Page 23 of What's Rogue Got To Do With It

We gathered what we could fit in the truck and abandoned the rest. The cabin that had been our sanctuary these past months was now a death trap. Not knowing Daniel’s habits, we had no idea how soon he’d be missed. The pack Betas could be heading here now, or if he liked to go off by himself for days, he wouldn’t be missed yet.

But Daniel didn’t appear to be a guy that enjoyed his own company. He’d needed others to prop him up, laugh at his antics, and protect him when things went sour. Him being in his fur, looking for us wasn’t consistent with who I thought he was, so his friends could be nearby.

The mate bond amplified Creven’s anxiety and coupled with my own, threatened tosend me to my knees. But I was no longer a lone wolf and I had to straighten my spine and look after my mate.

I took one last look around the cabin, memorizing details of the place where my mate saved me as he started the truck. He’dspattered mud on part of the license plates which might buy us time.

As we drove away, we agreed that if we were stopped by humans, we’d say we were seasonal workers heading toward a farming community who’d promised us work. That might satisfy a local sheriff who was bored and was hoping to fine someone for a busted tail light. But shifters? Even ones who hadn’t been notified about us would scent our status and that could lead to a heap of trouble.

We stayed on back roads that kept us away from major population centers and wound through farmland where workers bent low picking vegetables dotted the fields. I glanced at the mirrors every few minutes but the only vehicles behind us were tractors and delivery trucks.

"Tell me about Auden.” Creven merged onto a highway. "What do you know about him?”

"Not much. My father had told me he'd been born in a pack but now lives alone, by choice.” Something Father had said made me think he also helped shifters, ones like him who didn’t conform to pack hierarchy.

The landscape changed from farmland to forest as we climbed into the foothills. With the window down, I scented shifters. They were more at home close to the woods and weren’t drawn to farming. This land might have pack patrols because it wasn’t close to an urban center and strangers were rare. My wolf was on edge, sniffing and pacing inside me, asking how much longer.

We stopped for gas and while Creven filled the tank, I grabbed snacks and drinks from inside, keeping my head downand avoiding eye contact with the bored teenager behind the counter.

"Any trouble?" my mate asked as we pulled back onto the highway.

"The cashier was human. Didn't look up from his phone."

The afternoon wore on and we didn’t say much, just listened to the crackly radio. Just before dusk we passed a diner. Though we had enough food for a few days, we wanted to save that, not knowing what was ahead.

The dust-covered diner’s parking lot was full of big trucks. Again, the drivers would be mostly humans, as shifters preferred being close to their pack. But it was busy enough to provide cover. Inside, the diner reminded me of my folks' pics from the 1970s with wood paneling and vinyl booths. We chose a corner table where we could watch the entrance and the parking lot.

Night was the most dangerous time, because if any packs ran patrols it was late in the evening or in the early hours of the morning.

Creven met my eyes across the table. "If we're going to be caught, it'll be after dark.”

“We'd better not get caught.” I hoped I sounded more confident than I felt.

14

CREVEN

Our trip wasn’t exactly what most people would consider long. It wasn’t a quick trip to town, by any means, but I’d been on longer trips. I was sure my mate had, too. Still, it felt like an epic journey.

It had been so stressful that it might as well have been three years long. I was worried that around every corner, danger was at the ready. Trying to go under the radar wasn't easy on a good day. I’d already known that, but doing so when your mate’s life might be on the line by one bad move… it brought everything to an entirely new level, a shitty level at that.

And as much as I trusted my mate, I couldn’t help the feeling building inside of me that this was a wild goose chase at best and walking into a death trap at worst. We were going to find this man that we only knew from a name given to him by Larkin’s parents before they passed. We knew next to nothing about him aside from his name and that they trusted him. It would have to be enough. I didn’t see another choice.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when we met this Auden. But the cute old man with a resting bitch face we found hadn’t been it.The thing that took me aback as we pulled up to his place was the way it felt like he was expecting us. He’d been sitting on the steps of his trailer, whittling a piece of wood into what I suspected was going to become a whistle, not at all looking surprised that a vehicle was there. Had we been in a city, that would’ve made sense. But we were in the middle of pretty much nowhere. I’d have been surprised to learn if another vehicle had been here at all this week.

When we first pulled up, he froze slightly and then went back to his project. Maybe I’d read him wrong. Maybe this was his way of keeping guests off guard. If it was, it was working beautifully.

The second my mate climbed out of the truck, everything changed. His shoulders relaxed and his face bloomed into a smile. He recognized Larkin. Did my mate look like his father? Was that why? Or did he have a picture of him he looked at often? I had no idea, but I intended to find out. We were here to protect my mate and I was going to do whatever it took to make that happen.

But for now, weren’t in danger here. At least not from him. My fox agreed.

There were other cabins in the area in different states of disarray, and a few other trailers, one of which looked like it was about to crumble. I wasn’t exactly sure what this area had once been… if it was the equivalent of a ghost town for loggers and this shifter came and squatted, or if maybe others lived here despite the look of abandonment. It didn’t scent that way, but I’d learned long ago that sometimes scents lied.

“We’re looking for Auden,” I said even though I was 99% sure that’s who we were looking at.

I took my mate’s hand, gave it a squeeze, and the old man laughed.

“Who else would I be? You’re Louie’s kid.” He tilted his head at my mate.

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