We walk through the trees toward the stream on the other side. "Why don't you tell your father the reason you killed her?" I ask him.
"I shouldn't have to explain myself. They want to think the worst of me let them believe it" He says and I nod. I could understand that, they jumped the gun and made assumptions.
"He is lucky he is my father or I would feed him his intestines" Ryker growls. I feel my face pale.
"You don't want that on your conscience Ryker believe me, killing your own father no matter the reason never sits well"
"You don't honestly regret killing yours?" He asks and I could tell he was curious.
"No, prick deserved it, treated my mother and I like a punching bag, but still he was good sometimes that's why it eats at you. Why it takes so long to get over, I know I did the right thing after he strangled her to death, but I still feel bad when I think or do something that reminds me of him in a goodway" I tell him. I wasn't sure that even made sense coming out.
"So you miss the good things about your father?" I nod he did understand.
"Mine was good, he never touched us, he was a great father. We just clash, he never lets me explain nor do I care to" He says.
"Alpha's aren't made to get along with other Alpha's you know that, too territorial" I tell him. He nods in agreement, there's a reason there is only one Alpha in a pack usually.
"Wonder how Chase is coping with my father living with him" Ryker says chuckling.
"From what I hear they clash constantly" I tell him also laughing. We came across the camp. The fire put out and litter spread across the grass next to the stream.
"You smell that?" Asks Ryker sniffing the air.
"What? the smell of rotting meat, bit hard to miss" I tell him only able to smell the rogue decaying scent. Ryker shakes his head.
"No!" He sniffs the air, his eyes darkening turning black and I step back when he growls.
"I know she is here somewhere," He says, confusing me.
"Who?"
"My mate," He says, his eyes scanning his surroundings.
"Isn't she dead?" I asked, confused.
"This one isn't" He says and it clicks , shit his second chance mate. A white wolf stumbles out of the trees across the stream before freezing, she is completely white she stops one paw in the air as she sniffs the air. Her eyes went wide and Ryker was frozen in place staring at her before she tucked tail and bolted through the trees the way she came. Ryker chased after her rushing past me in a blur as he darted after her giving chase. I try to keep up following him, worried for the she-wolf but also curious because she was definitely a rogue and bordering on both mine and Chases territory.
I stop nearly running into the back of Ryker, he sniffs the air we were around some caves on the side of the mountain, I couldn't pick up her scent anywhere like she managed to shield herself making me wonder if she somehow went back toward the river to cloak her scent in it.
"Fuck" Ryker says looking around.
"Where did she go?"
"No idea but damn she is fast I couldn't catch her, not even get close"
"Spose one thing rogues are good at doing is running" I tell him also scouring around.
"Yeah and cloaking her scent" He says, his eyes scanning up the rocky mountain beside us.
"Think she went into a cave?" I ask.
"No this is bear territory not even a rogue wants to take on a bear" He says.
"What do you want to do?"
"Head back, she is long gone" He says and I could see the tremble in his hands as he clenched his fists. He runs his hands through his tousled hair pushing it back from his eyes.
He chuckles lightly shaking his head.
"What?" I ask.
"She thinks she can hide from me, she will be in for a shock when I find her, I don't like having to chase what is mine" He says and a shiver runs up my spine at how cold his words were.
"You wouldn't hurt though?" I ask now petrified for the poor rogue he is determined to catch.
"No, but she doesn't know that?"
"What are you going to do if she is one of them?" I ask. It was a little odd for a rogue to be lurking so close especially given she was in the vicinity where the rogues we were hunting are.
He growls making my head snap toward him and I nearly trip over a fallen tree branch. He grips my arm before I faceplant. "Sorry" He says realising he startled me.
"Are you going to answer?" I ask and he lets go.
"She won't want to be apart of them helping she may just meet the same fate the last one did"
"What if she submits?"
"We'll see when I find her I guess. Oi and don't be telling anyone" He says and I nod before looking at him.
"You can tell Lana, I won't have you keeping secrets from your mates, I just don't want my parents knowing on the off chance I do have to kill her" He says, his brows furrowing. So much for not going to hurt her, I think to myself.
"Think the moon goddess grants third chance mates?" He asks and I could tell he was genuinely concerned now that he was going to have to kill her too.
"Be the first I heard of it, I thought you didn't want a mate?"
"I don't but it is lonely being by yourself all the time" He says and I nod knowing that feeling all too well.
"How is Lana?" He asks, changing the subject as we trudge through the trees.
"Good, she is happy Drake is back I just hope he doesn't leave again"
"She's still on her meds?" He asks.
"No hasn't been for a while" I tell him and he looks over at me.
"I keep a good eye on her, don't worry and even when I am not there I always have someone positioned near the house listening in" He nods.
"I take it my sister doesn't know that last part" He says.
"No she would kill me" I tell him and he laughs.