2| Impervious

As though zapped by a current of electricity, Savannah's arms sprang forward and clutched the rogue's shirt, pulling him closer.

Her lips moved against his with a mind of their own, relishing the feel of softness and rugged taste of his mouth, something she had entirely never been expecting. But a hand soon yanked her away, making her stumble and fall backwards to the ground.

"That's enough, Alpha. You can kill him now," Cale spoke roughly. His words barely registered in her mind, the ecstatic feelings still coursing through her body from the kiss.

From the kiss of her mate!

All of a sudden she wanted to strangle her Gamma for interrupting the momentous occasion, but she knew he was just looking out for her.

"No, Cale! He's... he's my— he's my m— ma—"

"Mate? Is that the word you can't get out, little Alpha?" The rogue teased, but she could see the kiss had shaken him just as much as it had her.

She could hear his heart beating just as rapidly. And his scent... his scent and the reaction it had caused on her wolf finally made sense. The sweet and tropical scent laced the majestic rogue beneath layers of filth and grime. Despite obviously not bathing in weeks, he smelt so good to Savannah, and she suddenly wanted to puke.

Her mate was a rogue?!

"Did he just say mate?" Cale looked aghast and flitted his gaze between his Alpha, the rogue in chains, then back to Savannah again.

"Yes, he's my mate." The words came out from Savannah's lips rather proudly, causing her to wonder why she felt a twinge of happiness at that fact. Despite the obvious disgust of this male wolf being a rogue, he was extremely handsome and she could feel his magnetic power as it lured her in, calming while exciting her at the same time.

Even her wolf was purring, and Savannah just knew that no matter his background or present circumstance, she wanted to be with this wolf. It was insanity, but didn't her dad always say Love was a dangerous passion? Didn't he always drill into them from when she and her siblings were pups that mates made you stronger, that the bond was worth everything to fight for? She had laughed and thought her parents were exaggerating, but if this feeling was only a fraction of what the mate bond really could be, she'd fight for it with her every breath.

"So...you're not going to kill him?" Cale persisted, his tone of voice starting to annoy Savannah. He wanted to hurt her mate, and she would have none of it.

"Of course not!" she growled, casting angry eyes to her Gamma. "He's my mate, for goodness sake. And he has the cure for Justin. Would I be so stupid as to let my him die?" Sudden feelings of possessiveness rocked her, and she gasped at the intensity of this new connection that rolled through her body like storm-tossed waves.

"He could be lying. He is a rogue, after all."

At Cale's accusation, the rogue bristled and bared his teeth. "I give you my word. I can help him."

"Then hand it over." Savannah wiggled her fingers, motioning for this antivenom as he called it. Even though he affected her so deeply, she could still remain alert and calculating, keeping her Beta's safety her first priority.

"Not without getting what I want from the trade."

Savannah couldn't help the huff as she rolled her eyes. "But we already made a deal. I kissed you, so it's your turn to pay up."

"I agreed on just a kiss, then you could kill me." The rogue's hazel and gold eyes watched her with a trace of humor, as if he was daring her to still continue with her initial plans.

"No, you said I could do whatever I wanted with you. So I demand you hand over the cure."

"It isn't that simple."

"What's so hard about it? We made a deal, and this will lead to either war or surrender. Simple."

"Oh, darling, nothing is simple in love and war."

"Yet all is fair."

"Exactly my point."

"Huh?"

"You don't know the meaning—"

"I do, you're just—" What could she say? He was just confusing her? His closeness, the intoxicating scent that exuded from him, the glance of his eyes as they watched her intently was causing her brain to short-circuit? Could she admit that the usually unflappable Alpha was coming very undone in the mere presence of this insanely handsome rogue? This rogue who was her mate...

"Alpha, I'd be careful if I were you," one of her warriors leaned in close and spoke quietly, keeping a careful eye on the rogue. "Do you know who you're dealing with?"

"No, I don't. Do you?" she whispered back, yet knowing he could hear every word.

"I have my suspicions..."

"Who do you think I am, warrior?" the rogue jutted out his chin and addressed him with an arrogant tilt of his head.

Savannah's warrior, a burly wolf named Dean, still whispered as if no one but the Alpha could hear, "Remember that report we received last week from the council, about remaining alert for—"

"For the Silver Rogue?" Savannah stepped back and focused her gaze on Dean. "You think my mate is the most wanted criminal wolf and dangerous rogue of all time?" She laughed, her blonde strands of hair brushing against the top of her shoulders.

"Don't you?" The rogue asked.

Slowly rising to his feet, he snapped the silver chains off his wrists and ankles, standing tall and proud without even a mark or burn on his skin. As he towered once more above Savannah, she gulped and her eyes widened.

Now that his arms were free, the rogue stepped forward and wrapped them around Savannah, pulling her close for a proper kiss.

She didn't resist. Allowing his strength to wash over her, she closed her eyes and drank in the electricity that pulsed between them. The rogue held her gently yet fiercely, one arm wrapped around her waist while his other cradled the back of her head. Feeling herself lift off the ground as he picked her up, Savannah fought the instinct to wrap her legs around his waist. That would be taking this kiss a little too far, and she had to remind herself that they were surrounded by her warriors and his rogues.

Keep it PG, keep it PG, she kept repeating in her mind.

"Should we give you guys some privacy?"

The irritated voice of her Gamma broke the kiss, and Savannah pushed back on the very firm chest of the rogue, suddenly too embarrassed to meet his eyes.

She'd always been one to blush at just about anything, and right now she hated more than ever the red heat that crept up her neck and engulfed her cheeks.

"Never be afraid to look at me, little Alpha." His smooth and demanding words caused her heart to skip a beat, and Savannah lifted her gaze from the forest floor.

The last rays of sunlight illuminated his hair, highlighting the streaks amongst the honey brown waves. His eyes were glowing with the dusky haze, and the hardened set to his jaw spoke more than words ever could. Then the audacity of his actions tumbled over her, the realisation that he'd broken his chains and just kissed her without permission or consent.

He, a dirty rogue, kissing an Alpha just like that?

Lifting her hand, she sent it flying across his cheek in a powerful slap. "Never kiss me like that again!"

Her action did little to discourage him, as the sly smirk remained on his face. "Never? I'm sure you don't mean that."

"What do I need to do for the cure?" Savannah changed the topic abruptly, feeling her cheeks heat up again every time she looked at him. Reminding herself who was in charge here, she fisted her hands and clenched her jaw.

"Come with me."

The way he said it so casually gave the impression he assumed she already would, no questions asked. His confidence was both exasperating and enchanting at once.

Cale responded while her tongue was still fighting with itself. "That's insane! Alpha, he's the silver rogue!"

The rest of her warriors lifted their weapons of pistols with silver bullets, bows with silver tipped arrows, and silver chains. "Yeah, he's dangerous. There's no telling what he'd do to you," they reasoned with her.

"They're right. There's no telling what I want to do to you," the rogue's eyes looked her over, traveling up and down her body as his face held an appreciative smirk.

Savannah slapped him across the other cheek. It was oddly satisfying, though the contact left her own hand stinging badly. "Keep your dirty thoughts to yourself, Rogue."

"I am your mate, so how is it dirty? Hasn't our love been ordained by God himself? You will fall for me eventually, after you come with me and—"

"Zip it!" Savannah demanded, clutching at her failing dominance over this wolf. "You're the one who's been caught, so stop calling the shots!"

With an infuriating smile, he replied, "Doesn't look like I've been caught." The rogue flexed his muscled arms, displaying the obvious freedom from the chains that previously held them bound. "Are you sure it's not the other way around? Are you sure I haven't caught you, little Alpha?"

Savannah trembled, a slow shiver running from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. He may be a rogue, but she knew he wasn't lying now. He was strong. He was powerful. She had no idea just how far his influence reached. The confidence and audacity he displayed was evidence of his sure knowledge of stepping out of this situation alive.

He knew he had little to lose, while she had plenty. Having lost the upper hand already, treading lightly was her only option.

"I always wondered why they called you the Silver Rogue. I guess now I know," she spoke softly while taking one of his large hands in hers, feeling the healthy skin around his wrists, the olive tan a shade darker than her own sun-kissed skin. "You're impervious to silver?"

"You could say that. Maybe I've just learnt to tolerate the pain. Perhaps being without a mate has left me cold and numb. But that will all change now with you in my life," he leaned his head closer, and Savannah couldn't help being mesmerised by his clear and glowing eyes.

"Careful, Alpha Savannah. He's dangerous and manipulative," Cale warned from over her shoulder.

She tilted her head, still maintaining eye contact with her mate. "I'm sure deep inside he has a soft heart of gold and wouldn't lay a scratch on a bunny."

"I eat silver bullets for breakfast, darling." The words were whispered low in her ear, and she felt his warm breath tangle with the hairs on her neck.

Pushing him back with her hands on his chest, she took a deep breath of forest air to clear her head, then flashed him a deadly glare.

"And he's humble too!" Cale snorted. "Your dad is gonna kill this guy," he remarked to Savannah.

"He'll have to get in line," she replied, raising an eyebrow.

"So does that mean you're coming with me?" the rogue asked with a youthful look of excitement growing on his face.

"No. I am not going with you," she spread her feet and crossed her arms, tired of his game. "This is my home. I am Alpha, and this is my pack. I will bring you in as a prisoner. That is far more lenient than killing you, as is my prerogative as an Alpha against a rogue."

His face suddenly turned dark. "I am going nowhere as someone's prisoner. I'd rather you killed me."

"But I—"

He held up a hand, silencing her protests. "But since you won't, you will choose to either come with me, or I leave. Alone. And your Beta dies."

The Silver Rogue laid out his terms in obsidian black ink, leaving Savannah no room to negotiate.

She made her decision rapidly, knowing she would never kill this wolf who was her mate, and sensing he would never submit to her chains and dungeon. And as for her Beta Justin... His life rested in her hands.

"Alright, I'll come with you. But only after you save my Beta, as agreed."

A small smile lifted his lips, and the rogue strode forward, clutching her securely to his side. The proximity sent traitorous little tingles marching up and down her body. With his other hand, the rogue reached under the collar of his shirt and withdrew a small vial attached to the black leather cord around his neck. It contained an azure blue substance which seemed to glow in the fading light.

"Phoenix," he summoned, and one of the rogue's struggled in the grip of warriors. When Savannah nodded at them, they released the dirty wolf.

With confident steps, this rogue called Phoenix approached Justin, pulled a syringe from the pocket of his torn leather jeans, and caught the blue vial with his other hand as it was thrown to him. Deftly filling the syringe with the strange cure, he then jabbed it into Savannah's paralysed Beta.

The effect was immediate.

Justin's chest rose as it filled with a deep breath, and the Alpha heard his heart begin to beat quicker. With a groan, he began moving and slowly sat up. Beta Justin blinked and lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the light, faded though it was. Then he looked around as Cale helped him to his feet.

His eyes landed on his Alpha, and she held her breath against what she knew was coming.

"Savannah? What's going on? What— you!" Justin shouted, launching himself at the rogue leader. "You crossed our border. You tried to kill me!" His fist shook in rage, even as his body sagged and fought against the remnants of the paralysing toxin.

"Justin, calm down. It's okay, I've got it sorted," Savannah told him.

"What do you mean it's okay? These rogues have trespassed! Why aren't they all dead?"

The confusion on her Beta's face tore at her heart, but it was too much to explain in so little time. "You need to go home. Take the warriors and go," she spoke with urgency. The rogue was shifting on his feet and tightening his arm around her waist. It was surety against her running. Savannah wasn't sure what he'd do if her Beta tried something heroic and stupid. She had no idea if patience was among her mate's list of qualities.

"Cale, take him home," she ordered, with everyone's safety in mind.

"No Alpha, I'm staying by your side," Cale held her gaze and replied seriously. He then gave his own order, "Landon, Jamie, you take Justin."

Responding immediately, the warriors each took an arm and supported the unsteady Beta between them.

"What's going on? Let go of me!" Justin protested, and Savannah had to turn her head away as they held him back from moving to her side. He would be loyal, she knew, but no one else other than was necessary would be hurt by her decisions today. Especially not her Beta and good friend. Cale already was giving up his freedom by going with her.

"Savannah!" Justin yelled, as the trees began swallowing him and the warriors.

But she was already being led away in the opposite direction by the rogues, her hand tucked securely in her mate's.

"Vannah!"

The Alpha glanced over her shoulder at the soulful cry of her childhood nickname.

With one last look at her Beta, Savannah mouthed, "Take care of my pack!"