Revolting

Alpha Shane and his luna drove out to the rogue's camp. Since Boyd had remained behind with Daisy, there were now only three, the mated couple and an older woman. It didn't seem right to leave them alone outside the border, where they might be vulnerable to hunters. They had decided together to invite them onto pack lands for the duration of Michael's trial.

Shane looked relaxed, but his senses were on alert. He kept his body slightly between the group and Nina as they approached through the woods.

Sarah approached the alpha couple, her head bowed respectfully. "Alpha." She glanced beside her at Caroline and Lonnie. She made a little motion with her hand, signaling them to be respectful. "Uh, what can we do for you?" Shane's face was cool and passive, but Nina smiled warmly at the small group. Shane spoke formally. "We've come to offer you temporary asylum inside of Rebel Moon boundaries. The Alpha's will be meeting next week to discuss Michael's case."

"What happened to Boyd?" Lonnie asked. He stared rudely at the young Alpha. "We tracked his scent to the boundary, and he never came back."

Shane frowned down at Lonnie until he took a step back and lowered his head submissively. "Your friend is safe. He is with his mate."

"Boyd has a mate?" Caroline said in amazement. "Well, I'll be damned!"

"I thought he was acting funny!" Lonnie laughed out loud, and then sobered up again when he caught the Alpha's eye.

"When the Alphas come, they will be hearing testimony on Michael's behalf. They would like to hear your voices regarding Michael's character since you have known him." Alpha Shane continued. Lonnie grunted. "What if we don't want to talk?"

Shane leveled him with a stare. "No one is forcing you to do anything."

י

Luna picked up the conversation. "We are a small pack, with limited resources. We have only one spare room, but there is also a room in the attic we've partially renovated. It's not much, but it will give you a roof and a dry bed." The luna offered.

"You will be expected to abide by our rules and behave respectfully while you are on our lands. You may stay as long as Michael's case is being deliberated." There was a cautionary note in Shane's voice.

The three rogues shifted uneasily. Sarah kept her head down, but nodded eagerly. "I'm coming," she said easily. Without Michael, she had fallen into the leadership role. Caroline and Lonnie followed her, nodding slowly.

"If you gather up your things, we can give you a lift to the packhouse." the luna offered. It didn't take long for them to pack up their camp. They threw their bags into the back of the black SUV, and then the three of them squeezed into the back seat. Sarah was tense, as they crossed over the boundary. Caroline sat silent and broody, and Lonnie was almost giddy.

"It's been a long time." Caroline said, almost wistfully as the guards at the border waved the Alpha across. "It's been six years since we left our pack." She looked across at Sarah, "What about you."

Sarah's long, graceful fingers curled up into tight fists. "Not even two years," she said quietly, her voice unusually hard and cold. "Two years since that little bitch murdered my husband."

Lonnie raised his eyebrows and poked his wife. They'd been running together for months, but this was the first time Sarah had ever made any mention of her past. It was a sort of unspoken rule between Rogues, to leave the past in the past. The hatred that flashed through the older woman's pale blue eyes was so intense, that Caroline subtly leaned away from her.

In the front seat, the Alpha and Luna shared a concerned glance. They had also felt the venom behind Sarah's words.

As quickly as it came, it passed. Sarah sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her hands relaxed and lay softly against her thighs. Her face relaxed into its usual placid expression. "It will be nice to sleep indoors for a change," she said softly.