34

"That's the dumbest excuse I've ever heard," she huffed as Justin finally climbed off her and extended his hand to help her up.

Swatting it away, she rose to her feet by herself and refused to meet his searching gaze. "How'd you know I was coming along, anyway?" she asked suspiciously, brushing twigs and leaves off her pants.

"Cale linked me the exciting news," Justin couldn't seem to stop grinning.

"Of course, he did." Growling lowly, Savannah blew errant strands of hair away from her eyes. She'd hoped for a few more moments to stew before running into her Beta. For some reason, she didn't feel ready to face the all too likely inquisition he'd grill her with. "I suppose he informed you exactly why I was mad?"

"Something about Emerald finding her mate?" his voice lifted in question. "Shouldn't that make you happy?"

There it was: Justin pointing out the obvious thing she should do and how she should feel. He'd always been like this, building her up and making her stronger with his constant teasing and making a competition out of everything. If she did something new, he could always do it better. If she had one opinion, he'd challenge her with another. If she wanted something, he'd point out all the impossibilities of the notion until proving him wrong was the only reason for attaining it.

And now, he was criticising her without knowing anything of her side of the story. "He's a rogue. How would you feel if your sister was mated to a lawless, rebellious, and unruly mutt?"

Justin shrugged. He had the audacity to shrug! "I'd pull him in line. If he really cared about Jirah, he'd get himself in order and become a pack member."

"That's easy to say. But imagine if it was the other way around? Would you give up your livelihood and very nature just to be with a girl?" she turned the tables on him, knowing all too well the difficulties rogues faced when finding themselves mated to someone on the other side of the fence. Despite any number of good intentions or promises, Zion had found it far easier to stick to his roguish ways than turn from a life of crime to be with her. She could have no more expectations for Phoenix.

"I'd do it in a heartbeat," Justin replied, his voice having suddenly turned serious. The way his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed intensely while he stared at Savannah had her swallowing nervously. "If I truly cared about a girl, and she needed me to be a better man, I would give up everything I had to be that man for her. I'd be a fool to continue chasing my own wild dreams, and lose the chance of being her mate."

Something about the way he said that, his eyes hardened into sharp orbs of amber, had her heart constricting tighty. Why couldn't Zion see it the way Justin did? Why did her own mate place more value in rubies and missions of revenge than in her? Couldn't he care for her like her friends did? As Justin stepped closer, lifting his hand to brush a leaf from her hair, her breath caught in her throat.

For in spite of all the teasing and pranks, she knew deep down Justin really did like her, maybe even more than her no-good mate had ever liked her. What was it her best friend since childhood had promised her back when they were teenagers?

If neither of us find our mates by twenty three, I will give you—

"What happened to your hair?" Justin's question snapped her from her memory of a similar sunlit afternoon over ten years ago. His fingers tugged on the choppy strands. "Not sure I like the rocker chick style on you. Makes you look sinister, especially with this ridiculous vest."

"Hey!" she took a step back, scowling at the way he insulted her special, one of a kind leather jacket refashioned especially for her by Willow. Just thinking of the rogue shewolf and her constantly detached mood brought a wave of sadness over Savannah. Would she ever see her again, and the rest of Zion's gang? They'd been wary of her at first, and rightly so given her Alpha status.

But they'd soon accepted her as not only a team member, but also a friend. Both Willow and Talei had stood up for Savannah on more than one occasion, and that was packwolf mentality at its finest. "No touching the vest. It's one of a kind."

"Like your special shoes?" He pointed down at her studded boots which were now covered in dirt and bits of leaves. "Girls and their fashion..." Justin shook his head, annoyed. "I'll never understand it."

"Well, good thing it's not in your job description to understand it, so leave it alone," Savannah growled, over his attitude already. When had he become so irritating?

"Actually, it is part of my job description," Justin spun back around to face her, his eyes blazing as they raked over her body with disapproval. "The day you left to chase after your dangerous criminal mate was the day I had to shoulder all your responsibilities, so don't talk to me like I'm just a pup with no authority around here."

His sudden outburst took her aback, though she should have been expecting it. Having heard from Head Guard Jamie that her Beta was not at all happy with her decision to leave the pack with Zion, Savannah should have know this explosion of temper was just around the corner. Had she expected him to welcome her back with open arms like nothing had changed?

Everything had changed, and there was suddenly a chasm gaping between them, a gap so wide she was afraid of never bridging it again. Never going back to those carefree days, holidays, pranks and fun times they'd had growing up together. The man before her was the same, boyish and passionate, but she was a different person altogether.

"You do have authority, but I'm still your Alpha. So don't talk to me like you're in charge here," she stepped up to him, meeting his glare head on.

"Oh yeah?" he tilted his head, eyeing her with a strange light in his eyes. "Because I vividly recall you telling me 'Look after the pack.' That sounds a lot like you put me in charge, and then you blatantly went against every rule and protocol we've ever lived by. Do you even care exactly who the Silver Rogue even is? Do you care how many people he's murdered and lives he's ruined? Do yo--"

"What about us, huh?" Savannah interrupted, clenching her fists against the sudden urge to punch Justin in the nose. "How many lives we've taken, rogues we've slaughtered, deaths we have on our bloody hands? Don't you ever care about the other side of the story?"

"They're rogues, Vannah! They break rules and deserve death--"

"I don't have time for this," she lifted her hand to stop him talking and began marching the other direction.

"Don't just walk away from me!" he called after her sternly.

She rolled her eyes and yelled over her shoulder, "Since when did you become my superior?"

The sound of Justin's footsteps followed her, his breath heavy and voice deepened. "Since you lost your mind and are clearly in need of a firm reminder of how we do things around here."

She stopped in the path abruptly, flinching when Justin smacked into her back. Spinning to face him, she said in a deadly quiet voice. "I know perfectly what we do. We protect our families, guard our borders, and hope to live another day against the injustice in the world. But did you ever stop to think that's exactly what rogues do, too? That's all they want--to protect those they care about, and when the council turns a blind ear to their cries for help, they turn to desperation. Have you ever wondered that the Silver Rogue might just be a desperate man, pushed to do things out of the same sense of duty and responsibility we feel?"

Justin shook his head slowly, a frown creeping across his face. "That rogue must have you wrapped around his little finger, to have you defending him so hotly. I'm sorry for not saving you from his rhetoric and brainwashing sooner, Vannah," he patted her on the shoulder condescendingly.

"Get off me," she smacked his hand away and resumed walking.

"You're just not making any sense, Savannah!" he continued after her. "First, you vehemently list all the undesirable qualities of this rogue you brought here, basically refusing to let him be your sister's mate. But somehow, the Silver Rogue is good enough for you? What makes him any different?"

"For starters, he has a name. They all do. Zion is a good man somewhere deep inside and I intend to find it instead of throwing him in a dungeon like every other Alpha has tried to do."

"Zion, huh?" Justin shook his head as he smirked. "That explains everything."

Savannah turned to him hotly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Justin shrugged. "Cool name for a cool guy. How could you resist?"

"I don't have time for this," she spun away, fuming at Justin's immaturity. He was such a pup sometimes.

When Justin again followed, she picked up her pace and sprinted through the trees, only coming to a stop when the land spread out before her in a sudden drop. The view from the top of the cliff overlooking the lake would always take her breath away.

"It's not been the same without you here, Vannah," Justin said softly, all anger and reprimand gone from his tone. "I missed you. We all did."

She turned to him, noticing the way he stared down with a contrite look on his face. She could tell he was sorry for the disrespect he'd shown her, and could see where he was coming from. No sane wolf in their right mind would have gone along with the Silver Rogue's criminal activities for as long as she had, but instead would have captured him for the good of the entire wolf population. At the end of the day, he was a menace, and she had to remember whose side she was on. "It's okay. I get it. I'm angry too, and I'm sorry for taking it out on you. We went through a lot, Cale and me. It'll take some time to return to normal."

Looking into the distance, at the horizon where Hierapolis City sat obscured by the curvature of the horizon, she couldn't help wondering what Zion and his gang were doing that very minute. Would normal ever be the same for her? After all she'd gone through with her mate, nothing could ever be normal.

"Truce?" Justin held out his hand, wiggling his thumb in the tradition they'd started as pups. At the end of every play fight or temper-fueled argument, they'd thumb wrestle to solve their disagreement.

"Truce," she agreed, grasping his hand and feeling the warmth of his skin infuse her tight fists with calm energy. It felt good to have her best friend back, to be on her home territory, and to have her family by her side as she navigated the problems she found herself entangled in.

After losing to her Beta, she tilted her head back to feel the sun on her face, and took a deep breath of the pure, untainted air. A surge of pride and energy rose from her core, and she lifted her voice in a long howl.

Justin joined her, and soon their cry echoed with the replies of pack members across the fields and slopes below. Looking down, she watched as Hunter and Kiana ran from the pack house down towards the lake, laughing and grinning up at them on top of the cliff. The others soon followed, drawn by the call of their Alpha.

Giving her own impish grin, Savannah tugged off her jacket and shoes, then stepped to the edge and jumped off.

The feeling of no gravity made her stomach drop in that delightful way that she used to crave as a child. Being free of all constraints, she fell, the wind blowing her hair in all directions. When she met the water, the cold shock enlivened her senses even more, and she laughed while surging to the surface, glittering bubbles all around her.

Justin was close behind, a wide boyish grin on his face that time would never erase.

The children ran into the water from the shore, pushing and splashing each other, giggles and shrieks of excitement resounding off the valley around them.

Savannah watched as Emerald stood in the shallows, Phoenix urging her in from the deeper waters. When she shook her head and smiled demurely, he surged out and wrapped his long arms around her slim waist. She squealed in surprise, but there was no mistaking the glow of happiness on her face.

Even as Phoenix waded deeper before dunking her all the way in, she was clearly enjoying the attention and fun with her newfound mate. She leapt up and tackled him around his broad shoulders, trying to dunk him but failing in the cutest way imaginable. Emerald had always been petite with a slight frame, so her Alpha DNA was still no match for her mate's masculine strength.

A devious grin spread across her face before she dove away from him, disappearing under the water. Phoenix watched a moment, waiting for her to come up for air. When she didn't, concern creased his forehead in a frown. "Emerald? Emerald!" he called out, only to be dragged underneath before he could take a breath.

They both came up gasping for air, Emerald laughing hysterically even as an angry glint entered Phoenix's eyes. "Don't scare me like that!" he scolded, reaching out to snag her before she could swim away. She fell against his hard chest, the innocent laughter dying on her lips as she looked up into his narrowed eyes.

His jaw clenched as Emerald couldn't seem to take her eyes off him, her hands sliding around his muscular biceps swirled with ink. Then they both disappeared under the water, making Savannah narrow her eyes in suspicion. If Phoenix tried anything funny...

A second later Emerald came flying out of the water, landing a few feet away with a large splash. Phoenix's laughter rivaled the children's as he pulled his mate close again. She was irate, but soon forgave him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. They didn't seem to notice a single soul around them, until Kiana paddled up to them and latched herself onto Phoenix's shoulders. "Take me out deep!" she insisted, causing Emerald to roll her eyes and kick off, free-styling it into the deepest part of the lake.

Phoenix followed, joined by a few other pups who were too small to swim themselves out deep. He carried them like a mother frog carrying her babies on her back.

Savannah smiled at the cuteness of them all, the setting sun lighting the water drops like glittering crystals. How she'd missed this. This simple joy of playing with family, enjoying the blue lake and natural countryside that surrounded them. No wild parties, no stupid games or alcohol to lower inhibitions, no pressure to pretend to be someone she wasn't.

This pure fun is what she needed, this community where everyone worked and played together, and what Zion refused to become a part of.

Forcing him out of her mind, she determined to revel in being with her family again.

Only later as she stepped inside the pack house and automatically headed to her office did the weight of responsibility come crashing around her shoulders again. As thoughts of the upcoming Alpha conference invaded her mind, and how Lord Alistair was waiting for her reports, and the scandalous photos he was blackmailing her with, her heart constricted. Her face flushed just thinking about how Justin would react if he ever saw those photos.

It was a scenario that would never happen, she would make sure of it.

"Hey, so you want a rundown of what's been happening?" Justin followed her to the office on the first floor of the house. "I only made a few changes in your absence."

She shot him a look, watching the way his lips twitched with a smirk. "Right. You painted all the walls in the orphanage lime green, switched up the training exercises to zumba routines, and declared every Monday a pack holiday?"

"Something like that," he grinned, the tension between them having disappeared, his teasing nature shining through.

She sat in her chair, leaning back and resting her head on the back for a moment. After taking a fortifying breath, she reached forward to open her laptop.

The Alpha screamed, falling sideways out of the chair as a giant spider leapt from the computer screen towards her.

Justin bent over double in laughter.

"You!" Savannah pointed her finger at him, barely noticing how badly it was shaking. "You are dead!"

"It's only a fake spider," Justin explained, still laughing, as he retrieved the plastic spider from the ground and straightened its bent legs. "Got your dad so bad, I tell ya."

"At least it wasn't my mum. We'd never forgive you if you gave her a heart attack." Savannah resettled herself and flicked on the computer, rearranging the stationery on the desk as it booted up.

"That was actually to distract before giving you bad news," Justin seated himself in the armchair by the window, resting an ankle over a knee.

"Bad news?" Savannah's stomach tightened.

"Well, good news first. Soraya, Mina, and Jillian all gave birth this month. They and their newborn pups are doing great, and their mates are ecstatic. Trent couldn't stop smiling for a week."

"I'm glad. Soraya was concerned about her pup, so she had no trouble during birth?"

"None that I'm aware of," Justin replied. "Dr Krystal didn't have a report, so I assume it's all good." when Savannah nodded he continued, "The teens are making good progress in their training. I'm thinking about five are ready to start rotations with the warriors. I've left their files in that stack there."

"Wonderful. I'll read them tomorrow."

"Great, so..." Justin swallowed nervously, raking a hand back through his hair.

The movement suddenly reminded her of another man with that mannerism, much taller and stronger than her Beta, yet so many miles away. Shoving Zion from her thoughts, Savannah urged him to go on. "Hit me with it. It can't possibly be worse than what I've experienced recently.

Justin raised his eyebrows in a challenge. "Remember that money you asked me to invest?"

"The stuff we made from the timber exports?"

Justin nodded. "Well, I did lots of research and found a good reputable company. It's recommended by most of the Alphas I spoke to. But then, just the other day, the money was gone."

"What do you mean, gone?"

"I mean like, someone had cleared it out of the account. Poof. Zero dollars left."

"How much did we invest?"

"About sixty-five grand."

"And you're sure it's all gone?"

At his solemn nod, Savannah felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Her mind scrambled for solutions. "Maybe we can get it back. If it's such a well-respected company, surely they have guarantees against this. What's the name of the company?"

"BrightFuture Investments."

She nearly fell off her chair again. "Are you serious?"

Her face must have shown her shock, because Justin half rose to help her. "You've heard of it?"

Dumb with realisation, she could only nod gravely. "When did this happen?" she eventually asked on a shaky breath.

"Day before yesterday. I only noticed when I checked our account last night."

The exact time Zion and his gang had hacked into the corporation's system and stole millions from its clients. Stole from her pack. "Curse you, Zion," she mumbled and swore under her breath, anger building inside her at the knowledge of what Zion's lawless actions had cost her.

"What did you just say?" Justin looked aghast at her language.

"Never mind," she waved him aside. "I'm just so mad right now."

"Yeah, I can tell. I'm really sorry, Vannah. If I'd known—"

"It's not your fault," she assured him, leaning forward so more blood could rush to her head and make her less dizzy. Lifting her hand, she rubbed her forehead, then around her aching eyes, and finally settled on her throat. Rubbing the knots in her neck, it took a few seconds to realise something else.

Her necklace—the special pendant from Zion—was missing.

"I really don't think we're going to find it, Vannah," Emerald soothed, her voice soft yet firm.

"It has to be here somewhere," Savannah plowed on through the forested trail, her eyes glued to the leaf-covered ground, her heart refusing to believe the promise necklace from Zion was lost. It was the only gift he'd given her, and she had wanted to cherish it forever no matter how many miles and burnt bridges lay between them.

"What did it look like again?" Emerald asked for the tenth time, impatience edging her voice. She'd been searching with Savannah all morning, though this wasn't the way she'd pictured spending her first day after finding her mate. But she'd do anything for her sister, and helping her look for her lost necklace from her own mate was more important right now.

"It was a gold flower with seven perfect petals and a crystal in the centre. It was... perfect," Savannah paused in the path she'd walked with Justin the day before, her fingers coming up to touch her bare neck between her clavicles, remembering the feel of Zion's fingers as he'd laid it against her skin. His promise echoed like a whisper in her mind.

I offer you this, a promise... Perfect. Just like you.

"You crossed miles of territory yesterday, Savannah. Not to mention swimming in the lake. It could have come off in any number of places, and I really don't think we're going to find it," Emerald said, always so practical yet her words holding a touch of sympathy. "I'm sorry. I can only imagine how much it meant to you," she laid a hand on her sister's shoulder when she noticed the tears gathering in Savannah's eyes.

The Alpha blinked them back and gave her sister a brave smile. "It's okay. Maybe it's better this way. Don't want to grow too attached to someone I'll never have, right?"

"I wouldn't be so pessimistic about it. After all, Phoenix has decided to turn his life around," Emerald's eyes dropped, a small smile tugging on her pretty lips. "If what you said is true of him, he's come a long way already."

Looking up and towards the pack house, she watched as her mate trained alongside her dad, Justin, Cale, and other warriors. He had soaked up the teaching of pack ways from Kaiden and the other strong men in the pack, eager to learn all about her way of life and how to change his to fit in. He'd been burnt by packs before, hurt by uncaring and arrogant Alphas, so it was refreshing to be amongst honest, helpful pack wolves. Emerald glowed when he sent her a wink across the distance between them.

"You're right," Savannah conceded, disappointment blooming in her stomach and spreading to her extremities. Taking one last look at the lake through the trees, she tried to shove into a box the sadness of losing the necklaces, and instead remembering the memories she had of her mate.

Yet besides all that, she still felt sick to the stomach since hearing what happened to their hard-earned money and investments. All thanks to Zion and his unruly gang of rogues, they'd lost thousands of dollars. Stolen. Gone. Victimised by rogues who hadn't even had to enter the territory and creep past the highly trained border guards.

"Girl! You're back and didn't tell me!"

A whirlwind rushed towards them, and Savannah found herself knocked to the ground, smothered by a bear hug.

"Good to see you too, Petrinna," she thumped her friend on the back after she pushed herself to her feet and was sure of standing again.

The shorter shewolf bounced on her toes, a bright smile splitting her face. Petrinna was a couple years younger than the Alpha, with curly dark blond hair and freckles dusting her golden complexion. After losing her mother in a tragic house fire on the neighbouring territory, she'd been distraught.