Chapter 2

CALIFF

My wolves of hunters and scouts streamed through the land, giving them enough time to scout the perimeters of our territory for dangers and threats. Though assigned to border patrol, they wouldn't take chances when their Alpha was going out on the run.

"You're clear, Alpha," Kairo, one of the scouts, said through our pack link. That was how we communicated when in our wolf form or emergency.

Running always helped me think. Since that rogue saw me two days ago, my wolf has been agitated and restless. There was just something different about her. I ordered my Delta, Lorcan, and one of my hunters to find that woman. I doubted it was a coincidence that I was there in that hotel, and she was there too. I always trusted my instinct when protecting my pack and our alliances.

Our enemy packs had been very clever lately. I admitted that. Their members left the pack when on a spy mission and acted to join another pack to get information and study their weaknesses. I had done that in my late teens.

In our world, claws, fangs, and magic were dangerous, and threats were always out there. No matter how strong our pack was, we always expected the inevitable.

Racing past my hunters, I headed straight to the forest and turned off our link. The roughened pads of my paws charged over the log as the wind blew through my dark fur.

I ran as much as my body could take it. It was good for my stubborn wolf and my mind. I stopped at the rocky cliff overlooking the river and lush green trees. I shifted to human form.

Our disadvantage of being a werewolf was that our clothes would shed to pieces as we shifted, and we transformed back into two-legged naked humans.

"Alpha," Kairo came behind, offering me my clothes. His family had been a pack member since he was just a pup. When he was trained enough to fight, he took over the position from his father two years ago.

"Thank you." I put them on quickly. "Any news?"

"They're back," he replied in excitement. "They have the package."

My head snapped to him as I recalled those misty gray eyes to almost purple staring back at me in shock. "Are you certain?"

"Yes, Alpha."

"Let's go." I pivoted on my heel.

We came back to the compound from our run. My Beta and best friend, Duke, strode in my direction with a satisfying grin.

"So it's true then." I entered the pack house, where everyone greeted me. This had been Stone for many generations. We had houses provided for pack members who couldn't afford one and cabins at our perimeters for scouts and border patrols.

"Yes, Cal. And she stinks." He followed up with a laugh.

No, she didn't.

She tried masking her scent, but I still sniffed it, whiffing in the air. No one could do that unless she had practice, which made it more interesting.

"Are you sure she's the one?"

"Yeah. Hundred percent sure. She's still knocked out. Lorcan might have gone overboard with the dose when she fought back. But something else happened before they got into her."

My eyebrows knitted. My protective nature clawed out. "What happened?"

"There were other werewolves with her." So, my suspicions were correct. "I thought she was a rogue. And she is a rogue. Her smell doesn't lie."

"Let me prove my suspicion. We'll wait until she wakes up. In the meantime, let me take a shower."

"Sure. I'll be waiting in the command room."

I took two steps at a time upstairs and went through the hallway. My room was in the corner. I had my pad in the city during business meetings, but I stayed at the compound most of the time as the Alpha to Night Stalker Pack.

I took a quick shower, which never happened—the pit of my stomach fluttered as I watched myself in the mirror. I shut my eyes closed, and her face, her eyes came rushing back into my head. Her misty gray eyes widened in surprise as they locked mine. Her smell was a fresh rain, intense jasmine in spring, and a touch of vanilla. But no one should know that.

After I put on a new set of clothes, I went to the command room where Duke was monitoring the woman in our solitary confinement underground of one of our buildings.

"She just woke up," he informed.

It was her. From her corporate dress, she was now wearing workout clothes and a hoodie but showed enough a bit of the round of her breasts. Her hourglass figure but had curves in all sorts of my wild fantasies. Confused and shocked, she got up quickly from the iron bed, looked around, and promptly thought she was in a government laboratory for an experiment because of the white walls and lighting.

"Turn the speaker on." As soon as Duke turned it on, her voice echoed. My wolf almost purred.

"Hello? Where am I? Can someone talk to me?" There was panic in her voice, but I sensed a strong and commanding tone.

"Ask her what's her name."

"What's your name?" Duke asked through a microphone.

Her eyes, the same misty gray that kept me restless at night, widened. "Hey. I need to talk to someone who has authority. Where am I? Why am I here? You got the wrong guy, sir. Let me out of here!"

"Answer my question. What's your name?"

"I'm Shadow Hawks, asshole. If you're so brave kidnapping an innocent woman, show your fucking face so you can taste who I really am." She looked around to find a camera but could only see a two-way mirror, which she just raised her middle finger.

Duke chuckled. "She's feisty."

And I liked my woman, strong and feisty. I shook that thought off. A rogue? What the fuck!

"I'm going in." I walked out of the room.

"It's not a good idea, Cal."

"Don't question my authority." My voice came strong and stern.

"My apology, Alpha. I didn't mean it like that, but she's a rogue."

"I know. I want to know what she knows. She wants to speak with someone who has a fucking authority. Then she gets it."

"Alpha." Kindra met us outside the confinement room as Duke wrapped his arms around his mate and kissed her on the lips. She was our pack nurse and good at her job.

"What's the status?" I ignored their PDA.

"I was able to check her vitals before she woke up. She's stable."

"Open the door."

She pressed the code, and the door unlocked. I pushed it open. My chest hammered, just like when I felt threats and danger close, but this time it was different. Her scent was stronger and alluring, making my head spin.

There were days when I felt like the most powerful Alpha in the world because I took control. I nurtured fear in my members. I earned respect from everyone, and I purposely ensured my words were my command. And one of those days was today.

I inwardly growled, ignoring the newfound raw hunger surging through me and the growing restlessness of my wolf as I stepped inside. Letting my self-control rule, I blocked out her intoxicating smell and irresistible presence.

She froze in her place the moment she sensed me, but she remained tough in her stance. As our gazes locked, I saw fear. I also saw defiance, and she had the audacity to look me in the eye for someone rogue like herself.

"You wanna talk to the authority? Here I am, but you don't talk until I tell you."

"Wow." She shrugged off with a chuckle. Her full lips, though pure carnal, spread into a mocky grin. Her bushy eyebrow arched. "Should I vow, Your Majesty? Tell you what. Let me go, and I won't keep grudges."

"That's unfortunate because you're not getting out of here alive." I showed no emotions even if my wolf had been bugging me, and my stomach had twisted in knots since I walked in. What was with this woman that had my senses heightened?

She gulped, showing a little frailty, and I whiffed a stench of fear in the air, but that was all. She became feisty again. Her eyes narrowed, almost glowing into silvery. Interesting. "Then go ahead. Be my guest."

"What were you doing in that hotel?"

"What do you do in the hotel? Pickup whores?"

"Answer my damn questions." I roared. My voice made her gasp. "If you want your head intact for the last five seconds, answer my questions. Do you understand me?"

She sighed shakily as she stepped back and sat on the bed. "I was there with my adopted father. He would be worried if he didn't hear from me in a few hours. Can we make this fast? I need to get back to LA."

"Don't fucking lie."

She lifted her gaze, locking with mine. "I'm not lying. Do you want a polygraph? Go ahead. Or if you have Lasso of Truth, please, feel free."

"Don't waste my time. What pack are you from?"

Her eyes narrowed. Her face reddened in anger. "Are you kidding me? You can't sniff a—"

"Answer the fucking question, or I will walk out, and you won't get another chance. Do you know what's that for?" I pointed at the sprinkler. "The water from that system is filled with wolfsbane, and you do such things that I don't like." I pointed up. "The iron bars with silver plating will be dropped and cage you until your skin burns. So trade carefully, rogue."

"I told you, I was there with my adopted father. You can see it on the CCTV if you don't believe me. We were there for a business meeting." You've got to be fucking kidding me. I just proved everything right. The intel was correct.

"Then why were you with other werewolves."

Her brows furrowed. "You mean your pack members who kidnapped me? I mean, what did I do wrong? Do you always kidnap werewolves, particularly women, because you can?"

I snorted. "You mean, my men, saving your life from those who tried to kidnap you?"

Her frown deepened as she shook her head. "Why would someone kidnap me?"

"Good question. I want you to answer that." I crossed my arms over my chest. "And lower your fucking voice when you talk to me."

"I've been rogue since those savages murdered my parents. I joined a pack once in college, but he wanted a whore instead of a pack member, so I left. I have no interest in becoming one, an Alpha's slave." She snorted. "No offense."

"When someone says no offense, that's what she exactly means. Here's what I can offer you to prolong your worthless life. Be my pack member—"

"Let me guess. I will be omega. No thanks. Hard pass." She just rolled her eyes. Unfuckingbelievable.

"Then you just punched your ticket." I walked out of the room. The door locked behind me.

"Fine out everything about her," I told Duke.

"Consider it done."

"Shadow. Pretty name for a pretty lady," Kindra commented.

If I was being honest, she was indeed pretty and had the body of a goddess, but her attitude was as stinks as the rogue wolf.

"What are you gonna do about her?"

I looked at him. "No one will come to see her unless I say so. No food. No water. Turn the lights off. She will spill everything in no time if she still values her life and her adopted father."

"What if she won't say anything, or she's telling the truth?" Kindra asked.

"If she doesn't submit, I'll burn her alive."