Sometime later we are all gathered in Samantha’s office; my parents, Chris and Laura are also here, we are going to be transferring Jake into our pack. This time, Violet is showing me exactly what files are needed: paperwork and basic background checks. She tells me that if we are bringing in someone from a pack we don’t usually deal with the process takes longer... we need to know exactly what the other pack is like to be sure we are not bringing in a mole. There are other safeguards in place and that involves a strict interview with Samantha, Violet, and the petitioning wolf. I couldn’t help but notice that Samantha kept the desk between her and Jake the entire time, and she had to replace her gloves when she went to shake his hand. I sighed, I hope she doesn’t have to wear them a lot... I hate that she has to hide that part of her from others. She once offered to stop wearing the polish for a while, but I insisted she keep it on; it’s a defense mechanism she has gotten used to and I don’t want to take that from her. At least not until I’m stronger... Mom was a blubbering mess again, and my brother Christopher joked that maybe he would transfer in next week. Once people started hugging though, Samantha came and stood beside me, and anytime someone got too close she subtlety went to my other side. I chuckled and wrapped my arm around her. She half smiled and nodded. She leaned into me. I nodded and thought back to that night, it was just before I was to start taking a pill around midnight and we both jumped up when Violet called us. She had laid her bike down in the road to avoid a deer and she nearly went over the side of the mountain herself. The bike wasn’t so lucky as it slid down the mountain a ways. Between me, Greg, and Daren we got the motorcycle back up and loaded into Daren’s truck; it was totaled but we didn’t want a human finding it and calling it in to the local police. It was a long ride back home. I smiled as he finally walked over to us, I gave him a half hug and when he was off guard, I hooked my arm around his neck and roughed up his hair, laughing. “Damn Ben, how you get so strong!” He lightly punched me, and I returned it. “Naw bro, you just got weak!” I teased him back. “You’ll get it back soon though, Daren is gonna put you through the ringer!” Samantha was just standing off to the side and smiling. “As soon as the doctor gives him the all clear first.” Her eyes went out of focus slightly. “Hey, I gotta go. Trackers just got back.” She hugs me again and starts to leave. “Jake welcome again.” She smiled and walked out of the door; I followed. She was slightly taken aback when she noticed me. “Ben....what?” “I want to help.” I started. “The trackers brought the prisoners, right?” She looked at me a little downcast, “Yeah, I’m going to go down there and see if I can figure out anything. It's going to get.... messy.....I don’t want you to.... see me work.” I shook my head. “No, I can help.” I brought my forehead to hers and sent calming energy between us to counteract the anxiety coming from her. I looked and she was biting that lip again, smirking I popped it out. “Trust me, okay?” She looked like she thought about it, weighing her options. Finally, she sighed. “Okay. But if it gets to be too much, please leave, okay? I just don’t want you to see me...” She sighed. “I don’t want you to be afraid of me.” I smiled. “I could never be afraid of you, I know that whatever happens down there you would never to anything to hurt me.” She smiled and winked. “Of course not, I’m not a sadist.” She looked around at my ass and bit her lip again before grabbing it. “Mine.” She chuckled and walked towards our room. “I gotta get my tools first and change my clothes.” I chuckle to myself and catch her, she screamed playfully as I slung her over my shoulder and carried her into the room, dropping her on the bed and laying down beside her, pulling her into my arms. “You sure you don’t want to just stay up here for a while?” I whisper huskily in her ear. She giggles and leans into me. “As much as I want too...we can’t....” My thoughts flash back to our earlier conversation and I sighed; this is really hard at times. I sigh. “Soon though.” I promise and kiss her forehead before getting up and going to the bathroom. I sigh and take care of myself. I wash my face with cold water and leave the room before stopping with my mouth wide open. My mate is standing with her back to me, she has changed into a black leather outfit. All I can focus on is that perfect ass of hers. She notices me and turns around and even though she is only showing her midriff I can see all of her curves. I retreat back into the bathroom. It almost looks like a bikers outfit and is way too sexy for me to stay away. All I see me doing is ripping it off and having my way with her. Damn it! I jump in the shower and do it all over again. I also don’t want for those flea bags to see her dressed that way. I hit the shower wall. I hear her sigh in my mind. I’m smirking now. I can save it for later. This time she chuckles in my mind. And I hear my phone chirp, but I dare not look at it. After a while I peek out of the door, and she is sitting on the couch in her normal training uniform. “Better?” I nod, “Yeah, um. I’m sorry.” I don’t want to force her to change for me, she is perfect the way she is, but I am desperately trying to respect her wishes. She stood and pushed the coffee table out of the way and pulled up the rug. Under the rug is a cut out part of the carpet and she lifts a trapdoor. “This is where I hide my tools.” She explained. I’m looking over in awe as she pulls out a silver briefcase and opens it. All kinds of silver knifes and other utensils are in there and as much as I want to know what some of these things are used for, I don’t think I should ask. She looks at me worried. “Are you sure?” I nod, this is a part of being alpha. Dealing with rogues. She closes the case and picks it up. She also pulls a long Japanese style sword from the hidden space in the floor and straps it on her back. I go to carry the case, but she pulls it away and grabs my hand instead and gives me a half smile. “When we get down there you need to get some gloves, okay? Just in case.” I nod and we walk hand in hand downstairs and towards the cells. I feel Samantha project out her aura, as much as it comforts me, I have learned that others don’t always feel the same way. For rogues, it is terrifying. “You have to let them know you are coming before you get there.” She explained, “Right now the guards are listening for whispers of knowledge, and they are intimidating them as well. The ones we want aren’t the ones who will ‘die for honor’ or whatever rogues call honor nowadays. We want the scared little pissants. My job now is to find the strongest one, the ‘leader’ among them and break him. Slowly and painfully while everyone else watches. After I’m done, I’ll pick another one and promise to see him tomorrow. That one will be excluded in the ‘special cell’ the one she spent the night in that night. Then when I come back I do the same thing all over again. But this time, I offer lenience to anyone who gives me any information. Afterwards, I pick a third for the special cell and rinse wash repeat until there is only one rogue left. That one I let go.” I’m shocked. “You seriously let one go???” She looks at my slyly. “How do you think I earned my reputation? And don’t worry, after I’m done, they are wishing they are dead.” She giggled evilly. “The last one I let go only made it a couple of weeks before he died.” I can’t say anything, and I can feel the blood drain from my face. She stops. “Are you sure you’re okay?” After a minute I nod. “Yeah, sorry. I’ve never heard my dad talk about what happens down in the cells. I mean, I know it’s extreme, but I guess I never really thought about it.” I admit. “But I’ll be okay. How did you do it when you first started? Your dad showed you, right?” She smiled. “Yeah. He told me to use my anger, to find out what crimes they did to others and use that to best inflict punishment. For example, I once had one that admitted to helping to burn a pack down. He burned a whole family’s house down with them still alive and trapped in there.” Her hand squeezed mine and I could sense her anger and sorrow. “He was proud, and he laughed when....” She shook her head, and I could see tears start to well in her eyes. “There were children. Babies.” She swallowed and stiffened her posture. “So, that day was the first time I used acid.” She looked at me somberly. “What happens down there is not pretty, or glamorous, but it has to be done. The council doesn’t care, the royal family doesn't care. It's not in their backyard so it doesn’t happen.” She starts walking again and I think about what she has just said. I understand her a little better now, I think. “There are people who are just evil for evil’s sake. They don’t care about anything or anyone but themselves, they take, burn, rape, and murder just because they can. There is no fear in getting caught or punished. But they fear me. They fear the Demon.” She looks at me determined before sighing and looking down. “And until a month ago I didn’t care what anyone thought of me. But....now I’m really scared.” I cup her chin and bring her face back to mine so I can look in her eyes. “I understand, but don’t be afraid. Just be yourself; I promise I’ll still be here.” I swallow and say as calm as I can, but I can hear a waiver in my voice. “It may take me some getting used to, and I may be queasy at first, but I swear nothing you can do can make me think less of you.” I kiss her cheek lovingly. “Remember what you told me before? Wolves may make mistakes, but the Moon Goddess doesn’t. She wouldn’t have brought us together if I couldn’t handle it.” A single tear runs down her cheek and I wipe it away before smiling. “Stop that, you’re supposed to be terrifying, remember?” She smiled at me and nodded. “Yeah, I just need a minute.” She stood on her tiptoes and brought her forehead to mine. I chuckle and close my eyes, enjoying her presence and sending my own waves of love back to her. I break the contact and look at her lovingly. “And I love you even more than that.” She gets herself composed before we start to walk again. We are almost there when we see two guards standing outside talking to each other, they see us coming and one of them starts running in our direction. “Alpha Samantha! Benjamin....sir.” The guard said as he reached us. “We have a problem.” He handed me a thick pair of gloves. “What kind of problem?” She asked. “Are all the rogues in the cells?” “Yes Alpha. Of course. But we had to put someone in the special cell.” He started. “We didn’t want to put him in the cells at all, but he insisted.” I could tell he was struggling to talk, and he was very flustered. “Ma’am, he doesn’t smell like a rogue.... and....” “And what?” Samantha said sharply, getting annoyed. “He is just a pup, Ma’am.”

Chapter 48