Princess...

Chapter 20

Ethan

I watched Rogue Ace's figure retreat from the dining room and everyone's eyes watched her also. I emitted a low growl to bring their attention back to me, heads bowed. I nodded once as we began eating, storing our energy for the journey we were to make today. I'd arranged with the Alpha of the Oregon pack to ask him some questions regarding a rogue I'd taken in, and he'd reluctantly agreed. I'd work my way around the whole damned country if that's what it took to find where Ace was really from. And then there was the even more infuriating subject of her name; was it really Ace? Was it short for something? All I had to go on was her first name and as the Alpha of the Nevada pack had told me, a first name was useless to most especially with the little other information I had on the redheaded rogue. As everyone went to get ready for the journey I stood off to the side in the dining room and was staring out of a window when the scent of rogue filled my senses and my inner wolf stirred. She walked straight past me, as she had done last night and I watched her move before she noticed me, jumping slightly and turning to face me.

"Alpha Lupus. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were still in here, I can come back if you'd prefer Alpha." Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, just as I'd requested. Why had I done that? A large part of me wanted to chalk it up to spite, but there was a deeper part of me, the part where my inner wolf lay, that preferred the way Ace looked when her hair was up. I had observed how she used the red hair as a wall, shielding herself from her surroundings but all it did was block my view of the freckles on her cheeks and- what am I saying? She's a rogue worker. Nothing more. She wasn't my mate, I would have sensed it being an Alpha.

"As you were, Rogue Ace. Don't let me get in your way." I stated simply, keeping my eyes on the woman who had her head bowed to me still. She shook her head in a way I noticed when her hair would offer her protection, but it was pulled back now. As if reading my thoughts, her hands came up to let it down and my inner wolf growled. "Don't do that." I turned away to stare out of the window again, as I listened intently as she placed the glass into the wicker basket. Raula told me that she did this often, to minimise the damage if she dropped anything. I'd heard the unmistakable smashes of my crockery in the past, leaving it up to Raula to handle the mess and I'd simply chuckled each time, catching myself off guard as any other rogue would be dead if they showed that level of disrespect to an Alpha's home. Ace turned to walk back into the kitchen with the wicker basket but I knew she was going to drop it, spinning around and catching it before it hit the floor. My inner wolf forced a growl to coax a reaction from the redheaded rogue who took the basket from me and scurried into the kitchen. Running a hand through my unstyled hair, I left the dining room and found my pack waiting for me outside. We shifted once we were out of the large iron gates and I glanced back, feeling my ego inflate more as I realised my wolf form was still much larger than anyone who ran with me. They all knew who their Alpha was, there wasn't a doubt in their minds that I was the one they obeyed. We ran for miles until we reached Oregon territory, being handed robes as we approached the gates of Alpha Oregon's home, shifting into human form instantly. I nodded to the warrior on the gate and he bowed his head, clearly understanding that I wasn't an Alpha to be messed with.

"Alpha Lake! What a pleasant surprise. My scouts told me you were planning a visit, but I never expected quite so soon!" Alpha Oregon was a sleazy bastard, a receding hairline and yellow teeth that my inner wolf begged to rip from the damaged gums but I refrained, taking his extended hand with a forced smile and being ushered inside. My pack stayed in the foyer with the Oregon pack as I was escorted to Alpha Oregon's office, offering me a seat as the door closed behind us

"So what privilege do I have of your visit?" He lit a cigarette and kicked his feet up on the desk, reclining as he breathed out the smoke.

"I have a rogue in my territory that I brought back with me after a business trip." Alpha Oregon whistled, wiggling his eyebrows as he implied my reasons behind bringing Ace back with me. I rolled my eyes and pushed on "She says she was banished from a pack and I'm trying to find which one, Alpha Oregon." I explained, fidgeting in the uncomfortable plastic chair that was seated in front of the gargantuan desk, inevitably feeding into Oregon's ego.

"Please, Ethan, call me Viktor! Your parents and I were very good friends back in the day, they'd want us to be on casual terms." The slimy bastard smirked and I forced the smile on my face to stay, despite my inner wolf going crazy inside. "What is the rogue's name? Though we haven't banished anyone here in quite a few years." He flicked some of the ash from his cigarette to the floor and I gritted my teeth as the scent of smoke filled my senses

"Her name is Ace. I don't know how long she has been rogue, or what pack she is from. She is young so it would have been a recent banishment. I haven't got any more information than that." I admitted, leaning back on the plastic chair as Viktor thought hard.

"No... We had an Arol once banished, but that was a he. We have never banished a woman from our pack, not in 40 years. I apologise, Ethan that I cannot be of more help." Viktor offered his hand to me and I reluctantly shook it, standing and moving towards the door "However, if you need me to take her off your hands, I know a few mateless warriors of mine who would love to have her." It took all of my strength to not turn around and attack the Alpha, thinking foremost of my pack who were downstairs, unprepared for any attack that may come.

"I'll remember that, Viktor. Good day to you." With a dry chuckle, I exited the office and made my way back to the pack, stalking past them and exiting the gate at once

"Did you find the answers, Alpha Lake?" Delta Kurt asked, only a step or two behind me. They knew I hadn't, the anger rolling off of me told them as such, but my Delta still asked anyway as we shifted, ripping the robes from our bodies as we ran back towards home.

This isn't finished yet. I will find my answers. I mindlinked the pack as we made the journey, who all howled in compliance as their response. No one besides Beta Deryn knew about the objective of the secret mission, deciding it best if very few people knew why I was searching for answers on a rogue I should care little about. I forced myself to focus on the route back instead of the redheaded rogue as I ran faster, my pack struggling to catch up with my quick bounds.