Running with Rogues

CHAPTER 15 - SCARE-TACTICS

The patrol had us surrounded, more or less. They had shifted back when they'd seen we were in human form, so they were all wearing the trackies and oversized shirts that New Dawn stored in hollowed-out trees all over the territory.

Two scouts, three fighters, and none of them looked ranked. It was five against five. Ellis was hopeless at fighting, but Rhodri counted for at least three ordinary wolves, so we'd be fine if it came to violence.

"Blah, blah, blah," I told him. "You're only making bullshit threats because you're too chicken to fight us and you're hoping your friends will get here before it comes to that. So excuse me if I'm not bloody scared, alright?"

The leader of the flockies sighed heavily. "Last chance, sweetheart."

"You guys really don't know when to give up, do you?" I laughed. "Yo, Bryn — has he linked anyone?"

As I said it, I hooked an arm around my little cousin's shoulder and messed up his hair while he closed his eyes and tried to listen to the whispers. It took him longer than usual because he'd been out clubbing last night and he was still hungover.

"He's linking right now," he growled. "The Alpha, no less."

Brilliant. Perfect. So far, so good.

"Well, that's our cue," I drawled. "We'll be off now. Tell Jace we said hi, would you?"

"Tell him yourself," someone said behind me, and I nearly had a heart attack right there and then.

I'd known he was close. Nia had guided us to within a hundred metres of him, but there was something about seeing a six-foot-tall guy standing right behind me that really got the blood pumping. It wasn't the sight of him that made my heart skip a beat, though. It was the gun in his hand. It was, of course, pointed at me.

This had not been part of the plan. Behind me, Rhodri let out a low and vicious growl which was ignored altogether. Jace was smiling faintly as he took the safety off. I noticed that he had his son with him — the young Alpha in training, due to take over the pack in a few months. I didn't know his name, but he was even taller than his father and had the same dark hair and arrogant blue eyes.

I had to fight my wolf to look Jace straight in the eye and say, "Coward."

"What would you know about cowardice?" he laughed. "You're just a kid."

I shrugged. He was like thirty-something, so he'd probably call Sam a kid, too. Age wasn't just defined by numbers. I'd seen more in my seventeen years than most people had seen in a lifetime, and I'd grown up fast and messily because of it. I didn't feel like a kid. I hadn't for a while now.

"Then you're pointing a gun at a kid, aren't you?" Sam asked quietly.

"This, here," Jace began, waving his other hand at the gun. "It doesn't protect me. It's not for my benefit. It's a way to stop you five doing anything stupid so I won't have to hurt you."

Lying shit. I didn't buy it for a second. I hawked and spat at his feet and watched his finger twitch towards the trigger.

"Go back to your patrol route," he told his men. "I'll take it from here."

They exchanged incredulous looks. If they left, it would be five against two, gun or not, and you could never be too careful when it came to rogues. But an Alpha couldn't be disobeyed, so they trudged back the way they'd come without a word of argument.

Jace risked a glance over his shoulder to check that they were out of earshot before he jerked the gun in Rhodri's direction. "On your knees and put your hands behind your head. That goes for you, too, gentlemen."