Three

"Alpha, he has spoken."

Trying not to sound enthusiastic even though I am, I said, "Really, what did he say?"

Bradley looked anywhere else but me. He was either frightened by my appearance or nervous, probably both.

"Not much."

'Not much', said a lot, but I would let it slide, mostly because he was the last in Bennett's line.

While he waited for a response like my good PA, I cleared my desk, shoving folders and envelopes into a corner. That would come back and bite me in the arse, but there were more important things to deal with, taking my frazzled appearance as an example.

"Bradley, do you have a mirror?"

He seems startled by my question but quickly recovered his cool like the perfect gentleman he was.

"No, alpha, but I can get one for you."

"And disappear for the rest of the day?" Standing up, I planted myself in front of him, making sure he got a good look at me, I continued. "No Bradley, it doesn't work that way. Now tell me how do I look?"

His look was one of those "How-do-I-say-this-without-sounding-abusive?

"Um, you look okay."

"I am everything but okay!" I yell, grabbing Bradley by his collar. Poor guy is probably uncomfortable.

"Look at me, Bradley. What do you see?"

He tries to form an answer, pleading eyes meeting mine.

"Poor guy would probably go blind from looking at you."

I inclined my neck to look at that unwanted visitor. Lyles stood at my doorway, with his hands in his pockets.

I let go of Bradley and try to fix the abomination that is my hair.

"Lyles, what brings you to my pack?"

When the son of an enemy makes an appearance, it is never for a good cause.

He assessed me with those beautiful blue eyes of his. "The rogue demands your presence."

"I am not going to see him. No one demands my presence Lyles, you of all people should know that."

"True true. You might want to see him, alpha. His appearance will complete yours. Plus, I want to know why and how you kept an Icelander in the cells for three weeks."

#

"Of all the women I have met, you are the only one who wears makeup to see a prisoner. Sure you don't have a secret crush on him or something?"

My glare shut him up. Painting my lips the color of blood isn't considered makeup, but Lyles loves to exaggerate unimportant things. His burlesque character is something that ruffles my fur.

"So you said that rouge is an Icelander, what is that supposed to mean?"

"All alphas know who an Icelander is. But I am not surprised by your lack of knowledge, since you are not supposed to be where you are now."

If I was human, I would have missed it. Lyles isn't ambitious like Sleepy Joe, but I am certain he must have thought about it once. I mean, who wouldn't?

"If you are asking for a challenge, I would gladly give it to you," I growled.

My wolf is snarling in my head, upset that Lyles wants something that belongs to us, hook, line, and sinker.

"I didn't want to leave my mate less, that is why I didn't challenge you for the alpha title. All I am saying is, you don't fully understand what it means to govern a pack. Being alpha means putting the pack before you. If you don't put an end to this alpha you have somehow managed to capture, the pack will question your leadership and you will lose everything."

I inhaled deeply. His words cut deep. In a way, he is right. I don't care about the pack. I only cared about the benefits of being an alpha. Socializing wasn't one of my strongest suits, thus the reason I avoided the pack members. Even when I did try to socialize, my anger gets the best of me and I end up hurting someone even though I didn't mean to. Somehow, I hope my mate will be able to tame me.

It is a good thing I had plugged in those earbuds Lyles had given me. The noise emitting from the cells, his cell is so loud, that the earbuds are only keeping it to a minimum.

The smell of fresh and dried blood tickled my nose and my stomach churned.

Even after a year and still counting as alpha of this pack, I still am not used to this. I am starting to think coming here and keeping him here was a mistake.

"You can do this," Lyles whispered, patting my back awkwardly. We didn't talk much mostly because of his dad. I shoot him a weak smile, too nervous to argue. I can't do this. I have never tortured a rogue before, more or less an Icelander. I am new to this leading pack business and I spent most of my time proving to egoistic arseholes that women have a place in power.

Silence coated the bloody room, the moment I entered, I take off the earbuds and hand them over to Leo. He nods. My eyes seek out the most important person in the room at the moment, the rogue. I wish I didn't look at him immediately, because that image would be burned into my head forever.

"Alpha" Lukas greeted me with warmth in his tone, pressing a wet cloth to his forehead. Everyone in this room, except me and Lyles was coated in blood. His own just happened to be the worst, yet he is still alive.

Annoyance bubbled up within me as I clenched my thighs together. I wish he would just die, so this spell-induced heat he was putting me through would stop. My thighs are raw and scratchy and it is all this bastard's fault.

"Those scars. The ones he is coated in. Are they new or old?"

"The one on his polla is new," Lukas grumbled. "The other ones, I don't know, but I am sure as hell that he deserved it."

He leaped to his feet, annoyed with Lukas's response, but the shackles held him in place. His blood and cum sprayed on my clothes and Lyles's eyes widened when he saw this. This rogue has marked me with his stuff when only my mate was allowed to do that. His scent is permanently imprinted on me. I didn't like it. My wolf grumbled in agreement. Our mate wouldn't like it.

"Bradley told me he has spoken. What did he say?"

It was Leo, Lukas's right-hand man that answered. "Well, along with profanities, lots and lots, he told us that he is not a rogue."

"I don't believe that," Lyles states firmly.

"Well, your opinion does not matter, only hers does," the rogue speaks and we are all looking at him.

Lyles, Leo, and Lukas angrily. I am the only one amazed, well dumbfounded. His voice is lighter than last time and I think it is because of the subsequent blood loss. He is pulling his hair out from his white eyes, with the hand that is not um touching, I mean cleaning himself. If he keeps on using those bloodied boxers, he could get infected.

Fuck, I don't even know why I care.

"Alpha," he says my title lazily, holding my gaze. He is smiling, but it is more of mischief than pain. Fuck me I am scared.

"What do you think of me alpha? Do I look or smell like a rogue to you?"

No. Lyles nudges my arm, which makes me realize that I haven't answered verbally.

"No," I croaked out, patting my chest. My body is hot and it isn't that I want your touch hot. My wolf is ready to make an appearance even when I didn't want it to.

That could only mean one thing. She didn't trust my decisions with this dangerous male or my mate is near. I hope it is the latter. At least he could fix this heat and make me feel alive.

"Crinka, are you alright?"

Lyles's voice is soft which surprises me. He has always been a hard male.

"Crinka."

My name on his lips has me facing him again.

"Crinka," he says, still smiling. "Cranki would have fit you better. You know since you are all cranky and mean."

Fed up with his jokes, I throw a firm stare at Leo.

"Take away the boxers, then hit him again."

.....

"The council called," Lyles tells me as I exit my room in clean clothes and smelling nice with his scent still on me, still in me.

"What did the fuckers want?"

"They threatened to give Bluemoon a leader if you haven't found our mate by the end of this month."

"Davidson was a mate-less alpha for six years and they never threatened him."

"They knew you would mention that, that is why they took it upon themselves to tell me that the rules are different for a female."

I snort. "As if there has ever been a female in power before."

"How about you?" Lyles asked, raising a brow.

Mates are a touchy subject for me. At times, I thought my mate would reject me for reasons I didn't know existed. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect.

I smile sadly at Lyles.

"If the moon goddess can give me a male who hates children as much as I do, then I am fine with it."