35

Savannah had found her lost, cold, and hungry, wandering the forests of ForgedHearts, and promptly adopted her as a sister. She took her home and bonded like only children can, helping Petrinna through unspeakable pain. For a week the girl didn't talk, but over the years it seemed she couldn't stop.

"So is your mate really the famous Silver Rogue? What's he like? Is he as drop-dead gorgeous as all the rumours say? Did he really fight off a hundred men to save you? Is he stronger than an Alpha gorilla on steroids? Is he romantic? Did he kiss--"

"Slow down!" Savannah slapped her hand over Petrinna's mouth as Emerald stood by, giggling. "I'll give you all the juicy details if you stop talking for like, one second!"

Petrinna rolled her eyes, used to Savannah's bossy ways.

"Where have you been, anyway? I thought you'd be the first to welcome me home," Savannah slung her arm around Petrinna's shoulders and started leading them all back towards the pack mansion.

"I was visiting a friend in DoubleEdge," she responded simply, a lazy smile on her pixie face.

"A friend?" Savannah drew out the word, hinting at all the things that could mean.

"Oh, you know... We met at last month's Fire Night. He was visiting his sister in Alpha Malachi's pack, and we hit it off straight away. He's so funny," she gushed, her eyes twinkling.

"He's good-looking," Emerald interjected. "Need I give any other reason why Trinna would be interested?"

"Oh, do be quiet!" Petrinna smacked Emerald on the arm. "Let me tell my own story."

"So there is a story," Savannah mused, eager to hear all about it. Petrinna was notorious for flirting with any available guy as long as he met her top ten criteria on her priorities list--physique being at the very top. She wasn't as shallow as that sounded, she just had good taste in men and didn't want to waste her time on guys who didn't care about physical fitness or looking after themselves.

"No, not really," Trinna shrugged. "You do know I'm waiting for my mate, but I'm just looking for friends in the meantime. So this guy, Joe, is an informatics analyst in Hierapolis City. How cool does that sound, am I right?"

Savannah pulled up short at the mention of the city. Her mouth grew dry, but she swallowed her discomfort and said wryly, "So cool." Images of busy streets filled with traffic and cigarette smokie, people hustling to and fro, faces down and without a smile for strangers, and slick businessmen with more thoughts in their head for advancing their own gain than for helping others.

Everything she hated about the city came rushing to the forefront of her mind, and she must have grimaced, for Trinna looked at her strangely.

"What's up with her?" she asked Emerald when Savannah kept staring blankly into the distance.

"Hierapolis is where Zion lives."

"Zion?"

"Her mate."

"Oh my goodness! No way! We can go visit Joe and Zion together and organize double dates! Girl, this is awesome!"

Savannah didn't seem to even hear her, causing Emerald to comment after a few silent moments, "That's not such a good idea. They're not really in a good place at the moment."

"Oh," Trinna finally dropped the smile from her face, and looked at her Alpha sadly. "Anytime you want to talk about it, Mama Bear is right here," she lifted her arm and motioned for Savannah to come in for a hug.

The Alpha sighed and stepped into her friend's embrace. "Thanks, Sis. Sorry for raining on your parade, I'm just angry and upset at the same time. I miss him, but I'm so mad at him for what he did, so I don't think I'm ready to talk about anything yet. Besides, I'm meant to be hunting him down for the council, so there's that."

"Oh, shush," Trinna scoffed. "No one can take your man off you. We'll get him, and in a good way," she winked. "Come on, let's go--"

"Hey, Emerald, do you have a moment?" Phoenix jogged up to them, giving the three shewolves a cursory glance before focusing all his attention on Emerald.

"Who is this hunk of hot stuff?" Trinna gasped, staring unashamedly at Phoenix's toned arms and abs he showed off while wiping drops of sweat off his face with the hem of his workout tank.

"My mate," Emerald said proudly, stepping forward to meet him.

"No way! Why didn't I hear about this?"

"Well, you would have, if you weren't running off over the countryside chasing some random guy," Savannah grumbled.

"Hey, I learn from only the best," Trinna winked at her again before turning back to Phoenix. She reached up and gripped his cheeks, turning his face side to side. "You are gorgeous!" she gushed, turning to Emerald. "What a lucky girl you are, Em." She smirked, looking Phoenix up and down. "I think it's high time I expanded my list and found myself a drool-worthy rogue. I see the appeal."

"Okay, that's enough," Savannah growled sternly, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her away. If she waited any longer, Trinna was likely to jump on Phoenix and see if he tasted as good as he looked.

"I wasn't going to steal her mate! How little do you think of me?" Trinna scoffed dramatically, giving the Alpha an offended look.

"I really can't predict what shenanigan you'll come up with next, even on a good day. So forgive me for being a little over-cautious right now," Savannah huffed, glaring at the crazy girl she called sister. It was no secret the way Trinna chased after every wild dream and notion that popped into her head. More often than not, she came up with even more outlandish jokes than the Alpha and Beta put together. "And right now, I need your help," Savannah muttered tiredly.

"Ohh, you came to the right person," Trinna rubbed her hands together gleefully, eager to hear how her services might be put to good use.

"Justin has pranked me twice since coming home. I can't leave the score so unbalanced."

Trinna cackled like a jester on weed. "Then you're in luck. Joe was just telling me about this time he and his friends went camping at the beach." She launched into a story too ridiculous to believe as she and Savannah watched the men training, oblivious to the schemes hatched by the two cunning shewolves.

As they stood a distance away, Emerald felt the need to apologise to Phoenix for Trinna's nutty behaviour. "Sorry about that. Petrinna can get excited at times and speak the first words that cross her mind."

"I don't mind. Good to know she thinks I'm good-looking. The question is," Phoenix watched his mate intently, his sharp gaze causing her heart to flutter. "What do you think?"

Emerald blushed, biting her lip as she dragged her eyes over his broad chest, fighting against mental imaging of what he looked like shirtless. "I think...we should check on the oven. I left some flowers in the kitchen and they might burn."

"Wait, what?" Phoenix chuckled at her flustered expression. He was used to women fawning over him, but Emerald's embarrassment was another level of adorable. Savannah was right... Emerald was as innocent as a dove. "Are we going to the kitchen or... Garden?" he hurried after Emerald when she abruptly turned and walked down the path.

She kept her face averted from him, but he could see a blush staining her perfectly shaped face. "Um...greenhouse. Mum just linked me and said she turned the oven off, so the apple pies are all good. But the flowers..." she paused, biting her lip again in a way that Phoenix was slowly beginning to adore. "I left some pots out in the sun that need moving inside before the temperature drops."

"Okay," Phoenix followed her around the side of the Alpha's mansion, marveling at the greenery that lined the path along the way, and came to a large glass structure that was nestled amongst the trees.

He could see by the amount of sunlight glancing down through the ceiling that it was situated in a perfect spot, warm inside from the captured rays and moist from the pipes that ran along the slim rafters. There were rows of pots, arranged in groups of different sizes, and sprouting greenery of all shades. Flowers bloomed near the edge, in all hues and shapes. Their sweet floral scent hung heavy in the air, but not enough to overpower Emerald's own unique scent of summer sunshine and strawberries. It was a scent he envisioned himself drowning on, soaking in the goodness she radiated brighter than the sun itself.

"These just need some fertilizer, then we can lock up the house," Emerald said, picking up watering cans filled with a brown liquid that smelled like seaweed and rotting fish. He fought to screw up his nose, accepting the can she held out.

Following her example, he fed the plants with the nourishing tonic. He watched her lithe body as she weaved expertly between the plants, touching this leaf, rearranging that stem, pulling weeds and whispering to flowers as if she knew them each by name. Her gentle grace was like a magnet, drawing him in, and his heart surged with a feeling he couldn't even name.

"So your parents accepted me faster than I ever would have guessed," he commented abruptly, catching her off guard.

She stared up at him as if startled by the deep rumble of his voice, unused to such a sound in her sanctuary. Then she smiled, a ray of light brightening her face, a hint of amusement in the curve of her peach-coloured lips and tilt of her chin. "Oh, who said anything about acceptance? They don't know you well enough, yet."

"But, I thought earlier..." Phoenix's breath caught in her throat when her eyes twinkled cryptically.

"My parents are very welcoming. They'll invite you over for dinner and lay before you a five course dinner, make you feel a part of the family, but that doesn't mean you're accepted. It's all just their way of checking you out. Appraising your intentions and gauging every reaction to us."

This time, it was his turn to be caught off guard. The watering can nearly rattled from his hands as they suddenly started sweating, his heart kicking into an ungodly pace. "But, they were so nice to me."

"Of course. Our King teaches us to be kind to our enemies. Love them, even."

"King?" Phoenix raised his eyebrows.

Emerald looked at him squarely, her direct gaze prohibiting him to look away. Slowly, her head shook side to side as if she was weary of his ignorance, and he wasn't even sure what knowledge he was lacking. "You still have a long way to go. We are mates, and I accept that fact. But..."

"But?" he prodded, his voice high-pitched as a mantra began pounding in his mind. Don't reject me. Don't reject me.

He wasn't sure how he would feel if she did. He didn't come here expecting to become a part of Savannah's pack. He hadn't been looking for a mate. Hell, he hadn't even cared if he ever found the one meant for him, so wrapped up was he in his own world of freedom, revenge, and exploration of the wide world and its many pleasures. Yet the moment he laid eyes on Emerald, everything had changed.

He'd known from the outset that he didn't deserve someone like her, yet the smile he'd seen in her eyes and the way she'd reached out to him with her dainty hands had sparked a hope in his heart. So much of him was fractured and broken already, yet if she rejected him, he knew he'd completely shatter beyond repair.

"But you have to prove yourself before we can go anywhere with this," she waved her hands vaguely between them.

He caught her hands, tugging her close.

A gentle gasp escaped her lips as she fell against his chest. Lifting her head, she caught his gaze, her green eyes widening as he looked down at her intently. "Anything. I will do anything to prove myself, to gain your trust, and to win over your parents. I want this, whatever this is," his hands circled her slim waist, his body revelling in the sparks that jumped between them. He'd been with many girls before, but nothing compared to even this innocent touch of Emerald in his arms.

"So do I. I won't reject you, Phoenix," she whispered, as if having read his mind. Maybe she had. Phoenix had heard of the link between mates, of their hearts and minds so in sync that they didn't need to speak or even look at each other to feel how the other was feeling. That kind of bond was like a myth, a fantasy he had never dared dream of. His past held too many demons to taint such a pure soul as Emerald. Maybe he should just leave her and spare her his pain while he still had the chance.

"No matter what you've done, I forgive you," she breathed quietly, her voice carried on the faint breeze that blew through the greenhouse door that stood slightly ajar. "I know you're a rogue, and have probably done unspeakable things, but know that I love you. Not the romantic type, but for now, I care about you."

"How can you? Why are you telling me this?" he asked, taken aback by her strange words.

"I want you to understand the faith I have. I am blessed and loved by our King, our creator. He loves us so much, and I know you must not believe in Him or you wouldn't be such a lawless rogue. But, I can love you with His love. Before we go anywhere with this relationship, I need you to understand that. We are warm and welcoming, called to extend hospitality to you as our neighbour, but don't think it ends there. To be one of us, you will have to learn what it takes to be a loyal pack wolf. It will be hard, but with His strength, you'll make it."

He was mesmerised by her words, and before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. He wanted to taste the sweetness that came from her mouth, swallow the words that brought hope and purpose to his jaded heart. THe softness of her touch dizzied his mind, transporting to a place so light and beautiful and carefree, as if one kiss of her could erase all the pain, take all the weight of his shoulders and he could finally breathe again.

Suddenly, she pushed him back. Her small fingers on his chest only moved him an inch, but it was enough to bring his thoughts back to the moment. His imagination had already dove to a sensual place that would no doubt cause her to blush in embarrassment if she knew what he was thinking.

"We shouldn't," she whispered, her breath fanning his neck and sending shivers over his hyper-sensitive skin. "At least, not until..."

"Not until I'm apart of the pack," he finished for her.

Nodding, she smiled. "That shouldn't be too long. Everyone will see how good and kind you are deep down, and--"

"Emerald, what are you doing here with that rogue, all alone together?"

The deep boom of her father's voice had her spinning away, out of his arms.

Suddenly, he was cold, bereft from her absence.

"I--I.. We were just talking," she stammered, looking anywhere but at him.

Alpha Kaiden stalked towards them, his large presence crowding the greenhouse, making it small and stifling. "And you, young pup, were you just thinking of... talking?" he raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Sir, I--"

"Save it," Kaiden crossed his arms and stared at him directly. "You need to come with me and explain to the pack how you could betray us, then try to steal my daughter."

"What?" Emerald looked between them both, clearly confused.

"Oh, didn't he tell you?"

It wasn't even the murderous intent in the male Alpha's eyes, but the anguish in Emerald's that hurt the most, as if he'd already failed her before even beginning to prove himself.

"Rogues, always so dishonest," Kaiden clucked his tongue disapprovingly. Disgust dripped from every word."Didn't he tell you that he stole thousands of dollars from our pack? The investment we all worked so hard towards, gone! Thanks to this grimy, thieving criminal."

Savannah sighed, turning over in bed to try and get more comfortable, but sleep continued to evade her like the rogues they'd been tracking for months.

This evening had been a total disaster. Her dad had confronted Phoenix about his part in the theft of their investment money, and while Emerald had been shocked and hurt at first, she refused to let them lay all blame on her mate's shoulders.

Phoenix hadn't denied stealing millions of clients' dollars from BrightFuture, but he also argued black and blue it was for justifiable reasons. He'd do it all over again in order to reach his goals and mission in life.

He was only sorry it had hurt people he knew and now cared for. He'd said this solemnly, his eyes never leaving Emerald's, and Savannah could practically feel the forgiveness emanating from her sister to her mate.

And it made her sick.

How could Emerald so easily look past the criminal actions of her mate, when they had clearly hurt her and the entire pack? Why couldn't she get angry, and slap him or something? Why couldn't she shake him and yell at him for keeping such a horrible truth from her? He'd been such a respectful gentleman all day, getting to know the pack members and training alongside the command, all the while keeping this truth about who he really was from Emerald.

Savannah realised, as she envisioned taking out her anger on the rebellious rogues she'd come to know, that it was Zion's face she pictured on the receiving end of her violent actions.

He was the real one to blame. He was the one they should be hunting down for not only stealing their money, but ruining countless other lives with his vicious attacks, murders, lies and secrets.

He was out there somewhere, having left Savannah behind, and that's what really made her angry.

She sighed again, staring at the ceiling and seething inside at the injustice of it all. How did she and now Emerald both end up with horrible rogues as mates? Was God trying to punish them? Hadn't they been good enough in their life so far to deserve a decent chance at love and happiness?

What on earth were they supposed to do now?

Phoenix had gone rogue, in a metaphorical sense seeing as he already was quite literally a rogue.

He'd stormed off, refusing to debate the matter anymore when Kaiden threatened imprisonment and torture. It was easy to see that Phoenix had some soul-searching to do if he ever wanted to call this territory home. Without any remorse for his actions, he'd get nowhere in his pursuit of Emerald and an honest life as a pack member.

Wherever he was now, roaming the fringe of her territory, Savannah could only hope he'd come to the realisation not all problems in life could be solved with cunning or brute force. If he really wanted help in finding his sister's killer, all he had to do was ask nicely and surely they'd be able to reach an agreement. Instead, his devious behaviour was only digging for himself a deeper grave of pain and regret.

A soft tapping on the wall behind her interrupted Savannah's thoughts. She sat up, and smiled as she wrapped out a response. In a moment, Emerald opened the door adjoining their rooms and joined her on the bed. Over the years, the sisters had worked out a code to ask if the other was sleepless during long nights and needed company. There would often be things on their mind that needed discussing, problems to solve, and secrets to share where no one could overhear.

"So what's keeping you awake?" Emerald asked her older sister as she crawled under the blankets.

"Probably the same as you, and other things."

"I worry about him, you know?" Emerald sighed, snuggling closer on the double bed.

"I know you do. Believe me, I do," Savannah thought back to all the times she wondered where Zion was and what he was doing. Or worse, knowing what he was doing and being powerless to stop him. "It's natural, despite the difference between you two, to feel this way about him."

Emerald nodded, a grateful though somewhat sad smile on her lips. "Maybe I should go find him. Try to talk to him."

Savannah immediately shook her head. "Not a good idea. In his frame of mind, he could be dangerous. Remember, he's still a rogue deep down. Wild, and unrestrained."

"He'd never hurt me.... Would he?" The fear was evident in Emerald's voice, and when a long, anguished howl echoed through the forests around them, she drew the covers closer to her chin. Her face winced as she thought of all the unseen demons he wrestled, tormented by them clashing and tearing him apart.

"That's what I used to think about Zion. And in some ways, it's true. He would probably never hurt you physically. But in other ways..." Savannah trailed off, lost in her own thoughts and confusion.

With a heavy sigh, Emerald pulled her sister close for a hug before climbing out of the bed. "Sleep well, Vannah. Maybe in the morning we'll have answers."

As Savannah pondered the situation, praying Emerald's words would come to fruition, she didn't notice the shadowy figure creep through her window. Only when he was looming over her bed did she stifle a gasp and push herself away from the intruder.

Slowly, as if not to scare her, he lowered himself to the edge of her bed, his silhouette large and broad, yet his weight barely indenting the mattress.

Savannah knew she should attack. She should leap forward with a warrior's cry, startling him before he could kill her first. But something made her pause. Her body remained frozen by the headboard, her chest tight while holding her breath.

His face was obscured by shadows, his head covered with the hood of his heavy coat, yet there was nothing threatening about his posture. Even when he leaned forward and stretched out his arm, he gave no indication of meaning her harm.

Then, as swiftly as he arrived, he left.

One moment he was sitting on the edge of her bed so naturally, then he was gone without even a trace of his scent lingering in the air. There was something familiar about his presence, but Savannah couldn't pinpoint how she felt about him. Sitting up in bed, her body once more functioning to her command, she moved to slide out of bed and check outside the window. Her fingers tightened into fists, closing around a small, cool object in her palm.

So instead she flicked on her bedside lamp and stared at the golden necklace in her hand. The flower pendant sparkled brightly, its petals' golden reflections glittering on the wall behind her.

"Zion?" she breathed, looking up towards the empty window.

Yet even as the breeze blew in through the gauzy curtain, there was nothing to prove her mate had just been in her room, leaving yet another thing unanswered.

Mercifully, the morning brought some clarity to the pack's questions.

Phoenix strode from the treeline just after dawn, his hair mussed and windswept, his body streaked with sweat and blood, and his eyes blazing with fierce conviction. Broad chest heaving with exertion, he looked as though he'd just been running long and hard, and the angry scratches that covered his skin were undeniably from a vicious fight.

Savannah paused her warm up routine before a morning run to watch as he approached, her gut tightening at the gruesome sight he presented. In his hands was a human head, severed at the neck and bodily fluids still draining from the veins.

Her dad came up behind her, Emerald close behind, and the male Alpha stepped forward as if shielding them both from an enemy. Alpha Kaiden would always be the natural protector of the territory, even though Savannah held the title of leadership. Being an Alpha was more than just being the strongest--it took insight and responsibility, and part of that was knowing which battles to fight and which ones to assign to more capable hands. Right now, Alpha Kaiden had more strength to deal with the unpredictable rogue walking straight towards them.

"I brought something for you," Phoenix announced, his voice steady yet rough. His entire body was locked in a predatory stance, muscles taut and deadly, his face proudly angled towards Kaiden with courage and complete absence of fear. Despite all the threats the former Alpha had issued, it was clear Phoenix thought little of them.

He threw the head down at Kaiden's feet, making Emerald shrink back in repulsion.

Savannah, having seen much more gruesome sights than her younger sister, peered closer at the face that now lay smeared in dirt and grime. It looked vaguely familiar, and when Justin gasped beside her, she knew he recognised it too.

"You killed Impulse," the Beta stated more than asked, the head being enough evidence of what Phoenix had done while prowling the territory like a possessed madman.

This rogue he spoke of was well-known in the region, ruthless and erratic in his actions, thus earning him the moniker Impulse.

"Also known as Grantham." Phoenix informed them, staring at the rogue's head with a mixture of bitterness and resentment. "We did a job together once. Crossing paths with him again last night put a few things in perspective for me. When he started talking about sneaking across your border to abduct shewolves, I ripped his throat out."

"And then tore off his head. You know, you could have just left that to the rabbits," Cale commented grimly, rubbing his throat and the scar found there as he nudged the head with the toe of his boot.

"Don't think this redeems you for what you did to us," Kaiden said sternly, crossing his arms over his broad chest as he stared down the young rogue.

"I don't. But at least this shows whose side I'm on."

Kaiden raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Killing one of our enemies doesn't prove anything."

"I know. That's why I'm not done yet." His jaw clenched, his gaze unwavering.

"What is it you want?" Narrowing his eyes, Kaiden did his best to see inside the rogue's mind.

"I need access to a laptop."

"Excuse me?" Savannah stepped forward, intrigued by his strange request.

Phoenix clenched his jaw. "I will transfer the entirety of my bank accounts to you. I know it's not nearly the amount you've lost, but it will be a start. Maybe then you'll find me worthy of joining your pack."

Savannah found herself believing in him, despite her dad growling and linking to her, Can you believe his audacity?

"Is there anything else?" It was her turn to push him, really dig deeper for the basis of his intentions.

Phoenix finally lowered his head in submission, a spiral of his unruly hair falling across his temple and obscuring the bloody gash that marred his olive skin. "I will help you find Zion, as I've already told you. And..."

"And?" Emerald prodded, her brows scrunched in apprehension as the fate of her destined mate hung in the balance.

Phoenix leveled her a direct stare, his eyes wide with hope, his forehead scrunched in humility. "And I would appreciate it if you helped me find the monster who killed my sister."