Bound

Chapter 14

Dean Carson, alpha of the Carter Plains pack, had only savoured two bites of his steak dinner when his beta mind-linked. Nick had found a rogue on their territory and was on his way with the rogue in tow.

'There's no threat,' Nick had assured before breaking the mind link, 'this one's definitely not a typical rogue; believe me when I tell you the word strange doesn't cover it.'

Strange or not, Dean bristled. Flinging his cutlery down he got up from the table, stalked from the kitchen into the hall and wrenched open the front door. He watched them approach, scowling hard as he sized up the rogue who had crossed into his territory.

Nick was right. This one definitely did not fit the rogue mould. First off, the rogue was female; the majority of the time, rogues were male, and secondly, she didn't behave like a rogue—not when compared to the aggressive and threatening ones he'd encountered in his time.

Stumbling alongside Nick with her terrified eyes as wide as the moon, he wondered if Nick had mistakenly picked up a human; there wasn't a whiff of rogue swagger about her. Pretty, though, he admired her long black hair, toffee-toned skin and doe-like brown eyes, which caught his stare before darting to the grass again. Dean cleared his throat. Physical attributes aside, she was a rogue on his land, and that he didn't appreciate.

He widened the front door as Nick brought her up the porch steps. Once she was standing in the hallway, he followed them inside, making a point of slamming the door. She flinched and Nick's voice popped into his head.

'See what I mean?'

Dean circled her once, noting how her head and neck tried to shrink themselves into her shoulders as he looked her over. "Where did you find her?"

Nick's account was thorough, to the point where his description of how she'd been constantly tripping over her own feet brought a flush of embarrassment to her cheeks. She fidgeted nervously with the strap of her bag, struggling to hide the horror of hearing just how long she'd been followed, and just how clearly Nick had heard her frustrated mutterings.

"No threat was made at any stage," Nick finished up, repeating for the third time about her lack of aggression.

"I heard you the first time," Dean replied, continuing to remain hostile, but allowing Nick to hear the laugh echoing in his mind.

'And there were tears,' Nick added silently, 'when's the last time you saw a rogue bawl?'

'That would be never,' Dean chuckled before speaking aloud, full alpha authority icing his tone. "Thank you, Nick, you may leave now."

"Yes, Alpha Carson."

In Nick's absence, Dean allowed a nice long moment of awkward silence to build before two nervous swallows stirred his guilt. "What's your name?"

"Taylor."

"Your real name."

Silence.

"What pack do you belong to?"

Silence.

"Why are you on our territory?"

"It was a mistake; I didn't know I'd crossed the border."

"You were three miles beyond the border. How deep into our land did you need to travel before figuring it out?" When she didn't answer he moved a step closer. "Why is your scent so weak?"

She visibly bolstered. Mashing her lips together she pushed back her shoulders.

"Tell me why your scent is so weak."