Page 110 of Rogue Games

“We can’t do that,” Jamie says off-hand, already the more responsible of the two of us.

She’s spent hours poring over every aspect of running the pack and has made it her mission to meet every single member while simultaneously joining me where needed for the Alpha Games events. I couldn’t be prouder of her.

Standing abruptly, my chair dragging along the ground, I pull the entire dining hall’s attention to me without meaning to.

Wide-eyed, Jamie looks up at me, wondering what the hell is going on.

I take the glass from her hand and set it down on the table before leaning down for a searing kiss. My pack giggles and shouts as I pull back, and Jamie smiles up at me, her cheeks pink, and her eyes clouded with lust.

When I take her hand, kissing the back of her knuckles as I pull her to her feet, her blush deepens.

“Anyone got a problem with me taking the woman I love on holiday a day early?” I yell, and Jamie’s eyes go as big as saucers.

She’s embarrassed. She wraps her fingers up in the front of my shirt and buries her face in my chest.

When they yell and cheer, I lean down and whisper in her ear, “See, they don’t care.”

Well, maybe some do, I think, looking at Callum, whose features are pinched. I can’t tell if he’s pissed off or jealous, but we’ll be having a word when I get back about his attitude. He’s been in a bad mood since the games ended.

Taking advantage of Jamie not being able to see anything, I pat my back pocket to double check that I have what I need, before waving goodbye to my pack.

They adore her. Even those that weren’t sure a rogue could adjust to pack life again have been proved wrong. She’s a better Luna because she appreciates just how special living in a pack is, and she knows how lucky we are, grateful every day for the shifters around us that we call family.

Leading her out the door, I grin when she giggles, nervous but excited that our mystery tour is starting early. This actually works out well. I have something to show her, and this way, it doesn’t eat into our alone time together.

“What are you up to?” She laughs.

I throw our bags into the trunk of the car, then we drive off into the night, crossing the bridge and leaving our pack behind. It’s the first time I’ve done that without feeling like it was a chore. This time, I’m looking forward to getting away. And especially looking forward to seeing Jamie’s reaction to my surprise.

As we drive, Jamie carefully catalogues the route, and I see her mind ticking over as familiar roads and landmarks start to pass us by.

“Dean?” Wary, she continues to watch through the windscreen as I turn off the main road onto a winding track through the forest, leading to some run-down gates, with two wolves built into the cast iron design.

“Why are we here?” As I suspected, she’s not thrilled, but I know this will be good for her. “I don’t want to go in there.”

Jamie’s heart beats faster, and she wipes her sweaty palms on her trousers. She looks at me with panic in her eyes, and I feel awful, hoping she'll be okay once she hears my reasons for bringing her back to her old pack.

“Just hear me out.”

She’s already shaking her head, and I shove down the frustration I feel. She’s scared. This place holds bad memories for her, but I need her to listen.

“You need to come in with me. I promise, it’s going to be okay.”

My words ease her tension slightly, but not enough that I can go in there yet. She stares back out at the gates ahead of us.

“It looks like it’s falling apart.”

“It is.” No love has been poured into the pack facilities for quite a while.

When I told Blake about what they did to Jamie and Wyatt, and what Callum had uncovered about the state of the pack, he went digging. What he found wasn’t great. It seems Jamie and Wyatt weren’t the only ones to receive harsh treatment from the old alpha.

And a few more phone calls confirmed my suspicions. He continued to persecute them by keeping tabs on their whereabouts and warning the local alphas about dangerous rogues camped on their territory. He made it his mission to ensure they got moved on again each time they got settled.

The petty actions of an insecure man.

“That’s why their alpha was forced to stand down.”

Jamie spins to look at me. “What?” Her voice is scarcely more than a whisper, not daring to believe it’s true.

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