Her Missing Pieces, His Teasure

<"Niall where are you?"> I asked through our link immediately as I felt it, but I was met with silence. <"Niall? "> I kept my a foot on the brake just to go a little slower as I reached out again.

I knew he heard me, because I could feel his panic rising at the sound of my voice. I didn't know why, but I really didn't want to either.

<"Niall! "> I practically screamed this time in our link, growing very frustrated with his behaviour.

I was hurt that he heard me and refused to answer, and that he also felt when I came into linking range but refused to acknowledge it.

<"Zoey, I'm so sorry for everything but it is not safe here. You need to go okay? I'll be home soon"> He finally decided to speak, but I felt anger rising in me as he did. It would've been better if he didn't.

<"WHAT?! Are you freaking kidding me Niall? You've been gone for two days and you expect me to just go back home without you? And should I remind you that those were the exact same words you spoke when you were leaving? But look at that, you didn't come back">

<"Babe I swear I'll explain everything, but I need you to go. This is rogue territory."> His voice was desperate and I felt his panic rising the closer I went. It made me realize that it the new dose of panic I felt in the link was because he thought I was putting myself in danger.

<"You LEFT me Niall. You didn't come back and you're here at Rogue Burg? And for what? Aren't you in as much danger as me?">

<"How did you know-">

<"Clarissa is with me, and so is Valero. You know why? Because I felt the panic in our bond and I thought you were in trouble."> I huffed as annoyance ate away at me. If Niall really wasn't in danger, why did he come here and why did I feel him panicking every couple minutes?

My mind was quiet for a while, but he was still very much awake in my link. I could feel the guilt, concern and regret from him as I waited for him to answer. I was still following behind Clarissa as she led us towards what I assumed would be the main entrance. I knew it wasn't safe, but as much as I was upset with my mate, I was not leaving here without him.

<"Zoey I can feel you coming closer and I am begging you, please go back home. I promise I'll be home today and explain everything. That panic you felt in the bond? It was because I screwed up and I thought I was putting you in danger. It was never my intent for things to go this far, but I want to tell you at home where it's safe okay?">He asked in desperation.

A part of me wanted to believe him and follow his request, but the stubbornness that lived in my bloodline would not allow me to.

<"If you want me to go now, then I better see you in front of my car right now. If not, I'm coming in"> I sternly decided, pushing through my determination in full folds so he knew I wasn't playing. However, he didn't seem to be letting up.

<"Zoey-" >I immeditately cut him off from my link, knowing he'd only just try and convince me even more. If he wanted me to go that badly, he'd find me and we go together.

I'm not about to play any games with him.

"Heated argument huh?" I yelped in surprise when Valero talked. I completely forgot that he was there in my car too.

I sighed as I ran my hand over my face in frustration. "Yea. He wants us to leave"

"So not in trouble then?"

"Nope" I said, popping the 'p' with an exaggerated sigh at which he slowly nodded.

I resumed my driving, simply following Clarissa's lead. About a half a mile longer, she suddenly stopped and took a u-turn towards my car. She shifted mid way towards us, causing Valero to quickly throw his hands over his eyes. It was natural for wolves to see other wolves naked, so it honestly didn't faze me.

I grabbed my coat from the back seat and handed it to her through the window once I came to a stop. I eyed her confusedly, not sure why she stopped.

"Did you get a chance to talk to your mate? If he is in Burg territory, you'd be close enough to link" She asked as she wrapped the thick fabric around her body.

"I did actually. I don't think he's in trouble, but I do believe he's in a sticky situation. Still, I wont leave without him."

She nodded in understanding before turing to point towards some pine trees.

"The entrance is just around there, I can get you in since I'm a rogue and I used to stay here sometimes. But this is rogue territory, and non-rogues like yourself and Mr. Alpha over there will not be welcomed."

A frown took over my lips as I pursed them in thought. "So it's like a pack for rogues" I concluded, seeing that it seemed exactly like that.

She tilted her hand in a 'so-so' gesture before speaking again."It's more like a safe haven. As you know, rogues are always on the run if they aren't settled in a human territory or something, and it can be really rough out there. This place is mainly for wolves who are tired of running, or who needs safety for a little while. They have a strict no-violence code, but if an outsider, or in other words a pack-wolf invades, it can get messy. They will only see you as a threat"

"So how did Niall get in there? And how will we?" I questioned with a frown. I surely understood and respected their system here, but I needed to find Niall.

"I think I know how he did" She smirked as she grabbed her pants, pulling out a herb I knew and hated too well. I scrunched my nose up as she held the wolfsbane in her hand as if it was nothing. Valero mimicked my expression as we just watched her in questioning.

"Do you have water and a spray bottle?" She asked with the smirk still etched on her face.

"It so happens that I am one of the only wolves who wears perfume, but I don't see where you're getting at with this. " I shuffled through my compartment for my old cologne and grabbed my bottle of water from the cup holder.

She took them with a 'you'll see' glance, and I watched as she popped the head of the bottle off its body, empty the remaining contents and replaced it with water and the cursed plant.

She placed the top back on the bottle before roughly shaking it together. The diluted scent of the perfume plus the now evident scent of the wolfsbane mixed in water made me gag in disgust. I eyed her and the bottle skeptically as she held it out to me.

On the outside, it might've seemed hilarious looking at Valero and I. We both had a repulsive look on our faces, and we were both leaning away from Clarissa as she held it out to us.

"What am I suppose to d-do with t-that?" I finally questioned, momentarily gagging as I asked.

"It will temporarily mask you scents until we find Niall. It will wear off in like an hour or two because it isn't fermented and not mixed with the other binding agents, but it'll do" She told us casually.

"So let me get this straight.. This bottle of abomination will mask my scent until I find Niall, and it will only wear off long after I find him and we are on our way back?"

"Assuming that all goes well, yes" She confirmed, and as much as I hated the retched thing, I knew I needed it.

Slowly, I collected the bottle from her, where I covered my mouth eyes and nose with my hand, whilst using the other to spray it all over my body. Any wolf knew that wolfsbane to the skin wasn't detrimental like silver, but once it got into our system, it was over.

I held it out to Valero, but he just eyed it with even more contempt than when he looked at Clarissa.

"For Niall" I urged him in hopes to strike a nerve. Eventually, he sighed and collected the bottle from me where he hesitantly sprayed it all over himself too.

"In and out quickly okay?" She met my eyes in search for agreement, and I quickly agreed and re-started the car.

She walked a head of us until we arrived at a huge wall with surprisingly nice gates. I could see that the inside wasn't forested like the outside, almost like a mini society of their own.

Clarissa simply showed her face at the gate, mumbled a greeting, and we were home free. And Valero thought she wouldn't be much help.

To say I was impressed by the inside was an understatement. For outcasts and runaways, the rogues really outdid themselves with Rouge Burg.

An odd primitive feeling came over me when I thought about all the ruthless Alpha's who could find out about their little safe haven, and aim to exterminate them. No wonder it was kept a secret. I would've too kept it secret too.

"If anyone here knows where your mate is, it will be whoever is around the desk today. But remember you cant just blow your cover. Act a little...rougish" Clarissa smirked as she talked to me at my car window.

"So I just go in there and ask?" I raised my eyebrow in confusion. That seemed oddly too easy.

She simply nodded. "This is a safe haven after all. Even rogues have mates you know? And when they happen to lose them, this is the first place they look. Same with split up families and friends..It's sorta their job in there to help. But it's not always effective. Depending on the day and person, sometimes you get nowhere. Some willingly helps, some just don't care. We're rogues after all"

I bit my lip as I felt unsurity rise in me. What if Niall got himself in some shit and the minute I ask for him, they take me too?

"You've got this okay? Just be tough and show them that you need to find him. Just don't be sappy" She advised with a teasing smirk. I scoffed as I unbuckled my seatbelt and hopped from the car.

"I am a lot of things, but I am not sappy" I adjusted my hair so that it looked a bit more messy and tore a large slit to the end of my tank top. If I was going to pass as a rogue, I might as well go all the way.

The building was small but modern looking. It had a small door, gray paint and what seemed like two rooms.

I pushed it open, seeing a single woman sitting around a table with some papers and a beat up computer. The rest of the room was completely bare. Not even a bookshelf. I could see that there was another room connected to this one, maybe just a bathroom. I could feel Niall stronger than before, so I knew he'd find me, but I WANTED to find him.

"Welcome to Rogue Burg, my name is Stacey. Happy to be at your service. I don't care how or when you do but there are plenty of houses here you can stay at. Thank you for stopping by, and have a terrific day" The woman stated in a not so friendly or welcoming voice at all as I stepped inside. I scrunched my nose up in disapproval, but kept my strides slow as I approached her.

"I'm not-" I cleared my throat to start over again, just to put a bit more edge in my tone. "I'm not looking for somewhere to stay, I'm looking for someone" I stated loud enough for her to hear.

She finally looked up from her paper to raise an eyebrow at me, but she looked completely uninterested.

"He or she is not here. If they are, sniff them out yourself" she mumbled as she turned the page. My annoyance was getting greater as I stared at her. Clarissa wasn't lying.

"Did a tall male, messy brown hair, broad shoulders and charming eyes come in here yesterday morning?" I finally questioned, gaining her attention. I was shocked to see that she actually smirked at me as if she just figured out my whole world.

"So it's a lost mate situation huh? I bet he had his reason for getting away from you. You should move on with your life" She chuckled dryly like a bratty teenager as she popped her stale gum over her lips.

My anger and frustration boiled as I eyed the woman in contempt. With a huff, I pulled my phone from my waist band and waved the picture in front of her face.

"Have you seen this man?" I snapped, baring my teeth at her in newly found anger. I didn't even have to pretend.

Her eyes widened a fraction for a while, before they softened a whole lot and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Oh yea I've seen him. This is your mate? Gosh I wished he wasn't mated"

She yelped in surprise when I overturned the chair she was sitting in and slammed my hands against the table, obviously taking her off guard.

Good.

They're a lot of layers to me that she doesn't know about, and she's about to see the worse since she was being unnecessarily difficult.

"Now I'm gonna ask you one last time Lacey or Macey-"

"It's Stacey"

"I don't care! Now, where is my mate? " I gritted out, growing real sick of her crap. She shot me a careful glare before straightening her shoulders and leaning back again after repositioning herself back in her flimsy chair.

"I don't know" She retorted, obviously not knowing what I wanted to do to her in that very moment.

"Wrong answer Lacey! " I pulled the dagger from my waist band and shoved it in the table beside her hand, causing her to flinch a little. I missed on purpose, and I wont next time. "Now you just listen you little-"

"Zoey? "

My head snapped up at the sound of my mate's voice, and my heart soared with relief when I saw that he was okay. Two days never felt this long. But I was immediately reminded of the frustration I felt from the conversation we had earlier, after seeing that he was not in any danger, but had me worried sick.

"What the hell Niall? You had me out of my mind when you didn't come back!" I exclaimed dramatically, throwing my hands in the air for effect.

I pushed Macey out of the way, watching her fall to her side once again while I stomped my way over to the man I called my mate.

"Babe let me explain" He pleaded with careful eyes and his hands raised in surrender.

"Don't bother. We can do that on the way back. Let's go"

And with that, I turned and strutted out of that cursed place like freaking Beyoncé walking away from Sasha Fierce explosion.

"My f**king queen" I heard him mumble as he followed close behind me. I was still very much upset with him, but the small words had my tummy erupting in butterflies.

I contained a smirk as I pushed the door open, but the light twitch that managed to pull on my lips dropped instantly when I took in the scene in front of me.

"Damn" Niall mumbled from beside me, and I couldn't help but agree. If it's not one thing, it's the other in this damn world.

And quite frankly, I'm sick of this bullshit.