Luna of Rogues - Chapter 71: Chapter 71

"Bullshit," I scoffed.
"Not even," Rhys protested. "Sociopaths work too. Pyromaniacs, not so much. They're too destructive."
"Please tell me you two aren't still arguing about that. It's been an entire day," Leo groaned.
And it had. We were stood in the command room, sketching a map of the hunter's complex from a combination of the boy's memories and google earth. Rhodric had also (and I have no idea how) managed to download the original work order for the building. We had a rough idea of the layout. More specifically, the holding rooms and where the weapons were kept.
"So is this place anything like the one you blew up?" Leo then asked Rhodric as part of an entirely different conversation.
Rhodric shook his head, looking amused. "Reports of me 'blowing it up' were greatly exaggerated, I'm afraid. There was one minor-to-moderate explosion. I was trying to minimise the collateral damage."
I quit bickering with my brother to join the more important side of things. "How did you get in?"
"I didn't," he snorted. "You don't have to be inside a building to set a few well-placed explosives."
"And where did you find explosives?" I folded my arms.
Rhodric grinned. "We accidentally made TNT in an A-Level chemistry class. It wasn't hard to do it deliberately. I used that to ignite a cache of weapons that weren't stored very securely. But it won't work a second time, if that's what you're hoping. The weasel in charge is very good at learning from his mistakes."
"No..." I found myself smiling. "But I can reuse the principle. Use weapons that are already inside, rather than smuggling them in."
"Skye, no," Rhodric said immediately.
That easily, Rhys was paying attention. He raised his hand. "Me. I'm a weapon."
"Me too," I agreed.
Leo looked up. "Can I go?"
"None of you can. You don't know these people like I do." Rhodric folded his arms, his face set like stone. "We're not playing around here."
"We'll plan it properly, I promise. External backup and an escape plan if it goes wrong," I assured him.
"If Malcolm was standing in front of me now, I wouldn't be stopping to ask questions. What makes you think he won't just kill you on sight?"
"Why don't you tell me, Dad?" I turned it on him as only a rogue could. "There's obviously a reason why he kidnapped your mate and friends. This rivalry didn't start overnight."
Rhodric scowled at me, his eyes flicking to Rhys and back. He seemed taken aback when my brother didn't show any sort of reaction to such a revelation.
"Oh, he knows," I snarled. "Rhys has known for a while now. Just because you don't trust him doesn't mean I don't."
"Skye..." Rhys began cautiously. "You don't have to—"
But he was swept away by the tide of the argument as Rhodric started snarling right back. "You had no right to tell him. None at all."
"I had every right. He's my brother."
"He's my son."
"He's right here," Rhys muttered, too quietly. That served to bring us to our senses.
Leo wrapped an arm around my waist, soothing my wolf. I leant back into his hold, grateful for the feeling of pure calm which radiated from him. Rhodric, who had no mate to leash him, simply turned away,  heaving a long, slow breath. And Rhys stared at both of us, completely unimpressed.
"Look at you both — fighting like dogs over bones. I thought we'd got past this. And I thought we'd got past the lying."
Rhodric sighed heavily. "You're right, kiddo. But the lies are the only reason you've lived this long, and I don't appreciate your sister taking it upon herself to throw that away."
He raised an eyebrow. "So tell us why."
"Fine," Rhodric grumbled. "Fine. I arrived on the mainland, fresh from Anglesey, without the faintest clue how to deal with human beings in general. The island's free of them, you know. I blame the Shadowcats for that. Either way, I was having a bit of a hard time dealing with it all. Skye's parents were kind — they helped me settle in."
"Skip to the important part," I said.
He scowled but obliged. "It wasn't long before I met your mother. Only trouble was, she already had a boyfriend. He was human, and they didn't have the bond, but Jess didn't think she had any other option. I wasn't much pleased about that."
"Obviously," Leo agreed.
"There was a lot of trouble over it. She picked me. The mate bond always wins in the end. Remember that, kids. It didn't sit too well with her ex. He started stalking her all hours of the day, and he decided he hated our entire species over shit I did to him. Next thing I know, the guy's leader of the so-called hunters. He abducted her, and then he killed her."
"And that was Malcolm?" Rhys asked unnecessarily.
Rhodric sighed. "He didn't go by that name back then, but yes."
I frowned. "And that's it? You didn't bathe in an infant's blood? Kick a puppy? I was hoping for something a little more ... original than a love triangle."
He scowled at me. "That's it."
"Then I'm going to rip his bloody head off. He killed my mother because he was jealous?" Rhys demanded.
"Not jealous, in love," my father corrected. "There is nothing more dangerous than love."
"You're starting to sound wise," I grumbled.
Rhys nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's unsettling."
In true rogue fashion, Rhodric shrugged. He then proceeded to ruffle up my hair, cuff his son around the ear and mutter, "I'm just trying to share my wisdom. Ungrateful little shits."
I had to grin at that. "More like it."
"Fine, have your damn way. Be the weapons, for all I care. Maybe I'll even come along, because as much as you might want to rip Malcolm's head off, I called dibs on that before you were even born," he growled good-naturedly.
Leo was staring between the three of us, looking as confused as I had ever seen him. "You guys are weird, you know that? This must be the most dysfunctional family in existence."
"Get used to it, boy. You married into this family."
"Well technically we're not marr-" he began, but was cut off by a withering stare from Rhodric.
"Fine. I adopt you, happy? Your parents are assholes anyway."
"Um, thanks, I guess..." Leo replied. "So... Uh, speaking of which...  Weren't we going to get some evil revenge on them?"
I stood up suddenly. "Yes, we were. That reminds me..."
A mental flick through the link caught Ollie's attention. He then sent in our visitor. The rogue was a tall man with short-cropped dark hair and icy blue eyes. Often heard to boast of his relation to the Lloyds and through them the Alpha King, Syd Jacobs was the leader of a raiding group in the Silverstones. He had grown up in New Dawn Pack and been exiled by his cousin, Jace, after a failed challenge for the Alpha position. Syd's healthy hatred for New Dawn and his knowledge of their territory made him the perfect man for what I had in mind.
"Luna." Syd bowed, albeit grudgingly. Rhodric had extracted his allegiance years ago, which made my job that much easier. I resisted the urge to snort at my newfound title. But it would have been unwise to dismiss that sort of power when others would trample each other into the ground to get it.
Leo stepped away from my back, leaving me to handle the situation. He always seemed to know what I needed. I wasn't nearly so good at utilizing the mating bond yet. Rhodric kept his distance as well. But Rhys lounged in his chair and used the table for a foot-rest in true Rhys fashion, his expression one of complete disregard and boredom. I noticed Syd's eyes flicker to him with increasing annoyance.
"Let's make this quick," I decided. "I understand you've been raiding Alpha Keith?"
"Every day or so, yes. It's been quiet over there, I've got to say. Considering there's supposed to be a pack war going on, there's really not much happening. Keith seems to be finally gathering his fighters now, though."
That troubled me more than I cared to admit. What was Keith up to? Shouldn't Jace have sent the team in to kill him by now? Ryker and Emmett had been gone for a while, and we hadn't heard a word from them. "He's one of the richest Alphas. Are the raids paying off?"
"Aye, and then some. I'd much rather annoy my cousin, though. How long is this boycott going to last?"
I grimaced. "A while, I'm afraid. But I can make an exception. There's a house on the outskirts of the territory occupied by the Morgan family..."
"I know them," Syd agreed. "Recognise little Leo as well. We were partnered once or twice for training."
Leo acknowledged him with a rather reluctant nod. His memories flickered through the bond, largely involving pain. Even as a kid, Syd must have been a nasty piece of work. These days, he was well known for some of the atrocities which gave rogues such a bad name. Not all of my people were decent, though. I couldn't afford to pick and choose if I wanted to keep the peace.
"Go through the border and take some friends. Do what you like to the house, frighten them a little, but don't do any physical harm." As much as I disliked them, killing the in-laws did seem a tad ungrateful. "They really hate rogues, so make sure you live up to expectations. Maybe next time they will think twice about double-crossing their own son."
He grinned at me, but there was something sinister in it. I didn't fail to notice that he glanced at Rhodric and waited for him to nod before saying, "Will do, Luna. If that's all?"
"For now," I replied. He turned to go. "Oh, and Syd?"
"Yes?"
"Stay the hell away from your cousin. I need him breathing," I ordered.
As Syd walked out of the door, he called back over his shoulder, "If little Jace puts in an appearance, I will do my best to leave him alive."
"My memory is a little rusty, but didn't you lose the challenge?" Rhys shouted after him. His own grin was nothing short of insolent. Syd stopped in his tracks and span, dangerously slowly.
I turned to my brother angrily, but he could care less. There was the mischievous sort of glint in those hazel eyes that I knew all too well. I debated calling in Cassidy. His mate should be able to calm him down before he did anything too stupid. But if I was being honest, control wasn't the problem. Rhys kept a permanent leash on his wolf — or maybe his Shadowcat blood diluted that side of him. I didn't really know or care. The problem was that he enjoyed winding people up, however inconvenient it may be.
"A fluke," Syd spat out. "He used an underhand trick."
I failed to suppress a laugh. The idea of the oh-so-honourable Jace fighting unfair was inconceivable. After all, that idiot had been fully prepared to be murdered by the ferals rather than besmirch his precious pride. And he would have, had I not failed to share his inhibitions.
"Shame," Rhys drawled. "Why don't you challenge him again? A few years as a rogue should have taught you how to play dirty."
Syd bristled at his words, and his eyes flashed angrily. "I don't want anything to do with New Dawn anymore. How's it any of your business?"
"Jace annoys me."
"So challenge him yourself."
"I could do ... might do. But then I would have to lead a pack. From what I've heard, that involves far too much talking and not nearly enough fighting." Rhys shrugged, before raising his eyebrows at me. I gave him the tiniest of nods. It waspermission to take this all the way. I didn't much like Syd. Rhys continued his taunt with, "So while that sounds perfect for you, Syd, it's not quite up my street."
"I'm not sure I know what you're implying," the rogue leader growled.
"Dense and useless. It really is a wonder you've survived this long." Rhys finally bothered to stand up. He took the few steps needed to close the distance between them. The height difference of a few inches became evident as my brother stared down at his opponent. Syd blinked twice and his eyes darkened. His wolf was coming out to play. I wasn't surprised when he swung the first punch.
Rhys took the blow. He'd been expecting it. He twisted the rogue's arm and used his own body weight to throw him to the ground. Syd rolled back onto his feet without missing a beat and cracked his knuckles.
"Human form?" Syd asked. "No blades, just fists."
Rhys shrugged again. "Sounds alright to me."
Rhodric rolled his eyes and turned away, muttering good-natured curses. I wasn't sure whether they were meant for his own son or Syd. I directed my attention to my fingernails as the two boys started beating on each other. Leo took a step forwards as if to intervene, but I put a hand on his chest and shook my head ever so slightly. Separating them would be far more trouble than it was worth.
The thump of fists on flesh echoed through the chamber. Rhys was winning easily, which I knew without even looking up. While Syd Jacobs was a third-generation Alpha and my brother was something like fifth-gen, there was a good deal more Shadowcat blood in his veins. Not to mention he was just ... Rhys.
They were still pummelling each other when Cassidy opened the door to the command room. I saw her jaw drop, her eyes fix disbelievingly on her mate, who currently had his knee on Syd's throat. "What the hell is going on?"
Rhys turned at the sound of her voice and swore under his breath. Syd, the conniving bastard, took advantage of his distraction to slam a fist into his face. My brother went down ... and up again just as quickly. I might have intervened myself if he hadn't managed to get the raiding leader in a chokehold.
"For goodness sake, let him go," she hissed at her mate. When he didn't hurry to obey her, she moved to physically drag him away. Rhys released Syd reluctantly before it came to that. I tried not to contemplate how little a human's strength would have affected him.
Her reaction seemed strange. Rhys's soulmate should have been fine with violence. Her usual chill was nowhere to be seen. It took me a while to realise that she was the female version of my brother with a normal upbringing. Of course fighting would seem strange to an ordinary human.
Cassidy's attention was now on me, and the two idiots on either side of me. She seemed surprised that none of us were the slightest bit concerned. "What is wrong with you? You're just letting them fight? I thought you were supposed to be in charge."
The last comment was directed at me. I answered it with narrowed eyes, "I am. They wanted to fight, and I couldn't be arsed to play mediator. Both of them must have burned off a few ounces of testosterone, so the world's a better place for it."
"No harm done," Rhys added. Syd chose that opportune moment to spit out a mouthful of blood. He had the good sense to stay out of the brewing argument, perhaps realising it would only end one way. His face was covered in red marks, already beginning to swell, but it was limited to an extent that I knew Rhys had taken it relatively easy. When werewolves really got into it, bones were broken as a bare minimum.
Cassidy's eyebrows lifted in warning. Her mate lifted his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. We're done."
"Fighting, Rhys? Really?" She was far from finished. "What are you ... children?"
"I'm older than you," Rhys retorted.
"Are you, though?" Cassidy asked. "Do you even know how old I am?"
He frowned, and I thought he was beaten. "No... Do you know how old I am?" he countered.
They both named their birthdays. The Moon Goddess must have been laughing at my brother, because his was a week after hers. Through his mumbled curses, I noticed Syd Jacobs smirking at Cassidy.
"You're a pretty one. And human too. So ... fragile," he sneered.
Rhys didn't growl as many others would have, but he turned to the other rogue with a murderous look on his face. He might just have killed the guy there and then — and by the look on Cassidy's face she might just have let him — had Syd not burst out laughing.
"That answers my question," Syd said by way of explanation. "It's hard to tell who's mated to whom when you neglect to mark each other. What happened to the good old days when a male would sink his teeth in straight after the word 'mine'?"
Rhodric lifted his head, his eyes narrowing. That had got his attention. "I don't know what era you're living in, boy, but it doesn't sound very civilised."
"I'll castrate you if you try that with your own mate," I added.
It brought back memories of Fion and her forced marking. Somewhere above us, she was sat cradling a child she hadn't chosen to have, and there was a set of tooth marks on her neck which would never fade.
Rhys must have been thinking along the same lines, from the scowl on his face as he said, "Talk to my mate again, and you'll find yourself without a tongue. You could've just asked, you domineering prick. But I don't have to ask to know you don't have your own mate. The Moon Goddess would be hard-pressed to find someone as twisted as you."
Cassidy slapped his chest. "Hey, be nice. I don't mind."
"No?" he asked. "Well, I do, so you can get the hell out of my castle, Syd."
I nudged him.
"Our castle," Rhys corrected himself with a grin.
Syd was incredulous and mildly pissed off at the same time. But he started to leave when I glowered my approval, only stopping to ask, "You still want me to raid New Dawn for you?"
"Oh yes. At your earliest possible convenience," I requested politely. But there was a threat beneath the words, to ensure he didn't forget exactly who he was speaking to.
He gave a mix between a sigh and a growl. "Your wish is my command, Luna."
Once that jerkoff was out of my sight, and I was still deciding whether I liked him or not, Rhys threw open the door.
"Quick break? We've been here for hours. I need to see the sun."
I nodded my agreement absent-mindedly. The five of us made our way into the courtyard, where half a hundred people bustled in all directions. It was a quiet day — a fair number of people were on the supply run. At last count, there had been three hundred rogues living at Lle o Dristwch. Maybe two hundred others were scattered around the north in smaller groups, led by people like Syd Jacobs. I had more wolves than any of the packs, and I was damned proud of it.
Of course, we wouldn't actually get any sun. Wales was the land of eternal rain. When it wasn't cloudy, it was pouring it down. Literally all the time.
"I'm looking forward to summer," Rhys mused, pulling his hood up against the drizzle. "The rain gets warmer."
I laughed and sat down in a crumbling wall beside Leo. In the not-sunlight, I could see the dark smudge under his cheekbone where Syd had got a hit in. Already it was fading, but Cassidy reached up, almost shyly, to wipe away a smear of blood from Rhys's split lip. I watched as my brother went completely still, more worried than I had ever seen him facing certain death.
Her hand lingered in place. She took a hesitant step closer to him, then another. Before I could even really process what was going on, Cassidy kissed him. They were a tangle of bodies in an instant — Rhys pulling her even closer as the two of them played tongue-tennis.
I whooped, and half of the courtyard followed my example. As Cassidy pulled back slightly, I could see her own shy smile. Both of them looked a little out of breath — giddy on love and a bond which ran deeper than love.
Through the thunderous applause, as rogues are likely to do when they see two young people finally admitting their feelings, Rhodric shook his head, smiling. "What did I tell you, kids? The mate bond always wins in the end."