The Rogue's Desire

My elbow was instantly in the rogue’s ribs and he doubles over, coughing. “Get the others!” I order Val as I take another swing at the fallen male on the ground – smashing the base of my gun into his head and knocking him out cold. “You’ve picked the wrong day to mess with me,” I growl under my breath as I shoulder my gun and aim for the shelter of the trees.“Rylie, on your left!” I hear Val shout.I duck, spin on my heels and fire off to my left and the rogue is down in an instant. I can’t help but smile to myself. “Val, we need to move out!” I yell, climbing to my feet and breaking into a run.I’m surrounded in an instant, a rogue on either side of me. I can’t see Val in my peripheral vision, but pray she’s following behind me. I go to aim to my right, the rogue’s gun instantly mirroring mine. But instead of pulling the trigger, I duck and the bullet meant for my chest embeds itself in the rogue to my left. The other is down before it has a chance to realise its mistake.

My mind spins with conflicting feelings.A rush of love.A confusion.It conflicts with my sense of duty to protect the pack.How can a rogue be my mate?I lower my bow, the arrow slipping from my fingers. It falls with a thud on the carpet of grass and dew. I know I can’t harm him.I don’t know how to balance my own feelings with what I know to be true. I don’t know how to make the world stop spinning. “Who are you?” I ask.He says nothing."Who are you?" I demand again.He lowers his bloody hands. The wound in his arm is still bleeding freely.Then he takes a step forward.My breath catches.He takes another step. Then another.With trembling hands, I place the arrow back in my quiver. I know as he gets closer that I won’t be able to stop myself from reaching for him.He can’t be my mate. There must be some kind of mistake.He stops a foot away from me.Tall. Broad shoulders.Handsome beyond all definition of the word.He stares down at me. His eyes rove over my

Hunter sees the cuffs right away.A frown clouds his face."What is going on?" he asks."She let a rogue go," Val explains."What?" Hunter cries."She let a rogue go," Val says again."I don't believe it," Hunter says."I saw it with my own eyes," Val says. She nudges me. "Tell him, Rylie."Her voice is sharp.I can feel my face redden.I don't say anything.I just bow my head.Look down at my feet.I don't want to look at the alpha.I don't want to see the disappointment in his eyes."What do you have to say for yourself?" Hunter asks me.His voice is hard."I'm sorry," I say."Sorry?" Hunter asks. "That's it? You failed your mission! Let your pack down!"The disappointment is too much to bear.A lie appears in my mind.It is flimsy but it's all I've got.Lying to my alpha is not something I relish in doing.But otherwise, he will punish me.I am desperate."I mistook him as one of our own," I say."What?" Hunter says."It was dark," I say."And? Don't you

Night falls.I am in my room, lying in bed.I can hear the music and laughter of the pack drifting through the trees. They have been enjoying their lives while I have been sitting in my room all evening, watching the shadows lengthen across my floor, pacing, wondering.And remembering.I cannot get his gold eyes out of my mind.I cannot forget his scent.He smelled as familiar to me as Tomasina or Alia.As Hunter. As myself.My mind is full of him.My body aches for him.I wonder if he thinks of me, too.Or has he forgotten me?Has he already moved on? Picked out a new mate? Someone more appropriate than an enemy gamma?My mind pulls back from that last thought.It is too painful.I need a plan.He is out there right now and I want to be with him.I chew my fingernails, staring into the darkness and wondering what I am supposed to do.I have found my mate.I have found love.My hand goes to my heart, which seems to be beating double-time.I cannot stop thinking of

I return home.But it no longer feels familiar to me.Everything has changed.The world has shifted beneath my feet.I enter the pack dorm.My friends are snoring in their bunks.I fall into mine and pass out.My dreams are full of Patrick.I need him. I need to see him again.Just one hour without him feels like agony.When I wake, the dawn light is blistering through the window and Tomasina is bouncing on the bed beside me."Come on sleepyhead," she says. "Let's eat!"Alia is already half way out the door, eager for breakfast.I rub my sleepy eyes and follow them to the mess hall.All she can think about is him.Patrick.Patrick.My mate.My one true love.It makes me twitchy.Just thinking of him in this place feels dangerous.I realize my plan to meet with him secretly is never going to work. He was right to challenge me. To ask me to leave the pack. It would be too dangerous. His life would be in danger. How long would we last? A week. At most.But leave my p