The Rogue

IV

*Rian*

"She's not here?"

I bristled at his tone. "Listen, Mr. Derby. Faye's whereabouts are very...complicated. There are things you and I need to talk about."

"There is nothing more important than you telling me where my daughter is."

"Faye is safe. That's all you need to know for know," I told him. "Now, would you mind telling me why you sent an Omega to take your daughter and why you brought Rogues with you now?"

Mr. Derby rose from the kitchen table and moved to the window. He was a big guy, I had to admit. If I didn't have supernatural strength on my side, he could probably take me. Faye must have gotten her small stature from one of her grandparents.

"Please, answer the question," I pressed.

"I'm a combative contractor for the Army," he finally replied, raking his fingers through his cropped hair. "I work with a lot of wolves. Rogues, especially."

I crossed my arms. "Really?"

"Yes. Now, tell me where my daughter is before I do something I regret."

"I can't do that."

Without hesitation, he lunged for me. I was prepared to take him on, but my father was there in the blink of an eye. Mr. Derby's Rogues moved to attack my father, but the human waved them off. I ordered my father to stand down, feeling pride in knowing he had my back.

"I would never do anything to harm Faye," I told her father. "She's my anima. Do you know what that means?"

"Unfortunately," he grumbled. "I've lost many men to those obsessions."

"Then you should understand what kind of situation I'm in and trust that I have it under control."

"But do you?"

That question burned in my mind for a few seconds. It was the same question I'd been asking myself for the last eight hours.

"Yes," I answered with unforeseen confidence. "And, unless you're looking to start a war, I suggest you either accept it or leave my territory."

Mr. Derby angrily looked away. His two men didn't seem pleased with my warning. Finally, he nodded and stood up, offering his hand out of me. I warily accepted his peace offering.

"I don't want things to be bad between us." He sighed. "You seem like a good kid. I can tell this Alpha thing is taking a toll on you. My men and I will leave. I'm requesting that you tell me when Faye returns so that I can see her. Without taking her by force."

"I'll consult with her about it," I told him, though I already knew she'd want to see him.

Traitor she might believe him to be, he was still her father and she still loved him. That was why his betrayal hurt her so badly.

"And..." He scratched his head. "Do you know where Nick went? I assume things went awry and that's why he stopped communication with me."

"I don't know where he went," I answered shortly.

If I talked about it in detail, I'd want to rip his throat out for putting Titus in this situation. After all, if Mr. Derby had never sent for Faye, Titus and I never would've had to defend our territory.

"Alright. See you around, Rian. Protect my daughter." He met my gaze very firmly for a second before turning away.

They all left rather quickly. I stood on the porch of my house and watched them get back into their truck. The vehicle peeled off down the street, reminding me of how only hours prior I'd been watching Maxen take Faye away from me.

What if Mr. Derby had come sooner? Would Faye still be here? I assumed her father may have known Maxen, considering his affiliation with Rogues, so maybe things would have been worse for me. I wiped my face with a tired hand. It was useless to think about all the what-ifs.

"So," my mother said, taking her place beside me, "he just wanted Faye?"

I nodded once.

"That poor girl is in high demand around here, isn't she?" She winked at me and patted my shoulder. "Everything is going to be okay. You need to focus your energy on the pack."

"I don't even know where to begin," I admitted. "I can't think straight without her."

"I'm not saying it's easy to be without your anima. I can't even imagine what that's like. Your father and I have never been far from each other. But you can't neglect your responsibilities. Fate put you in this position for a reason."

Turning to face her, I felt the desire to wrap my arms around her and rest my head on her shoulder. I used to find so much comfort and rest in her embrace. Yet I didn't now. I couldn't afford to. I had to learn how to find peace on my own, without someone else. Needing my mother would make me weak. Weaker than I already was.

I ground my teeth together and straightened my spine. "Well, I guess I can start with moving into the Alpha house."