3| Aftershocks

Her heart was strangely calm while her mind was screaming to run the opposite direction. Her hand was warm and engulfed in the large one of her mate, and the tingles that sizzled up her arm were a reminder that this was where she belonged.

Supposed to belong, anyway.

"Having second thoughts?" the rogue asked airily as they crossed the border of her territory, and her body shivered as the distance increased from her rightful domain.

"Nope," she kept her face straight and jaw clenched. "My Beta's life is more important."

The rogue suddenly growled menacingly, his grasp tightening on her hand until her bones protested. "I knew I should have killed him when I had the chance."

"Then I would have killed you!" Savannah yanked her hand free and snarled at him. "You, and all your filthy wolves. Then you never would have had me as mate."

"He means that much to you? That wolf you call Beta?" he roared, his arms flexing widely as his eyes flashed with undisguised jealousy.

Savannah took a step back, assessing the threat of the angered rogue who was also her mate. "You know nothing about the relationship between Alphas and their command. I am sworn to protect my pack and all its members, just as they follow my orders. If you think I'm coming with you for any other reason than protecting my pack, then think again, Silver Rogue," she spat.

But she was fooling herself. After years of waiting for her mate, there was no way she would let him slip through her fingers and get away. "My Beta is my best friend and will always mean a lot to me," she muttered as an afterthought.

He growled, hazel eyes holding hers trapped in a stare-off, until the rogue called Phoenix interrupted the silent battle.

"Guys, we don't have time for this. We have to get out of here before it gets dark."

"What happens at dark?" Savannah asked, alarm flooding her adrenaline-filled veins, putting her further on edge. Her eyes quickly took in the setting sun and the lengthening shadows.

Cale touched her arm lightly. "Do you forget whose territory we are on?"

"Drats!" she clenched her teeth in a snarl. "Alpha Pierce. He'll roast us for dinner if he finds us here."

"I'm sure he's not that bad--" the rogue argued.

"He'll string us up and dangle us from totem poles, then sacrifice us to the demons of darkness. He'll slice us like butchered rabbits and chuck us in a cauldron of carrot stew!" The Alpha gripped her hair and tugged, turning in circles as she frantically scanned the trees around them. All she saw however were the dozen rogues that had captured her. Still, the stories she'd heard of the dreadful Alpha Pierce were hard to dismiss from her overactive mind.

"Is she always this dramatic?" the rogue leader turned curious eyes to Cale, then lifted his hand as if he didn't really want an answer. "I don't know why you are so worried. Afraid I can't protect you against this fearsome Alpha?" he propped his hands on his hips and studied Savannah.

"That's not my problem." Despite noticing his insanely muscled body and obvious strength, she didn't want to become dependent on him for survival. "I'm strong enough to take down twenty of his men. But I would rather not destroy our fragile trade relations. He's threatened us before, and we've only recently reached a peaceful agreement between our packs. I'd hate to ruin that now," she lifted her chin and stated confidently.

"Politics," the rogue huffed, rolling his eyes.

Phoenix chuckled in agreement, and Savannah began to feel on edge due to their obvious disdain for her pack way of life. These rogues had an air of freedom that rubbed her the wrong way. Rules and regulations kept wolves in order, packs running smoothly, and lives safe. This was dangerous territory she was wading in, despite her curiosity of her mate and his way of doing things.

"So where are we going?" she began walking, eager to put the risk of Alpha Pierce behind them before she lost heart and ran back home.

"Through Stone's pass. Then onto the western highway," her mate responded, quickly striding past her and taking the lead.

She'd never been led like this before, and as Alpha, she wasn't about to hand over all authority to him. "I know the way." Shouldering past, she once more took up the lead.

"Wait!" her mate growled deeply, but she ignored him.

A loud rustling sound echoed her footsteps, and the ground seemed to shift before her. A large arm wrapped around her torso and yanked her back, pushing the air from her lungs, just as the leaves in front of her flew up in her face and a loud clanging resounded through the quiet forest.

"You still think you know where you're going?" the deep voice of the rogue leader rumbled in her ear where she was pressed against his chest, staring at a large metal contraption that lay on the forest floor.

"Is that... is that a bear trap?" she whispered weakly, gasping for air.

He released her, clenching his jaw hard as he once more shoved her behind him. "Yes, and you ought to have expected it, seeing as you know all about Alpha Pierce being such a barbarian. Now, follow me if you want to stay alive," he ordered with a gruffness that reminded her of her dad.

She followed him mutely, sharing a pout with her Gamma who rolled his eyes in response. This afternoon was not going the way they planned.

"Okay, we're nearly there," Phoenix whispered as they came up to a clearing. A large ridge greeted them, cut through the middle with a narrow gap that was only wide enough for two men abreast. It was the only entrance to the territory on this side of the border. "This is the most dangerous section. According to our intel, it is heavily guarded by a rotation of ten guards who pass through every hour. This time of day they increase it to every half hour. If we didn't have any hold-ups," he glared at Savannah and Cale, "we would've been back through already."

Savannah gave the mean-looking rogue her best glare. If he didn't have such an ugly scowl on his face, he would be quite handsome. With naturally wavy long hair tied back loosely, tanned olive skin and a chiseled jawline, he had everything to make shewolves look twice. It only made him all the more hateable in the Alpha's books.

"Are the charges in place?" the leader asked.

"Yeah man, I got that sorted," another rogue answered.

"And our insurance policy?"

"Should be around here." Phoenix whistled, a tune like that of a magpie, then a few more rogues stepped out from behind the nearby trees. They carried between them a very paralysed looking wolf. Savannah screwed up her face in disgust as she recognised the Beta of this pack. The rogues seemed to have every base covered.

"Then let's go," her mate growled and took her hand, then began to run for the gap. The other wolves followed, and soon a shout was heard from further behind them. It seemed they'd been spotted, but instead of panicking, the rogues only smiled. When a series of explosions rocked the quiet valley, sending dust and debris billowing behind them, Savannah gasped and tried covering her ears.

The rogue picked up his pace. "Come on, keep running!" he shouted gleefully as they neared the end of the narrow gap. It was hard to see, hard to breathe, but that didn't stop them.

When they reached the other side and crossed the border to the safety of trees, they finally slowed down and the rogue released her hand.

Surprisingly, she missed the warmth and security his touch offered.

"You wolves are crazy!" she yelled at them as she bent over and took heaving breaths. Looking back at the gap, she saw it filled in with boulders and rubble, rocks still tumbling down to block the path. Curses and shouts from Pierce's wolves on the other side echoed in the rumbling aftershocks of the explosives.

"Crazy's our middle name, girl. Get used to it," Phoenix winked at her, earning himself a slap on the back of his head from her mate. "Ow! What was that for?!"

Cale had the audacity to laugh, but stopped short at the murderous glint in Phoenix's eyes. "So what now?" he threw up his hands in defence.

"Now, we continue," her mate responded, turning to make sure each of his men made it through the pass okay. They laid down the Beta just inside the boundary line, and placed beside him a vial of the blue antidote and a syringe.

Again her hand was encased in her mate's large one, and they walked silently through the trees before reaching a highway that traversed the western plains and linked the southern forests with the cities in the north of the continent. Three cars were parked on the roadside, and they all piled in. Savannah was squished in the front seat between her mate and Phoenix, while Cale was left to climb in the back tray of the utility vehicle.

Sorry about this, bro. You can still go back home if you want, and tell my parents I love them, she mindlinked her Gamma.

Not on your life. I'm sticking with you, Alpha. You can tell your parents yourself once we make it home safe after this adventure, he mused, quietly enjoying this change in scenery. He was sick of the constant squabbles and pranks between his Alpha and Beta, and was happy to split them up for a while. Besides, he was eager to see how the relationship between Savannah and her rogue mate would turn out. Feeling confident there would be plenty of drama, he sat back and settled in for the ride.

As the miles passed beneath them, it hit the young Alpha just what was happening to her. She was being abducted by her mate, and carried away from her territory and everyone she loved. Though it had been her choice in order to save her Beta and other pack members, it didn't make her feel any better. Besides, she had found her mate and was sticking with him no matter where he took her. Never would she let the opportunity to get to know him slip by.

These contradicting facts warred in her brain, threatening to tear her mind apart. She had so many questions, and it was time to demand answers from the enigmatic silver rogue.

Savannah turned to face her mate, keenly aware of his powerful body where it pressed up beside hers. She tried squeezing her thighs closer together to put some space between them, but the road was bumpy and the car kept throwing her against him. "Anything you care to explain? Such as, what were you doing on my territory, and why did you want to steal into my pack house?"

The rogue's lips twitched, lifting slightly in what appeared to be a smirk. "You're an inquisitive one, aren't you."

She shrugged. "They're all valid questions."

He hummed, the sound vibrating richly in his throat. "Hmm. Someone once told me that curiosity killed the cat."

Savannah crossed one leg over the other and folded her hands in her lap, narrowing her eyes at the comparison of her strong wolf to weak felines. "Well, crossing someone else's territory killed the wolf. At least, that's how it usually goes. In some extenuating circumstances, their life is prolonged for some insane reason." She recalled the way her own father trespassed on SteelHeart territory, intent on ripping the pack from her mother's hands. Alpha Chesca had come close to killing him, but on finding out the disgraced Alpha was her mate, she decided to let him live and get to know him. Now, Savannah found herself in a similar situation, only her mate was so much worse than a packless Alpha. "So, rogue, I'll give you one last chance to explain yourself before I kick out you of this moving car."

He laughed. "Nice try."

Savannah waited a beat, then turned and used her foot to push open the door handle. Throwing her weight against her mate, she shoved him hard. But it was useless. He swatted her away and locked the door in one swift movement. Then, with his elbow to her stomach, he pushed her back against Phoenix.

Immediately, the other rogue's arms wrapped around her like a tight vice. She struggled against him but soon gave up. It pained her to notice with clarity of vision and growing frustration, that throughout the altercation, her mate barely even flinched in his seat. The car never swerved in its straight course on the road. He was immovable as well as impervious, apparently.

She squirmed again, but was refused release. So swivelling her head sideways, she used this position to her advantage and smiled sweetly. "So tell me, Phoenix, how did the silver rogue come to be? Is he susceptible to anything else? What does he really eat for breakfast?"

Phoenix slid his eyes above Savannah's head, and she could only guess what kind of silent communication system the rogues shared, what kind of threats they held against each other. "I've grown rather fond of my skin," he replied presently, his rough voice rumbling in his chest against her back. "I wish to remain inside it."

Savannah couldn't help the chuckle that escaped at his amusing answer. "So he's really that bad, huh?" She looked over her mate slowly, from head to foot. His profile was fine in the waning light, accentuating the smooth planes and sharp angles of his face, and chiselled muscular arms. "The rumours must all be true then," she added slyly.

His jaw clenched, fingers tightening on the steering wheel.

She felt Phoenix shift uneasily under her.

Three...two...one...

"What rumours?"

It was Phoenix who asked, but she got the feeling it was her mate who really wanted to know.

"Oh, you know. The usual suspects," she waved her hand airily then began counting off her fingers. "He's a menace to every pack, sweeping in like a thief in the night to pillage and plunder, stealing the goods and snatching babies for his nefarious plans. He causes disaster and destruction everywhere he goes, and has slept with at least a hundred women. Can't imagine what they see in such a filthy rogue—"

"I don't sleep with anyone," he suddenly growled, casting her a dark frown before returning his eyes to the road. "I'm not that kind of wolf, and wouldn't do that to my mate."

Savannah smiled internally at the intense reaction she stirred from the unpredictable rogue. "You've been saving yourself for me? How sweet," she placed both her hands over her heart and batted her lashes at him. But not for a minute did she allow herself to believe he was chaste. What hot hunk of a rogue wouldn't have had a million girlfriends throwing themselves at his drool-worthy body? Never mind his prickly personality, he would certainly be a great lover.

She snapped a lid on those thoughts. Why on earth was she thinking about that kind of thing when he was abducting her, driving her miles from home, and wouldn't even share a single iota of information about himself or his plans?

If she wanted to survive this, she had to keep her head in the game, and her heart and hormones locked thoroughly away.

They began slowing down, and before they'd even pulled up on the shoulder of the road, Phoenix launched her from his lap and jumped out of the car.

She again fell against her mate's body, and in that brief moment of sparks and shared breath, their eyes locked and she couldn't look away. His expression was unreadable, just like the erratic pounding of her heart, and she found herself sinking in his powerful aura.

A sneeze sounded from outside the car door, snapping them from their reverie.

Savannah felt her cheeks blush as she scrambled out of the car, and turned to find Cale pinching his nose. A second later, he doubled over and sneezed louder than the first time.

"What is that horrible stuff in the air? It's clogging my nose," he exclaimed.

"Pollen from the sugarcane fields over there. You've never seen them before?" Phoenix asked with incredulity.

"We don't have that weird looking stuff growing on our territory."

"And you don't get out much either, do you? Pack wolves. So weak and pathetic," Phoenix shook his head and clicked his tongue, looking at Cale like he was a sheltered child.

Before Cale could defend himself with the heated argument Savannah could see on the tip of his tongue, her mate came up and pulled Phoenix away. They grouped with the other rogues and began talking in low voices. A few more had joined them, slinking from the trees nearby.

"What are they going to do to us?" Cale asked her quietly, and she didn't miss the worry in his voice.

A shiver of apprehension ran down her spine, but she masked it with years of training and in-built courage. "Not kill us. They would have done that already."

"That's encouraging," he mumbled, clearly unnerved with the situation.

She couldn't blame him that he was tired and hungry, and now suffering from allergies. "We'll be okay. Just don't pick any fights, and they should leave us pretty much alone."

Just as the words left her mouth, her mate looked over at her, a frown marring his face.

"What do we do with the girl?" she heard Phoenix ask as a few of the rogues eyed her up and down with smirks of dark intent. Curling her fists tightly, she prepared herself for a fight.

"Unfortunately, we're going to have to take her with us," her mate remarked with a heavy sigh. "She's heard our plans."

"I haven't heard any plans, you tight-lipped numbnuts!" She kept to herself that she had in fact overhead words like city, hideout, dagger, failed mission, and nuisance of a thing.

"Do we really?" one of the rogues argued, ignoring her insult. "Bringing a girl with us is just going to slow us down. She ruined our plans already."

"Um hello, I'm right here. And my name is Alpha Savannah, not 'the girl'!"

"She might be an asset. Never know when a girl might come in handy," her mate mused aloud, rubbing his stubbled chin in thought.

"In case you jerks have forgotten," Savannah continued her tirade as if he'd never interrupted, "I am the firstborn daughter of Alphas Kaiden and Chesca. And when I get my hands on you—"

The infamous silver rogue had calmly walked up to her during her little rant and placed his hand on the back of her neck, pinching it quickly.

The last thing Savannah saw was his devilish smirk before everything went black.