Chapter 8: Escaping

-Rhys-

Rogan wanted to know what I had been thinking, taking a rogue back with me, and I knew I couldn’t keep it a secret. I didn’t want to. I knew from what he had gone through that the truth came out no matter what, and running from it would not do anyone any good. Besides, if anyone could understand my situation, it was him. I found him in his office. Serena was there too. The two of them always looked at each other with so much love, but for the first time, I was not jealous. No, I had found my own mate now, and that made me feel peaceful. If she would just stop trying to run away, that would be nice.

“Rhys!” Rogan said as he saw me enter. “Gotten anything out of that rogue yet?”

I shook my head and closed the door behind me.

“I haven’t really started the interrogation,” I said.

“Why?” he asked, confused.

I walked closer and sat down, and I knew he sensed something was up with me. I wasn’t sure how to tell him though and took a deep breath, trying to figure out the best way to break the news.

“Because … because it is not so simple,” I said.

“Simple?” Serena asked.

“The rogue might just be … my mate,” I said.

The two of them froze, looking at me shocked, and the room turned completely silent. I wasn’t sure what the two of them were thinking, but I could imagine how hard this was to believe. It just didn’t happen. A rogue and a pack member becoming mates. It was as crazy as Rogan and Serena falling for each other, but it was also why I knew they could understand me the best.

“The rogue … is your mate?” Rogan asked.

I nodded.

“You’re sure?”

“Pretty sure,” I said.

“Shit …”

I nodded a little.

“Has she said anything? I mean, who is she?” Serena asked.

I shrugged a little.

“All I know is that her name is Nova,” I said.

“Nova?”

I nodded.

“She seems … different,” I said.

“Different?” Rogan asked.

“Yeah, she doesn’t seem like a typical rogue,” I said.

“What is a typical rogue exactly?” Serena asked.

“One that is very angry, cruel, smells rotten too,” I told her.

“She doesn’t smell like that?” Rogan asked.

“At least not to me.”

Rogan fell back in his chair, thinking it all over. I knew this was a lot to take in. I could barely even wrap my head around it and Nova was my mate. Damn, that felt good to say. I had been looking for her for too long, and finally she was right here, in the house and in my bedroom. It felt right.

“Well, the good thing is that no rogue would sacrifice themselves for another,” Rogan said. “So, we don’t have to worry about anyone coming to look for her.”

I nodded.

“But what do we do with her?” Serena asked.

“Many won’t like this, Rhys,” Rogan said.

“I’m aware, but I mean is it so different from your situation?” I asked and gestured to the two of them.

Rogan sighed.

“Well … right now we are having trouble with some rogues,” he said. “Not hunters.”

“So, it is actually exactly like your situation,” I said and smiled a little.

Rogan smiled too and nodded.

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

“We will have to inform the others,” Serena said.

I nodded.

“I know …”

“They might want her gone though,” Rogan said.

“They won’t throw her out. I won’t allow it.”

“In a way, rogues are hated even more than hunters,” he said.

“Are you going to allow them to throw my mate out?” I asked.

“Of course not,” he said.

“Then I don’t see the problem.”

Rogan shook his head a little and seemed to study me a little before he smiled again.

“You’re already getting possessive over her,” he said.

I looked away, not wanting to be seen through so easily.

“Know the feeling,” he said.

“I just … I have to say the bond is not as all as I imagined,” I told him.

“No, it surprises you,” he said and looked up at Serena, who was standing by his side.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and she smiled, looking at him too.

“I will keep an eye on Nova,” I said.

“See if you can’t get some answers out of her too,” Rogan said and turned to me again.

“I will try, but she actually seems quite scared,” I said.

“No wonder. I mean we are all pack members here.”

“No, she doesn’t seem like a confident and arrogant rogue. That is how they usually act,” I said.

“Maybe she really is different,” Serena said.

“You think so?” Rogan asked.

“I mean, despite me being a Commander, I was still different,” she said. “I liked asking questions. A soldier doesn’t do that.”

I could see what she meant, and eventually, Serena had seen who the real enemy was and had joined us. I hoped I could do that same for Nova, but … but you only became a rogue when you had done something horrible. What was it that Nova had done that had changed her into a rogue? I needed answers because I couldn’t protect her otherwise.

“I will see what I can find out,” I said.

“Do that, Rhys, and I will let the others know,” Rogan said.

I nodded and stood up, before telling them goodnight. Then I walked back to my room, and while I knew I should have expected it, it still surprised me. One of the windows was open and my sheets had been tied together. I quickly ran over there, seeing Nova halfway down, but her rope didn’t go any further down, so she was dangling high over the ground.

“What the hell are you doing?!” I shouted.

She looked up at me and seemed surprised I was already back. I quickly started to pull her back in, using all my strength.

“No!” she said.

I kept pulling her back, but then the weight was suddenly removed and I fell back just a second before I heard her scream. I moved closer to the window again and saw her lying on the ground, groaning. I quickly left my room and ran outside, but as soon as Nova saw me coming towards her, she ran off.

“Nova!”

“Stay away from me!” she shouted and kept running away, with me right behind her.

She was wounded though. I could see her limping slightly, but she still made it to the forest, before I was able to catch up with her and I quickly wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her over the ground.

“No!”