The True Rogue

Chapter Nineteen

I plunged into the cold water, chuffing with laughter as Avery yipped when she did the same before we all swam strongly across. They seemed a bit nervous but Maverick and I quickly reassured them before moving confidently into the territory.

I sniffed the scent border carefully, scenting that the entirety of the pack had passed through maybe a day before and so they probably were not too far away. I tilted my nose to the sky, calling to the pack and waiting with pricked ears for an answer.

They returned the howl shortly after, calling back to me from just a few miles out. I wagged my tail happily as I recognized Apollo's call and howled again, trading a few more calls back and forth as we all moved closer to each other. As we came over a rise I spotted my pack below maybe thirty yards away and immediately ran towards then, whining and howling shortly with excitement as I reached them.

I quickly lowered my posture, greeting Apollo respectfully but enthusiastically and he returned the affection with a happy tail wag. I greeted Star and many others happily before the seven yearlings finally pounced, tumbling around and whining as they wrestled, nipped and licked my snout and coat ecstatically.

Once our reunion was done I finally turned and whined for Maverick and the others to come forward and they did so at a steady pace. They all greeted Apollo with respect before meeting the rest of the pack curiously and the yearlings were so excited they quickly dragged Avery and Oliver into a big game of chase.

I watched them all fondly, thrilled that the people who were slowly becoming my new pack were able to get along with my wild family. I socialized with all of my pack members happily, eagerly convincing Maverick and the others to join when Apollo led a hunt and feeling satisfied as we all napped among the pack once our bellies were full.

As the moon began to rise higher in the sky I knew we should probably return to the mansion soon and Maverick helped gather our friends before beginning to set off. I shared one last bittersweet goodbye with Apollo and the others, knowing this was likely the last time I would see the older ones as the harsh winter was quickly approaching.

Finally I jogged to Maverick's side, nuzzling into his neck sadly before Avery jostled us all into a fun race back to the river. We splashed across the freezing water and shook out our coats, nipping and jumping around as we darted into the trees and headed for the pack house.

We returned to where we left our clothes that morning and shifted back, quickly getting dressed before coming back together out in the backyard. "That was incredible, thank you for sharing the experience with us." Jordyn smiled widely at me as she leaned into Ryan, noticing even he and Jackson were smiling.

"Of course, I am glad you all enjoyed it." I smiled shyly as Maverick pulled me into his arms and dropped a kiss on my hair. "It was really so cool, I had so much fun!" Avery cheered as she hugged Oliver and he agreed.

After chatting for about an hour and making plans to meet up again in the morning everyone soon went their separate ways. Maverick headed over to sit on the couch on the patio, pulling me into his side and stroking my hair. "Are you okay? You seemed sad once we left." he murmured and I smiled slightly up at him. "You noticed?"

"Of course angel. What's bothering you?"

"I was just thinking about how that will probably be the last time I see Apollo and many of the others." I smiled sadly and he hugged me gently. "Why do you think that?"

"He is the same age as his father when he passed, and winter will be here soon. And I worry that the pack will struggle without me there to help them until there is a new alpha."

"I know that must be hard for you, I'm sorry."

"It does make me sad and I will miss him and the others dearly, but I also know it is just the way life in the wild works. I am sure one of his sons will step forward to take over when it is time and they will be just fine." I murmured as I cuddled into his side and he kissed my hair once again.

We cuddled and chatted quietly for a bit about different things before I noticed how tired his eyes looked and that he was yawning often. I smiled and stood, pulling him to his feet. "You should go get some sleep." I said as I gently pulled him towards the stairs and he chuckled. "We both should seeing as we made plans with everyone tomorrow."

"Of course, I can't wait." I said as we climbed the steps and soon headed down the hall towards our rooms. "Neither can I." he smiled and I returned it as we came to a stop at our room doors. "Goodnight beautiful, sleep well." he murmured, staring down into my eyes as he caressed my cheek. I paused, staring up at him with a mix of eagerness and nerves as I wondered if he would kiss me.

"Goodnight." I nearly whispered, smiling and closing my eyes for a moment as he pressed a warm kiss to my forehead before slowly pulling away and padding into his room. I stepped into my own and shut the door, blushing slightly as I headed into my closet and grabbed a black flannel pajama set.

I quickly washed my face and moisturized before changing into the pajamas and sliding into bed. I tossed and turned for a bit before huffing and giving up, standing from the bed and undressing and to shift into my wolf form. I circled a couple times before curling up on the plush rug, shifting and turning a few times before I finally huffed and stood up.

I padded over to the balcony doors and nudged the handle to open it, slipping out on to the balcony and staring up at the moon. After a few minutes my restlessness seemed to grow and I peeked over the railing, deciding I could make the drop without much trouble and hopped over the railing.

I landed on the cement overhang above the patio a few feet below and trotted to the edge then hopped down the last ten feet or so with ease, feeling strangely cat-like and shaking out my coat uncomfortably. I loped quickly across the backyard and into the trees and soon realized I was heading towards the river border and felt Nyx come forth with a bit of unease.

I returned a feeling of warmth towards her and she settled slightly but merged her conscious with my own effortlessly as we observed our surroundings alertly. Within minutes I was plunging into the freezing cold water and swimming across before pausing to sniff around the edge.

I steadily tracked the scents back towards my pack and felt a rush of joy as I saw them still gathered near the kills from earlier but it quickly turned to fear when I noticed many of them were gathered around one wolf and whining with small howls of sorrow. I whined and called out to them lowly as I trotted over and they greeted me with a few sniffs and nuzzles but none of their earlier enthusiasm.

The yearlings were all whining as they curled around the motionless form covered in black fur and I realized sadly that Star had passed. Apollo tilted his nose towards the moon, howling a haunting but beautiful tune of sorrow and loss as the rest of us slowly joined in. After a few minutes of this Apollo finally settled down with his nose in his mate's fur and the rest of the pack milled around anxiously before slowly falling asleep once again.

I curled up with Apollo and the yearlings, whining soft noises of comfort as I shared my warmth and tried to soothe them. After nearly an hour they all seemed to be dozing and I sighed as I finally closed my own eyes and slowly drifted into a restless sleep.

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A/N: Hope you are enjoying the story so far! Don't forget to comment and vote if you like the story!