Chapter 8

My eyes stay fixed on his bulging muscles like that of a fourteenyear-old girl. I quickly snap myself out of my trance and cross my arms over my chest in response. He does not have time for my question?

The man, Ryker, leaves the office in a hurry, and I attempt to follow him out the door, but of course, it is not that easy. My mate grabs my shoulders and turns me back around, facing him. The tingles from his touch slowly spread throughout my body, instantly relaxing me.

“I don’t think so,” he says.

“I have to go make sure my grandmother is okay. At least let me check on her, make sure she is at home and safe.”

He sighs. “Alright, but you are not going alone.”

“I don’t want to take you away from your work,” I protest.

His expression softens. “Evangeline, I don’t want to risk your safety, and I cannot trust anyone else right now.”

I lightly nod, agreeing to his offer. I tighten the string of the robe, preparing for the crisp autumn weather to hit me roughly when I step outside. Following him out the door, my attention drifts as my eyes watch the tall grass by the tree line. The long blades softly sway in the breeze, making me feel as if I have entered some sort of dreamland.

I also watch my mate.

I am not sure what alphas do. All I know is that they are the leader of the pack. One of the many things prodding me in the back of the head is the title luna. She is the queen of the alpha’s king.

Will I become luna? Me, the girl that was locked in an attic, then hidden at her grandmother’s house? The girl who speaks to a person no one else can see? I do not sound like the person for the job. Not only am I clueless about alphas but lunas also, which seems obvious. How can one know about the luna and not the alpha and the other way around? “Listen, we aren’t trying to cause you any trouble.” My head turns in the direction of the voice.

Off to the right, in the direction of the building, I see three men, and one of them is Ryker. The other two look to be standing against the wall, their backs to the dull bricks.

“What’s going on over there?”

“Nothing. Now keep walking,” my mate says, though there seems to be something going on.

As I look closer and think harder, I realize that those two men must be the rogues Ryker was talking about.

My feet begin to lead me in that direction, driving me away from my grandmother’s house.

“You are not going over there.” My mate grabs my arm. “Just a minute ago you were begging to see your grandmother, so that is what we are going to do.”

“What’s happening over there?” I question while pulling my arm from his grasp. “Those are the rogues. What are they doing?” My mate says nothing but gives me a certain look.

“I want to go over there.”

“You are not going over there.”

Suddenly, I spin around and quickly walk in the direction my feet are dying to take me to. I can feel my mate behind me. Surprisingly, I notice an object in Ryker’s hand, but I cannot see it clear enough to tell what exactly it is.

“I said—” He begins, and I interrupt.

“What is he holding? Is that a…Is that a gun?” Immediately, I start to move faster. “He has a gun.” I glance back and shout at my mate, who oddly, does not seem as surprised as I am.

That man, Ryker, he is going to hurt those people. He is going to shoot them.

“You have to stop him!”

“Evangeline, stop,” my mate says harshly. “Don’t make me force you.”

His threat only makes me move faster, and soon enough, the three notice me hurrying towards them.

“I see your gun!” I yell to Ryker as I stomp accusingly up to him.

“How could you do something like this?”

He peers behind me to the alpha as if he did not hear me.

“We are leaving,” my mate tells me, not giving me any options by the tone of his voice.

Without thinking, I snatch the weapon from Ryker’s grasp and hold it to my chest.

“Evangeline, let go of the gun,” he says carefully and reaches his hand out, expecting me to give it to him.

I ignore my mate and glare at Ryker. “You were going to kill these people.”

“Yes, as my alpha ordered me to.”

My brow furrows together before I look back to him. “You ordered these people to be killed?” I ask with the gun still in my hand.

My mate suddenly steps forward, lunging for the weapon, but I move away and hold the gun up out of fear. I point the nozzle directly at his chest.

“Give me the gun.” His voice grows more tense, more unforgiving.

“You were going to kill me. You called me a rogue!”

“Why would I kill you?” He steps closer. “Why would I kill my own mate?”

My hand begins to shake. “I-I…All I want is to see my grandmother.”

“We can do that.”

“And I want these people set free. A-along with the girl that was in my cell,” I order.

I’m still pointing the gun at him. Obviously, I am not going to shoot anything, but they do not need to know that.

“I can’t do that,” he says.

I straighten my arm, emphasizing that there is indeed a gun pointing at his chest.

“I know you aren’t going to shoot me. You can’t.” His eyes gaze steadily into mine, making me clench my free hand into a fist. “Now give me the gun so you don’t hurt yourself, and we can go see your grandmother.”

“No, I want them to be free. You called me a rogue, and all I did was accidentally step on your land.”

“Yes,” one of the men against the building calls out. “We did not know this was claimed land, Alpha, or we would have stayed far away.”

My mate does not engage with the man, but instead, he attempts to grab the gun again, this time, gripping my arm, holding me in place. Knowing that if he gets it, these people will die, I do the only thing that I know will make him listen to me.

I quickly hold the gun up to my head.

My mate lets go immediately.

“Let them go,” I repeat, and this time, I see the fear in his eyes. “I’ll do it.”

“Evangeline, please. Move the gun.”

“After they are set free.”

He runs his hand through his hair. “Fine, let them go. I don’t care.

Now give me the gun.”

“And the girl in my cell.”

Ryker cuts in. “This is ridiculous, Alpha. She’s just a little girl. Let me take the gun from her.”

“I am not a—”

Ryker abruptly lunges towards me and grabs my arm holding the gun, pulling it down. The weapon almost slips from my grasp, and I fight to hang onto it. Then a shot rings in my ears.

“Evangeline!”