Chapter 6

The air was thick with the stench of sewage, driving away the deer and bears that sensed the looming threat. Rogues weren’t just discontented wolves who had left their packs for human territory; they were more like dangerous, rabid dogs needing to be put down.

The condition wasn’t contagious through touch or air. Instead, it often stemmed from a traumatic event in a werewolf's life, such as a mate's death, mental illness, or losing oneself to the wolf's mind for too long. Once a rogue went feral, death was the only remedy.

Worried the rogue might pick up on my brother's scent, I whipped out the spray from the pouch around my neck. Startled by the mist I sprayed around him, my brother's protest came through our mind-link, surprised and annoyed. "Hey, what's the deal with dousing me with some weird spray, Stephi? If this is one of your pranks, you're going to regret it.”

My brother nods in agreement and we each take a tree and climb up into the part of the tree where we are hidden by the leaves.

The stench became stronger, and I felt like gagging up my early morning breakfast from the packhouse I had eaten. I tried holding my nose to lessen the nausea my abdominal area was fighting with.

I was just going to let the rogue be, as I didn’t want his smelly scent on me. This day had other plans for my brother and me. We could hear humans laughing in the distance. I hate having to kill a rogue who used to be one of us. This was going to have to be done. Humans, I am sure, do not wish to be killed by rabid fido down on the ground.

Taking out a small blade I also kept in my pouch, I waited until the rogue was right beneath me under my tree. I positioned myself right above him, jumping on his back. The rogue tried to shake up, rearing his body much like a horse tries to rear its rider off its back. I held on tight to the front around his putrid smelling neck. Taking my blade, I punctured an artery, and the rogue became even more violent. However, I had the upper hand and wrapped my arms around his neck and, with one swift motion, snapped his neck.

My brother lands with a thud, the scowl on his face fierce as the moon above. "Stephi, are you out of your mind?" he snaps, the anger in his voice palpable.

With a smirk, I reply, refusing to meet his glare, "Didn't we establish ages ago that I'm part madwoman? Use those enhanced werewolf instincts. Hear that? Smell that? Humans are close. Our... fragrant friend here might fancy a bite if we’re not careful."

He pursed his lips, deep in thought. I can almost see the cogs turning in his head. But before he speaks, I lay out the inevitable. "Just to be crystal clear—no way is that filthy rogue coming anywhere near my car. The scent would be apocalyptic."

"But what do you propose, Stephi?" he implores with a touch of exasperation as he glances anxiously into the thickening darkness. "Humans are encroaching as we speak, and time is a luxury we don't have."

A lightbulb moment strikes. "We can tie him up! There's rope in the trunk. We'll hoist him high into a tree, make him disappear amongst the leaves."

His eyebrows furrow skeptically. "Let's be real. Hauling his carcass up there? That's inviting his pungent aroma to cling to us for days. Not happening."

I pause, pondering, then brighten. "Alright, plan B. We grab my rope, tie it to a hefty stone, and make a swimmer out of him in the lake."

Jeremy nods, a plan forming in his mind. "That... I can work with. We can manage it without direct contact, and then I can have the pack retrieved and deal with the remains. It's settled.

“Okay, I will go with that idea, as we can tie him, drag him with the rope and not get his stench on us. Then throw him in, and I will get some men from our pack to clean the mess up, drag his body up and then cremate him. Let’s go get the rope. I need to get back to my company.”

I laughed and nudged Jeremy's shoulder. "Need to go back to your mate?"

"Shut it, Stephi!" He grumbled, and then sighed. "Yeah, I miss her. I'm in trouble. And I have to nab her hairbrush."

We fetched the rope from my car. My brother tied the captive's feet, and we dragged him back to the lake.

"How will you handle your situation, Steph? You can't hide behind a wig and shades forever. It's time to face it."

I rolled my eyes. "Look who's talking. You've been pining over your girlfriend from a distance for two years. We're quite the pair, both avoiding our significant others."

We found a heavy rock by the lake shore, heavy enough to weigh the rogue down. We threw it in first, followed by the body. Just in time too, humans were nearing.

"Want to stay and dance with my friends and me?" I asked Jeremy.

"No, I need that hairbrush. Plus, I can't stop thinking about her. This bond is intense. I've been camping outside her window in wolf form. Weird, I know, but necessary."

I shook my head, pondering my own situation. I couldn't just go complain to the Moon Goddess. I couldn't reject my mate either; I'd risk losing my wolf, my best friend. Why now, of all times?