Rone

Chapter Four

Rone

Chapter Four

I sat on the steps of Rone's porch with an unlit cigarette rolling between my lips as I glared out at the dark forest. The front door was ajar behind me, washing my back with golden light from within the warm cottage. I dragged in a long breath, trying to get a handle on my erratic breathing and failing.

Security, I reminded myself, a new home.

I pulled the cigarette out of my mouth and broke it in half.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe being a rogue wasn't so bad. Maybe I just wasn't meant to settle down.

The smashed plate on Rone's dining room floor told me so.

"Don't litter," Rone's voice sneered from behind me. I looked down at the cigarette halves I had tossed off the porch and shrugged. Rone growled lightly. "You didn't have to smash your glass and your plate."

"You annoyed me," I snapped, drawing my knees into my chest. "Just like you're annoying me now."

"You manipulated my Beta into bringing you back here to my territory and—"

"No, I didn't," I retorted, spinning around to glare at him where he stood in the doorway. The soft light made his rough features almost pleasing. Unfortunately, his sneer ruined whatever chance he had at being endearing. "Daniel came to me on his own," I countered, "it just so happens I'm likeable."

"Not to me," Rone deadpanned.

"I am to everyone else," I boasted.

Rone snorted, folding his arms across his chest. "I don't believe that," he murmured, eyes drifting just inside the door where you could see my shattered plate and splattered dinner. If I had cared enough, my cheeks would've burned. Luckily, I didn't care at all—I'd smash every plate in his house if it meant he'd remain silent.

I stood and pocketed my cigarettes before walking right up to him, close enough that I could feel his breath on my neck. "I'll prove it," I murmured back, pushing closer until I could reach around him and snag my jacket from inside the house.

His indigo eyes narrowed as he watched me shirk it over my shoulders. I turned and stomped down the porch stairs before heading towards the nearest cottage. Rone waited for a few minutes before he trailed after me, eyes glinting in the darkness.

Within twenty minutes I had a dozen people rallied—including Daniel, Rone's disturbingly huge enforcer, the lookouts I had threatened, and a solid number of complete strangers. I lead the group towards town, smirking as they broke out into friendly banter behind me.

Rone hurried around the group until his pace matched mine. "What does this prove exactly?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It proves that your pack likes me more," I informed him. "I just got a dozen people together to go drinking on a moment's notice—half of whom I haven't even met before." I put on a beaming smile and pointed to it. "This just isn't something the average person can resist."

Rone lifted his chin and I hurried to interject before he could remark just how far above average he was. "Anyways," I continued, "this is step one to my evil master plan of pack domination."

He didn't find this funny.

"Get the pack to like you again," I said softer, "show them that you can be normal—or at least pretend that you aren't some information cyphering cyborg who was programmed incorrectly and therefore cannot connect with humans."