Luna of Rogues

Part 3 - Infiltration

Seven years later.

A twig snapped in the forest. I glanced over to my right and identified Rhys approaching through the undergrowth. He was now seventeen years old and towered over me at well over six-two. I had stubbornly remained a midget.

"You took your sweet time," I told him, gesturing for the band of wolves around me to spread out and keep watch.

Rhys shrugged, casual as ever. "Ran into a few issues — nothing I couldn't handle."

"Yeah, yeah. Skip the shameless inflation of your ego and tell me what happened."

"The young Alpha was home after all. It took me a little while to persuade him that I'd be too much trouble to finish off," Rhys said, still grinning at me. For the first time, I noticed the bruising on his face.

We were just outside Shadowless Pack territory, under orders from Rhodric to find out as much as we could about their new Alpha — Zach. While our rogues had enjoyed an unofficial alliance with Zach's father, we were now on uncertain footing with our closest neighbours.

"So he beat you up but you managed to lose him," I summarised.

"Are you kidding Skye?" He gestured to the bruising. "You think this is bad, you should see the other guy."

"What, because I'd be astonished at how little you fought back?" I asked with a teasing grin. "Seriously, though, what did you find out?"

"Zach is a hothead," Rhys muttered. "He's fairly inexperienced with leadership. But I got inside the pack house, and that pup has some powerful connections."

"With which packs?" I asked. Rhodric had been hoping for another truce or, failing that, an easy target for raids. With no money or prospects, a rogue's only hope of survival is stealing. We did that by running onto pack land and 'requisitioning' their possessions.

As this particular pack was famous for ruthless and talented fighters, we had previously ranged further afield in search of supplies. Now that the young and impulsive Zach was due to take over, it opened a window of opportunity for our raiders — most famous of whom was Rhys himself.

"Enemies with Riverside and Lowland, truced with Pine Forest," Rhys said, and he hesitated before he told me the next part. "But he's close with his cousin — Jace Lloyd. Their packs are tied by blood."

I cursed under my breath. I had often heard Rhodric's wolves talking about Alpha Jace. He had taken over New Dawn Pack at fifteen years old when his father had died. But what worried me the most was that by all accounts, he was clever. In my experience, that was a very unusual trait for Alphas.

"Then Zach is untouchable," I concluded. All of our effort and Rhys risking his life turned out to be for nothing.

"Easy there," Rhys said, noticing my depressed expression. "It wasn't that important."

"Rhodric won't be happy, though," I muttered, and he nodded in agreement.

"We should get back."

In truth though, I didn't think it was possible for anything to make Rhodric unhappy. He was eternally cheerful, a trait that seemed to run in the family.

So we shifted and carried our clothes in our teeth to begin the long run home. At just over seventeen myself, I had spent the majority of the last few years acting as Rhodric's personal agent, which was often dangerous work. Not that I minded doing anything which helped my guardian, especially as it meant I could work with Rhys and Fion.

It was half a day's travel to reach the current camp of the rogues who marched under my adopted father's banner. Nestled in a valley, the neutral colours of the tents were almost indistinguishable from the forest around them. As soon as we were inside the boundaries of the camp, I felt at home.