Rogue Eight

Cloak and Daggers

Chapter Thirteen:  Cloak and Daggers

MADELINE

Even though I was exhausted, I found sleep to be my enemy.  My mind raced with thoughts and scenarios flooding my conscience, one right after the other.  I had to let go of my sister…and I knew for the benefit of all of us, I had to send her on a journey I never wanted to take soon.  I just needed Gavin to continue making his miraculous recovery making it safe for his transfer.  I also had to come up with a perfect convincing story to protect my sister as she entered her new life in the Crescent Moons.  I knew enough of their Alpha, Nicholas, to know there could be no holes in our explanation.  I also needed Gavin and Lorelei to pull off this feat flawlessly.  So many facets to it all and so little time.

Unable to shake my unease, I decided to relent and pursue one thought as the sun would not rise for several hours yet.  I quickly grabbed a bag and shoved some clothes into it and quietly snuck downstairs to grab a vial of Raven’s cloaking potion from the kitchen counter as I made my way out into the darkness of early dawn.  A quick swig from the vial and I shifted, picking up my bag with my teeth and took off.  The wind whipped all around me, giving my wolf and I a reprieve from my worries for a moment as my paws carried me swiftly through the safe empty part of the forest.  I lifted my snout to sniff the air ahead, finally locating the scent of the pack I had spent so much energy trying to avoid…soon to be my little sister’s new family—The Crescent Moons.

As I got closer to their location, I lighted my steps, carefully placing my bag on the ground before shifting back into my human form.  Sliding into my black clothes, my eyes scanned for the perfect perch tree.  Finding another beloved hyperion, I stealthily climbed its branches until I reached a high branch that allowed me to clearly take in the men below.  I wanted to see how close they were to us as well as if there was any indication of their knowledge of the truth about what happened in the clearing. 

I was grateful that the weather was so pleasant, they found no need for tents.  Instead, the men lay asleep before me in their human forms spread across the lush grass currently being utilized as their beds.  I counted 12 Crescent Moon pack members, although one of them could honestly count as three men…this must be the Beast that Kristoff mentioned.

It was then that I heard a quiet conversation between two more men occurring to my left.  Maneuvering around the branches, I was able to get one of them in my sight—a tall, well-built bald man with dark coffee eyes, rugged face, and a reddish goatee.  If what I had heard of Alpha Nicholas’ pack was true, I guessed this man must be his Delta, Jace.  He was talking to someone who currently was hidden behind a large burning bush.  I strained my neck forward, trying to hear what Jace was saying, faintly able to hear his words.

“So,” Jace asked the mystery man, “What are our plans if our theory is true?”

“We will hunt Kristoff down and kill him,” the mystery man decidedly returned.

I suddenly got a weird sensation in my stomach like…butterflies?  I should have eaten something before I left.  After everything that happened, I hadn’t eaten since yesterday’s breakfast.

“And the Rogue 8?” Jace prodded further.

“If our theory is true,” the mystery man returned, “They will be protected.”

Relief consumed my entire being upon hearing those words.  My girls were safe!  Fortunately for me, the reputation of the Crescent Moons and their abilities appeared to all be true.  They were intelligent, intuitive, thorough, and more capable and resilient in their search for truth than even Roman gave them credit for.  They valued life over everything else, much like the girls and I did.  I was pulled from my reverie by more butterflies fluttering relentlessly in my abdomen and a growing anxiousness in my wolf…what is happening with me right now? 

Just then, I heard the mystery man’s determined words, “Let’s go. We need to wake the men.  It’s time to find my brother.”

Wait!  Brother?  The voice belonged to Alpha Nicholas!  I am obviously sleep deprived if I didn’t in my count of his pack determine that he was not among them.  Gavin was Alpha Nicholas’ Beta and brother—of course he would be here!  He and Jace were about to wake his men.  I needed to remove myself from my perch now and get back home so I could return his Beta and in turn, begrudgingly send my little sister with him. 

Before I could take my leave, the most beautiful wavy locks of blonde hair appeared from atop the tall burning bush followed immediately by the most powerful looking broad shoulders I had ever seen with muscles tapering magnificently down towards the wiry sprigs of shrub that hid the rest of my view.  My wolf was unable to contain her excitement at the vision.

Even with my long distance from him, his strong scent of redwood and musk sent satisfying tingles down my body.  My tongue instantly popped out ever so slightly, to run across the length of my lower lip from left to right—an initial reaction that sent me into shock and despair as I tried to push out the sensation of lust for the most breathtaking man I had ever held within my sights.  This caused my wolf to emit a long low angry growl in my conscience, her lust equal to my own. 

My relief was now replaced with a horrifying stupor as the memory of a pledge I made to myself and a plea to the Moon Goddess replayed in my mind.  As I was now twenty-four, I allowed myself to believe that the Moon Goddess had granted my wish, releasing me from the binds of her fate-altering pairings to allow me to fulfill the destiny I decided for myself long ago.  I began to argue with her in my mind at her betrayal of our now obvious one-sided agreement. 

Was it not enough to willfully give up my most precious gift in this life, Lorelei?  Do you not see what that is doing to me?  She is abandoning me just like they did!  I did as you wanted!  After we were all abandoned—left alone—in that field, I did not abandon them!  I picked myself up and instead of letting us all drown, I allowed it to make me and as they have grown, all of those girls stronger! And yet, you still took away the only real family I had left, my Little One.  But again, I am doing as you want! As she wants!  I am letting her go!  Why must you torture me further and deny me the thing I desire most?  I don’t want a mate!  I have NEVER wanted a mate!  I will not change who I want to be for a man—for anyone!  I am strong, independent, and begged you to allow me to be free!  You are the one who forced this shield I have placed on my heart.  Moon Goddess, please!  Please do not do this to me!

I was met immediately with our Moon Goddess’ decision as my mouth opened, my wolf howled in glee,  and my reluctant voice whispered inaudibly, “MATE!”

As the dreaded words passed through my lips, Alpha Nicholas turned towards the trees, his piercing blue eyes now imprinted in my mind forever, no matter how much I didn’t want them there at all.  I knew he couldn’t hear me, couldn’t see me high in the trees as darkness blanketed my position, couldn’t smell me, but he felt me...and I’m afraid that is all I would ever be willing to give him.  He could feel me just this once, that is my one gift to the man who I feared would forever torture me in my dreams.  Drifting in from the little box I would hold this memory in deep within my heart, despite my wolf’s loud objections.  I would defy both the Moon Goddess and my wolf.  Like everything else I have overcome since that fateful day in the clearing, I would overcome this moment.

My inaudible tone murmured my resolve, “I refuse you, Alpha Nicholas.  May the Moon Goddess bless you with a mate that you deserve…I’m afraid that mate is not me.  But I will return your brother to you alive.”

A light wind blew across the field causing enough rustling of the fallen leaves on the ground that I was able to make my escape at lightning speed and completed undetected.  Maybe the Moon Goddess was going to show me mercy once more, even if my wolf defiantly decided to show me none.

NICHOLAS

The light of dawn was upon us.  I had let my men get some much-needed rest, but right now, sleep was my enemy.  I couldn’t rest until I found my brother.  I wouldn’t rest until Gavin was home.   If I didn’t find him alive…sleep would be my enemy for quite some time. 

Jace was always the first to rise and this morning was no exception.  He found me sitting in front of a burning bush and we just finished a short discussion regarding Kristoff and the Rogue 8.  Now, my focus needed to be on one thing—Gavin.

“Let’s go. We need to wake the men.  It’s time to find my brother.” I told Jace before taking in a deep breath hoping for calm but receiving none as I exhaled.  I exhaustively placed my hands on my knees, pressing myself upwards.  As I stood, I caught the faintest scent of jasmine and vanilla, instantly calming me.

Jace stood and began walking back towards the field, but I found myself unable to push my feet forward.  After the immediate calm, the obscure scent felt like it was holding me in place, reinvigorating every tired muscle with renewed energy.  It was absolutely intoxicating.  I closed my eyes allowing it to envelope me in its beautiful embrace.  My wolf was curious to the origin of the scent, feeling a different kind of pull but not quite able to discern the meaning.

I was caught off guard as I felt a tingle slowly crawl its way across my back, from my left shoulder all the way over to the tip of my right.  I had no idea what this strange feeling was, but my heart, my mind, and my wolf were telling me that we never wanted it to stop. 

But stop it did—and I felt a momentary twinge of agony, sadness, pain, and abandonment.  The power of which brought small beads of sweat to my brow as the internal urge to protect the scent and hold the air it was contained in as close as I could overwhelmed me.  My mind felt heavy as I felt a strong pull to bring my head up to look at the sky.  What is happening? I thought in wonder, the wolf inside me struggling as well.

Suddenly, my head jerked without any provocation or inclination on my part, looking up towards the top of the high hyperion trees and the sky. 

I heard Jace calling out to me, but his voice sounded like a distant muffled hum.  It was almost like my body had transcended in a vague jasmine and vanilla scented dream.  A dream that hit me with one more twinge of desolation before lifting the weight my heaviest burden directly off my shoulders. 

“He’s alive,” I exhaled in stunned awe, my eyes still fixed on the trees shadowed against the sky as a light wind blew across the field sadly taking with it the remnants of the scent, yet the calm and renewed energy remained.  A howl rang in my head as the wolf was left torn between despair and relief in the unusual delivery of the message.

I felt Jace’s hands firmly grip the sides of my arms, his voice completely clear now and rambling with volumed concern, “What?  Nicholas, my friend, are you alright?  Why aren’t you answering me?  There is sweat completely covering your brow! You don’t look well but that’s not surprising as I know you haven’t slept at all…Nicholas, I really need you to say something right now!  Something that makes sense, or I will get Beast to take you—”

I took both my hands and grabbed a hard hold of Jace’s arms silencing him as I snapped my head back down to look at his bewildered and haggard scruffy face.  My relieved and ecstatic eyes bore into him as I exclaimed, “Gavin is ALIVE!”

His left eyebrow raised up as Jace cautiously and slowly inquired, “And you know this how?”

Taking in a long, deep breath, I exhaled out, “I can’t really explain it, but I think the Moon Goddess has shown mercy on us, Jace, sending me a message erasing any doubt.  My brother is ALIVE!”