Running with Rogues

CHAPTER 10 - BIRDS OF A FEATHER

"What's this on your hand, Eva?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said quickly, because I didn't want to worry her.

"It's not nothing." Mam looked at Bryn, who clamped his mouth firmly shut because he wasn't a snitch. She looked back at me and let her wolf surface enough to put the fear of the Goddess into mine. "I'm not asking again."

"It's the Beta's phone number," I said grudgingly. "He was being weird with me."

"Did he touch you?"

"Not much."

Fion turned away and busied herself with cleaning a counter.

"I'm so sick of this," Mam growled. "One of Ian's raiders was assaulted in Lowland this morning. When Ian named the guy responsible, the Alpha gave him a commendation for bravery."

I spat on the floor. It wasn't like we were innocent in that regard. There had been a few incidents with pack females over the years, some fabricated to make us look like monsters, and some which were probably true. The difference was, we punished the pieces of shit responsible instead of sweeping it all under the rug, and so the next man thought twice.

Mam's eyes swirled black. "And that reminds me — there's another amendment up for debate next month. Mason Vaughan wants to legalise rape as a punishment for trespassing. It won't pass, but I'm not sure how the hell we've got to the point where he can even dare to suggest it."

Well, Mason Vaughan could go and hang himself, because this was a new low, even for him. I wondered if Liam knew. Probably not. It was a sore subject, to say the least, and we tried very hard not to bring it up around him.

"If you would just give me five minutes alone with that boy..." Rhys said darkly.

"He's not yours to kill," Mam retorted. "We're sticking to the plan."

Cassidy had finished cleaning the grazes. I jumped down from the table and pulled my shirt back on. "What plan?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she laughed. "抖阴社区 down that phone number. I have a feeling we'll be needing it soon."

"I'll write it down if you tell me what the hell is going on."

She caught my stare and held it, and my wolf tucked her tail between her legs. "You'll write it down, Eva, and we'll wait for the boys to get home. I'm not repeating myself."

When were the boys getting home? The two months of separation ended the day after tomorrow, technically, but Emmett was no obligation to return Rhodri straight away, especially if it meant a thirty-mile trip to Haven. Liam had only just left, so I doubted I'd see him before the end of the week. This really sucked.

I tore a scrap of paper from one of Eira's medical charts and copied the phone number across. I changed the last number from four to two just in case I needed some leverage later, and then I tried to wash the ink from my skin. It was Sharpie — I didn't stand a chance in hell — but I soaked it in warm water and anti-bac soap all the same. I rubbed and rubbed until my skin went red.

When I next glanced up, hand stinging and still very much tainted with the Beta's handwriting, Fion was frozen in place. That meant she was linking, and she must have been linking someone pretty far away, because it looked like she was actually having to concentrate. A moment later, she blinked and let out a long breath.

"That was Ollie," she said. "They've found something."

I was still scrubbing at the ink, but I popped my head up to listen. Ollie was with Liam. The sooner they finished scouting, the sooner they could come home, so I had a vested interest in this conversation.