when he's trying to school his emotionless uncaring face back. "Nothing."

My phone suddenly buzzed bringing my attention away from Bane. A picture of a silly faced Marco appeared in the screen.

I screamed internally.

Be cool. Be cool, Avery. Be cool.

"Hey, hottie lamottie." I answered my voice a tone higher than my usual.

Beside me Bane tensed burning the side of my face with a stern look.

"Where are you?" Was Marco's immediate response.

I flinched trying to keep my breathing normal. "On my way to school. Why?"

"Just checking in, Ave." He said with a sigh like him being unable to be beside me hurt him.

I couldn't help but smile at that. "I'm okay, Coco. I'm safe." I reassured using my pet name for him.

Marco. Goddess, how lucky I was to have a Marco who always looked out for me. Being an unshifted wolf wasn't an easy life.

People picked on me and always made fun of how I was unable to have a wolf like everyone else did.

I was thankful that I had Marco who would always scare them away.

There was silence and then, "I'll meet you in front of the school so we can walk to home room together."

The line went dead and so did my ability to think straight.

If Marco sees me with Bane again he was gonna pop a vein.

"Who is Marco?" Bane asked breaking the silence. His knuckles were white from gripping the stirring wheel too tightly.

"He's a friend." I explain again running my hands through my hair.

"And?" He pushed. Rain then started to fall heavily as his windshield struggled to give us a clear few of the road.

I sighed closing my eyes. "I live with him."

Suddenly Bane hit the breaks causing me to jerk back in my seat. "What?!" He growled.

It was the first time I saw him angry. His pupils were dilated and his wolf was giving me a good view of how powerful this man really is.

"You're telling me a seventeen year old girl is living alone with her boyfriend?" Bane snapped his canines threatening to find a limb to chew on.

I raised my hands shielding myself from the angry wolf Alpha. "Not alone. His dad is my godfather."

Bane stared at me for a while his dark eyes burning holes on my face.

Thankfully after what seemed like a hundred holes later he started driving again. "Where's your parents?" He asked after a while.

I hated that question. "They died."

Bane's face softened a great deal. I braced myself for the question that always followed that one but he surprised me by saying. "I liked the cupcakes from yesterday."

My eyes lit up. "Didn't I tell you?" I say my mood instantly brightening at the mention of cupcakes.

-

Thankfully the rain was too heavy for anyone to see me come down from the notorious Alpha's car.

Marco like he said he would was by the front of the school typing on his phone.

As soon as he sensed me he looked up and flashed me a winning smile that made girls swoon. "Ave, finally!" He chortled happily bouncing to my side.

He gave me a one arm hug. "Don't get your briefs in a knot." I teased reaching for my bag to get his sandwich.

I always gave him sandwiches after his early morning practice. Let's face it the guy could eat a whole cow and still be hungry. "I love you." He beamed grabbing for the sandwich.

Walking through the door, instantly my ears picked up low murmurs. Most of the student population were wolves. Half of them were Rogues like myself.

"Have you heard? Another pack was taken." Whispered one.

"Another one?" Gasped another.

"Ancient one." Came another.

I gave Marco a look. Which he returned with a frown.

Ancient Packs are basically old big ones that most can't touch because of how old and profound it is.

Shadow Howlers are an Ancient Pack.

What got my attention the most was what came next, "Bane Cohen nervous."

As Owen said 'speak of the devil and he shall appear' Bane Cohen walked through the hallway with his entourage of Shadow Howlers.

They were intimidating and quite frankly they all looked like they could snap me in two.

Shadow Howlers are like that. They were big, mean and scary. They bowed down to no one. Normal wolves don't want to even be near them.

Bane locked eyes with me and his emotionless expression falters for a bit.

I tried to force a smile but all I could think about was the rumors.

What could the strongest Alpha and pack be nervous about? Bane was practically royalty in the werewolf world. What could possibly make him nervous?

-

The weather got worse.

It was during lunch when the school announced the suspension of classes.

To top it off the lights flickered every few minutes and the lighting and thunder just got louder and brighter.

It irked me to no end. I would constantly grab for Marco who would pat me on the back or squeeze my hand affectionately.

It was hell. I loved the rain but the lighting and the thunder and the flickering lights not so much.

I felt like I was in a bad horror movie. What's worse the school refused for us to go home without a parent or guardian.

The halls and class rooms were littered with students trying to contact their parents but to no avail.

Half of the student body were lucky enough to have concerned parents who picked them up as soon as the suspension was announced.

The unlucky ones such as Marco and I were stuck.

Owen appeared beside us an irritated expression on his face. "My mentor isn't home until tomorrow." He whined.

Most of the teenage rogues didn't have parents. Most of us just lived alone or with a mentor.

Owen for one lived with a young college attending rebellious rock and roll dude who travelled a lot.

I was lucky with Old John who took me in. Old John, despite being very moody was thoughtful and protective.

It wasn't easy to raise a young female unshifted rogue who had nothing but her loyalty to give to him.

Old John always treated me like his daughter but would always remind me that my parents loved me.

He was best friends with my mother and father as he tells me during the rare moments when he would open up about them.

"Idiots those two!" Old John would smile then. "But the best and most amazing idiots." He would add.

I don't remember my parents but with what Old John has told me they were the most respectable and the most glorious people he's ever met.

"You'll never meet a pair like them." He would say as if he was remembering the old days.

Marco gave a long sigh at his phone. We had decided on looking for cell phone coverage by the roof top but by the looks of it we weren't gonna get anything.

"This damn weather." He complained thrusting his phone into the air.

Owen gave a laugh. "Guess you guys are stuck just like I am."

Marco shot him a glare. "We could have taken you home with us."

Owen's eyes widened and then groaned. "Fuck."

"What do we do now?" I asked leaning my back to the wall and falling to the floor.

It's not that we didn't like staying in school for the night. It was the fact that we were rogues and we were inside a school with several pack people along with us.

That and Old John will definitely faint if he realizes we aren't home in time.

"I could take you home." My heart did a flip at the voice.

Right in front of us is Bane Cohen. Tall, brooding and dripping wet from the rain.

Marco was instantly in front of me. "No."

Owen froze. It wasn't everyday an Alpha would talk to a rogue. Usually it was only when the Alpha wanted to kill one.

Bane stood not fazed by Marco in any way.

"Alpha-" I started but he cut me off by the look on his face. "I mean Bane. We're okay."

Bane eyed the two boys. "No?" He said the spark of challenge in his eyes.

I panicked knowing Bane was not someone to pick a fight with. I sidestepped to face Bane. "I'm really okay."

Lightning picked the time to suddenly strike making me jump and grab for the nearest arm I could hold on to.

Bane looked shock for my sudden groping but didn't push me away. His jaw tightened and his eyes widened as he patted my head like a puppy.

Holy, Wolf. His arms are massive!

Owen stared like he just saw a unicorn. Whilst Marco was trying to hold himself together.

I detached myself from him realizing how inappropriate it was to touch an Alpha.

"Sorry." I whispered swallowing hard.

Recovering from my horrible lack of personal space Bane's mouth twitched again nodding his head a bit. "I'll take you home. The weather will continue like this for a while." He said looking towards the sky.

Marco held my hand pulling me back to him. Bane looked down at our intertwined hands with a look of distaste.

"Sticking with Marco would be best." I tell him my voice shaking a bit.

Was it possible to say no to an Alpha? Will he kill me? Will he kill us? Oh god, I'm not ready to die.

I still had so much to do with my life.

Like eat yummy steak.

Or even a yummy burger.

If I survive this Marco and I are driving through McDonalds.

After a good five minutes of staring at each other I contemplated on running away when he spoke. "I'll wait with all of you then." Bane said with a determined look on his face.