Luna of Rogues

Part 28 - When Ghosts Walk

The snow still fell lightly as we walked back to camp. Personally, I was enjoying the opportunity to stretch my legs, but the human beings looked thoroughly miserable. They didn't have shifter metabolism to warm them, so it must have been freezing, even in winter coats.

Carter was too tired to carry his sister anymore. The older girl settled herself on Leo's shoulders, and Fion held Ellie in her arms. I had offered to help and been turned down, my sister assuring me that I was terrible with children. She wasn't far wrong. The bundle was heavy enough on its own anyway. I was beginning to wonder if Jeff had just filled it with rocks for a laugh.

It was tempting to open it, but I also wanted to wait until we were back. That way I had something to look forward to for the long walk. And long was a good way to describe it. In wolf form, ten miles was a laughable distance. But with two legs? I regretted not taking the car.

Carter whined the whole way back. Everything annoyed him — his legs hurting, the cold, and mostly his visit to a dangerous psychopath. For some reason, I found myself defending Jeff. "Leave him alone. He didn't hurt you. And people can't help being crazy."

"He threatened to cut out my tongue!" Carter complained loudly. I resisted the urge to do it myself. At that volume level, any werewolf within a mile radius would have heard him, and with the ferals roaming around so freely, I didn't want to attract attention.

"You threatened to shoot me," I reminded him. "So grow up. You don't change the world by shouting at it."

He scowled viciously. "I can damn well try."

"Okay, how about this? Shut your mouth, or we'll go back to Jeff and make that threat a reality."

Funnily enough, he went really quiet after that, though I did have to put up with his stomach growling and the pointed looks that suggested his hunger was my fault. I did actually have food in the rucksack, and I made a show of eating it in front of him. Ha.

It came as a relief, then, when we reached camp and I could hand him over to the first patrol I found. Or rather, they found us, if only because I wasn't trying to be sneaky. Ollie had tightened up the patrols considerably after Shadowless and the Alphas got through, and we had tested the security by challenging the best raiders to sneak past. Only Syd Jacobs and a chill guy called Aaron had succeeded, which I knew was as good as we would get for the meantime.

When Rhys or Rhodric got back, who were the most proficient trespassers I had ever found, they would be able to help us close the loopholes. If they got back, another part of my brain whispered. My wolf growled at that little voice until it fell silent.

The patrol appeared from the trees, quiet enough that I could have mistaken them for ghosts. They spread out to surround us, even though every one of them knew whom we were. Part honour-guard and part precaution. It was only sensible when we had guests.

By scent, I recognised the leader, a battle-scarred and grizzled wolf. It was Emmett, who I had fought in the command rooms only the day before. He had eventually submitted to me with a blade against his ribs, but I was still wary of the guy. He must have been settling in well, though, if he had already joined the patrol rota.

"Hey, boys," I greeted them. One of the younger wolves wagged his tail in reply. "This is Carter. He's a cowardly runt who hates us. Any volunteers to escort him to the cells?"

I wasn't going to order them. I wouldn't. That wasn't how rogues worked. I wasn't some kind of Goddess for them to look up to and obey blindly. My job as leader was simply to make suggestions, and the rogues could choose for themselves whether to listen. That way left us all free and equal in the pack.