Chapter Two

Graham caught up to Jensen, Mark and Stuart. He ignored their curious eyes as he resumed his position ahead of them to make sure there weren’t any threats as they made their way to the meeting with Alpha Nathan. The look of disappointment on his mate’s face kept replaying in his mind.

His mate. He still couldn’t believe it. When he’d stepped out of the suv and smelled the sweet scent of orange and cream he thought there must be an ice cream vendor in attendance. The overpowering scent and the tightness of his shirt collar distracted him from his task of keeping the alpha and his entourage safe.

Then he’d heard her… then he spotted her. Her beauty had literally stopped him in his tracks. Light chestnut hair with a soft wave fell just below her shoulders. Soft, tanned skin with freckles across her cheeks and pouty lips that instantly made his dick hard at the thought of them touching him everywhere. A tight little body with a cinched waist and breasts that threatened to spill out of the tight tank top she wore. Her eyes sparkled at the recognition fizzling between them. It didn’t go unnoticed by him that the sparkle didn’t shine quite as brightly in her right eye, making him wonder if she were wearing contacts… but why just one?

His eyes were pulled away from her when Jensen knocked into him and growled low. They were in a hurry and breaking formation could only mean there was danger, a danger that clearly wasn’t there. He looked back at his mate, his mind whirling with ideas of how to get to her while also performing his duty. Stuart and Mark passed him then, Mark with a look of humorous curiosity and Stuart with a mocking smile. Again his eyes flicked to his mate who was gripping the tent she stood next to with a tight fist. Then she smiled at him and his whole world as he knew it shattered to pieces. She raised her hand and his heart rate shot through the roof. He’d scented her, he could find her anywhere now, he reasoned.

Graham, what the fuck? Where are you? Jensen spoke in his mind.

Graham gulped, knowing he had no choice. He tried to communicate that through his gaze as he took a step away from her. He caught her smile slowly drop and the look of disappointment and hurt flash across her face before he turned away.

“Might want to keep your wits about you, Grey,” Stuart called behind him as their meeting place, Shepherd’s Bar and Grill, came into view. “The owner, Paul, might pounce you if you’re too distracted.”

Graham rolled his eyes. He knew the owner was gay and had already turned him down long ago though Stuart never let him forget it. He’d been going to the Grill every Saturday he had off for the last five years. That was when they’d hired a new chef and his food was impossible to resist. He’d even asked the girls behind the bar about the guy but they just laughed their asses off and tried to convince him to take them home instead. After that encounter he would just sit in the back corner, trying the ever-changing menu on Saturdays when the chef was reported to get the fresh, local produce for the week.

Today though wasn’t about food, it was a distress call from a local alpha who was reporting multiple attacks by rogues. The owner of the Grill, Paul, met them at the back entrance.

“Sorry you had to walk, Alpha Jensen. The farmers market should be over by the time your meeting ends and you can have your drivers pick you up here,” Paul explained.

“Not a problem,” Jensen replied, putting his phone in his pocket to shake the man’s hand. He eyed the two men at the entrance. “Do you have a private room set aside for us?”

“Yes, Sir, there won’t be anyone else in the building besides myself while you talk.”

“Good.” Jensen nodded at the two security men who ducked their heads as Jensen entered.

Graham allowed Stuart and Mark to enter while he stayed behind a moment to make sure they weren’t followed. Paul held the door open for him. As he walked inside he heard Paul whispering to the men, “Remember what we discussed. No one in. Understood? Just shut up and do your job and we’ll be fine.”

Graham’s eyes ate up each room they passed, looking for any hidden danger. Scents swirled around and his mind analyzed each before dismissing them. Jensen and the others were already in the lounge area of the bar, waiting for Paul to usher them into a room. Paul did just that by sweeping his arm in the direction of the door in the middle. Jensen nodded to Graham. Both he and Mark split up to check each empty room before Graham opened the door they were to use. Alpha Nathan and the two men he brought with him stood at their entrance. When Jensen entered the tension in the room doubled.

“Alpha Nathan,” Jensen greeted with a raised hand.

Nathan gulped and gripped the Lycan Alpha’s hand with trepidation. “Thank you for coming, Alpha Jensen.”

“The safety of your pack impacts the safety of mine, Nathan. I appreciate you bringing this matter to us. I know from experience the difficulty in asking for help. Now sit and tell me what you have been dealing with,” Jensen said. He sat down, eager to get down to business.

Nathan sighed in relief as he took his seat again. “Right, well, we discovered the problem about six months ago. It started off small, the whiff of a rogue here and there along our borders, nothing unusual as you know.”

“Of course,” Jensen agreed.

Graham positioned himself against the wall by the door. He crossed his arms and listened carefully. Pack security was one of his main responsibilities. Because Nathan’s pack bordered theirs, if they were having rogue issues, it would soon affect them.

“About three months ago we sighted a group of them, maybe four?” he looked to his beta on his right who nodded in agreement. “They scattered the moment my patrol made them. We lost their scent about two miles north and didn’t have another sighting for a month. Figured we’d scared them off.” Nathan shook his head. “Then we spotted two separate groups of four on opposite ends of our borders. They were testing our fences. Luckily because we modeled them after yours they weren’t able to breach them but…”

“It’s disturbing to hear,” Jensen said, tapping his fingers along the table edge. “Any idea what they were after?” He pulled a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and offered one to the visibly nervous alpha who shook his head.

“No idea! We don’t have any enemies, we haven’t accepted any new members in over a year, we don’t have any pending business deals or any major resources up for grabs…”

Jensen took a drag of his cigarette. “Why do I get the impression you have an idea of what they want, you’re just afraid to voice it?”

Nathan looked to his beta who nodded again. The beta is the one who spoke next. “It’s the perimeters they were trying to breach that has us concerned, Alpha Jensen.”

“What about them?”

“They’ve only been spotted near the fences that border your own.”

Jensen glanced back at Graham who shook his head. “We haven’t had any sightings out of the ordinary. One or two here and there. They’ve all been caught, interrogated and released with a warning and a friendly reminder,” Graham answered. Any rogue caught within their borders is given a little brand so they’ll know if the wolf tries the same thing twice.

The man to the left of Nathan pulled a file from his lap, took out a photo and slid it across the desk. Jensen gave it a quick glance before holding it over his shoulder for Graham. He took the photo and frowned. It was a picture of the brand Blackmoore uses on a rogue’s skin.

“That friendly reminder?” the beta asked with a smirk.

Graham shot the beta a look. It took less than two seconds for the beta to bow his head under his glare. “When did you take this?”

“Two weeks ago,” Nathan replied.

“It’s not the first,” Jensen guessed.

“Or the last,” Nathan confirmed.

“Well, whoever they are has been smart enough to not get caught by us twice,” Mark chimed in.

“And you have no idea what they’re after?” Graham asked. “You’ve had more than three of these rogues and you’ve gotten nothing?”

The beta’s face grew red. “It’s not like we didn’t try.”

“Well, whatever methods you’re using need to…”

“None of them had tongues,” Nathan interjected, bristling slightly.

Jensen sent a cautious look to Alpha Nathan, reminding him who was helping who. “Tongues or not, there are ways to get answers.”

“That’s why we called you. We think we can help each other out,” Nathan said.

“You’ve captured another?” Jensen asked.

The alpha and beta exchanged a look. “We did… he managed to escape.”

“When?” Graham asked this time.

Nathan kept his eyes on Jensen. “Last night. Headed West. We were able to track him for a couple miles before we lost his scent. We’ve called you not just because of our border relationship. We… we need a tracker…” Nathan finally glanced up at Graham.

Jensen looked back over his shoulder. Graham crossed his arms and nodded once. “You’ve got him,” Jensen agreed, standing. “We’ll take it from here and help you with your problem. We’ll discuss repayment for our services upon completion. My team will meet at your packhouse by tonight to get what we need and then they’ll set out. We should have some answers within two days.” Jensen stuck his hand out. Nathan shook it, not quite sure if he should be happy with the deal but too afraid to say no.

Stuart and Mark preceded Jensen out, doing a quick sweep of the interior for threats. Jensen stepped out, took two steps and paused. Graham followed quickly to see the issue. He took a single step and halted: orange cream. He lifted his nose in the air and inhaled deeply like a freak. Saliva filled his mouth and he had to fight to keep from groaning.

“You smell it too,” Jensen said, quietly. He faced Graham.

“You… you can smell it?” Graham questioned. Of course everyone could scent his mate but surely it wouldn't be as strong for the alpha or even cause to be alarmed.

Jensen nodded and his nostrils flared while his eyes narrowed. “Rogue.”

Graham’s brows crashed down over his expression. He inhaled a bit more deliberately now and there it was, buried below the surface of her, was another scent: the reek of a rogue wolf.

“I’ll find it. Get to the car,” Graham urged, heading across the bar. He entered the staff hallway and paused. He heard a sweet voice singing and pans sliding over grates. He continued down the hallway, subtly glancing into every doorway for the rogue.

Graham continued down the hall and as he did, the scent of orange and cream began to blend with the rogue and he finally understood. The singing continued as he got to the last doorway. Double doors were propped open leading into the glistening kitchen space. He spotted his mate open the oven and tilt her head to inhale the scent, bending over in the process. The sight of her bent over in yoga pants undid him. For the first time in his life he was completely helpless to his body’s physical reaction. His muscles strained with the need to touch her. Her singing softened slightly before stopping altogether. His mate closed the oven and turned. Her eyes widened as they ventured down his frame. The lower her eyes went, the higher the red on her skin. At around his waist her phone dropped.

“Wha-What are you doing here?” she whispered.