Andrei
“What’s going on with the rogue situation?” Dominic asks, sitting on one of the bench seats while I turn the barbecue on. My father goes inside, returning with sausages and steaks and passing them to me.
“Apparently, you have dealt with them before. Reaper wolves attacked my pack last night and went after my mate and Jonah. They seemed to be the only people targeted,” I tell him, and he instantly sits straighter before leaning forward and clasping his hands together, his elbows braced on his knees.
It is odd seeing Dominic so casual-looking. If I could get past the dramas caused by Jonah, I would probably get on pretty well with him.
“You know where they are?” Dominic questions.
I explain everything to him, and he listens intently, making a few phone calls and walking off when Zane comes around the back of the house.
“Smells good.” He mutters, eyeing the food.
“Yeah, about to sit down and eat if you want to join us. What’s up?” I ask him.
“Bus will be here around 1 pm.” Zane announces with a wide grin across his lips.
“Good, I am coming with you,” Dominic says, hanging up the phone.
“You want to come to pick up the rogues?” I ask.
“You want my help, I am helping. I have men on the way already, they should be here by two, we will leave after that,” Dominic says before looking at Sage as she comes out the back with the kids.
“Sage, do you mind watching Kyan for me for a couple of hours while I go with Andrei to the rogue camp?” He asks her. Honestly, I am surprised at how polite and considerate Dominic can be. That is, if he wants to be.
“No, he is fine here, I can watch him,” Sage says, looking down at Kyan, who runs off with Jonah to roll in the grass.
“Well, that settles it then,” Dominic says, and Zane perks up.
“Good, I will get some people ready,” Zane says and quickly walks off.
Everyone eats lunch, and we make sure the kids are all fed, setting them a little picnic on the back lawn. We discuss the rogue situation and go over some maps on the outside table while we are eating so I can show Dominic where we found the other rogue camps.
Over the last few weeks, we noticed they shift around a lot, never staying in one place for long when Dominic points to two towns on either side.
“They must have permanent residences in one of these two towns. There seems to be a pattern if your locations and times are correct. You said the rogue women are picked up randomly, making me think they are called in.” He arches an eyebrow.
“It’s a patrol roster. You said at night that your scouts said these two camps are randomly manned. Were your men keeping track of the times they would see women come and go from the camp?” Mateo asks.
“Um, yeah,” I tell him, scrambling through the papers when my father pulls out the journals.
“He is correct. These two camps both have roads leading in and out of the camps, and the roads leading into those have straight access to both towns. Look at the times, they match up too for the girls and the camp rosters.”
“What about the other two camps? This one is also manned simultaneously but doesn’t have a road.” Kat says, pointing to the map of the other two camps beside the ones that are hardly used further out.
“That must be where the calls come in, there is a phone tower there, the rogue camp has no reception, they must take the calls here, and then someone from these two camps pick them up when called,” I tell them when I look at Dominic. It makes sense but that just unsettles me more.
“They have an Alpha. The only way to communicate is mind-link, if not by phone, so unless they have made a pack, there would be no way to get a hold of them,” Mateo voices my thoughts. “So, it’s definitely a patrol roster. The other three camps they have been spotted must be dummy camps to throw people off. I would bet they have two residences, one in each town, depending on the calls they get, decides where the girls get sent,” Mateo adds.
“They wouldn’t be taking them to the residence, though. It would be too risky. Did they say where they were meeting the buyers?” Dominic asks, and I shake my head. That is one thing they are never willing to give up.
“No, they said when they were never taken into the towns to meet up, so they must take them somewhere else” I look over at Sage, her eyes trained on the map, and my stomach rolls at the dark look on her face. I can see what she is looking at, and two seconds later, she confirms it.
“They are taking them to Flower Meadow. Flower Meadow runs directly between the two towns and is only ten minutes from each one, but also on each end. There are camping grounds for tourists,” Sage says.
“You’re sure?” Dominic asks her.
“It makes sense, and I was taken from there, along with my mother, when I was a kid. They were staying at the camping grounds when they came across us. I heard of the flower meadow and asked my parents to go there because one of the locals mentioned it.” Sage mutters. Her eyes lift from the map and set on Dominic. “Be careful, the camping grounds out there get pretty rowdy at night with the tourists, maybe they aren’t tourists. Maybe those are the Reaper Wolves,” Sage says, making me wonder if the men who took her were part of this organization.
I have more questions, but I know she will be uncomfortable answering them when her eyes go to mine. She sighs, rubbing her temples. I never bring this stuff up with her. I always wait for her to tell me, not wanting to drag up her past.
“Just ask. I know you want to ask me something. If it helps, I will try to answer so we can get them away from this camp,” Sage tells me.
Dominic is watching her curiously. He is the only one unaware of Sage’s past at this table. Dominic tilts his head to the side, watching her.
“Forgive me, but what do you mean when you say you were taken?” Sage’s eyes go to mine, and Kat pats her knee gently.
“When I was thirteen, my family visited Flower Meadow. When we were getting ready to leave, my mother and I were taken, and my father was killed. I was stuck with the men that took us until Andrei came across their camp,” Sage answers.