13

"I don't think I've ever been this tired, not even at Alpha training camp where they once kept us awake for forty-six hours straight."

"Ouch, torture much?" Phoenix spoke around a mouth full of lasagna, his eyes intent on the Alpha draped over the couch.

"Exactly. They were training us to stay strong under different torture methods. They would have been more effective if they'd shot us with silver bullets, waterboarded us, then stuck us in a roomful of riotous rogues. Then I would've been completely prepared for anything."

After returning to Zion's house, Savannah had been met with a dozen strangers all talking loudly, drinking, snaffling the remaining food in the house, and not listening to a word she said when she kindly asked them to settle down.

She'd collapsed onto the couch with an acute headache as soon as some order had regained control. Apparently, Willow wanted to liven things up after spending a boring afternoon eating ice cream alone. The story went that today was Roger's birthday, and Willow had planned to propose to him that they become mates officially.

"I almost feel bad for killing her boyfriend," Savannah had whispered to Phoenix as she watched Willow drinking and dancing with a guy covered in tats and piercings.

"You should. He was the first guy she ever got serious with. These others are just punks," Phoenix crumpled the empty cup in his hand, his eyes narrowed on the rowdy men partying in the living room, their manners non-existent as they drank and hooted with abandon.

"Aren't you a punk yourself?" Savannah eyed his unruly hair and dark scowl, and the tattoos that crawled over his shoulder. The tank he was wearing accentuated his muscled and inked torso, making Savannah wonder at the stories behind the painted canvas of his skin. She shivered just at the thought of the sordid tales they probably represented.

"Hardly," he'd responded.

"Hey, don't deny you enjoyed kissing that shewolf. I saw how cozy you two were earlier. You're enjoying the party just as much as those punks," the Alpha gave him a hard look.

Phoenix just shrugged, then disappeared into the kitchen to help Talei make some dinner. Now, as he munched away on a bowl of salad, Savannah grovelled about her sore head.

"Why don't you just go to bed?" he challenged.

"I'm afraid to ask where I'm sleeping. Last time I did that, Zion said—"

"You're sleeping in my room," Zion finished her sentence as he walked into the living room.

"See what I mean?" Savannah cast weary eyes at Phoenix.

He shook his head in confusion. "What's so bad about being with your mate? I mean, didn't you come here to be with him and get to know him?"

"I can do that without having to sleep in the same bed as him. I'm afraid one of us might wake up dead in the morning."

"Wake up dead? I think that's an oxymoron..." Phoenix scratched his smooth chin.

"Whatever. I'm too tired to care."

"Well, I'm not, and you're coming with me," Zion leaned down and scooped her up, ignoring her protests and fists that collided with his arms and chest.

"Cale, help!" she yelled to her Gamma from over the rogue's broad shoulder.

He just shrugged and continued eating while watching the tv. "Don't ask me for help. I already have to share a room with Phoenix."

Savannah made a disgusted sound in her throat. "What's the point of having a gamma if they don't stick up for you?" Then a wave of indignation engulfed her as her keen ears picked up the murmured conversation between the rogues in the dining room. They were making bets on whether she and Zion would do the deed, or end up killing each other.

When she could trust her voice to be steady, she looked up at her mate, "I'm not sleeping with you."

"So you keep saying."

His voice held a hint of amusement, but Savannah was too tired to argue. She just wanted to give him fair warning before escaping his room.

Zion marched to the top floor and into his room, slamming the door shut with his foot and dumping Savannah onto the bed in one fluid movement. She bounced and instantly leapt up to observe her surroundings.

Single large window to her right. Door leading to presumably a bathroom directly in front. The only exit to her left, the door she came through. A nightstand on one side of the king size poster bed, and a tallboy topped with bits and pieces that were arranged neatly. Another door on her right wall behind her, most likely a walk-in wardrobe. Curtains billowed from the window, the breeze gently teasing them, and the outline of a balcony railing visible behind.

Her dad always said you could tell a lot about a person from their bedroom, and Savannah raised her eyebrows at the neatness and order around her. A part of her had been expecting a pig sty, as the impression of dirty rouges was hard to stamp from her mind. But the cleanliness that purveyed every aspect of her mate was surprising and confusing.

"I don't suppose you bought pyjamas?" Zion interrupted her thoughts as he rummaged through his closet.

She snorted. "Did you expect me to sleep naked?"

He rolled his eyes before giving her a sharp look. "Do you always have to make every conversation difficult? I just wanted to know if you needed to borrow a shirt or something."

She ignored the sense behind his reasoning. "You asked a silly question, you got a silly answer." Replying flippantly was her way of covering the sudden blush that stained her face. Imagining herself wrapped in one of his masculine scented shirts suddenly seemed appealing.

"So immature," he shook his head before grabbing his pile of clothes and disappearing into the bathroom.

After a moment, Savannah heard the shower running, the soothing patter of water against tiles, and finally relaxed back on the bed. She'd get a few moments of respite before the atmosphere again tensed up with awkwardness. Despite wanting there to be no strife between them, she knew it would be awhile before she was on the same page as her mate. Their outlook on life was so different.

Their values and goals were in opposition. While she stood for order and respect, loyalty to those higher in rank, and honesty and discipline, he threw all cares to the wind and stole, lied, murdered, and disrespected the natural order of wolves. After everything good and upright her parents had taught her, they would have a pink fit if they saw her now, sharing a room and bed with the most notorious rogue in existence.

She had to get out of here. Sure, she had also been taught to not give up on the mate bond and instead fight for it, but there were some lines her moral compass wouldn't let her cross. Until they'd accepted and marked each other, she wouldn't share a bed with Zion.

Climbing wearily from the soft sheets that permeated the sweet and spicy scent of her mate, she dragged herself out the door and down the hall. Following the low murmur of her Gamma's voice, she paused before a closed door.

Cale, you still up? She mindlinked him before knocking.

Sure. You okay?

Pushing inside, her eyes found him reclining on a single bed while Phoenix sat on another, his back against the wall and a laptop on his knees.

She threw her pillow and blanket on the other side of the room and proceeded to get comfortable on the floor while Cale leapt up.

"Alpha! You should have the bed," he suggested. "You need a good sleep..."

"Cale, I'm fine," she insisted, swatting his hands away when he leaned down to help her up.

"But you're the Alpha. You take the bed," he deferred to her, proving his respect and loyalty by ensuring she had the best of everything.

"I'm honestly okay—" Her protests met an end when her Gamma scooped her up in a flash and deposited her on the bed. "Cale!" she launched to her feet and glared at him when he started hunkering down on the floor. "You shouldn't have to settle for second best on my account. Now do as I say, and get on the bed!"

The door burst open just as the words left her mouth, and she stared in shock at her shirtless mate who stood panting in the doorway, his wet hair askew and water droplets still clinging to his golden skin. The glistening beads trailed down his muscled chest alluringly. "What's going on?" he demanded, his eyes blazing as they took in Savannah standing on the bed, Cale crouched on the floor, and Phoenix watching with an amused expression.

"Don't look at me. I don't know a thing," the young rogue shook his head in innocence.

"Savannah," Zion growled and fixed his stern expression on her. She felt like wilting under his intense gaze. "Were you about to cheat on me with your Gamma?"

Her limbs collapsed under her and she fell back on the bed. "Seriously? Why is everyone around here so dramatic?" she gasped, throwing an arm over her eyes. "Did you seriously just ask me if I was about to sleep with my Gamma?"

Cale began laughing hysterically, and Savannah joined in. But when her mate marched over and wrangled her from the bed, banding her against his firm body with strong arms, she quit laughing and went mute under his heavy condemnation.

"No more games," he whispered into her ear, his hot breath sending unwanted shivers spiralling down her body.

With no energy left to fight, she sagged into his hold and let him carry her back to his room. He slid her under the sheets, then climbed in after her. His body weight dipped the bed, causing her to slide back into him.

Savannah was too tired, beyond weary to struggle, and had no energy left to care. If the rogue whose arms wrapped around her chose to kiss and seduce her in the middle of the night, she'd just have to die fighting. If he held her prisoner and forced her to remain by his side, she'd have to annoy him to insanity and wear him down with her charm.

But for now, she couldn't care. The world around her faded as she slipped into a deep sleep, the gentle breathing of her mate lulling her into oblivion and the rhythm of his heart calming the storm in her mind.

When she awoke, pale light stole through the blinds and a cool breeze drifted over her exposed skin. Snuggling down further under the blankets, she felt a warm body against her back and a heavy weight across her stomach. The Alpha suddenly went rigid, her eyes flying open in alarm.

Turning slightly, she met Zion's amused eyes.

"You're awake early," he whispered, belying the racing of her heart.

For a moment, she'd forgotten where she was and had almost attacked her mate. "I could say the same for you," she breathed in the stillness of dawn, her eyes entranced by his.

"I'm always awake at this time." He shifted away and climbed out of the bed, running a hand through his messy hair.

Savannah couldn't tear her eyes from the way his arms flexed, the muscles rippling and his skin dark and flawless in the dim lighting. Without the harshness of full light, he looked more than perfect. She finally regained control of her eyes when her mate stepped into the bathroom. He came out a minute later, dressed and looking wide awake and ready for the day.

"Where are you going?" she asked as he pulled on his leather jacket.

He glanced at her with meaning, his eyes conveying the message that she should already know.

"Oh, right. The bridge for sunrise. Can I come with?" She straightened her pyjamas before throwing off the sheets.

"No. You need to sleep."

"But—"

"But I know how weary you are from the last few days. You need to rest," Zion stalked over and pushed her gently down, his fingers lightly brushing her shoulder and reminding her of the gunshot wound she'd sustained.

Without further argument, he left the room and left her with tumultuous thoughts. How had he convinced her so easily to stay? How did his soft commands seep to her very bones and have her bending to his will? How did she, a strong Alpha, lose all authority to her rogue mate?

After sleeping for another two glorious hours, she finally dragged herself from bed. The smell of salty bacon and frying eggs had wafted up from the kitchen, and her stomach growled indelicately.

"Mmm, any left for me?" she greeted Phoenix and Cale in the kitchen. Then she crossed to the sink, grabbed a clean glass, and drank her customary two glasses of water.

Her Gamma smiled and placed a heaped plate on the benchtop for her.

Growing up, her family mainly breakfasted on cereal, fruit, and yogurt. A hot breakfast with bacon, eggs, hash browns, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms was reserved for rare treats and special occasions. Usually the fit and healthy Alpha didn't like anything too greasy or heavy for breakfast, but she reasoned today was one of those exceptions. She deserved a treat after surviving a few days in the presence of rogues.

"So what's news?" she asked politely once her mouth wasn't stuffed with the delicious food.

"You haven't missed much," Phoenix shrugged, leaning against the counter while watching the TV through the living room doorway. "On Saturdays we usually hang out here. Talei or Chayton might case an area when it's not so busy, or we go and hang with friends. Marlon and Yolanda should be returning later after visiting their parents."

"Hmm," Savannah hummed, pretending to know what he was talking about. Phoenix seemed more interested in watching the morning news than explaining anything to her. At her questioning look, Cale just shrugged.

"So—"

"No way!" Phoenix's eyes widened and he gasped. "This is not good," he shook his head repeatedly, making Savannah scramble to the living room and get a good view of the television. Whatever he'd seen...

Breaking news was flashing across the screen, footage from the bridge she'd leapt from yesterday. According to the pert blonde reporter, three bodies had been found floating downstream shortly after someone had called police and reported seeing a fight on the bridge.

The bodies had been thrown over the railing, the attacker disappearing almost instantly before anyone could get a look at him. The only leads investigators could trace were the evidence and conditions of the bodies—all three had been slashed and mutilated, like what you might find in a forest infested with grizzly bears.

"Or a furious rogue wolf," Phoenix muttered, causing a sick feeling to settle in Savannah's stomach.

"You don't mean..." she trailed off, already knowing who was behind the brutal murders.

"What? Who is it?" Cale looked between them, clearly unable to put the pieces together.

"That's the place I was shot yesterday. Zion goes there to watch the sunrise every morning, so maybe our attackers were waiting for him."

"He must have gotten the drop on them and ripped them to shreds before they even realised what was happening. Sneaky wolf," Phoenix grinned as he finished her thought, shaking his head with mild amusement.

"How can you act like that? What he did to them was horrible!" Savannah exclaimed, a sudden frustration igniting in her from Phoenix's casual attitude about the matter. "He killed them out in the open for anyone to see, then just dumped their bodies in the river? That's terrible!"

"That's life! They tried to kill you just yesterday, Savannah. Would you rather he say hello to them and invite them over for tea?" Phoenix glared at her.

"At least then he wouldn't have risked exposing his identity. So much for hiding out and remaining anonymous in the city. Someone could have videoed him and posted it to social media."

"That's doubtful. He moves so fast not even specialised traffic cameras can catch him. Zion knows what he's doing, okay? You gotta trust him."

"How can I trust a barbaric murderer?" Savannah stamped her foot and glared at Phoenix. She wasn't angry at the young rogue, but he certainly felt the frustration radiating towards him.

"Alpha, calm down," Cale sensed her simmering rage and lifted his hand in placation.

"Hey, he's your mate. I don't have to worry about it," Phoenix glared back at her. "Besides, you ripped our friend to shreds just for crossing onto your territory. How are you any different?"

"We as packs have rules, and Roger broke them. Those humans were just ignorant and didn't—"

"Didn't what? Didn't attack you yesterday? Didn't shoot you with toxic silver bullets? Haven't laid traps for Zion in their effort to collect the bounty on his head? Didn't abduct Talei and torture her for three months until we finally rescued her?" Phoenix growled, his eyes dark and ferocious as he listed off the sins of the men Zion tore to shreds. "Those men, the Hell's Saints, want our blood, and we don't intend to give them anymore. What Zion did to them was almost too merciful. If I were on that bridge, I would have made them pay for the pain they put us through."

Phoenix's outburst surprised them all, and Savannah watched with caution the way his fists clenched and unclenched.

"I don't care about his reasons. We have to leave, Alpha," Cale began reasoning with her. "The guy is clearly dangerous and there's no knowing how far he'll go for revenge. You don't want to get any more hurt because of him."

"I hear you, Cale, but it's not that easy," Savannah raked an agitated hand though her hair, tugging on the short strands. "I can't just give up on our bond without at least talking to him."

Cale dared to disagree with her. "But he's unreasonable! To commit this kind of atrocity in broad daylight is insanity."

"He was only doing what any wolf would do. You of all people should understand that, Alpha," Phoenix narrowed his eyes on her, his words dripping with heavy meaning.

"I know, I know," she began pacing, images of Zion tearing through three humans mercilessly playing in her head, blood staining the steel cables on the beautiful bridge and shredded bodies falling to the sapphire waters below.

She'd seen blood before. She'd been the cause of much death herself. It wasn't these things that made her feel weak and lightheaded—it was the piercing golden hazel eyes of her mate, filled with hatred and lethal intent that rocked her body with anguish.

He'd been so calm and intimate yesterday when he helped her after the shooting, tenderly stitching her wound and wrapping it gently before bringing her back to the house. Sure, his methods were a bit unorthodox, but she felt his care towards her and it caused hope to blossom in her heart.

Now, watching the crime scene replayed on the tv, she felt that hope shrivel into disgust of him and pity for herself.

Why did she have to get a rogue for a mate? Wasn't she good enough for a decent man? Wasn't her life purposed for more than scrambling around in the lawless land of rogues?

"What the fu-" Phoenix exclaimed before slapping a hand over his mouth and casting an apologetic look at the Alpha. "Sorry. But seriously, what the hell?" he crossed the room and stared intently at the tv which was now showing the curious bystanders at the scene. "Is that Persia? Why would she be at the bridge?" he pointed to one of the people in the crowd, then grabbed the remote and paused the tv.

"Persia? What kind of name is that?" Cale questioned, and Savannah realised he hadn't heard about the mysterious woman whose boots she wore.

"Which one is she?" Savannah peered at the frozen image.

"The blonde," Phoenix pointed out.

It was clear the woman wasn't naturally blonde, with dark eyebrows just showing above black sunglass frames. Her bone structure, full lips, and bronze skin immediately told Savannah she wasn't even from the Pacific continent. If she had to guess, she'd say her ancestry lay in the north-eastern provinces of Vinlarhk.

And her body language was entirely different to those of the other bystanders. Instead of morbidly curious with a phone in hand, she stood back, aloof, with a detached yet calculated stance in her posture.

"Maybe she's still following Zion," Phoenix rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"She's been stalking him? I thought she gave up on him and joined the Gonzales gang?"

"Gang? Gonzales? What are you talking about?"

Savannah waved aside her Gamma's incessant questions.

"We think she still wants something from him. Zion's been avoiding her just to be on the safe side," Phoenix tangled his fingers in his hair as he mused aloud.

"Safe," Savannah huffed the word. "Why do I get the impression that nowhere in this city is safe?"

"Don't worry about it," Phoenix offered, his voice sounding sincere. He switched off the tv and turned his back as if to close the discussion. "As long as you're with Zion, he'll keep you safe. He protects his own, especially you now as his mate. If you haven't figured that out already, maybe you really should go back to where you came from."

"I'm trying to figure him out. I just want to understand him, but he makes it so hard." Savannah stuffed her hands in her pockets, and suddenly got an idea. "I need to use the bathroom," she excused herself.

As far as lame excuses went, that was the worst and they all knew it. As soon as Savannah trudged down the hall, she turned left to head down the stairs into the basement.

Maybe she'd get answers in Zion's secret lair.