The Rogue

XXXXVII

*Faye*

While I fished out the pajamas from my backpack and changed in the master bedroom, I glanced over at the bed. The sheets were messy and tossed open like someone had just rolled out. I cringed. Calvin must have been sleeping in it. Of course, he had been living here, so where else had I expected him to sleep?

I began stripping the linens off the bed and throwing them to the floor. It was then I noticed the other side of bed seemed untouched. Marie probably hadn't been sleeping beside him, which was interesting but not enough to make me want to ask questions.

As if she knew she was on my mind, Marie suddenly appeared in the doorway of the bedroom. I smiled up at her.

"Good thinking," she said. A shadow of sadness had fallen across her face, making me think she believed the contrary to her own words.

"Hey," I replied softly. Abandoning the sheets on the floor, I moved to where she now stood just inside the doorway. "How are you holding up?"

I couldn't even begin to understand how she must have felt. Her own soulmate turned against her and her son, and now he was subjected to the wilderness as a Rogue. Maybe Maxen would take him in. That thought made me involuntarily frown.

"It's not processing," she admitted. "I don't know what to do. He's out there without any help or company. He must feel so lost."

My arms opened and she accepted the invitation. Though she towered over me like everyone else here, I could tell she needed the hug. When I squeezed her a little tighter, she accidentally let out a whimper. I instantly let her go. She avoided my gaze and slowly lifted her shirt. A bruise colored the top right side of her ribs. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she let her shirt fall back into place.

"He couldn't stay, Marie," I told her. "He was hurting you. Rian would kill him if he saw that."

"I know." She bit back a sob and shook her head. "But it still hurts to know he's gone."

"I'm sorry it came to this."

"It's no one's fault but his. He turned into a...a monster. I don't know what happened."

"People change, sometimes for the worst." My smidgen of a smile was one of complete sympathy.

She held her hand to her mouth and took a deep, wavering breath. "I'm glad you are here, Faye. You don't know what you mean to all of us, especially Rian."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere, so don't worry."

"Thank you," she murmured.

I was about to hug her again when she stiffened and turned her head towards the door. When she faced me again, her lips were forced into a smile.

"Rian is here," she told me. "Let me get the rest of the sheets. You go distract him."

"But—"

"No buts. Hurry along now before he notices I'm here."

She ushered me to the door and pushed me out of the room. Chuckling, I wound my way down the dark hall while looking around for my wolf. A pair of hands grasped my hips, and I jumped with a squeal. Rian's chortle put me at ease as I glared at him over my shoulder.

"You sneaky one," I muttered, despite my grin.

"Gotta keep you on your toes, darling." He turned me around in his arms and gently ran his thumbs across my cheeks. "So what is my mother doing here?"

My mouth fell open a little. "How'd you know she was here?"

"I could smell her a mile away."

"Ugh. You and your wolfy senses."

His teeth gleamed in the moonlight pouring in through the hall window. "Hmm. Is my mother still here?"

"I think so. She was helping me change the bedding in your room."

"You mean," he corrected, "our room?"

I gulped at the implications of that. "You're not going to give me a choice in this, are you?"

"Not if I can help it."

"Well then." A resigned sigh slumped my shoulders. "I'm hungry. Do you think there's anything in the kitchen here?"

He shrugged but his eyes were distant, like his mind was on other matters. I took his hand, kissed it, and then led him to the stairwell. We moved through the dark house without the lights. I wasn't sure where we were going, so Rian took the lead. I was willing to bet he'd moved into this place while I was gone. He walked with the leisure and familiarity of a man in his home.

We reached the kitchen within a few minutes and I flicked on the light. It was a rather small space for such a large house, but I didn't think it was used often. I scavenged the pantry and fridge until finding the makings for a ham sandwich. Rian watched me all the while from his post beside the double oven. His intense stare made me nervous.

"Want me to fix you something?" I asked softly.

"No. I'm alright."

I snuck a glance at him. His eyes were a deep blue in the soft yellow lighting. A lopsided grin tugged at his mouth. I smiled back before wiping off the rest of the mayo on the whole wheat bread. Rian stepped forward to help me put everything away. When we were done, he cornered me against the counter.

"Will you let me feed you?" he questioned.

"Umm...no?" I didn't think it would be a very attractive thing to do, especially if he continued to watch my every move like a hawk.

"Please?"

"Why?"

Twirling a strand of my hair around his finger, he said, "Because I want to take care of you."

My pulse thumped in my neck. He loved me so much that my own heart ached.
I took his stubbly chin between my thumb and index finger and nodded. "If you insist."

With a victorious grin, he lifted one half of the sandwich to my lips. I avoided his eyes and took a bite from it. The bite was filled with the flavor of mayonnaise, turkey meat, and cheddar cheese. It tasted better than expected. I thought the bread may have been expired, but I was desperate.

After the first half of the sandwich was gone, I somehow ended up sitting on the counter with Rian's face in my hands. He always stole my kisses without any notice. I pulled his head back with my hands in his hair to catch my breath. A moan of protest pushed past his lips.

"Do you even need to breathe?" I asked. "Because it certainly doesn't seem like it."

"Big lungs, babe."

"Oh, of course." I rolled my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I ran my fingers through his hair and said, "So you know...I've been thinking."

"About?"

"About what happened back in Pendleton. What're we going to do if the police come looking for me here?"

His brows drew together. "Has this been bothering you lately? I don't think they were coming for you, Faye."

"Well, I do. I don't want to live in fear of being taken away from you."

"You never have to be afraid of that," he promised. "I'm never going to let that happen again. Not ever."

I believed him. If it ever came down to it, we would find another way. We would both be miserable if forced apart.

"And if they come? If they somehow find me?" I insisted.

"Then we will do what we have done from the start."

I gave him a questioning look.

"We'll figure it out along the way," he said.

"Uh huh. Look how that's worked out for us."

"We're still together, aren't we?"

Nodding, I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. My legs wrapped around his waist as our mouths collided again. I finally felt at home, here with him. This was the first time in my life I knew what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be.

And that was to be forever in the arms of the boy who was a wolf, the boy who loved me.