Watching the wolves line up in front of the Council Headquarters, I try my best to plug my nose. Everyone here is a Rogue waiting to board and take a seat on the buses the Council provided for us. We will all be leaving to join either Shadow Rose or Crescent Phoenix within the hour and part of me is excited for this change.
I had been turned Rogue involuntarily three weeks ago from Pine Moon. Alpha Valor had needed someone who could infiltrate Crescent Phoenix when news of his son being part of this pack reached him. At first, I had thought of refusing this job, but the prospect of leaving Pine Moon for a bit and possibly finding my Mate won and I agreed to become a spy for my Alpha.
I was forced to make a blood pact as soon as I turned Rogue so that Alpha Valor could continue to control me while I went to infiltrate Crescent Phoenix and report to Alpha Valor who the Alpha and Beta are as well as confirm if his son Rune is there. Once I have done that, the blood pact would dissolve and I would be free to finally leave Pine Moon for good. I know that the moment Crescent Phoenix finds out I am a spy, they will try to destroy me. I would need to leave the Pack before then if I wanted to survive in this world and then make my way to a new Pack, one that hopefully has my Mate.
Alpha Valor was happy when he learned I had been one of the applicants accepted into Crescent Phoenix, chosen by the Beta and Alpha themselves to join this new Pack. He was curious about these two she-wolves who took over Silver Paw after it had been destroyed. Then my Alpha became weary of the two when rumors spread that Crescent Phoenix had helped Alpha Titus in taking down the previous Alpha of Onix Moon, now renamed Shadow Rose.
I had asked him about his worries when he asked me to become his spy and was told that Alpha Viren had taken Brynlee Eclipse intending to mark and Mate her against her will forcibly. It was a plot he and Tanya had set out to separate Rune from Brynlee for good, one I thought was appalling but kept my mouth shut for my safety. It seems this plot did not work and now here I am, climbing onto a bus and heading for a Pack no one has been able to gain information on. Well, except for Alpha Titus of Shadow Rose and the Council.
“Hey Dev, are you ready to join a new Pack?” Taking my seat beside a chatty she-wolf named Carolyn, I take in her appearance and suppress a sigh. She is one of the Rogues I met on my way to the Council Headquarters and she stuck to me like glue. I should have known better and scanned the bus for someone I could sit beside who would leave me alone rather than sitting in the first empty seat I saw.
“Hi, Carolyn.” I greet dryly, cursing my stupidity.
“I am a bit excited and just hope this new Alpha is nice. My last one is a tyrant.” I decided to answer truthfully, watching as understanding and sympathy pass through her eyes. She reaches out for me, taking my hand in hers and I fight the urge to snatch my hand back and snarl at this lowly she-wolf.
“I get that. My last Alpha tried to force himself on me and I had to flee for my life.” The auburn-haired girl sighs out, squeezing my hand.
“I think this new Alpha will be nice considering the Alpha is a she-wolf. We can rest easy as soon as we reach Crescent Phoenix.” Carolyn continues, her enthusiasm is a little catchy. I hum in agreement, slowly taking my hand from hers and leaning back in the seat. It will be a few days before we reach our new Pack and I intend to take these days to rest and learn as much information as possible from the Council wolves driving to Crescent Phoenix.
∭
“Dev, wake up.” A hand shaking my shoulder forces me awake, the grogginess still clinging to me as I shrug off whomever it is that interrupted my sleep, my elbow connecting with something and making me wince. Turning to the left, I find Carolyn looking at me with a pout, her brown eyes glaring at me. I open my mouth, ready to ask her why she is glaring at me but stop when I see that she is holding her right shoulder.
“Did I hurt you?” I ask, feeling slightly guilty for harming this she-wolf even if she annoys me to no end.
“You did.” She answers curtly, her words sounding childish as she continues to pout in the seat beside me.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to.” I apologize, looking around the bus to see what is going on. Wolves were climbing off the bus, their chatter full of excitement now that we get a break from sitting for six hours. Looking at Carolyn, I ask if we are getting off the bus and learn that we have stopped at a buffet place in one of the human cities. My stomach chooses this moment to growl, making Carolyne laugh as she motions for me to follow her.
I have learned that she is a simple wolf, one who accepts apologies if you admit you are wrong, and it seems she has accepted my apology for accidentally hurting her as the two of us leave the bus and follow the other wolves. Walking into the restaurant, I follow the lead of the Council wolves and line up with the twenty-nine other Rogues, Carolyn quickly taking a spot beside me as we wait for instructions.
“Listen up everyone.” One of the Council wolves calls out, a smile on his face.
“This restaurant was booked in advance thanks to Miss Rose. You have one hour to eat to your heart’s desires before we are back on the road.” He continues, our group cheering happily. Turning to Carolyn in confusion, she gives me a smirk before motioning for me to follow.
“Who is Miss Rose?” I ask, the two of us grabbing plates and making our way to the nearest food selection.
“That’s the alias our new Alpha chose. Because Crescent Phoenix is new, she and the Beta chose aliases to protect their identities. Our new Beta goes by Beta Lilac and when we get to Crescent Phoenix, we will learn their real names.” Carolyn answers. Shocked, I hurriedly follow the she-wolf to a nearby table, placing my plate down and excusing myself to the bathroom. After making sure no one is inside any of the stalls, I take out the cell phone Alpha Valor had given to me and pull up his number. For a moment I hesitate, not knowing if this information is useful to him until a sudden sharp pain in my chest breaks my train of thought. Apparently the blood pact I was forced into making deems what I just learned useful enough to share.
Without any doubt left, I press the call button and press the phone to my ear, guilt creeping in and what I must do.
“Devlyn, any news?”