Luna of Rogues

Part 30 - New Dangers

As it turned out, Ryker and Emmett had spent the entire time waiting for us in the command rooms. They had dumped the prisoner in the cells. He was sharing with Carter, apparently. And they didn't seem to mind the several hour delay, in fact, they seemed quite happy spending the afternoon in each other's company.

Ryker went to fetch Wimpy, and Emmett gave my neck a long, amused look. "So that's what you were up to."

I sat down beside him on one of the wooden benches and leant against the wall, not deigning to respond. It felt strange to be beside another man, so soon after being marked, but I think Leo knew as well as I did that Emmett wasn't even remotely interested.

He tried again, "I suppose I should thank you. Ryker owes me twenty quid now — he thought it would take another month at least."

That made Leo smile. "You've been betting on our relationship?"

"Sure. So when you two are ready to do the deed, make sure you tip me off first."

I gave him a playful shove and zipped up my jacket to hide the mark. The last thing I needed was a hundred more conversations like this one. If it got back to Fion, I knew I would get an earful and a chaperone. Let alone Rhys...

And Maggie... There would be a 'talk' in my immediate future, even though I had endured it twice already. Once from her when I turned sixteen, and the second time from Rhodric which consisted of a lively demonstration of how best to kick a boy in the nuts and a shameless explanation of some delicate topics. I swear his entire intention had been to make me uncomfortable, and it had certainly worked.

The door creaked open, blinding us with rays of sunlight before it slammed closed again. And there was Ryker, shoving a short man towards us. He was squinty and mouse-like and offered absolutely no resistance to the rogue. The submissive cowardice was a sharp contrast to every rogue I had ever known. It was a flockie trait which only ended in death without a pack's protection.

No, this man wasn't a feral. But they thought he was important enough to keep alive, and I needed to know why.

Ryker sat him down opposite us and took up a sentry position behind the bench, resting his hands on the guy's shoulders. "Alrighty," he began in a quiet, dangerous tone. "Here's how this is going to go. Skye here will ask you questions, and you'll answer with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Got that?"

"Are you going to torture me?" the man asked nervously. He was wringing his hands and shuffling his feet around. "Because that's not necessary! I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"Did she ask you a question?" Ryker snarled.

"N-No."

"Then why are you talking?" When Wimpy failed to piece together an answer to that, he received a backhanded blow to the temple. It made an amusingly hollow sound.

I reached into the mind-link before Ryker could terrify him into silence. "Enough. He's already close to wetting himself."

He nodded amiably and retreated a few paces. Wimpy breathed an audible sigh of relief, looking at me miserably. After an awkward moment of that, I realised he was waiting for a question.

"So..." I said, with a sincere smile. "Let's have a heart to heart. Tell me the story of your worthless little life."

"Uh, well, I'm from Ember Pack," he began reluctantly.

"Okay."

"I own two cats."

"Nice."

"I work as a scout."