The Rogue

XXXIII

*Faye*

Somehow I found myself seated in front of a washing machine again with a heap of dirty underwear at my feet. Maxen had been popping in and out of the apartment all day. Only once had he bothered to address me, and that had been for lunch. We were at some weird point in our odd relationship where we didn't want to talk to each other.

Around dinner time, when my belly began rumbling again, he returned. He was naked, so I quickly retrained my eyes on the clothes in the dryer. His footsteps carried him to his room first before he came back out.

"Dressed now," he told me while approaching.

"Dinner?" I asked with a tentative glance at him.

"Dinner is first. Then we're driving your father to the airport."

For a moment, I didn't know what to say. Then my voice came out quite shrilly. "Really?"

"Yes," he said blankly. "Get your father up to join us for dinner."

"Okay!"

I jumped out of the chair and scrambled to the bedroom. My dad was going home! Life would be so much easier when I could go back to only worrying about myself. I would figure out what my future was going to look like after he was safely boarded on the plane out of here.

"Dad," I called as I entered my bedroom. He was napping on the bed. "Dad, wake up. We're going to home."

"What?" He drew in a deep, sleepy yawn and stretched.

"Maxen is taking us to the airport!"

"Seriously?"

"Yes. Now come on."

"Okay, okay."

Batting my urgent hands off, he scooted out of the bed and onto his feet. He swayed a bit once he'd risen, but I could tell he was stronger than he had been all week. I supported him with an arm around his waist and guided him out of the room. Maxen was waiting by the front door, his eyes studying us curiously. Of course, he didn't offer to help.

We slowly made our way down to the Commons. Dinner was chicken wings and Bud Light. I settled for a water bottle and a few teriyaki wings. Maxen ignored me and my dad to speak to his wolves. They seemed to be making small talk, something I didn't know Maxen was even capable of.

Michelle came strutting in a minute or so later in leather pants and a crop top. I glared at my plate so I wouldn't give in to the temptation to roll my eyes. Part of me still couldn't believe she and Maxen had settled my dad's debt with sex. Not that it was any of my business. I was just glad she kept my dad alive.

When my dad and I both finished our meals, I left to find Maxen. I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. Rather unfortunately, the sound of low, arguing voices attracted me to a hall in the back of the Common I hadn't even known existed. The hall was short with only two doors, one on the left and one on the right. I peeked into the one where the voices were coming from.

Maxen was sitting on a suede couch with an annoyed look on his face while Michelle was angrily rambling on about something. Her hands were moving around in wild gestures.

"You said anytime," she spat. "I'm saying now."

"And I told you I'm busy," Maxen growled back.

"Doing what? We had a deal, Maxen. If you break it, I'm leaving. I'll find another pack to take me in."

"You're not leaving this pack."

"Who's going to make me stay, huh?"

His lips curled back in a snarl. "Don't make threats you can't carry—" He suddenly paused.