Ch. 781..790

Chapter 781: A dark morning (2)

Damon's heart was breaking for Talia. It was her first time seeing something like that, and not just seeing but being in the middle of it. He knew that Talia was drowning in guilt that will plague her for years to come.

He was there about a decade ago when people died around him, for him, and there was nothing he could do about it. People told him it was not his fault, and it was their duty, and that didn't lessen the burden he felt. Actually, it made it worse because he thought of himself as a weak link that was causing everyone near him to die. Those were dark times in Damon's life, and he didn't have time to mourn one death before the next one came, and he wondered if people would be better off without him.

But then he had Caden and Stephanie, and they convinced him that pack without him will suffer, and the only way to prevent unnecessary carnage was for Damon to get stronger. And he did.

Over the years, he trained in much more than fighting. Damon hardened his heart and steeled his mind and managed to push through crisis after crisis... but this was Talia, his delicate kitten. She was breaking apart in his arms, and he hated it.

If he had one wish, that would be the power to erase this evening from her memory.

Damon got an idea. What if he uses the memory-erasing potion?

'You shouldn't think that way,' Sapa said. 'Mate is strong. She is kind, which is wonderful, but in our world, that could lead to her death.'

Damon knew all that. Of course, he did. How many times did he tell Talia that people are malicious and that she should be cautious? But he loved that about her. Her nurturing nature allowed her to see the best in people.

Damon wished to be stronger, strong enough for both of them so that he could protect Talia from all the bad in this world. He would face the ugly stuff and let her stay pure and innocent with her untainted heart that was always ready to forgive.

Suddenly, Talia stopped crying, and her head whipped to the right. She narrowed her silvery eyes in that direction as if she could see through the trees and dense foliage.

"What is it?" Damon asked.

Without answering, Talia stood up slowly and started walking in that direction. She stepped over bodies of dead rogues like they were nothing and then continued moving straight. Damon was right behind her, and so were Maya and Caden.

Keith and Caleb stayed next to Lulu's body, per Caden's command.

Talia circled one bush and stopped in front of a body. His presence was so vague that one would think he was not there or was dead, but he was staring at Talia, Damon, Maya, and Caden.

"A live one," Maya said. "Good, we can interrogate him."

"We can't," Talia said dryly. "The moment he tries to divulge anything about this operation, he will burst into flames."

Maya, Caden, and Damon frowned at Talia's words. They had never heard of such a thing as people bursting into flames for snitching.

"Are you sure?" Maya asked.

Talia confirmed with a stiff nod and pointed at the guy who didn't move a muscle. "My guess is that painted outfit on him has some enchantment to conceal their presence and to prevent him from talking. Even when I used my aura to force them into talking, they burst into flames." It was close to the truth, as she couldn't say in front of Maya and Caden that Liseli was forcing her way into their minds.

"So, what do we do?" Caden asked. "We can't interrogate him, and we can't let him go."

"Kill him," Talia said.

"No, wait!" Damon shouted. "Don't dirty your hands, kitten. Let me do it."

Talia looked at Damon, and her eyes stopped flickering in silvery light in a silent agreement. Right, her Damon was here, with his power to make everything better.

The scene of Lulu dying left a gaping hole in Talia's heart, and she wondered if Damon will be able to mend it somehow, or at least make it less painful. Talia wondered if she was too greedy. Should she expect Damon to fix all her problems?

"Let's us take care of this guy," Maya said, indicating that she and Caden will kill the rogue. "We need to take Lulu and get out of here."

The daylight didn't make this forest any less gloomy, and it fully revealed that they were all covered in cuts and bruises, but the biggest drain was on their mind. They all wanted to head back, wash off remnants of this night and maybe wake up to find that it was just a bad dream.

Caden gestured to Maya to step back. "I will do it." He turned to look at the rogue. "You are lucky. I will make this quick."

The rogue couldn't believe this! Why were they casually talking about who will kill him? And what was that nonsense about luck for making it quick? Lucky was being alive, and that was what he wanted!

He cursed his non-existent luck.

He grew up in a human city with his mother, who was a she-wolf. His mother passed last year, and since then, he has been wandering, trying to find out more about his kind because his mother never spoke about werewolves.

Only two months ago, he joined Tristan's group of rogues, and until now, he made a few trips to human town to collect some packages. He was a messenger. For tonight, they told him that he only needed to come here and act as a scout, to navigate people in various directions if anyone stumbles upon him and avoid fighting. It should be an easy thing as he was always a quick runner and good at hiding. After all, he spent his teenage years among humans and they didn't discover that he was different.

After experiencing how werewolves live, he realized it was not so glorious as he hoped it would be. He was planning to head South after getting his reward money. He dreamed of sunny beaches and half-naked babes, and not this who-will-kill-him crap!

They all seemed eager to end him, and he didn't dare cry for mercy. How can he get out of this?

Caden reached for the rogue, who was pushing himself away from Caden, using his arms and legs, and resembling an inverted spider.

"I didn't do anything," he said. "I was told…"

"Do I look like I care?" Caden interrupted him.

"Let him talk," Talia said. "The more he talks, the higher is the probability he will burst into flames and save you the trouble."

The rogue shut his mouth with so much force that his teeth clattered.

After two more attempts for Caden to grab the rogue's neck, Caden lost his patience and grabbed the guy's ankle. He would tackle the rogue, but the guy was naked, and Caden didn't want to engage in more skinship than necessary.

"Stay still, will ya?" Caden said irritably.

The scene would be comical if not for everyone's wretched states and for the fact that they were set on killing the guy.

Damon rolled his eyes. Why was this taking so long? "Move to the side, Caden."

The rogue thought they will spare him, but then Damon released Talia from his hold and moved to stand above him.

"It will be your honor to experience death from Alpha Damon, the Alpha of the Dark Howlers pack. Any last words? You have three seconds. Talia, look away."

The rogue felt like crying. First luck, now honor? This was more like horror!

Chapter 782: Things were not all bad (1)

'Will you let that rogue die just like that?' Liseli's voice sounded in Talia's head.

Talia didn't get it. 'What?'

'We can get into his mind and get some information before he self-combusts.'

Talia thought how that made sense.

"Damon, wait! Let me do it."

The rogue's eyes were wide as saucers. Now she wanted to kill him? Were they tagging each other? At this rate, he will die from stress.

"No, kitten…"

"Please. I know what I'm doing."

The rogue hoped they would bicker more, and he would use that chance to escape.

At the sight of Damon yielding to Talia, the rogue swallowed hard. Even the big bad Alpha was listening to her, which told the rogue that Talia was probably the most dangerous out of the four.

An unfamiliar Alpha aura reached them, and they saw two figures approaching. Kalina and Varya.

'I will tell them what happened,' Maya said to Damon through the pack mind-link, to which he nodded, and Maya moved to intercept the newcomers.

"What's going on?" Kalina asked Maya while craning her neck to see where Damon and Talia were looking. Was there something on the ground?

Maya waved like it was not important. "Just a rogue. They will end him in a moment. You might want to look away."

"No…" Varya said under her breath and rushed that way.

Varya's sight was obstructed by bushes, but there was a distinct scent of oranges that didn't belong there, and her wolf was going crazy, which could mean only one thing.

The rogue scrambled to his feet and looked at Talia nervously.

"Wait. Wait," he pleaded. He had no idea what Talia was up to, but he knew it was nothing good. "Can we talk about this?"

Talia had no intention of chatting. She was about to force her way into the rogue's mind when…

"NO!" Varya shouted and threw herself at the male who was quick to catch her.

"Move aside, woman," Damon grumbled at Varya. He knew that was Kalina's sister, but he forgot her name.

Seeing that Varya had no intention of moving, Damon's temper flared. Why did it take so long to kill this bug?

"The thing you are protecting is a rogue, and he is…"

"Varya's mate," Talia ended Damon's sentence, and Damon gaped at Talia.

"What did you say?" Caden asked, wondering if his ears malfunctioned.

It was rare for rogues to be mated, but it was not unheard of. Unfortunately, due to their wild nature, rogues were not known as the most loyal mates. Needless to say that those couples don't find their happy ending as the rogue usually ends up exploiting his (or her) mate.

Caden didn't know much about Varya besides her name and that she was one of five Wilkow sisters, but he already felt sorry for the female. Kalina and Tatiana were mated to Alphas, and Daria and Lidia to established warriors, and what all four had in common were that their mates adored them. As for Varya and this rogue, Caden had a bad feeling.

"They are mates," Talia repeated.

Damon needed a moment to process this information. How he saw this, Kalina's sister and the rogue being mates didn't change a thing. "I'm sorry for your unfortunate destiny, but the sooner you step away from each other, the less painful it will be."

Damon looked at Kalina, who was only a few steps away now with Maya by her side. "How about you get your sister out of here?"

"We can't kill him," Talia said.

Damon couldn't believe this. "What?"

"Look at them," Talia said.

Varya was holding onto the rogue, and he was trying to push her to stand behind him. When that didn't work, he turned his back to Talia and Damon, blocking Varya from their view.

"He is a rogue!" Damon said, believing that this explained how that guy shouldn't be left alive. "Do you know how much trouble they are causing? Do you know how many people they harmed? Just tonight, at least a dozen warriors perished! Lulu is dead!"

Varya's eyes filled with tears. Her heart ached, it really did, but how could she choose between what's right and her other half? Her wolf howled and scratched to come out at the thought of Varya abandoning this orange-infused man.

"Then kill me with him," Varya said.

"Don't harm her! I never killed a person," the rogue said. "I am a messenger, a scout. I'm…"

"Stop talking," Talia said. "If you say too much, if you even think about betraying your leader, you might burst into flames."

The rogue wondered if he heard this right. Were they giving up on killing him, or was the leader-lady with silvery eyes saying that only so his mate doesn't get hurt? He tightened his hold on Varya, just in case.

"Don't try to separate us. If he goes to the dungeon, I will go with him." Varya said in a shaky voice.

Kalina couldn't believe this. She heard plenty of stories about rogues to know that they were trouble. "Let go of my sister, you… you… animal!"

"I'm holding onto him as well," Varya protested.

"Do you know him from before?" Kalina asked.

Varya looked into the rogue's eyes. "My soul knows him. That's enough."

The scene of Varya defending him fiercely made him forget that just a few seconds ago, four people were set on killing him. She was his mate, and she smelled of peanut butter, the one he had loved to eat since he was a child. His favorite part was licking the jar clean, and he knew that he loved her already.

Caden raised his hands toward Varya, palms up, to get her attention. "Varya, I know things in Europe are different, and you didn't grow up in a pack. But rogues are dangerous. They will steal and kill without blinking."

"I can tell he is not dangerous," Varya said stubbornly. How could he be dangerous? He was her other half, and his eyes were full of wonder and affection even though he didn't know her name. "I am Varya."

"Varya." He repeated. "I am Grady."

"Grady," she said dreamily while tracing with her finger his jaw that was covered in a few days old stubble. "It suits you."

Kalina was unsure what to think of the scene in front of her, and she was not the only one.

Varya and Grady stared at each other, they were mates who found their other half, which should be a good thing, but this was different.

"No kissing!" Kalina exclaimed, making Varya and Grady look her way. "If you truly care about my sister, you will control your urge to kiss her, mark her, or mate her until we clarify your status."

Grady nodded right away, and only then Kalina realized that his so-called tight clothes were just bodypaint. He was naked!

"Put some clothes on! And stop clinging to my sister! Scoundrel!" Kalina hissed, releasing some of her Alpha aura that made both Varya and Grady take a step back from Kalina.

Talia smiled sadly at the scene because even when faced with Kalina's Alpha pressure, Grady was quick to stand in front of Varya protectively. Somehow, it told Talia that things were not all bad as there was some good in the world.

 

Chapter 783: Things were not all bad (2)

Damon looked at Talia and asked through their mind-link, 'What do you want to do with the rogue? What if he killed our people? Do you want me to handle him?'

Talia was not sure what was the right thing to do. She was aware that her emotions were unstable. So many things happened, and until Varya jumped on Grady, Talia actually wanted to kill him. What was wrong with her? Did the darkness creep into her heart again, or was it the harsh reality?

Whichever it was, Talia knew that if she made a rash decision, she would regret it.

'Let's think about this,' Talia said. 'We can't kill him without evidence, not with Varya being his mate. If he is not one of the bad guys, he will help us out.'

'What if he backstabs us?'

'Then, we will kill him.'

Damon cocked an eyebrow at Talia. He sensed that her hostility was fizzling down, and he was not sure if that was a good thing or not.

Adrenaline helped Talia move after what happened to Lulu, but now that Talia was calming down, Damon was watching her and wondering if she will collapse due to heartache.

Kalina's rant at Varya and her newly-found mate broke the grim atmosphere filled with death that suffocated them, and Talia could breathe easier.

Damon spoke to his Betas, "Caden, can you get some clothes for him? The two of you will escort them to the packhouse and keep an eye on him until Alpha Maddox decides how to handle him."

"What about the self-combusting thing?" Maya asked. She had no problems escorting a rogue, but she was uncomfortable with the idea of him becoming a man-torch and possibly harming people around him.

Talia was thinking about it since she realized that the body paint on rogues was enchanted. "Call Cornelia to check on him. She might be able to remove it. Also, if I'm right that it's due to the paint, a shower might wash it away."

Maya thought about how it made sense, but... wasn't that a too simple solution? Can evil spells be washed away with water?

"Keith and Caleb will take care of Lulu," Damon said to Talia. "We should also go to the packhouse."

Talia really wanted to go to the packhouse, but… "We can't go. We need to help Max and his men find jamming devices. Until Max's warriors can communicate properly, we are all in danger."

Damon agreed with this, but he had a condition, "We are doing it together. No separating."

He was still angry because Talia didn't listen. Why couldn't she stay put in the packhouse?

Sure, she is powerful, and she found these jamming devices, and thanks to a strange twist in events, even Varya found her mate, a rogue that might be a significant asset if he agrees to cooperate. But none of those would be worth a squat if Talia was hurt... or worse. And he knew that the scar of Lulu's death will take forever to heal. His kitten had her brave face on, but Damon could feel she was on the verge of cracking.

"You can't comb this forest on your own," Kalina said. "Tony is with Max. Tell me what you need, and I will send them a message."

"First, inform him about these devices.", Talia said. "They are obstructing the mind-link and Alpha's aura. We found one hidden among the roots of…" Talia's breath hitched at the mental image of her and Lulu bickering about who will flip the switch. It felt like just a minute ago, Lulu was right there, closing her eyes in panic while bracing herself for an explosion that never came.

"It will be alright," Damon spoke softly while pulling Talia into his embrace, guessing that Talia was breaking down again because of Lulu.

She buried her face into his chest. "Does the pain go away?"

"No," he said. "But you learn to accept it as your new normal. Think of your memories as a way of honoring the ones who died."

Damon's heart ached as Talia sobbed into his chest. He told himself that it was all part of the process she had to go through. Bad things happen to good people, and there was nothing they could do about it.

After an unknown measure of time, Talia peeled herself from Damon. She glanced embarrassingly to see that Maya, Caden, Kalina, Varya, and Grady were there, all pretending to not notice her meltdown.

Talia wiped her cheeks with the back of her palm.

She frowned at the wet patch of tears and snot on Damon's t-shirt, and somehow… it reminded her of an evening next to the lake, where she ruined his designer's shirt, and he forced her to touch his chest, and then they watched fireworks. That memory felt like it was from ages ago as so many things have happened since then.

At that time, Talia was shy around Damon, reluctant to get closer, yet now she needed him more than air. He was her home.

"You need another t-shirt," she said.

"I will keep this one. Like this, parts of you will always be with me."

"How about you get another t-shirt, and I stay with you?"

Caden was already passing a t-shirt to Damon, but Damon didn't take it.

Damon was focused on Talia. "Do you promise to not leave my side?"

"Don't make it sound like this separation was my fault," Talia grumbled. "You were the one running out to fight rogues, and you told me to stay inside."

Damon knew that he was at fault here, but… "I did it for your safety."

This reminded Talia of one thing she didn't tell Damon. She was not sure how others will react, so she spoke through their mind-link. 'They were here for me, Damon.'

Damon felt his hair rising. 'What?'

'They didn't know me as Alpha Natalia. They addressed me as your Luna. Someone from the Dark Howlers pack told them that you left for this event with your Luna, and that's how they knew I will be here.'

Damon needed a moment to calm down. 'Kitten. This is important. Why didn't you tell me this right away?'

Talia didn't want to argue. 'If you are like this, next time, I won't tell you.'

Damon couldn't believe this. 'Next time?' But he also knew she was right. 'I'm sorry, kitten. It's just… I am worried about your safety. Next time, we won't separate. If I go hunting rogues, you are coming with me.'

'Alright,' Talia said and continued speaking normally for everyone to hear. "Take the t-shirt Caden is giving you, and we can start searching for those devices. If my hunch is correct, most of them will be close to the packhouse."

Damon frowned in disapproval. "You want us to go through this forest randomly?"

Talia paused. She knew that was not feasible. "We don't need to. We can circle the packhouse and fish out a few devices to show them to Max's warriors. Once they see what those devices look like, they can spread out to search for them. If their mind-link doesn't work, that will mean they are nearby…"

…

Chapter 784: A pregnant Luna

In the packhouse…

Tatiana had her hands full with sorting through reports about damage and casualties.

The pack hospital was getting filled quickly. In order to handle an unprecedented number of injured, the doctors set up a tent outside to triage patients and do first-aid before deciding if they could be sent home or if they needed to stay in the pack hospital. Cornelia went there with Ivy and Lily to help with patients, and Meg stayed by Tatiana's side to help her with administrative work.

It was busy, and the hardest part was when they needed to take a note of another life lost. The number of fatalities reached seventeen.

Tatiana was exhausted and overwhelmed. She took a sip of now cold coffee and waved to a nearby Omega to bring her another.

"Should you be drinking coffee?" Meg asked Tatiana.

Tatiana puffed her cheeks in frustration. She loved coffee. But now she was pregnant, and she needed to eat (and drink) healthy things.

"Make it herbal tea. Something refreshing.", Tatiana said to the Omega, and then she turned to Meg. "Happy?"

"I will be when you mind-link that woman to make two of those."

Tatiana did as Meg asked, and then she looked around the living room. People were coming in and out, talking in hushed voices. The solemn atmosphere and grim expressions were obvious signs of how serious their situation was.

Tatiana's eyes moved to the papers scattered on the low table in front of her. How did things fall apart so quickly?

They were planning her wedding. It was supposed to be elegant and glamorous, something that future generations will talk about, and they will, but for the wrong reasons.

No one will remember the previous night as the one where Alpha Maddox and Luna Tatiana had a fantastic ceremony. This will be the day of mourning, the day when many perished. Seventeen good people were gone, and Tatiana feared that every next report might increase that number.

The unexpectedly large number of rogues they found within their territory was evidence that someone leaked not only the latest information about their patrols but also helped rogues pick the right spots to hide. That could be done only by someone from the Blue River pack. A traitor.

Tatiana could sense Maddox's anger and anguish mixing, and she was unsure how to help him. He was out there with warriors, ensuring that no rogues were left lingering, but no matter how much they combed the forest, there were always spots left unchecked. Damn it!

Maya and Kalina entered the living room that was filled with people, and Tatiana was in the middle of it all.

"We need a place to store Lulu's body until we can take her home," Maya said to Tatiana right away. "Somewhere cold. With water would be best, so that we can wash her. We don't want her father to see her like that."

Tatiana's heart ached. How much bad news one night can produce?

Tatiana had difficulty believing how that same night, Lulu was in this living room, munching on grapes and enthusiastically escorting Talia, yet now Tatiana needed to find a place for her body.

"I am sorry for your loss," Tatiana said, and Maya nodded in acknowledgment.

"Take her to the basement. An Omega will show you which room you can use."

"Thank you, Tanya," Maya responded, and the fact that she didn't move meant there was more.

"Anything else?" Tatiana asked Maya.

"I don't see Cornelia here."

"She is at the pack hospital, helping."

"Can you send a message that she should come here? There is a situation that only she can handle," Maya said cryptically.

Tatiana's eyes lost focus for a moment, and then she said, "Someone will tell her to come as soon as she can."

Maya thanked Tatiana and left.

"Tanya?" Kalina called.

Before Kalina could say anything, Tatiana was talking.

"You can help me with these." Tatiana gestured at one stack of papers that one Omega had brought in. "Count injured, see if any are dead, take note if repairs or supplies are needed, and let me know if anything stands out."

Seeing that Kalina didn't move, Tatiana looked at her impatiently.

"Did you come to look at me or to help?"

"Neither."

Tatiana couldn't believe this. The correct answer would be to help! "Why are you here then?"

Kalina was trying to figure out how to say this, but there was no point in sugarcoating it, so she decided to say it outright.

"Varya found her mate," Kalina said, and she pressed her lips into a line while bracing for impact.

Tatiana's eyes widened in surprise. That's fantastic news! But why did Kalina's mood seem off? And why did she say it softly so that others don't hear? Tatiana thought of one possibility, "Is he injured?"

"No."

"Then? Is there something wrong with him?"

"You could say that," Kalina said. "He is not affiliated with any pack."

Tatiana was stressed and exhausted, and she hated that Kalina spoke in riddles. What was that supposed to mean? Was he one of their kind? Their parents always said how only special werewolves could live like them: as individuals, without a pack link, and without their wolves going feral. The Wilkow parents spoke about it like it was a big deal, and Kalina should be happy if Varya's mate was one of them. Or was he human?

"Can you stop beating around the bush?" Tatiana asked impatiently. "Just tell me what's the deal with him."

"A rogue."

Tatiana's mouth hung open. "Sorry. It's been a long night. For a moment, I thought you said how he is a rogue."

"That's what I said."

"Is he alive?"

Kalina confirmed. "He was captured by the group from the Dark Howlers pack. Varya said that if we kill him, we need to kill her as well."

Tatiana was sure that the room was spinning. "Where is she? I want to talk to her!"

"Caden is watching them outside on the driveway. We are still not sure where to take them."

"Them? THEM?" Tatiana's temper was rising. "Who is THEM!?"

All Omegas in the room covered under the wave of Tatiana's aura. It was obvious that their Luna was angry.

Kalina raised her hands, palms up, indicating to Tatiana to calm down. "Them. Them. Didn't I tell you that Varya found her mate? They are together. His name is Grady."

Kalina wanted to say how he seemed to be a good guy, but the truth was that Kalina didn't believe in that herself. And how can she vouch for a man who came with the same group which caused all this mess?

Kalina saw fights and injuries, but this was different. People died. Until a few minutes ago, she was escorting Lulu's body. That was Lulu, a female she knew, a warrior with a promising future, Talia's personal guard, about the same age as Kalina… but it was all gone now. A life was gone.

Kalina had no idea how Tatiana was holding on, but she knew that if this happened in the Lightclaw pack, she would feel responsible for every injury and death. That was a weight too heavy for anyone to carry. And Kalina could guess that Tatiana hated rogues specifically.

"Grady," Tatiana said with disgust. "Now they have names, do they?"

Tatiana stood up abruptly and walked out in large strides.

Kalina was quick to follow after her sister.

What will Tatiana do? Kalina was unsure, but Tatiana always had a temper, and now she was also under the influence of pregnancy hormones. Kalina had a good guess that Grady should brace for impact and Varya should get ready to defend her bond.

Chapter 785: Venting anger

Grady and Varya were sitting on the elevated edge that was separating the driveway from the lawn. They held hands and stared at each other.

Varya had so many questions, but she didn't feel like asking because Caden was right there, behind them.

Grady's eyes were darting all over Varya's petite face, lingering on her inviting lips he wanted to claim, but he held back. Not because of Caden, but because of Varya.

From everyone's attitude, Grady understood that people were looking down on him. He grew up with his mother, away from this world of werewolves, and when he bumped into Tristan and his group, no one told him that being a rogue was a bad thing.

They said they were free spirits, able to make their decisions and live on their own terms, and Grady thought how that sounded nice. As a bonus, for the first time in his life, he didn't need to hide when shifting into his wolf form, and there were many others just like him.

For the first time, he felt like he belonged somewhere.

But even with that, there were confinements he didn't like. The primary issues were that amenities in their small settlement were lacking and they had to be extra careful when venturing outside.

Tristan personally taught him to conceal his presence, and he had to be more vigilant than when he lived among humans.

When Grady asked why they were hiding like thieves if they did nothing wrong, Tristan told him that some of their kind live in packs and that unaffiliated werewolves like them were jeopardizing that hierarchy because youngsters from packs looked up to them. At that time, Grady believed Tristan, and now that he saw everyone looking at him like he was dirty, Grady's belief in that firmed.

If not for Varya, Grady would find a way to leave this wretched place.

But she was there, holding his hand, and the electrifying sparks told him that this was his home. With Varya.

Both Grady and Varya jolted when a fierce aura reached them.

"Sister!" Varya called Tatiana first. "Let me introduce you to…"

A low growl escaped Tatiana's lips, and Varya moved to stand in front of Grady.

"He is my mate. You can't…"

"This is my territory," Tatiana cut off Varya. "No one will tell me what I can and can't do here."

Caden swiftly moved to stand between the couple and angry Luna. "Calm down, Luna Tatiana. My Alpha and Luna sent him here. He can be of help."

Tatiana frowned. "What can a scum like him help?"

"He has information. But he can't disclose it now because of something they did…" Caden explained about body paint and bursting into flames and that Cornelia might be able to help.

"Stay away from him!" Tatiana hissed at Varya and then turned to Caden. "If body paint is the problem, why don't we wash it off? I'm sure we have a pressure washer nearby. Or how about we peel his skin off?"

"Tanya!" Varya called pleadingly.

"What!?" Tatiana snapped. "I heard you. He is your mate. But that doesn't change the fact he is a rogue. Do you know how many people we lost last night? We have casualties among guests, people in shelters, and our people. Warriors who were born and raised here, our people. I felt them, Varya. I felt when their lives were extinguished. It was like a part of me died, and it was all his fault!"

"He didn't kill anyone!" Varya shouted at Tatiana.

"His hands have no blood on them, and that makes it OK? Would his hands still be clean if he was caught later? If he meant no harm, why did he come here? Do you think that only by killing he could harm us? That rogue you call mate came here with people who killed MY people. My schedule is filled with joyful activities to entertain high-ranking members of other packs, but instead, I need to visit a dozen families and tell them that their sons and daughters died. Do you think that anyone will feel better because they died honorably, protecting this pack? There wouldn't be any need to protect the pack if they didn't come here! Gods! I would kill him myself if that would bring any of those innocent souls back. I would kill him right now if that would soothe wounds my pack suffered."

Tatiana jolted when Kalina's hand landed on her shoulder.

"Are you done venting your anger?" Kalina asked.

Tatiana glared at Kalina. "You tell me."

"We are all tired. Max and Tony are on their way back, and I suggest we take a quick break, shower, and eat. Let Omegas work on reports while you get a breather. You are pregnant now, and you need to take care of that baby."

…

When James returned, he saw Cornelia in front of the packhouse. She was squatting and collecting with cotton swabs samples of Grady's body paint.

James didn't like that Cornelia was so close to another guy, and he was on the verge of shifting and tearing that guy into pieces, but then he realized that other people were present. Maya, Caden, and Kalina were watching what Cornelia was doing, and a few warriors were standing nearby in attention, obviously keeping an eye on Grady.

James scrunched his nose. Why did he smell a rogue?

"After you wash up, we will see what's next," Cornelia said to Grady.

Before James reached her, Cornelia whipped her head in his direction, and her eyes scanned his exhausted form anxiously.

Dropping the samples in Maya's hands, Cornelia dashed toward James, and he welcomed her eagerly into his embrace.

"I was worried," she spoke into his shoulder.

"It's all fine now, Cora," he responded.

She nodded. It was not fine, but it was much better because they were together.

Two seconds later, Cornelia's body stiffened as she remembered, "What if your father is watching?"

James had no intention of letting her go. He needed her presence more than air, but he also needed a justification for their public display of affection. It took him a second to come up with something.

"My father knows we spent the night together. I left a great impression by satisfying you repeatedly, and it's normal that you are concerned about me."

Cornelia couldn't believe that he was using this as a chance to boost his ego, but she didn't want to bicker. "Is kiss acceptable?"

"Cora, Cora. Kiss is a necessity."

Their lips met in an urgent kiss that lasted much shorter than they wanted.

"You should shower," Cornelia said. He was wearing clothes that didn't fit him well, there were traces of mud and dried blood on him, but Cornelia craved privacy with her mate.

While James was away, Cornelia was worried sick. That's why she went to the pack hospital to help. She wanted to keep busy and ensure that if James was injured, she would be there to tend to him.

The time in the pack hospital felt like forever, every new patient made her stomach tighten at the thought that it might be James, and then she felt guilty because of the happiness when she realized how that bloodied warrior was not James. The whole night was an emotional rollercoaster, and she wanted just to snuggle with James behind closed doors and never come out.

"I will shower," James said to Cornelia before adding, "But only if you are coming."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Breakfast starts in five minutes!" Kalina shouted after them. "Food will be waiting for the next two hours! You have an option to ask for food in your room!"

 

Chapter 786: A gloomy breakfast

Nora spent the night in one of the side houses, and she had no idea why the whole packhouse was busy so early in the morning. She thought about sneaking in before breakfast or at least making it low-key, but she underestimated how early these people woke up.

"Did something happen?" Nora asked one Omega.

"We had a minor incident, but nothing that should concern you," Omega responded as Luna Tatiana instructed.

They still didn't know the extent of damage and casualties, and until they prepared an official statement, the story for guests was that nothing major happened.

The Blue River pack returned to their regular routine as people were emerging from shelters. On the outside, things looked normal, and only the warriors who were in the middle of it knew how bad it was.

There was one soul that suffered a heavy blow. Jane couldn't stop sobbing, no matter how much Mindy comforted her. Only after Gideon fired up the calming incense did Jane fall asleep.

Beta Oliver returned, and he immediately relieved Maya and Caden from the burden of watching over Grady.

Warriors escorted Grady to the shared bathroom that soldiers used. It was a big space with dozens of showerheads, so Grady could clean up while being watched. Of course, Varya followed Grady. She didn't want to leave him out of sight, fearing someone might attack him just because he was a rogue.

Varya didn't get it. She was also a wolf without a pack. Would they look down on her also if her sister was not the Luna here?

Varya grew up in a diverse environment, with more humans than werewolves, and she learned to judge everyone by how they treated her. Based on that criteria, Grady was definitely a good guy. Why can't they leave them alone?

Damon and Talia worked with a few smaller units of warriors to identify the cube-shaped devices. After finding a few, Damon suggested they return to the packhouse, but Talia wanted to keep going.

"You won't achieve anything if you work yourself into collapsing, kitten," Damon said. He knew that she was staying busy so that she didn't think about Lulu's death. "You didn't sleep the whole night."

"You didn't sleep either," Talia retorted. "And neither did these warriors. I'm just doing what I can."

"You should listen to me when I say that doing this is only postponing the inevitable. We have a lot to do and some things only we can do, and this is not one of them."

Talia gave in grudgingly. Staying distracted was not working anyway. Whenever she saw a cube-shaped device, Lulu's face resurfaced in Talia's memory, and Talia's heart ached. It wouldn't hurt that badly if Lulu didn't die while protecting Talia, and it would hurt even less if Talia didn't suspect Lulu of being a traitor. Talia believed she wronged Lulu, and it was too late to say sorry and fix things.

Breakfast was gloomy.

People who knew what happened last night didn't want to talk about it. There was a danger that casualties from last night could be labeled as Maddox's and Tatiana's incompetence, so no relevant information left their inner circle, especially because they had press members in attendance.

Talia was unsure if she wanted to reveal that she was marked, but she had no intention of applying makeup, so she tied a silk scarf around her neck.

Damon was wearing a polo t-shirt, and he lifted the collar. It made him look cool, and it also concealed Talia's mark there.

They were all sitting in the same positions as they did for dinner on the previous night, with the difference that about one-half of the seats were empty.

Even with that, there were more than a hundred people present, and guests were coming to Beta Oliver to inquire about Maddox and Tatiana. Everyone hoped to hear from Alpha and Luna of the Blue River pack about last night's disturbance.

After the third group came to Beta Oliver, he went to the stage and took the microphone.

"I would ask for your attention, please," Beta Oliver said. "Last night, we had an intrusion of rogues into our territory that caused everyone inconvenience. Reports are still coming in, and once we know the details, we will share them with you. Until then, we can assure you that the situation is resolved. We will proceed with our schedule for today as planned, with the difference that our Alpha and Luna might be absent for some time while they catch up on their sleep. Thank you for your understanding."

Of course, Maddox and Tatiana were not resting. They were working from their room while having their meal there because they knew that people would disturb them. After last night's events, Maddox and Tatiana didn't have the capacity to smile and entertain their guests, and they had many things to handle. Guests will need to wait.

"I don't see James and Cornelia here," Talia said.

"They asked for food to be delivered to their room," Maya responded. "After they are done, Cornelia will see Grady to deal with his fiery problem."

"I want to be there also," Talia demanded.

Maya glanced nervously at Damon, who was frowning in disapproval.

"I thought you would rest," Damon said to Talia.

"Can you rest in these circumstances?"

When Damon didn't respond, Talia turned to Maya. "What happened to Lulu?"

Maya lowered her gaze. "We found her a good place for now and cleaned her."

Talia turned to Damon. "I know we said we will stay for three days, but…"

"We can return whenever you want," Damon said.

Talia was grateful for his understanding. She wanted to return to the Dark Howlers pack with Lulu and talk to her father in person, but first… "As soon as we figure out things with Grady and hear what he has to say, we can go."

…

In the room on the second floor…

James absentmindedly fed Cornelia.

"You should eat also," she said while offering him a forkful of scrambled eggs. When he opened his mouth to accept her offerings, Cornelia asked, "Will you tell me what's going on?"

He was unusually quiet and clingy. They were sitting on the sofa next to each other, connected at the hips. Any closer and she would sit on his lap.

James shook his head. "It's been a long night." His arm snaked around her shoulders, and he pulled her to lean on him. "I'm glad you are here."

Cornelia exhaled helplessly. She couldn't do anything if he was unwilling to talk.

A knock on the door disturbed the silence, and James opened the door to see Maddox.

"Alpha Maddox, what brings you here?" James asked.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I have a question," Maddox said and gestured toward the room, indicating that they should talk inside.

Maddox closed the door behind him. "This is about… you know who. Do you have instructions on how to deal with her body?"

James didn't expect that. "Do whatever you normally do."

"We normally bury them in our cemetery unless they previously expressed a desire for a different location or to be cremated, in which case we will try to fulfill their final wishes. I thought, considering her identity…"

James raised his hand, interrupting whatever Maddox was about to say next. "The Red Moon pack was never her home. If you want to ask about any special requests, I suggest you ask that female child who was crying over her."

Maddox nodded in understanding. "I apologize for interrupting and… I'm sorry for your loss."

With that, Maddox left the room.

 

Chapter 787: Not a monster [Bonus chapter]

James returned to sit next to Cornelia on the sofa, and he absentmindedly poked a piece of sausage with a fork.

His hand froze mid-air when Cornelia asked, "Someone from your pack died?"

James released a long breath. He really didn't want to talk about it, but Cornelia overheard what Maddox said. He couldn't pretend like it was nothing. "My sister. She died last night."

Cornelia's eyes widened in slow motion when she understood that Maddox was talking about Marcy. Cornelia saw Marcy in the Dark Howlers pack. At that time, Marcy made a statement to a reporter in front of a camera about how she was giving up on the role of Damon's Luna so that she can travel the world.

Cornelia was confident that she will never hear about Marcy again, and it didn't cross her mind that Marcy will be here. Dead now.

"I went there last night," James spoke in a low voice. "I was hoping that she will be in the shelter, or maybe that she left this pack. But I found her in the forest, being beaten to death by rogues. There was a girl crying, yet I felt nothing. My biggest concern was to avoid exposure. If my father found out that Marcy was here, I would be in trouble. Alpha Damon and Alpha Maddox would also be blamed. I didn't care about Marcy."

Cornelia hugged him from the side. "I'm so sorry."

James snorted. "Why are you sorry? Didn't you hear what I said? I felt nothing. The female I considered to be my sister died, and I felt nothing. I am a monster."

Cornelia moved to look into his blue eyes which were like endless oceans as they reflected his internal struggle.

"Monsters don't feel, Jay. You are capable of love and care and anxiousness, and so many other emotions. I know. You are not a monster. You are just… broken."

James fisted her shirt, his fingers dug into the fabric, nearly ripping it but he didn't notice because he was staring into her dark brown eyes full of love as her words echoed in his mind.

"I am not a monster," he repeated.

"That is correct," Cornelia confirmed. "I know you are not a monster because you are my soulmate. You were forced to hide everything deep inside, so your father won't find it and use it against you. You hid your emotions so well that you couldn't recognize them anymore. I know you are scared. You are scared to look into the person your father molded, but I can tell you that I'm looking at him and he is not a monster. I am here for you and I'm not going anywhere. I won't force you to open up to me, but I hope that one day you will allow me to share your everything, pain included."

Cornelia raised her hands and wiped the moisture off his cheeks.

"See? I am right. Monsters don't cry. Monsters don't fear disappointing their other half. Your father broke you, but I know that my sweet Jay will feed me and put my needs first. My Jay will do everything he can to keep me safe, and he will rather harm himself than do something I might dislike. I love you, Jay. Together, we will get through everything."

James' shoulders shook and then he pulled her into him, and he sobbed silently.

Cornelia hugged him with all her might and patted his back. No matter how smart and how tall and how mature he was, in the end, he was still a sixteen years-old boy who was dealing with a lot.

His father was a horrible person, his mother didn't care, and he just saw his sister dying. He was surviving every day while fearing that his father will oust him due to the lack of Alpha aura, and there was also the point that James believed he was not strong enough to protect Cornelia, his mate. That was a lot of challenges for anyone to bear, and James was just one person.

At that moment, he looked like a fragile boy and Cornelia held him and let him cry it out because she knew that he needed it.

Part of her was glad that James broke down like that. He opened up and allowed her to see his vulnerable side. She knew that no one got to see that, and it made it special.

…

Later that afternoon…

Maddox led the group to an isolated stone building.

By his side was Tatiana, and behind them were Damon, Talia, Caden, Maya, Kalina, and Tony.

When they entered the room, they found Grady, Varya, Cornelia, and James.

Cornelia drew a circle with chalk on the stone floor.

Cornelia confirmed that Grady removed most of the unnatural energies by washing the body paint from his body, and she performed a few spells to extract the rest.

Cornelia said that she will need to investigate the collected samples to confirm how the bodypaint actually worked.

James ensured that no one could see his chocolate-colored Goddess doing her magic, so guards and Varya had to stay outside, but unfortunately… Grady saw it. Cornelia was performing the spells on him, so Grady was necessary.

James was set on killing Grady at the smallest sign of betrayal. Actually, he might kill the guy just in case he reveals later how special Cornelia was.

Grady was overwhelmed by the hostility that was tangible. What the heck? Even that teen boy looked at him like he couldn't wait to end him.

No matter how Grady saw this, he disliked packs and whatever structure they were following. No one asked him his name, nor occupation; that one word "rogue" labeled him as a black sheep and it seemed that no amount of good deeds will help him appear clean. Maybe Tristan was right after all.

Grady's instincts told him that he was lucky to be alive. Somehow, the scout and observe mission that Tristan described escalated. He saw bodies of rogues being carried, and he recognized some.

For now, Grady decided to observe and cooperate. His priority was to survive, and he will find his exit later. Hopefully, with Varya by his side.

"The circle on the ground is to contain the flames, in case he spontaneously combusts," Cornelia explained when she finished.

They all stood facing Grady, and Kalina had to drag Varya away from the guy.

Seven more rogues were caught alive, currently held in the dungeon, but Maddox didn't think they will give him any useful information. Leaders of rogue groups were not Alphas, and they had no way to enforce loyalty other than with threats, money, and brainwashing how everyone was out to kill them (which was not necessarily a lie).

"Do you understand that if you talk about your rogue group, you might die?" Maddox asked.

Grady shrugged. "What are my options?" He didn't believe the burst-into-flames story. And didn't the brown chick say how the burning curse was removed?

"Will you cooperate?" Maddox asked his next question.

"Yes," Grady responded without missing a beat.

"Why should we believe you?" Damon asked.

Grady looked at Varya. "Because I want to be with my mate. I will do anything to be with her."

"Even lie?" Damon asked stiffly.

Grady was not sure how to respond to this. Would he lie? Of course, he would! But if he says that, it can backfire big time.

---

Chapter 788: Interrogation of a rogue

Grady looked at the werewolves around him and he cursed internally when he realized that the only one not looking at him with malice or disgust was Varya.

If he knew things would turn out like this, he would stay in the human town and not seek werewolves. But then… if he did that, he wouldn't be able to inhale the addictive scent of peanut butter and feel the goodness of the sparks that came with Varya's touch.

Grady didn't care about Tristan and he definitely didn't care about these people that surrounded him. The only person he cared about was the brunette he knew as Varya, and she wanted to be with him, but things got complicated and he needed to use his wits to come out of it alive and with his mate.

"How about you ask questions, and then you can decide if you will believe me or not?", Grady asked.

They all looked at Maddox who took this as his cue to start.

"Tell me about your mission. Why did you come here? When? How?"

Grady didn't delay with answering.

"A few days ago, Nick told us that we will be heading to the Blue River pack for a mission. They said it will be easy. Infiltration, scouting, nothing more than that. We heard that there will be a big party for Luna and it was not unusual for us to take advantage of people celebrating so that we can gather information. Two days back, we were preparing for departure when we received additional information. They said that we confirmed our target will be attending this event and that our mission will change slightly. There was a crate of cube-shaped devices we needed to hide. Nick said that if we are nearby one of those, Alphas won't be able to find us or harm us."

Grady looked at Talia. "We each got to see photos of the same woman. Our main mission was to bring Luna Talia to our camp. If we encounter her, we were to persuade her to come with us with the only limitation that she shouldn't be harmed. Nick showed us a map of this area and assigned us spots where we will hide. If we encounter patrols, we were to run and not cause a commotion."

As Grady spoke about Talia, people looked at her and Damon nervously, fearing that Damon will explode into violence. However, Talia and Damon were not surprised to hear that she was the target. They heard it before.

"What would you do with Talia after you get her?" Maddox asked.

"That is how much our group got to know," Grady responded honestly. "I was just a messenger. In the last few months, I collected a few packages in a human city. I would go to the address that was either a nightclub or a bar, and a package would be waiting for me. I never saw who left it there, or what was inside, and the bartender who was holding onto the package was just a human who did it for extra tips."

"Is that how you got those devices?" Maddox asked.

"As I said, I never looked inside packages. They told me to pick up whatever is there and bring it back without questions asked, and I was not allowed to look what was inside."

Maddox guessed that would be a dead end. Rogues don't have loyalty toward anyone. Whoever was pulling the strings would keep as much as possible to himself. Betrayal meant death, and most of the rogues hated packs so much that they would kill themselves when caught out of spite.

It's not that rogues were crazed fanatics out of choice, but the lack of a pack link changed them.

Wolves are social creatures, who live in packs with a strict hierarchy, and they see themselves as part of something bigger. When that is taken away from them, their wolves turn feral and they go… rogue.

Some wolves are born outside packs, and they accept individuality as normal, even though they always feel that something is lacking. However, when a werewolf is banished from a pack later in his life, the missing pack link is a hole he knows that shouldn't be there. There is a pain of rejection and the pack link breaking, and that wound festers and grows until they lose their compassion and empathy. The weak-minded ones succumb to it faster.

Banishing one from a pack is the death penalty for a werewolf.

Maddox was genuinely surprised that Grady knew that much, and he was collaborating.

Now, was he collaborating because of Varya, or because he was deceiving them, that was another thing Maddox needed to figure out.

"Who is Nick?" Maddox asked.

"That's Tristan's second in command."

"Who is Tristan?", Cornelia asked.

"It's a small-time rogue who causes us trouble occasionally," Caden responded.

"Are you saying that rogues we met last night belong to Tristan's group?" Maya asked. "There were hundreds of them."

Grady shook his head. "No, no. Tristan said that many groups came together for this. Some had a task to attack storages, some were to distract the patrols, and our group had Luna Talia as the target."

Talia thought of asking one thing that was bothering her from last night. "How did you know Luna Talia will attend this event?"

"We got information that Alpha Damon left with his Luna," Grady responded.

"From?" Talia continued probing.

Grady's brows came together. "I already told you all that I know, but I can tell you the rumor that's circulating."

Damon waved at Grady, indicating to keep talking.

"There is a woman by Tristan's side. I believe she is his mate. I'm not sure what her name is. The word is that she has access to confidential information from the Dark Howlers pack."

Maddox frowned. That was so vague. "Is that the rumor?"

"No. Those are facts. The rumor is that she grew up in the packhouse of the Dark Howlers pack and is very close to their Alpha. Her mother still works there or something like that, and that's how Tristan found out that Luna Talia left the packhouse. There was also something related to her telling Tristan about a scent-concealing potion and where it was made."

"Scent-concealing?" James asked. "Is that what you used last night?"

Grady nodded. "Tristan sent a group to the Dark Howlers pack and they got their hands on how to make it. I don't know if they bribed someone, stole it, or..."

Grady's voice trailed when he noticed that Talia, Damon, Maya, and Caden were staring at him like he was growing a second head. Or did he burst into flames? Grady quickly looked down to check himself. No, everything was normal.

"Did I say something wrong?" Grady asked apprehensively.

"You say you don't know the woman's name," Maya said. "Did you see her? What does she look like?"

"I caught a glimpse of her once. Dark brown hair, or maybe black." He gestured just below his shoulder level. "Not very tall, nor curvaceous, but not skinny either. I wouldn't say she stands out in any way, other than having Tristan's mark on her neck."

"Could you draw her?" Maya asked, desperately hoping that it was not Lisa.

Grady made a face. "My drawing skills are horrible. The female will look no better than a stick figure. If you have a picture, I can identify her."

Unfortunately, no one had Lisa's photo handy, but considering the information Grady told them, they all suspected that Tristan's mysterious mate was Lisa. Now what?

 

Chapter 789: Accepting a rogue

"Did we ever confirm who is Lisa's mate?" Caden's question broke the silence.

Maya shook her head. "I will ask Steph."

"Be careful what you say," Damon warned Maya as his insides churned at the possibility of… "We don't know if Steph is the one who leaked information."

"You don't think that she would…"

Damon raised his hand, interrupting Maya. "I don't think anything. But this sounds like Lisa, and she got the information somehow. Only a few people in the pack knew that Talia came with me, so the list of suspects who would put my Luna in danger is not long. And about the potion..." Damon jabbed his hand into his hair. He heard there was a breach in one of their labs, but nothing was missing, so they assumed it was warriors pranking each other. But now it seems rogues stole the formula.

At this point, Damon was fairly certain that Lisa got information from Stephanie. No one else was in contact with Lisa, how much he knew. Stephanie was either part of this, or she disclosed sensitive information without knowing that Lisa would give it to rogues so they could cause this mess.

Going after Lisa was one thing, but how could he go after Stephanie? She had been like his mother for the last decade, and Damon couldn't see himself pointing fingers at the woman who supported him when everyone else was confident he would fail.

Talia looked at Damon, feeling his anger and confusion. She knew that his emotions were amplified by the memory of his parents dying because someone from their inner circle betrayed them.

And this was about him and his people targeting his mate. How could be OK with that?

Maya and Caden were aware that Lisa could do petty things, but betrayal? That was a new low.

Damon punished Lisa lightly for what she did because of their history and because of Stephanie. Instead of appreciating what Damon did, it turned out that Lisa backstabbed him.

This was not just about Lisa being jealous of Talia. It was about endangering others, Damon included. After all, if anything happened to Talia, Damon would be weakened, which meant the whole Dark Howlers pack would be in danger, and that was not a forgivable offense.

Maddox continued interrogating Grady, and Grady told them that he grew up among humans and that he joined Tristan's group only a few months back.

Other than, "I can show you where Tristan's hideouts and package pickup spots are," Grady didn't have anything else that would be usable.

Maddox ran out of questions, so they needed to decide.

"What should we do with him?" Maddox asked Tatiana.

Tatiana looked at Varya standing next to Grady and clinging to his arm, and Tatiana had no idea how to answer this.

Grady was a rogue, a part of the group that caused them so much grief and turned her luxurious wedding into a day for mourning, but there was her younger sister, pleading silently for her mate to be spared.

"We are yet to confirm if what he said was the truth," Tatiana said.

"I believe he spoke truthfully," Talia chimed in. Liseli told her that the guy was not lying. There might be a chance he was concealing things, but whatever he said was the truth.

Maddox frowned at Talia's words. If Grady lied, it would be easy to deal with him. However, if he told the truth, it meant he collaborated, and... what next? Should they just release a rogue? That wouldn't end well.

"How about we take him to the Dark Howlers pack?" Damon asked, surprising everyone. He knew that Talia wouldn't say the guy was truthful without confidence.

"What do you mean?" Varya asked Damon suspiciously.

"So far, your mate showed goodwill. Considering that he was with Tristan only for a short time, and he didn't harm anyone himself, we will give him a chance as long as he agrees to join the Dark Howlers pack."

"Join the pack?" Grady asked, unsure if he was relieved or horrified by this.

Damon confirmed. "You said that you are a scout and quick on your feet. If you join the Dark Howlers pack, we will test your abilities. If you do well, you can become a warrior."

"A warrior?" Grady echoed Damon's last words, unsure if Damon was giving him a way out or tricking him.

Talia looked at Damon questionably, and she asked him through their private mind-link, 'You will take in a rogue?'

Damon didn't think it was a big deal. 'The Dark Howlers pack takes in anyone who needs a place to stay and doesn't mean harm to the pack. I told you that when we met. Didn't I?'

He did, but… 'Why do I have a feeling you have another reason?'

'He saw you using your powers. If he joins our pack, I will have more control over him.'

Talia was still not convinced. 'Isn't he a liability?'

'It is clear that no one wants him dead, and keeping him in the dungeon is not an option either. I will have people assigned to watch over him. Becoming a warrior can be a lengthy training, and we can prolong it until he slips or convinces us in his sincerity.'

Talia realized that Damon's words made sense, and she admired how he could think logically in this situation. He already had a plan, and it turned her on a bit. Smart Damon was sexy. How could she lag behind him?

"My Alpha has spoken," Talia said to Varya and Grady. "If I understood correctly, neither of you lived as part of a pack before. Other than joining the Dark Howlers pack, you will need to learn about the rules we follow and accept guidance from people we assign as your counselors. Based on your abilities and interests, we expect that you will perform specific duties. Since you are a mated couple, you will get a dwelling where you can live together, and you will never go hungry. What do you say? Do you agree to this?"

"We agree!", Varya and Grady said in unison, both relieved that there was a way out for them which didn't include a dungeon or worse.

Talia was already planning to conceal Grady's identity as a rogue. Only a selected few will know in order to avoid any unnecessary complications. And there was also one more benefit.

'We can ask Grady to let us know if he recognizes anyone,' Talia spoke to Damon through their mind link. 'He worked as a messenger for rogues, and I'm sure that he saw some spies.'

Damon nodded in response. He liked that Talia was thinking about how to use this situation to their advantage.

Kalina and Tatiana looked at Talia gratefully. They wanted Varya to be happy with her mate, but they didn't know how to make it happen, considering that Grady was a rogue. However, with Talia keeping an eye on the couple, Tatiana and Kalina were confident that Varya won't be bullied. If it was Talia and Damon, they could do anything.

Sisters were also happy that all five of them would be staying in the US. What luck!

 

Chapter 790: Plans for Grady (1)

Tatiana's smile fell when she saw that Varya and Grady were about to kiss.

"What are you doing!?" Tatiana snapped. "Until you become members of the Dark Howlers pack and pledge loyalty to Alpha Damon and Luna Talia, you are not allowed to mate."

"Or kiss!" Kalina was quick to add.

Varya looked at her sisters helplessly. Why were they treating her like a baby? Kalina was younger than Varya! But she knew Grady's background was a problem, and she didn't want to make things worse.

"Alright," Varya agreed. "We will do that if you promise not to give us a hard time after it. Do we have a deal?"

Kalina and Tatiana frowned, and Varya pointed an angry finger at her sisters. "I accepted your mates without questions asked. How would you feel if I stuck my nose into your relationships? I know you are worried about me, but I am fine. I know Grady is not a bad person. You need to believe me."

Varya wrapped her arms around Grady's waist, and he was quick to put his arms around her, happy to see that his mate was fighting for them.

Varya didn't know much about Grady, but she believed in him. The scene warmed his heart.

Varya was still glaring at her sisters. "We endured a lot in the last few hours, and we agree not to get physical until we join the Dark Howlers pack. In return, I want you to at least be open-minded about this and stop treating my mate like he is the biggest villain alive. Can you do that much?"

Kalina and Tatiana nodded stiffly.

Varya grinned and tightened her hold on Grady. "Hugging is fine, right?"

Tatiana snorted. "Why ask when you are already clinging to him?"

"I am afraid that if I let go, you will harm him," Varya responded.

"We agreed to be open-minded," Kalina said. "We won't harm him unless he does something bad."

"Why are you assuming he will do anything bad? What if someone provokes him? Do you expect him to keep quiet?"

Three Wilkow sisters bickered, and everyone wondered how much louder it would get if Lidia and Daria were also present. They all had fiery personalities, and Varya held her own in front of Kalina and Tatiana even though she was not marked by an Alpha.

"When are we heading to our new pack?" Grady asked Damon and Talia. He was eager to leave this place.

"We have a few matters to settle," Damon responded. "Until then, do your best to cooperate."

Grady forced a smile while wondering, how did he end up relying on two people who wanted to kill him first? Was this April Fool's Day? Or maybe all this was one of those reality shows where people with cameras will jump out and tell him how it was all one big prank, and he will be famous. Or was it a dream? He would take anything, as long as it was not real.

Grady jolted when he felt a palm on his cheek. Varya's hand was cold and slightly sweaty, telling him she was nervous. The electrifying sparks that prickled his skin were soothing, and he wanted more of them. All over his body, if possible.

"It will be alright," Varya said. "I won't let them hurt you."

Grady had never felt so useless in his life. All this was new and overwhelming, but the oddest thing was that a petite female said she will protect him. And the ridiculous part was that it was the truth. If Varya didn't step in, he would be dead. At least once.

"Maya," Damon called. "Can you check with Gideon to see when it's convenient to do the ceremony for joining the pack? If we can wrap that up before heading back, that would be great."

Maya agreed. "I'm sure Varya and Grady will be eager to do the ceremony as soon as possible."

Maddox was grateful that Damon and Talia were taking custody of Grady, but he knew it wouldn't be simple. Grady was a rogue whose group was responsible for killing many, including a warrior from the Dark Howlers pack. How will Damon and Talia explain that to the members of their pack? What a mess!

Maddox thought that Talia and Damon would leave to talk privately, but then he heard Damon ask, "James, can we have a word?"

Maddox raised his eyebrows at the scene of Damon, Talia, James, and Cornelia walking out, and Maya and Caden observing the scene like it was a totally normal thing. Since when were they that close?

…

James had a hunch what Damon wanted to talk about. It was about Grady. James wanted to talk about him also.

The fact was that Grady saw Cornelia performing magic, and James was not comfortable with the thought that the rogue will be alive and able to talk about it. What if the rogue exposes James' chocolate-colored Goddess?

The four of them went into the packhouse and used one of the empty rooms on the first floor for their discussion.

James was pleasantly surprised that his father didn't contact him so far. It was unusual that Alpha Edward didn't request a report on the situation, but James welcomed this silence. Was it possible that Alpha Edward was aware of what was going on? James wouldn't be surprised if his father had his spies. Heck, James wouldn't be surprised if his father had something to do with last night's attack.

James sat on the sofa next to Cornelia and held her hand in his. As much as the whole night was a mess, he enjoyed this situation where he could be with Cornelia openly. His mark on her neck was concealed under a layer of makeup, but James knew it was there, hiding… just how he was hiding how important Cornelia was.

"I wanted to talk about how to handle Grady," Damon's words snapped James out of his thoughts. "He is an asset, but also a liability. I'm sure you thought of some ways where we can take him with us, and he can be useful without endangering my pack."

"How are you going to assure that he doesn't talk about what he saw here?" James asked.

"Blood oath," Damon responded right away.

"Make sure to include concealing the existence of witches."

Damon's eyes darted to Cornelia as he understood why James was asking. "Alright."

"You might want to work with Alpha Maddox to stage Grady's death before you leave."

Damon didn't get it. "His death?"

James hummed in confirmation. "Tristan is not a fool, and the fact that he was not here last night proves it. Don't underestimate him or the ability of rogues to get information. Many eyes saw that rogue sitting in front of the packhouse with a Wilkow sister clinging onto him, and that would mean only one thing… mates. What do you think Tristan will do when he finds out about it?"

Damon nodded as he understood where James was going with this. "He will look for Grady."

James raised his finger in the air that slowly fell to point at Damon as James spoke, "Tristan will look for Grady until he finds him, and then he will use him against you."