5| All Mine

"Zion." Interesting name for an interesting man.

"Hello to you, too," he stood up and met her gaze from where he'd been leaning over a table. The other rogues with him also stood, shielding whatever they'd been poring over. Savannah's abrupt entrance had interrupted their secret meeting, but she didn't care.

Phoenix did. "What's she doing here? Isn't she meant to be tied up?" he glared incredulously at her.

"I broke free. Not such a helpless pack wolf, afterall," she retorted, propping a hand on her hip and shrugging her shoulders. Her eyes glanced around the room, noticing the homey furnishings and her Gamma sitting on a couch on the far side of this living room. They nodded at each other, instantly communicating that they were okay and unharmed.

"Took you long enough," her mate, Zion, cast her a bored look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she questioned, growing irritated with his enigmatic statements, despite knowing she should expect them by now.

"I knew you had a knife. I was prepared for you to fly at me and slash your way past to freedom."

Her breath escaped her. When she recovered, still wondering how many of her other secrets he knew about, she met his gaze and said seriously, "I told you, I'd never hurt you. Unless, of course, you try to kill me or my pack members. Then I might have to have a little chat to you with these in company," she extended her claws and made sure everyone knew how much of a threat she was.

"Looking forward to it." Zion's eyes twinkled.

Phoenix made a gagging sound. "Can we please get back on topic? They've held us up enough," he growled and glared at her and Cale before looking back at the table.

Savannah wandered over, waiting for someone to stop her, but they didn't. Peering around her mate's shoulder, she saw what seemed to be a map spread out, floor plans, and blueprints to the same building.

"Planning a heist?" she asked.

"Re-planning a botched mission, thanks to you."

"Okay, I get it. You hate me," Savannah returned Phoenix's glare. "Anyone else want to get some anger off their chest? May as well start now."

Zion smiled and stepped back, pointing at the man beside him to begin the introductions. "This is Chayton, our analyst."

The burly man with tattoos crawling down one whole arm nodded curtly.

"Next is Niko. He's our techy."

A tall and muscular man with possibly Asian heritage smiled and bowed formally to Savannah, "Nice to meet the little Alpha."

"And we are Talei and Tasman," the blonde girl beside him spoke up, nudging the guy beside her. "We're twins, and in charge of security around here."

"Equal parts brain and brawn," the guy wiggled his eyebrows and gave her a smouldering look while flexing his muscles. Despite Talei being shorter and petite, she had a deadly gleam in her eye that dared anyone to mess with her.

"Good to know," Savannah nodded her head. "And you are..." she began to smile at the woman next to Tasman, but was greeted with a stone wall of silence.

The tall shewolf was solid, toned arms leading to tatted hands that were shoved in the pockets of ripped jeans. Piercings graced her expressionless face, her hair cut short and dyed in streaks of purple amidst black, and her brown eyes bored into Savannah's with a murderous look. Then she bared her teeth and snarled before turning to leave the room.

"Ouch. What's her problem?" Savannah asked into the silence.

"That's Willow, our muscle. You killed her boyfriend," Phoenix explained bluntly.

"Well..." Savannah cleared her throat. "That explains it. But in my defence, I was only doing my job," she crossed her arms and lifted her chin, refusing to feel bad for killing rogues who had trespassed and attacked first.

"So are we," Talei said flatly. "And we'd appreciate it if you went back to your little territory and left us the hell alone."

The Alpha just laughed in response to the cutting remark. "Sorry honey, I'm not going anywhere without my mate. I have every right to bring him in and keep him locked in my dungeons. Since he refused, I'm staying here and not letting him out of my sight." A sudden feeling of possessiveness welled within her as she watched Talei share a silent look with Zion. Wondering at their relationship, she felt even more determined to stick around and stop any females from sinking their claws into her mate. "What are you actually doing here anyway?" she changed the subject, hating the silence that was heavy with tension.

"That would be..." the rogue called Niko tilted his head and looked at the ceiling dramatically as if thinking, then said abruptly, "none of your business."

"And we gotta get going, boss. I suggest you take them both back to your lab and restrain them properly this time. Our window is only so big for this mission," Chayton spoke with a raspy accent, so foreign and intriguing.

Zion finally looked at her, having left her to carry on with his attention elsewhere. Now she was the centre of his thoughts again, and she almost felt the weight of their ambiguity resting on her head.

"We have to bring them with."

"Excuse me?" Phoenix exploded.

"We're down three good men. Peter was our best sniper. I can't afford to leave any of you here to watch them," he jerked his chin at her and Cale while rolling up the paperwork.

"I don't need babysitting, if that's what you're insinuati—"

He interrupted Savannah, "Niko, bring the van around. Tas, get the gear. Chayton, keep monitoring police chatter. This has to be clean and quick. You know the drill."

"Yes, sir," they echoed and moved off as ordered. Savannah watched as the twins loaded weapons—handguns, rifles, and grenades—into duffles before slinging them over their shoulders.

"Is this going to be a shoot out? You're just going to kill whoever stands in your way? I refuse to be a part of this!" The Alpha stamped her foot and glared at her mate who was shrugging on a black leather jacket.

"Feel free to let me out of your sight," Zion used her words against her. "We won't be killing anybody. Unless of course, you want that kind of action?" he smirked and walked towards a hall that presumably led to the front door.

"You are impossible!" she shouted after him, before taking a deep breath and looking to her Gamma for back up.

Cale shrugged. "I'm with you, Alpha. Whatever you decide."

She huffed again, tapping her foot as was her habit when making a decision, then emitted a little scream in the back of her throat. "Zion! Wait for us! We're coming," she yelled as she stomped down the hall and out the door.

They found the van waiting at the kerb, Zion impatiently drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. He gave a small grin as she scrambled into the back, falling into a seat just as the van took off peeling down the street at a crazy speed.

"So where are we going?" she asked once settled and strapped in. Looking around expectantly at all the hardened faces of the rogues, she began to doubt getting an answer.

"Now if we told you that, we'd have to kill you."

Savannah found Willow smiling as she cleaned the insides of a handgun. "I have a right to know. I'm not your hostage," she retorted hotly.

"Could've fooled me," Willow gave her a dark stare.

"Hey—!"

"Be quiet back there. I'm trying to drive," Zion shot back from the front. "And she's not a hostage. She's our guest."

"Thank you, Zion," Savannah smiled and crossed her legs primly. Then she raised her eyebrows at Willow, daring her to defy Zion.

Willow just shrugged, her face betraying nothing.

Savannah sighed. "If you're looking for an apology, I'm not giving you one," the Alpha crossed her arms and held Willow's eyes in her own steely glare. "You're the ones who came onto my territory with the intent to steal something."

"Borrow. Not steal," Talei interjected, flipping her long braid over her shoulder. "Big difference."

"Oh right. You really expect me to believe that you would just take something from right under my nose, then give it back?"

"It's the truth. We don't pillage and plunder for the fun of it. We take what we need to get the job done, then return the stuff," she said matter-of-factly, then clapped her hands in conclusion.

"Eventually," Tas added with a smirk.

"Forgive my cynicism, but I don't believe you for a second. What was it you wanted from my pack house, anyway? You could've just asked. I might have actually helped you for the polite people you are," Savannah threw Willow a pointed look.

"You wouldn't have thrown us all in your dungeon for trespassing?" Willow asked, sarcasm in her voice.

"Oh, I may have let you go to have your fun. But I would've caught up to you and imprisoned you. Eventually," she winked at Tas, earning a chuckle.

"Alright, we're here. Let's move, guys," Phoenix leapt from the van the moment it stopped. The others piled out and began arming themselves. Savannah bent to exit the van door when Zion stepped in her way.

"You two stay here."

"No way! We're coming along," she protested, Cale nodding in agreement.

"This is not up for discussion," her mate's hazel eyes flashed at her with dominance exuding from them.

"I can tie them up," Phoenix offered.

Zion shook his head. "No need. They're not hostages, remember? And they won't run," he said with a demand written between the lines. "We're miles from their home and they'd have no idea how to get back."

"I'll take that as a challenge," Savannah crossed her arms and stood confidently.

Zion shot her an infuriated look. "Alright. Tie them up," he said to Phoenix before taking the gun Tas offered him.

"No way! You're being unreasonable! This is completely unfair!" Savannah scratched and snarled at Phoenix and Chayton as they wrestled her back in the car. "Zion, why you'd bring us along if you're just going to leave us here!" she shouted before Phoenix stuck a piece of tape over her mouth.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," he smirked, leaping back from her kick. He slammed the door shut and left the Alpha with her Gamma locked in a van on the side of a road in who-knows-where.

This stinks! She linked Cale, seeing as her mouth was stuffed with a foul-tasting rag. As soon as she had Zion in her clutches, she would make him pay for this insanity.

"I know," he commiserated, twisting his hands furiously against the steel chains, and not making any headway against them. "You still got that knife in your jeans?"

Yeah, but I can't reach it. Her hands were tied in front, and no matter how far she stretched behind, the knife was just out of reach.

"Here. Let me try and get it," Cale shimmied between the seats, while she turned until he was behind her. In only a few moments, they were both free.

"Now, we arm ourselves." Savannah smiled gleefully as she found a gun stashed under the front seat.

"You know how to fire that?" Cale watched her skeptically as she checked the rounds and flipped off the safety.

Holding it out and testing her aim, she grinned. "Remember that Alpha summer camp I went to in highschool? I took weapons training as an elective."

"But that was over four years ago."

"They don't know that," the Alpha smirked. "Come on, let's go."

"About that..." Cale coughed nervously. "So I studied the route on the way here, but none of the buildings or landmarks are recognizable. I don't know how we can find our way back to ForgedHearts if we have no idea where we are," he shuffled nervously on his feet, stuffing his hands in his pockets against the cool night air.

Savannah looked around for the first time, giving her attention to their surroundings now that all the noise and distraction was gone. They were in a city, buildings rising all around them, the streets cluttered with electricity boxes, dumpsters, phone booths, fire hydrants, and cycle racks. It was nothing like the wide roads in her pack, or the open horizons she was used to. Tilting her head back, she stared up at the velvety night sky and frowned when she couldn't locate any familiar stars. The numerous street lights and surrounding luminosity blanketed the city in a blinding ambience that made her feel trapped.

Like a freight train of awareness crashing into her, the Alpha suddenly felt isolated, lost, and detached. Everything familiar and comfortable was nowhere to be seen. Unusual smells, flickering lights, confusing sounds of traffic and sirens, and a resounding silence in her mind where over a hundred wolves should be—all these combined to disorient the Alpha and knock her to her knees.

Her breaths came short and sharp, her lungs fighting to take enough air in. The oxygen felt thinner, dirtier, and less sustaining.

"Hey, hey, Savannah!" Cale knelt and got in her face. "This is no time to panic."

"What are we doing, Cale?" she gripped his arms and searched his face for reassurance. "We followed these rogues to an unknown territory. We have no idea where we are, how to get home, or if the rogues will even let us go. We're prisoners."

"No, it's not that bad," Cale spoke sternly, biting his lip before continuing. "You saved our pack from rogues. They could've killed many more if you hadn't made that deal. Now we're here, and we're going to survive. It's what we do. Now listen to me!" he gently guided her face back to his when her eyes wandered to the empty street they were kneeling in. "Your mate is the Silver Rogue, and we are tracking him. We're not going to let him get away. Do you know how many Alphas would kill to be in your shoes? The most wanted criminal wolf, and he's all yours."

"You're right. He's all mine," she sniffed and wiped the tear that had dared leak from her eye. "I'm going to find him, and I'm never going to let him go. Whether I drag him back to my prison, or get dragged around on his crazy missions, we're sticking together."

"That's more like it, Alpha," Cale encouraged and helped her to her feet.

She nodded bravely, sucking in a lungful of determination. "Let's go."