16

Kade’s POV
Joey held my hand the entire ride to the pack house because he could tell how nervous I was. I changed my shirt three times until settling on a white Calvin Klein shirt that Joey had let me borrow, some light blue ripped jeans, and tan ankle boots. My boyfriend made me wear a brown coat that went down past my butt since it was freezing outside even though I was sweating too much to care.
Hey, it’ll be okay, I promise you. I told you, they’re already in love with you, he said, giving me a soft smile before focusing back on the road.
Yeah, but they can change their mind when they actually meet me and they realize how terrible I am for you and they influence you to think the same and- I get cut off by Joey pulling off onto a side street before putting the car into park to turn to me. He reaches out to set his hand against my cheek and I gasp as the sparks bring me back from my panic.
Kade, listen to me, no one can ever influence me that you’re bad for me, okay ? You have taught me so much in so little time and I will spend my life thanking you and showing you appreciation for that. You are the man that was chosen to be with me for my life and that’s not something they get wrong, you are meant to be with me and no one could tell me that’s not true and I should just turn my back on you, he said with this fierceness in his eyes that tells me he’s 100% serious about that.
Okay, I say as tears start to come to my eyes as everything starts to catch up with me. Joey notices this as he scoots over, leaning over the center console to hug me as I tried to calm down with my head buried in his shoulder.
He ran his hands up-and-down my back before kissing the side of my head. It’s okay, everything’s okay. I promise you that he’ll love you because you’re such an amazing human being and if someone doesn’t like you, then they’re certifiably insane.
I chuckled into his shoulder before pulling away to wipe at my eyes. He ran his hand through my hair before putting the car in drive to continue our ride to the house. About five minutes later, we pull up to a gate where he waves to two men who stand in front in black jackets and I notice the guns they have hooked to their belts before it opens and we drive in.
Why do they have guns ? I ask and Joey looks over at me as we drive down a bumpy dirt road before the trees open up to show a neighborhood filled with houses and fields that have picnic tables scattered around. I notice some kids and parents sitting in a field that’s bigger than the rest of them and I guess it’s the communal space for the entire pack due to how many chairs and tables there are spread around.
Joey clears his throat. We have rogues breaking in quite a bit. They’re our guards, which means they protect the pack and they’ve been ordered that if they see a rogue, they shoot on site because if they somehow get over our fences, it can hurt some members of our pack.
But from what you told me, they’re normal wolves that have just separated from their packs, how do they know which are which ?
He puts the car in park in front of a huge house that’s a dark gray color with white accents. There’s a porch in the front with a table with chairs along with some games stacked in the corner. The front door is black with glass in the middle with a design carved into it that makes it feel majestic. I notice the four cars that’s parked in the two connected garages along with two others that are in the same driveway that we’re in.
They’re known as rogues not just because they separated from their packs because that’s not forbidden, you can leave all you want. It’s when you leave and then kill an innocent, whether it being another wolf or a human. When that happens, your eyes change to a red color and you can either stay a lone rogue, which is basically a death sentence or you join a rogue pack.
Why would they join a pack ?
He reaches over to take my hand, indicating that what he’s about to say if something serious. If they stay a lone rogue, packs have the right to kill them if they’re even seen on site, just like we do. But if there’s more than one, we don’t because it usually means a rogue pack is checking out our place to plan an attack and if we kill members of their pack, then it gives them a reason to come after us even more.
Why do they attack packs ?
Some rogues, especially leaders, go after their old packs because rogues aren’t allowed back in once their eyes change color.
Panic starts to rise in my body as I grip his hand. Is there some going after you ?
He nods his head before reaching out to place his hand on my cheek. There’s always going to be people after me, baby boy, because as alpha, I have to make decisions that affect people’s lives.
Like what ?
If there’s a particular wolf that’s causing too much trouble or hurts more than three pack members, we have a right to kick them out. When wolves get mad, like they would if they were kicked out of their home, they don’t have control of their human side and they usually attack the first things they see. That basically means if they get kicked out, they usually become a rogue soon.
Why don’t you just keep them here and help them ?
He nods his head. We do, I promise you that we do. When a member of our pack attacks another, they’re mandated to go to one of our counselors for help. If they don’t like that, they have the right to transfer to a different pack. If they stay here and do the therapy, they have strikes against them. Strike three and you’re out. I can’t put my whole pack in danger over one person.
I nod my head, reaching up to place my hand over his that still lays against my cheek. We sit like that for a few minutes until I make the first move to get out. I notice that some of the people in the field are now staring at me as I get out of the car with Joey. When my boyfriend sees them, he waves to them which brings them out of their trance of staring at me to wave back.
That’s what we call the courtyard because that’s where we do a lot of stuff. We have our meetings there with a stage that we take down afterwards. We have chairs that we put out if it’s a planned meeting and when it’s empty, everyone hangs out there when they’re outside, he told me pointing the the big field.
Well, that’s nice, I tell him as I watch a group of kids playing tag while there’s a group of parents sitting in front of them with glasses of water in the hands while they’re in a deep conversation about something while also watching their kids to make sure they’re okay.
You ready ? He asks me as he turns toward the house while linking his fingers with mine. I look up at the house that seems empty, but I know that there’s people in there that are waiting for us so I use all my courage to nod my head as we start to walk towards the front door.
Lila and Conner, right ? I ask him, reminding myself of their names.
Yes, don’t call them Mr. Or Mrs. Brooks because they’ll literally slap me if you do, Joey says with a soft laugh before kissing the side of my head. just don’t worry and act natural. They love you.
He opened the front door with a key that he held in his hand and as soon as we walked in, Melissa was running into the hallway from the living room where she stood. On our left was a set of marble stairs that went up to wherever it led. On our right was an opening to a dining room with a big table that could fit up to 16 people. The floors were a light wood while the walls were a beige color with pictures hung up in frames.