Luna of Rogues - Chapter 67: Chapter 67

The sound of Leo's facepalm echoed throughout the deathly silent room. I could feel his exasperation clearly enough through the link. Evidently, he thought there was a better way to break that news, but I'd never been one for beating around the bush. Jace's face was a mask, as usual, but his mate wasn't so composed. Neither was Kara herself, who openly gaped at me.
"Huh?"
A trifle impatiently, I repeated, "I said, I'm your twin sister."
What about that was difficult to understand?
"Minor correction," Leo added. "You might be her twin."
I nodded in his general direction. "What he said. My real parents were abducted by hunters when I was a baby. They were both murdered, but Rhodric managed to save me. Apparently, he wasn't aware of the second baby's existence, and Malcolm — who's lowkey evil — took her away. So while I enjoyed a wonderful childhood, this other girl was left behind to suffer untold hardship."
Kara took about ten seconds to absorb all of that. Then she grimaced at me. "You do look like me. I get that. And I guess ... it does fit. I was raised as a lab rat for a bunch of humans. They did all kinds of shit to me."
"But you got away?" Leo asked.
"The place I was being held caught fire. I got loose and ran into Emma, and the two of us stuck together until she met Jace. Then, somehow, I ended up joining this pack. But you've got to understand that this ... it's a lot to take in."
"With all that taken into consideration, it's a miracle you're not a total nutcase," I commented.
She gave us a wry smile. "Who says I'm not? Besides, I could say the same for you — growing up with rogues like you did. I spent roughly a week with Rhys Llewellyn, and I've never been quite the same since."
Perhaps she shared more than genes with me after all. I said, "Oh, I'd forgotten you know my little brother. Did you meet when your Alpha had him chained up?"
I shot a nasty look at Jace, and tension crackled through the air between us. He just stared back at me. "I'm not your friend, Skye. And I won't apologise for locking Rhys up, if that's what you're after — he attacked my pack!"
"No, he did not," I corrected. "Out of the dozens of ferals, you arrested the only innocent wolf there. Is it even possible to screw up that badly?"
He took a threatening step forward. "You want to talk about screwing up? Have you forgotten the time when—"
It was the Luna who laid a firm hand on his arm. "Leave off for a while, Jace, for Goddess' sake. Let Kara talk to her family."
Family, Emma had called me. Well, she was wrong. Kara had never been there for me, not through all the danger and the pain. I hadn't been there for her either. It would take a lot more than shared blood and a few similarities to consider her as part of my family. And somehow, I knew it would take more than that for her as well.
That didn't mean I wasn't willing to try. All these years, she'd been lost, but she was found now, and I fully intended to keep her around for as long as she would let me. One whiff of Kara's scent told me she too was mated, to none other than a Beta, if the stench of authority was any indication. Having my twin as the Beta female of New Dawn would tie our packs together more than any treaty could. And if Last Haven was friendly with New Dawn, we would be safe from Zach and Jaden's packs as well. That made us the most powerful alliance in the north at least, maybe even the entire country. Four packs, bound by blood.
I tried not to look too smug in the light of Emma's reprimand, instead choosing to ignore Jace in favour of my twin sister. "Look, I'm not here to cause problems between you all. I just thought you ought to know that we're hunting Malcolm down. If you want, you can help us kill him and avenge our parents. You don't even have to make a decision now. Just come to Last Haven and hear out Rhodric. He knew our parents."
Kara looked between the Alpha and me. If I didn't know better, I would say she was asking for permission. That was a habit she would have to lose. And soon. My twin had been a rogue once — she could be a rogue again. For the time it took to kill Malcolm, at least.
Jace gave her a small shrug to say go ahead. Kara turned back to me, a grin on her face. "I'll come. Let Tyler know where I am when he gets back."
"Where's Tyler?" I inquired. I vaguely remembered the name of Jace's Beta, who was probably Kara's mate. My brother-in-law, whom I had never properly met. That felt odd.
"Leading an attack against Alpha Keith. You know, the one who tried to kill you," Jace said.
"I haven't forgotten," I muttered, resisting the urge to scratch at the scar on my ear. "How's the pack war coming along?"
He looked mildly amused. "Splendidly. We've got them on the retreat. But what I really want to do is proving tricky. The plan was to send a team into Keith's pack to capture him. That way, we might get the other packs to surrender without spilling any more blood. Only trouble is ... his border security is flawless."
"Well, it certainly can't be any worse than yours," Leo jibed, rather uncharacteristically. We would make a rogue out of him yet.
Jace shot him a glare. "That reminds me. Before you leave, I would like to know how exactly you got in without the alarm being sounded."
Before you leave. It was a threat all right. He was just casually reminding us that he had the power to ensure we didn't leave. Hell, perhaps even the population of this room could overpower us. I might be able to take Jace, but that would leave Leo against the Luna and Beta female. Both of them would be good fighters, especially as the latter shared my blood.
I didn't rise to the bait for once. "We got in because I've done this a hundred times, in seven different packs with seven different patrol schedules. We got in because we're rogues and trespassing is our entire occupation. If you are all still alive in a few weeks, I would be happy to send Rhys over to amend your border security. He's the real expert on it — been running circles around packs since he was eight."
"It was seven," Leo corrected, who had first met my brother when he was trespassing on New Dawn territory at that age.
"If you think I'm going to let Rhys Llewellyn write our patrol schedule, you must be a few apples short of an orchard. He would likely include loopholes for his personal use and come raiding whenever he felt like it. No thank you," Jace growled. In hindsight, I think that refusal was the nicest thing he ever did for me.
"Suit yourself," I sighed. "But just answer this question. When was the last time you were raided by rogues?"
That left him dumbfounded for a while. After a good deal of thought, he said, "Nine months ago, when you stole my car, I suppose. I had hardly even noticed, with the pack war going on."
"Ah, good times." I smiled. "It's because I put a boycott on your pack — and Zach's, too — after we killed the ferals. And you should realise that Rhys wouldn't bother raiding your pack if he knew he wasn't going to get caught. The danger is half the fun of it, you know."
"No, actually I don't know," Jace muttered. "What about Jaden's pack?"
"Huh?"
"Did you put a boycott on my brother's pack?" he asked.
I grimaced. "Well you see, I don't really like Jaden..."
This time, he really did roll his eyes. "Does that mean you do like me? Zach, I get. He's half a rogue himself. But me? I'm flattered."
"As far as Alphas go, you're not so bad," I admitted. "You know what? I'm feeling generous today. I can loan you a few rogue veterans to sneak people through Keith's border. Ever met Emmett and Ryker?"
He shook his head. "I don't think so."
"They're great. Don't try any Alpha crap and you'll get along just fine. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have our own war to fight." To Kara, I said, "Meet us at the border in half an hour. You might want to pack for an overnight stay."
Leo and I took our leave. The fighters who had been dismissed all gave us death glares as we walked past them. Maybe I was just imagining it, but it felt like they only wanted us dead now, not tortured to oblivion. That was progress.
"Do you want to visit your parents while we're here?" I asked. The last time I had tried to meet the in-laws, I vaguely remembered blowing up a gas main. Leo's parents were very anti-rogue, after their youngest child had been practically abducted by the Llewellyns.
Leo grimaced. "If you don't mind. You don't even have to come, if you don't want to."
"Nonsense." I grinned. "Being insulted to my face is my second favourite pastime."
"What's the favourite one, then?" he asked.
"Killing the people who insult me."
When Leo looked genuinely worried about the health of the people who had raised him, I let up. "Relax. I wouldn't really. You can't fault me for talking back, though. I only abstained last time for your sake."
"I know. Talk back all you like," Leo said.
We walked over to the Morgan household. The shed was no longer a blackened ruin — it had been replaced with a bright summerhouse. Lovely. I could just imagine all our future rogue children playing inside it while their grandparents did their best to have them exterminated. When Mrs Morgan opened the door, she only scowled at me once.
"What is she doing here?"
"Nice to see you too, Mum," Leo sighed. "Can we both come in, or shall I just go?"
Ella — as I remembered her calling herself — seemed indecisive. She had a choice between seeing her son and putting up with vermin like me or kicking us both the curb.
She frowned. "I suppose you can. Just for a minute or two."
I missed Rhys. He would have wormed his way into her affections within seconds. Even Fion was just a likeable sort of person — quiet and kind. But me? I was just terrible at social interactions. It was a miracle I had any friends at all. If I didn't know someone well, I found it difficult to be anything but hostile.
Leo's father was in the kitchen, making a cup of tea. I could have sworn he twitched with repulsion at the sight of a living, breathing rogue. Oh, Goddess, save me. We weren't this bad with flockies, were we?
"Good afternoon, Leo," Spencer Morgan said. "And you — what's your name again?"
"Skye," I said with as much patience as I could muster, "Llewellyn."
A flash of recognition appeared. Good. That surname was well known, and not for the right reasons. Maybe now he would think twice about being a douchebag.
He said, "Yes, that was it. Do you have permission to be on New Dawn land, Skye?"
Or not, as the case may be. How these two people had managed to produce someone as amazing as Leo, I would never understand. Perhaps they were genuinely nice people when not in the presence of rogues. At least their son hadn't inherited their prejudice. It would have been terribly awkward, meeting my mate only to find he despised my entire kind.
"I'm not entirely sure," I mused. "You see, we weren't exactly invited, but Jace hasn't clamped me in irons. He knows I'm wandering around, so I suppose that counts as permission, doesn't it?"
He wrinkled up his nose, not entirely convinced by that. Stiffly, he asked, "Would you like a drink?"
It was directed at Leo and him alone, but I nodded jovially. "Yes, thank you."
"Is coffee okay, or do rogues prefer theblood of innocent children?"
I had to give it to him. That wasn't half bad. I retorted, "It's a little early in the day for that. I'd settle with a nice, juicy teenager."
"Behave yourself, Skye," Leo murmured, nudging me. "Dad, try to be civil. What's she ever done to you?"
"She exists, doesn't she? I'd say that's bad enough."
"Really, Spencer," Leo's mother scolded. "That's going a little far. You heard what happened in the Silverstones. We would all be feral by now if it weren't for the rogues. So while I don't like her kind any more than you do, we should at least try to get along."
Yeah, it felt like she was trying really hard.
"Now, look here. I don't often speak out against the Alpha. But Jace Lloyd is making a mistake when it comes to the rogues. They should never have been allowed to join the alliance against the ferals. It's unnatural. We could have won without their help," Spencer insisted.
I raised a smug eyebrow. "Who's we? I didn't see you amongst the fighters."
"I retired five years ago, girl," he snapped. "But I've fought my fair share of battles, most of them against your kind. And if the Alpha won't—"
His expression changed so fast, I got whiplash. From angry to welcoming in a split second. Oh shit. Someone must have had an idea.
"You know what? That's all in the past now. I'm sure we could learn to get along," Leo's father said with deadly calm.
I did my best to pretend to be taken in, although the words tasted foul in my mouth. "That's all I want. To put the past behind us."
"Our Luna used to be a rogue and she's a lovely girl," Ella commented, oblivious to the change in atmosphere. Leo was frowning — he wasn't convinced either. From there, the conversation turned almost pleasant. We held a civil discussion about New Dawn and the pack war. Alpha Keith wasn't popular with anyone. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that. As it turned out, they hated him almost as much as they hated me.
I finished two cups of coffee before we had to slip away to meet Kara. Leo's parents said farewell jovially enough, but I didn't miss the nasty gleam in Spencer's eyes. A sense of foreboding was building in my stomach. Kara was already waiting at the border when we arrived, a rucksack slung over one shoulder. Leo and I fell into step beside her. No words were necessary. She wasn't here for me, she was here for our dead parents. And that sort of debt, I was more than familiar with.
We reached the car, which Leo had parked a good kilometre off the beaten track. As I was about to climb in, Kara suddenly put a hand on my shoulder and retracted it just as quickly. I turned to face her, a question burning in my gaze.
"Why me?" she asked. "You have hundreds of fighters. So why did you come all this way to find me, of all people?"
"Because I have a plan which requires someone who looks exactly like me." And because Rhodric told me to. Listening to him was a habit I needed to break. "How well did you know the leader of the hunters before you escaped?"
"You mean Malcolm, don't you? Not well. I saw him from time to time, but never for more than a few seconds. He must have thought I died in the fire, or he would have come looking for me by now," Kara explained.
"Perfect. That's actually perfect."
Leo nudged my arm. "Skye, do you smell that?"
There was a faint whiff of humans on the wind. It could be hunters. Or it could be walkers out in the sunshine. There was no way to tell.
I frowned. "Malcolm wouldn't be stupid enough to come this close to New Dawn, I don't think. All the same, I'll give Jace a heads up, and we should go quickly."
The mind-link I sent to the Alpha of New Dawn was brief. "Humans near your border. Quite a few of them."
"You're going to have to give me more than that, Skye," Jace complained. "Hunters?"
A laser beam appeared on Leo's forehead — the sighting for a gun. I swore and pushed him out the way as more and more of the little red dots clustered on all of our bodies. Then the gunmen themselves appeared from around us. There was a full circle of officers in full protective gear. We were surrounded by the fricking police.
The car was directly behind me, which meant none of them were. I took a chance and slipped Leo's knife out of my belt, throwing it behind me so it landed outside of their field of vision. Hopefully, Jace would recognise it, given that I had held it to his throat on one occasion. It would make a good SOS. Anyone who knew me even remotely well could guess I didn't part with my weapons easily.
"Put your hands behind your head and get onto your knees!"
I recognised that voice. It was the man who had arrested us last time. Miller. Rhys had broken the poor guy's jaw during our escape, as I recalled. I wondered briefly if he still held a grudge. It seemed fairly likely.
"Worse than that," I told Jace mentally. "It's the police."
Leo's father had known that calling the Alpha wouldn't get him anywhere. Oh no, he'd dialled triple nine the minute we left and let the real authorities deal with the filthy rogues. I slowly raised my hands to show my empty palms. There was no point dying just yet. I was too far away to mind-link anyone at Last Haven, so I could only hope Jace cared enough to do something. Anything.
I hadn't had the best of days, and I didn't want to end it with a bullet in my brain. So I slowly got down on my knees, joining Leo and Kara, the latter of whom seemed to be listing every swearword in her vocabulary. Shit. Not again.