Chapter 8

Ashton's POV

I was sitting in my office doing some paperwork that I got behind on when my Beta, Dane, linked me. I've got two rogues cornered, he told me.

I sat up straight in my chair. Rogues had been a huge problem lately. They were forming temporary packs to take down regular packs that they had issues with. They'd just attacked one of my neighboring packs last night and it had me worried. I didn't get along with the alpha from that pack, at all, but with a pack of rogues so close, I knew they could target my pack next.

Bring them back, I ordered Dane. I needed to question them and make sure they weren't planning to target my pack next. I didn't care what I had to do, I would get answers from them. I would not put up with a threat to my pack.

Gotcha, Dane replied. They're not putting up much of a fight, should be easy to get them back and into a cell.

I smiled and turned back to the paperwork in front of me. Dane could handle the rogues and he'd let me know when he had them secure downstairs. I could focus on these financial statements from the restaurant for a little bit longer. The pack ran several businesses in Prairieville, the closest town. It helped fund us, plus most of the wolves had jobs as well. Unfortunately, I had to keep track of all the businesses that we owned and sometimes it was very time consuming.

I was happy with the paperwork in front of me though. The restaurant was doing very well, and I think I can give some of my better employees a pay raise. We had enough revenue coming in that it shouldn't be a problem. I knew the ones I wanted to reward, too. Linda, for sure. She was a dedicated worker and my best waitress, not to mention she could really use the money. She'd lost her mate to some rogues a year ago and was trying to care for their two year old daughter by herself. Sam would also be getting a pay raise. He was amazing at settling disputes of any kind and had a great work ethic. I'd have to think of a couple more later.

I sat that paperwork aside and started looking at some paperwork from the Moon Light Pack. They were requesting a couple of my pack members to help with training because the rogues were getting closer to the borders and it was making Alpha James nervous. He was worried that his younger wolves weren't ready and wanted some extra hands available for training.

I picked up the phone and called him. "Alpha James," his voice came through the line, sounding slightly distracted.

"James, it's Ashton," I told him. "I got the paperwork you sent. How many wolves were you hoping for?"

"Ashton, thank you for calling," he replied. "I was hoping you could spare three. Time is short and I want them trained as well as possible as fast as possible so I want to split them in smaller groups."

I looked over my own training schedule quickly to see who would be free for a couple weeks. "Yeah, I can spare three," I told him after some quick calculations. "I'll send them your way tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, Ashton, you're a lifesaver," James replied, sounding relieved. "I asked David, but he's got all his wolves looking for his daughter."

I sighed. Alpha David had been looking for his daughter for longer than I'd known him. I'd signed a treaty with him last year and his daughter had been missing for two. "I hate to say it, but I don't think he's ever going to find her," I said sadly.

"I know," James replied quietly. "It's a shame, too. She was a remarkable girl."

"You met her?" I asked him. I'd always been curious about David's daughter. His whole pack is somber and quiet now and I'd heard they used to be a lively, happy bunch before her disappearance.

"Oh, yeah," James replied, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "She was a real spitfire, but she cared about her pack more than anyone I've ever seen. She was taken while playing tag with some little girls in the woods at her birthday party."

I winced. Taken from her own birthday party.

"To hear it from one of the little girls," James continued, "Lisa, I think her name was, David's daughter saved all of them, losing the fight when she told the girls to run and one of the wolves knocked her out while she was distracted."

I shook my head in amazement. She seemed like an amazing girl. It's a shame that she was probably dead. "That is a shame," I replied sadly. I looked up when Dane knocked and entered. "I've gotta go, James," I told him. "I have some rogues to deal with."

James snorted. "Good luck," he said before hanging up.

"Got them downstairs?" I asked Dane.

He nodded. "Yeah. There's something about them, though. Especially the girl."

I cocked my head to the side. Dane was a good judge of character and I was interested to hear his opinion of the rogues before I questioned them. "What about the girl?"

"I don't know, Ash," he said slowly. "When she saw us, she shrank back like she was scared, but after a second she straightened up and stared me down, not at all intimidated. Then when I took them downstairs..." Dane trailed off and he seemed troubled.

"What is it, Dane?" I asked him, becoming impatient.

"She was terrified," he said. "She just froze, shaking, and the guy wrapped an arm around her and told her she was fine, that he wouldn't let anything happen to her."

I rolled my eyes. "She's a rogue, Dane. She probably knows what happens in prisons and the guy is probably her mate and just trying to calm her down."

Dane shook his head, slowly, staring into space. "I don't know, man," he said. "I just don't know."

I stared at him questioningly for a moment. He sounded crazy. I sighed. "I'm just going to go question them," I told him.

Dane nodded, standing and following me out of the room. He normally went to the questionings with me. He was excellent at telling when someone was lying and it really came in handy to have an extra pair of hands in case things got dirty.

As I walked through the living room, the delicious smell of daisies and tulips tantalized my senses. I looked around, but there was no one in the house besides us and the rogues. I shrugged it off, it was probably just someone's perfume.

I stopped at the top of the stairs as I heard voices from the cellar. I decided to eavesdrop and see what they'd say before I went down there. Dane also stopped, becoming silent and listening with me.

"...calm down," the guy told her. It sounded like she was pacing.

"I can't calm down," she replied. "They say karma's a bitch but what the hell did I do to deserve this?" I raised my eyebrows at her statement. She's a rogue; there's probably plenty she did to deserve this.

"Emma," the guy tried to intervene, but she cut him off.

"You know what, karma is screwed up and punishes the wrong people, but fate is the real bitch. Teasing us with freedom and throwing us down here again," her voice was getting higher and was starting to sound hysterical. "I can't do this again, Rick, I can't," she wailed. Do what again?

I heard shuffling and then the guy's voice. "Shh, Emma, shh," he whispered. "Everything is going to be okay. It's not going to be anything like last time, I promise. Didn't I promise you last night that I wouldn't let anyone hurt you again?"

I heard sniffling and then she replied, "Yeah, you did, but if they separate us it's going to be just like before, and there'll be nothing you can do," she told him.

"I won't let them separate us," I heard him say. His voice was angry and determined. "We will get out of this, Emma, and we will see them again." Who was them?

I heard the girl sigh and they were quiet for a moment. Then the girl came back, sounding not only strong but angry again. "I'm not doing this again, Rick," she growled, her voice deeper now, probably her wolf speaking through her. "I won't. I will not lose Emma again and I will not let her go through the past two years again."

I heard a tear and four paws hit the cement floor. I looked at Dane in shock. She'd shifted. I heard the guy growl in aggravation. "Damn it, Melanie!" he muttered. "Knock it off, you're not helping anything. Give Emma control back, now."

I heard a growl and then a huff, before the guy said, "Put on my clothes."

"Just the sweatshirt, Rick," she replied, sounding tired. "It's long enough to cover the important bits."

There was more shuffling as, I assumed, she put the sweatshirt on. "Are you okay?" the guy asked.

"I won't be okay until I'm home again, Rick," she said sadly. "I thought we were free last night and we're right back where we started." I heard them embrace and it was silent.

I nodded to Dane that we should head down. I didn't know what to make of their conversation, but I didn't think they were part of the rogue pack. And why did the name Emma sound so familiar?

The scent of daisies and tulips came back, stronger now as we walked down the stairs. I furrowed my brow, wondering what it could be. When I reached the basement, the girl and guy pulled away from each other and I saw fear flit through the girl before she pulled herself up and determination replaced her fear.

When I met her eyes, I suddenly understood what the scent that had been teasing me was. My mate. This rogue girl was my mate. My wolf, Axel, was going nuts and before I knew what I was doing, I was inside the cell. As I advanced, she backed up until I had her pressed flush against the wall.

I buried my face in her neck as she shook against me. Pulling my lips back, Axel and I prepared to mark what was ours before a hand grabbed my shoulder and threw me out of the cell.

I turned angry eyes on the male rogue who was now holding my terrified mate in his arms as she shook. "Shh, Emma, it's okay," he murmured to her, keeping his eyes on me as I stalked towards them.

When I got within arm's reach, I reached for the girl, Emma, but the guy pulled her behind him protectively. I growled dangerously, eyes flashing black as Axel came forward slightly. "Give me my mate," I ordered him.

"Not until we get a few things straight," he growled right back, pissing Axel off.

I felt Dane's hand on my shoulder and I looked over my shoulder to see him staring at the girl with compassion. She was obviously terrified, but upon closer inspection, her face was bruised and scarred, badly, and from what I could see of her legs, they were covered in bruises, cuts, scrapes and scars as well. What the hell had happened to my mate?

~~~*~~~Author's Note~~~*~~~

Merry Christmas! I hope you're all healthier than me! My parents and I are all laying around with the flu :/

Hope you enjoy the early chapter!

~Haley~