“Hostiles only, no children. If you need help, ask for it. Zane, you know I don’t like show-offs, especially when it comes to my men’s lives,” I remind him of the one rule no one can break.
“I know, we have it handled, we know the drill. Drop the sensors, though, I don’t want to trip your alarms and freak Sage out.”
I almost smile at his words, despite the fucked up situation and the possible danger we might be facing. My Beta is out there, ensuring no rogue enters the pack territory, and still, he is worried about his Luna.
“Yep, will do,” I promise and cut the link to stop distracting Zane from the target ahead of him.
I watch the cameras for a bit, and then, disarm the alarm around the front entrance. I watch a few moments as my men take the rogues out. This is starting to get out of hand. They just keep coming, even despite the rumors about all those disappearances around our border.
Come to think of it, that might be the exact reason behind the sudden rogue activity around our borders lately. It’s just an assumption for now, but hopefully, I will get information from one of them this time.
I leave the room, shut the door, and cross the hall to my room. As soon as I push the bedroom door open, Sierra, Sage’s wolf, looks up and moves to the edge of the bed. Donnie pushes forward, demanding to get near her, and I roll my eyes when he whines.
Just to prove how in sync those two truly are, Sierra whines too.
“Soon, Sierra,” I tell her when she jumps up and pushes her paws on my chest.
Donnie wants to mark her, but I refuse to touch her without her permission. Sierra grips my shorts in her mouth, trying to pull me onto the bed. “Does Sage know I am here or have you blocked her?” I ask her, knowing my wolf will tell me.
“Sage is asleep, but she won’t mind,” Donnie tells me, and I wonder if I should leave again.
“Don’t shift back,” I warn Sierra, shaking my finger at her as if I’m scolding a child.
I know that if she does shift back, Sage might wake up and freak out. Sure, earlier, she had no problem showering with me, but that was different. She needed support and wanted me to be there. Sharing a bed is a little different and might push a boundary she isn’t comfortable with yet.
Sighing, I climb on my bed and slip under the covers, Sierra immediately curls up beside me, and I toss my arm over her. Her wolf is purring at my closeness, and I can’t help but smile. At least Sage’s wolf likes me.
I don’t know how long I sleep for, but muffled voices eventually wake me. I consider turning my body to the side and ignoring the voices until I hear the sound of flesh on flesh.
Sierra lifts her head, and I fight back the growl that wants to escape. Zane was supposed to be quiet. Getting out of the bed, I walk to the door to open it and investigate the noise. In the meantime, I say a silent prayer that Sierra won’t get too curious and risk shifting back. That might result in disaster, especially if she wakes up Sage.
Walking down the stairs, Zane and one of my warriors are trying to drag a rogue down the basement steps. It growls and the rogue is trying to shift when Zane is knocked on his back, his head hitting the floor with a thud. My warrior is pinned beneath him, I race down the steps, and the rogue shifts into a brown mud wolf. I growl, stalking toward him quickly, and the wolf’s head snaps up as my foot connects with his muzzle knocking him down the stairs.
“Thanks,” Zane chokes out, rubbing his head. I step over my warrior, and he ducks up the steps. He knew I would be pissed about the noise.
“Don’t even think about it,” I snarl as I reach the rogue who is forced to shift back, his jaw is floppy, and I grab him by his throat. Zane groans but stomps down the steps after me while Chase, my warrior, darts out, and the door closes with the beep of the alarm turning on.
“Get the door,” I order Zane, and he runs up, closing it as I slam the rogue onto the steel bench. He thrashes, kicking and clawing at me as I tie him down.
“Please, Alpha, you know I can’t stomach this shit,” Zane grunts, and I glare at him.
“I asked if you needed a hand, and you said you didn’t. Clearly, you were wrong, so now you get the punishment; I will deal with Chase tomorrow.”
“Alpha?”
“No, get to work. If you didn’t want to do it, then you should have restrained him. You know better than to walk them in. No one goes willingly to their death, Zane, so man up and choose a knife, and you better pray you didn’t wake up Sage” I tell him.
If they were having trouble getting him in, they should have said so. I would have come out and done it, but instead, they are always trying to take on more than they can handle. What better way to teach than to make them either watch or join in? My men could be too stubborn, wanting to prove themselves, and that shit gets people killed. They need to learn when to ask for help or suffer the consequences. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to baby them.
Zane grabs a knife, and his hands tremble. I know my men hate it, but they will get used to it or learn to admit it when they need help.
I grab the blowtorch walking over to the table. The rogue screams as I turn it on, and I cover his eyes with a cloth so he can’t see us. His senses will be in overdrive with his eyesight cut off.
“Now, either you speak, or we start cutting limbs off,” I promise, and Zane turns green.