Going Rogue

Chapter 4: the Mark

"So this other pack," I said as we trekked through the woods. "The one you're at war with? What's that all about?"

Theo sighed. "We've been fighting with them for centuries. There's a bit of land between our borders and they want to take it, but we want it to stay unclaimed, as a passage for rogues, so there's no more unnecessary bloodshed. Then a few weeks ago, they attacked a patrol of ours that was heading to close to their territory and took a bunch of wolves hostage. Including my mother."

"Oh my god." I gasped. That would explain why I hadn't met the Luna yet.

"No! No it's alright, we got her back pretty fast, she's just at home, resting. She's fine," he rushed to clarify.

"Still," I said, kicking a rock out of the way. "That's not okay."

"Nope. We declared war when they did that. Not the first time either."

"When was the last time?" I asked.

"I dunno. Before I was born."

We walked on in silence. After a short hike, I could smell the humans. Young men, just teenagers. Probably looking for a thrill, a story they could bring back to school and spread around the town.

"Let me do the talking,"I told Theo as we got closer and closer.

He looked a little surprised. "You sure?"

"Yup," I said, flipping a piece of my platinum hair over my shoulder. "I'm great at talking my way out of things."

"I bet you are," Theo replied, a sexy little smile quirking the corner of his lips.

A pair of arguing voices reached my ears. I touched my finger to my lips, urging Theo to be quiet and headed towards them. A third voice joined in.

We came to a smallish clearing. Three boys about fifteen years old stood in the center of it, each carrying a large backpack like they were planning on camping. They gestured wildly.

"James said that last time was out in the woods he heard wolves up north," one boy declared. "So we go north."

"But Annette said she and Tom saw a coupla wolves out by the waterfall, and that's farther west!" Another argued.

"Yeah well Annette's a ho. She was probably lying."

"But Tom saw them too!" The third boy protested.

"Why don't you just go northwest then," I suggested, stepping into their line of vision. "Sounds like a good compromise to me."

I felt Theo stiffen beside me as he realized I was pointing them in the direction the pack house. The three boys stressed at us, open-mouthed.

"What?" I asked innocently. "Is there something in my face?"

"You -- you're the girl Tanner saw aren't you?" the first boy said with a stutter.

"That depends," I replied. "Who's Tanner?"

"From the Roadhouse," he said. " My brother saw you leave together. And Tanner says you're a werewolf."

I let out a little chuckle. "You're joking right? Werewolf?"

The boys all shook their heads.

"Well," I said with another laugh. "That's the first time I've heard that. Werewolf."

I shook my head and looked back at Theo. "Can you believe that babe? Werewolf."

Theo raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Not even a little bit."

I turned back to the boys. "Your Tanner was drunk. So either he was seeing things or trying to make some stupid excuse for how he couldn't get me in his bed last night. Don't believe everything you hear boys."