Just a Rogue

Grace

With the human girls between us, Ruby and I lie apart from the other sleeping wolves. The three of them appear to be asleep, but I’m not. Not really. Knowing that Xavier is still outside guarding, I want to be vigilant in here, just in case I am needed for anything.

Halfway through the night it is time for the shift change. The five wolves come in from outside, and nudge five others to go out. Then I hear Xavier whisper into my ear, “Move.”

Oh.

Apparently he has shifted, and he must want Lynette. The poor girl. I wish he wouldn’t interrupt her sleep. She needs it to fully heal. Also, I know that her collar is off but I’m not sure that he is aware of that with her hair covering her throat from his vantage point. Waking her up for use is only going to anger her, and now that she’s partially healed she has her strength back. There will be a fight, and everyone will lose sleep.

He told me to move, but instead I immediately shift human. That’s a type of movement, maybe, so one could argue that I’m not disobeying. Lynette stirs but doesn’t awaken.

I lie in front of him on the rough surface, nude in the chilly cave, and lift my hand to his cheek. I look at him with longing in my eyes. It has been a long time since he used me. Normally he just sticks with Lynette or Nova. But I still desire him.

A flash of annoyance crosses his features, barely visible in the dark with these human eyes, but he seems to acquiesce. He jerks his head behind him, and I move over a few feet, and lift my arms to him. He didn’t dress after he shifted, and when his naked body settles over mine I gasp with pleasure. It feels so good. It’s been so long.

When he enters me, I am so eager for his touch that I climax almost immediately, silently but passionately. There, hopefully he will remember now how good it is to have a willing partner, one who is excited by his lovemaking, not fighting it or merely enduring it.

It seems to work. “Mmmm,” he murmurs against my neck, tightening his hold on me, and slowing his pace rather than rushing through the act. I kiss the side of his neck, and he lifts his head and presses his mouth to mine, his beard scratching my face, and we kiss. I feel in it the old passion that he used to have for me, the need, the comfort that I can bring him. I can tell that he is enjoying this too, not simply using an available body to meet his physical needs, but joining together with one who loves him.

It lasts longer than normal, he lingers with me, not wanting to be finished as quickly as he is with the other girls. He takes the time to move his hands across me, making me react with even greater passion. I sense the tension building in him, and feel him shuddering as we both come together, gasping quietly. I know that this has moved him far more than he anticipated.

My hand is still tangled in his hair, and I rub the other hand across his back, caressing him lovingly, hoping to prolong this blissful moment. After he catches his breath, he whispers, “Get dressed.”

I hope so much this means that he wants to talk to me. I immediately comply, pulling on the clothing I had been wearing earlier, and he does the same. He leads me closer to the entrance, bringing one of the covers with him, and pulls me down to sit together, wrapped up in the same blanket.

My heart is so full.

“Thank you,” I whisper to him, and he nods. He doesn’t need to explain to me how he felt during our union, I understand.

I wait silently for a couple of minutes, wondering what else he wants. Finally he speaks, softly, just for my ears. “I think we should just go back to the coast,” he says, and I am so glad that he wants to talk this out, just like old times, when we used to decide things together. He goes on, “The pack clearly has it in for us. Rather than letting them chase us all over California, I think we should just go down and face them.”

I nod, soberly.

“I’m assuming this is the River Moon pack doing this, and their packhouse is just outside of Arcata. Let’s go check the cave north of there, and if they’ve marked it we’ll find somewhere else to stay while we regroup and form a plan of attack.”

“They have a lot more wolves than we do,” I whisper, not trying to anger him, but wanting him to be cautious.

He doesn’t sound angry, just weary. “I know. But if there has to be a confrontation, I’d rather just face it. Maybe we can find a way to chip away at them, attack their members a few at a time while they’re away from the packhouse. We could ambush some of the wolves who live in town with the humans. If we cause enough trouble without getting caught, maybe we’d have the ability to negotiate a truce so they’ll leave us alone.”

“You are very wise,” I tell him seriously. “That does sound like the best approach. Guerilla warfare, right?”

He nods. “Exactly.” He huffs out a sigh, seeming relieved to have resolved what to do.

“You haven’t slept yet,” I tell him, “you should get some rest before dawn.”

“You’re right,” he says, and I am elated to have had this conversation, like the ones we used to have, reaching understanding, making a plan, loving and supporting him. I think he might lie down with the blanket, but he says, “Shift back, but then stay with me here.”

I don’t say anything else, but I am so grateful. I quickly strip off my clothes again and shift, as does he. Our wolves lie together side by side, pressed against each other, warm and for me at least, happy.

Seth

I’m on the second shift, and am glad for the couple of hours of sleep that I was able to get before my turn. As the other wolves and I circle the area, patrolling until dawn, I contemplate my position. Even though Xavier trusts me, and I am his second in command, he is increasingly irritable and difficult to deal with.

Our gang is in a terrible position right now. I don’t blame him for this, of course, none of this is his doing. We have been targeted by a pack for unknown reasons. I suppose it is related to the failed ambush last month, but nothing Xavier did was incorrect. We just had bad luck, which led to this whole situation.

Our caves are inaccessible. It is winter. We have few resources, are down to just one car, and most of what we have is inside caves. If they have claimed all the other ones, those items are essentially lost to us. I think that using this cave tonight is a reasonable risk, because it is unlikely that the pack will be attacking us for violating their territory in such a remote area. But I agree with Xavier, we have to leave at dawn.

So the question remains, what next? Do we check all of our other caves? Do we abandon this entire region and move to a completely different territory? Maybe Xavier would want to move closer to where his former pack is located. Or maybe to a completely separate region. The southwest maybe.

The problem is, wolves are everywhere, both packs and rogues. Trying to carve out a new territory amongst them in unknown areas would be difficult.

I’m sure that by morning Xavier will have some kind of plan.

What remains is for me to decide whether to set off on my own. I could do it right this minute. This might actually be the best opportunity. Xavier is inside the cave sleeping, the patrol is spread out. I could simply slip away. Technically they’d be able to track my scent when they realize I’m gone, but I doubt they would bother. They will have bigger problems.

I hesitate. There’s a reason rogues band together. Wolves are pack animals. It is hard to be a lone wolf. Corinne found the courage to do it, though. But she had more motivation than me. My position is more secure, less fraught. Nobody is raping me. I get to eat more than the others. I understand why she left.

I wonder where she is, and whether I will ever see her again. I wish I could. But I realize that my decision is already made. I guess I’m not as brave as her. I’m not willing to risk my position in this rogue gang to face an unknown future.

Besides, I’m the only male who treats the remaining females with any kindness at all. I’d hate to abandon them. And Xavier does trust me. I would hate to be seen as a traitor.

I’m staying. I continue padding around the area, committed to keeping my vigil until dawn.

Ruby

Before dawn, as the sky outside is barely starting to lighten, Xavier calls us together. We gather just inside the entrance to the cave. Xavier and Seth already held Lynette down to force the collar back on her, and she stands meekly with her head down next to Nova. I wonder if they’re ever going to trust her enough to leave it off for more than just overnight. Probably not if she keeps fighting it so much.

“All right,” Xavier says to the group, almost all of us still in our wolf forms. I notice that Grace is standing next to him warmly dressed in human form, which is interesting. “Here’s the plan. We’re going to Arcata.”

There’s a shocked silence, but most of us can’t talk at the moment anyway. That seems a bold move, though, to go closer to the pack’s territory.

“I’ve decided that it’s better to just get this over with, whatever the damned pack is doing. I’m not going to keep scurrying around trying to find a cave they haven’t defiled. We’ll check the Trinidad cave, but assuming it’s claimed, we’ll stay on the outskirts of town and make a new plan.”

Well, that’s not what I was expecting, but honestly I have to agree with him. Continuing to travel all over the area trying to find a cave that hasn’t been claimed just keeps us cold and hungry and unsettled. Even if the cave in Trinidad, north of Arcata, is claimed, at least we’ll be closer to town and have more resources while Xavier decides what we are going to do next. I know that he has some funds in a bank account there. As rogues we don’t have much, but he has managed to piece together enough to keep us fed most of the time. That’s how he buys the food and clothing that we have stocked all the caves with. This will probably work out.

Until the pack strikes, which is obviously inevitable.

But, for now, I’ll go along with Xavier’s plan, still complying obediently while watching for the moment when it becomes clear it’s time to disappear.

Those of us in wolf form are aware that it will take us many hours to traverse the distance. The car will be able to make it there much sooner, once they get back on the highways. They might be there by midday. We’ll be a few hours behind.

I expect Grace to shift back to run with us, but she doesn’t. Apparently she is going in the car. It seems that she might be back in favor with Xavier at the moment. I watch as Grace and Seth start loading backpacks full of all the remaining food in the cave, to carry it back out to the car. Good planning. Who knows what will await us in Trinidad?

Xavier looks over at us. “What are you waiting for? Go.”

We quickly exit the cave, nine wolves today instead of ten, and I note that I am the only female now. If it becomes a problem, that’ll be the trigger for me to leave. Again, I remind myself, I can always leave.

We begin our trek west to the coast.