The Rogue

XXXVII

*Faye*

"What do you mean Rian was rejected from the pack?" I shook my head angrily. "How is that even possible?"

"It doesn't happen very often," Sarah told me with a sad look. "In the week that he's been gone, it hasn't been good. Those who chose his father instead are regretting it."

"His father? Calvin is in charge now?"

"Unfortunately."

"This is insane," I muttered. "So Rian is just out wandering around in the woods?"

She nodded. "He's a Rogue now, so he has to be careful. Pack wolves will try to kill him if they get the chance."

"Why?"

"That's just how things are. Rogues are seen as trash. Wolves as a whole believe our populations will be better off if they're dead."

"Seems...harsh. Do you think he's okay?"

Though she was driving, she turned to look me dead in the eye for a full three seconds. "You tell me. Your heart is the one his is attached to."

"What does that even mean? How will that tell me if he's still alive?"

"Trust me," she said. "You would know if he was dead."

"Even though I'm human?"

"Yes. I mean, I don't know that for sure, but I'm like ninety-nine percent certain."

I raked my fingers through my hair. "Well, he must be okay then."

"I'm sure he is. He's tough. There's a reason Nature chose him to be our Alpha."

"That's what I heard. If that's true, why would the pack want to reject him?"

"Because some of them are impatient. They didn't want to wait to see how things would play out. Rian was struggling to balance his priorities, so they thought he wasn't fit to rule," she explained in repulsion. "It makes sense to me that he was having such a hard time. He's taking on a position he wasn't fully trained for, he just lost his uncle and Alpha, and you were three hundred miles away in the house of a psychopath. How could he suddenly be this terrific Alpha everyone expected him to be?"

Sarah had a point. I was about to agree with her when the jingle of a cell phone beat me to it. She grabbed it from the console and lifted the phone to her ear.

"What is it?" she answered, voice filled with concern. "No. We can't go in that way. Because we're already here. We're passing the first house now." She sighed. "I know, okay? Just keep him distracted. Titus, calm down. No. Baby, take a deep breath. We're going to be okay. I love you. See you a minute."

Cursing, she ended the call.

"Is something wrong?" I dared to ask. Something was definitely wrong.

"Yes...Calvin figured out I left, and he's suspicious because Titus refused to tell him where I went. He's afraid Calvin is going to do something bad when he finds out I'm bringing you back."

"Why?"

Her dark eyes flickered over to me. "Because you are Rian's anima. Technically, you're rejected from the pack too now."

"So is he going to eat me?"

In spite of the tension in the air, she laughed. "No. He won't eat you, but he might chase you out into the woods."

"Oh, that sounds terrific," I muttered sarcastically. "Maybe Rian will come find me."

"I don't think so. He should be off pack territory by now, which extends for tens of miles away from our village. He won't be able to sense you from this distance."