The Rogue

XX

*Rian*

My pack was getting tired. The fighting had slowed. Maxen howled out to his pack, as promised, and I called out to mine as well. It took them a minute or two to understand what was happening. His pack gathered off to the left, and mine headed to the right.

Titus jogged up to me, his breaths coming in ragged pants. Blood stained his muzzle and neck. I felt guilty for not even checking on him but was thankful he was alright. He, as well as everyone else, started mindcomming me. Their voices flooded my head, making it impossible to think straight.

I transitioned into my human and called the pack to attention. They shifted into a simple formation and rested on their haunches, directing their attention completely onto me. Meanwhile, I tried to figure out how to explain this to them all.

"Did we lose anyone?" I asked first.

They were all quiet. Finally, my father let out a whimper. I understood what that meant. My hands began to shake.

"Who?"

His eyes flickered to one of the junior wolves, Marietta. She returned his gaze with a mournful cry. It must have been one of her parents. Going to her side, I hugged her furry face against my chest. I couldn't imagine how it must feel to lose a parent.

Her father came up from the back of the formation to rest his head on her shoulders to support her. Together, they grieved their loss with their heads bent. I withdrew from her and returned to my place at the head of the pack. We would have to bury the body here, in this forsaken desert. I hated it for Marietta and her father, but we didn't have a choice.

"I'm sorry for our loss, but there will be no more. A...truce has been arranged," I told them. They didn't know I was lying. Neither did Maxen or Faye. "We are heading back to the village tonight."

Titus shifted and stepped forward, his face contorted in anger and confusion. "What truce? We came here to end the Rogues."

"The plan has changed," I lied. "We have made our show of force. Our job here is finished."

"This isn't over!" someone yelled. He must have been one of Brian's wolves, because I didn't recognize his human form. "Colonel Derby will not let us leave until justice has been served!"

"You boss came here to find his daughter. If he wants to walk away with his life, he'll comply."

"He will take her from you," the man continued. "If he doesn't get his way, he will do what he must."

"We'll see about that."

I turned my back to the pack to look for Maxen. He was still speaking to his wolves, placating their snarls and protests. When would I be able to get him alone?

A whimper from not too far off caught my notice. My human eyes didn't see as well in the dark, but the moon cast an outline over the wounded wolf's figure. He was crawling up from a near ravine. Judging by the severity of his limp, he was hurt badly.

And then the wind carried his scent straight to me. A tremor shot through my body, the deep hankering to kill driving itself into my bones. Omega. The same Omega who ambushed me and Titus, nearing getting us killed. That prick was on my dead list, too. Right beneath Maxen.

My father didn't realize what was happening until I had transitioned back into a wolf and had began bounding towards the pitiful creature. Being my Beta, my father was supposed to keep me from doing reckless things. Although, to be fair, it was also his job as a father. Not that he'd ever been good at that anyway.

The Omega's eyes widened when he saw me. He let out a troubled howl, and Maxen heard. I continued barreling towards him. The image of my jaws locking around his neck played on repeat in my mind. It would feel so good to end the life that almost took my closest friend.

I was closing in on the repulsive carcass when someone plowed into me. Maxen. Like he needed to give me another reason to want to kill him. Jumping to my feet, I spun towards my offender. He was growling at me, even baring his teeth. Who was the Omega to him?

It clicked. The Omega had wiggled his way into Maxen's pack. That's how he managed to get the aid of the Rogues to ambush me and Titus. If he was with the Rogues now, he was no longer an Omega. Maybe the stench of inferiority never faded. Or maybe the Rogues loathed him as much as Brian's bunch did, seeing as how they were his last family.

The tense posture of Maxen's coiled body read out a clear message to me: Do this and you die. I snapped my jaws at him. Nobody would dictate me. I was an Alpha. Maxen was merely the leader of dejected outcasts.

My pack, I noticed, were waiting on my mark. They would launch into battle again if I told them to. Their loyalty would always come through in the end—unlike Maxen's wolves, who shared no blood or ancestry to bind them together. They could walk away from this war without the guilt of rejecting their pack.

Slowly, my gaze switched from my pack to Maxen to the wounded Omega. I could kill the Omega, maybe, before his leader reached me. But then I would have to end Maxen right here, right now. His pack would attack. Then mine would, too. We would find ourselves in a war all over again. Faye would be sorely disappointed in me if I let it come to that again. I couldn't disappoint her...I'd already caused too much damage by letting her stay here for so long.

So I backed away from the Omega. My pride and vendetta would have to wait. Maxen was my top priority, and I couldn't kill him until the moment was right. This was not that right moment. My pack relaxed; I could feel their guards lowering.

I turned back to them and called Titus forward. He eagerly came forth, hoping I would have something important for him. His task wouldn't be all that terrific, unfortunately.

Go to Faye's father, I mindcommed him. Tell him to leave. This has become a delicate matter, and his life may be threatened if Maxen somehow discovers he's here.

Titus whined in irritation. Is this a ploy to make me miss all the fun?

Of course. Now, go.

Rian, you aren't really letting him go after all of this, are you?

I gave him a pointed look.

What are you planning?

Something...something dangerous.

Tell me. You can't do this alone.

This is something I have to do on my own. The pack cannot be used for my selfish purposes anymore. I am taking responsibility for my revenge.

You can't—

Titus, go! We don't have time to waste.

Whining again, he turned away and dashed off. Maxen's wolves watched him suspiciously but made no move to follow. I swallowed heavily. This was happening. I just had to figure out how to orchestrate the perfect murder.