4| How To Survive

A loud bang shocked the Alpha into waking up.

Black changed to bright light as her eyes snapped open. It took a moment to focus, but when her vision cleared, she tried to understand what she was seeing.

Savannah didn't know where she was, what day it was, or who had dumped her in this disorienting position. Every one of her senses was highly alert, the Alpha feeling her surroundings with everything in her arsenal.

Fluorescent lights lit the room, a workshed of sorts, with benches lining the walls and racks of tools above. It was neat, clean, and ordered. Computer monitors were on the desk directly in front of her, a laptop to the side, and an executive chair facing the back wall.

It suddenly spun around to reveal her mate, his appearance clean as if he'd just showered and changed. His scent slammed into her, making her greedy for more. Her throat felt parched, and the glass of water on his desk looked almost as good as his lips—

"Good afternoon, little Alpha," he greeted cheerfully.

Forgetting her traitorous thoughts, she snarled in response. The charming tone of his voice caused her to leap to her feet, intent on wiping the smug smirk off his face, but her body wouldn't respond. Nearly toppling forward in a loss of balance, she looked down and realised she was strapped to a chair in the centre of the room.

"I suppose you think this is funny," she glared at him, hoping the heat of her gaze would roast him since her fists couldn't.

"Hilarious," he forced a laugh, then turned back to his desk.

She craned her neck to see what he was working on, but his broad shoulders blocked her view, and a sudden jab of pain radiated down her spine.

"What did you do to me? Why is my neck hurting so bad?" She tilted her head side to side, but the unlawful pain remained in the left side of her neck. "Did you...did you knock me out in some abominable way?"

The massive rogue spared her one small glance before continuing with his work. "I pinched your neck between the collarbone and spine. I find it incapacitates someone very efficiently."

She now remembered him grabbing her by the back of the neck before everything went black. "Is it safe? What about permanent damage? I think my neck is gonna be kinked like this forever."

"Oh please," the rogue rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed with her whining. "I use it all the time in my line of work. That, or I just snap their necks," he shrugged.

"Oh right," Savannah leaned back in her chair and studied the way his hair curled around his neck, just above his shirt collar. "You just kill people like the rogue you are," she spat the words with all the disgust she was feeling, like acid burning on her tongue at the predicament she found herself in.

"Says the one who was about to tear out my throat," he replied with a mischievous grin.

"Hey! You trespassed onto my territory! And you're a rogue. I had every right to kill you."

"Every right, hm? Then why didn't you? Is there something about killing me that feels so wrong?" he got up from his chair and stalked towards her. When close enough, he trailed the tip of his index finger up her arm and across the back of her shoulders.

Savannah shivered, and it wasn't because the room was stone cold. "Although it is ingrained in my nature to hate you, I don't. You're my mate, and I would never hurt you."

His face lost some of its playfulness, almost as if her words meant something to him. Then the sarcastic smirk she knew so well crept over his features again. "Well, how kind of you. Thank you for your sentimentality. I will remember that while you remain in my custody, strapped to that chair."

"So just let me out of here!"

"And miss all the fun of watching you squirm? I am enjoying myself entirely too much." He pulled up a chair in front of her and sat on it with the back resting under his powerful forearms.

He just stared at her, a small smile tugging on the edges of his lips, his hazel eyes sparkling with a thousand things he could be thinking.

Savannah huffed and tried to get her hands out of the binds, but the more she twisted and strained, the more they seemed to tighten. She decided to use all her energy on resisting the impulse to squirm, as he so eloquently put it. It was becoming increasingly hard to ignore the heavy gaze of his, as he just continued staring with those mesmerising eyes.

And his scent was driving her crazy. Up this close, it filled her senses, and she was drawn to notice things like the black cord that still hung from his neck and disappeared under his tank shirt. His biceps bulged above powerful forearms, his tanned skin flecked with a few scars that only added to his mystery.

"When I get out of here, I'm going to—"

"Kiss me. Aren't you?" his lips thinned as if holding back a chuckle.

Savannah blinked, wordless from his blunt appraisal of her intentions.

The rogue arched an eyebrow and tilted his head. "Don't think I haven't noticed the way you are checking me out. You like what you see, isn't that right, little Alpha?"

Savannah yanked on the chains. "You're despicable!"

"You're adorable."

"You're a filthy rogue!"

"You're a spoilt Alpha."

"You're going to regret ever crossing me when I get my hands on—"

"Are you still making threats?" He shook his head as if berating an insolent child and clucked his tongue. "Because I am feeling very threatened right now. Ohh yes, the little Alpha strapped to a chair is very intimidating and I just don't know how to survive such a fierce creature! Although," he tapped his chin thoughtfully, "I'm beginning to think you just want to get your hands all over me. Feel me up. Isn't that right?" the rogue rose and walked around her, circling her, studying her from all angles.

She hated the mocking and sarcastic tone of his voice, but she couldn't deny that the power he projected was singing to her heart in all sorts of phenomenal ways. When his breath tickled the back of her neck, sending shivers rising all over her skin, she bit her lip to keep from growling in delight.

"I still have the power to threaten you. Or do you forget that I am the firstborn of two powerful Alphas? It is in the nature of my blood to be in authority over you, Rogue," she said carefully, trying with all her energy to keep her voice even.

The rogue stopped in front of her, rested both hands on either side of her chair, and kept his eyes level with hers as he stared at her.

"Then tell me, little Alpha. Are you going to fight with this Alpha blood of yours and break free of my chains? Or are you going to keep your pretty mouth shut so I can get my work done? Hmm?" he stepped back, amused with the heated glare she was giving him, then turned and stalked back to his desk.

It did no good to spill threats and glower at the incorrigible rogue, so Savannah tried a different tack.

"Aye, aye, Peaches."

"What was that? What did you just call me?" he spun on his heels in a fluid motion.

"Peaches." Savannah tilted her head and smiled playfully. "It suits you."

"In what way, pray tell, does peaches suit me?" he came closer, placing both hands on the chair arm rests, leaning in close to her face again. His green gold eyes narrowed with something dangerous.

"Your scent. You smell like peaches," Savannah breathed him in, closing her eyes in a show of bliss. "Tropical and fruity."

His smile turned down and his lips hardened, but she watched with satisfaction as his jaw flexed. He was biting back a laugh or a nasty retort, she couldn't quite tell which. He was fighting her irresistible charm, and losing by the looks of things.

When he leaned closer, his breath tickling her ear, he spoke, "I was hoping for something more deadly."

She smirked. "Oh, peaches can be deadly. Have you never pegged a frozen peach at someone's head?"

He pulled away sharply, looking her dead in the eye. "I'm beginning to think you are more violent than me."

"Come on, don't play games with me. You're a rogue. Everyone knows how violent and heartless rogues are. You even admitted it yourself, mate." When he leaned in close again, trying to psych her out, she licked the side of his stubbled jaw. The electricity of their contact sizzled through her skin, making her instantly regret the action while at the same time craving more. The spicy taste of him was a drug, lacing her tongue and etching its way onto her memory forever.

Perhaps thinking the same thing, he grabbed her chin between his fingers and squeezed her lips together, watching them carefully while he asked, "Just what am I going to do with you, hmm? I never thought I'd live to see the day I'm paired with a saucy little Alpha. Especially one who smells like liquorice."

"Liquorice?" Savannah squeaked, finally admitting the proximity of him was a tad bit flustering, his fingers warm and tantalising wherever they touched her skin.

"Yes, among a few sorts of other things. That's it. Liquorice all-sorts!" he snapped his fingers in front of her face and laughed.

"Yuck, I hate candy. It makes you fat and rots your teeth," Savannah pouted when he moved away and back to his work bench.

"Why, does the little Alpha prefer something healthy for snacks like...fruit?" her mate smirked.

"Always. Especially peaches," she winked, sitting back in her chair and studying him in the same manner as he had.

The rogue stared for a few moments before a loud buzzing startled them both. He reached for a device on his desk. "You found it?" he barked into the phone.

Savannah listened in to the call as much as she could, only catching snatches of the other speaker talking about something being empty.

"I'll be right up," her mate finished after a few useless hmms on his side of the conversation, then stood quickly.

"Wait! You can't just leave me here!" she yelled after him when he started to ascend a staircase she only just noticed.

"You're the one strapped to a chair. I'm pretty sure I can leave. Watch me," he gave a glib reply.

"But I'm hungry! And need to use the bathroom."

He shrugged. "Toughen up, little Alpha."

She growled in frustration, watching with sinking despair as his feet ate up the steps. "I don't even know your name!" she flung at him, causing him to pause.

His head swiveled, pinning her with an intense gaze. "Aren't you supposed to be smart? Figure it out yourself, little Alpha Savannah."

When he was gone, Savannah took deep breaths and counted to ten. When she'd calmed, she twisted her fingers until they reached her pants and slid out the knife she always kept tucked in her waist band. It didn't take long to cut through the rope binding her, and she rose with stiff legs.

Her first stop was the rogue's work desk. Surely there'd be some incriminating evidence about his identity. With this laptop still open and signed in, she pulled up the internet browser and searched the lamest thing possible.

Silver Rogue's identity.

Of course, all she found were blogs and chat rooms filled with discussion about him. Nothing definite, besides news articles about the destruction he'd caused, and speculation about where he'd hit next. His reputation was fierce, the media painting him in the worst light possible. He was thoroughly hated by public opinion, having been linked to drug trading, senseless terrorism, and multiple abductions.

But nothing about his identity, where he lived, which pack he was originally from, or what other aliases he went by.

Biting her lip, the Alpha thought hard before downloading the many grainy and blurry photos people had snapped of him. It wasn't much to go by, but it was a lead. She then logged into a special database accessed only by the Council and Alphas all over the continent, and uploaded the best head shot.

"Now isn't that a handsome mug?" she whispered to herself as the software scanned his face for any matches. The council kept records of most wolves, mainly rogues and repeat criminals. They might not know who the Silver Rogue was, but perhaps his picture had been catalogued years before he'd assumed the alias.

"Gotcha!" she yelped in happiness when a match came up. The picture was old, from a highschool function or something similar. A boyish grin set in a teenager's face, but the hazel golden eyes and strong jawline were unmistakable.

"Hello, Zion Forrester. How very nice to make your acquaintance, mate."