“And Jamie accepted the deal? Where is Jamie?”
The man looks away. “Dead. Your Beta killed him when we were trying to escape.” Zayn points to the sandwich. “Eat, you’ll have food to take home,” Zayn tells him.
“Tell us about the other rogues, the ones you’re scared of,” Zayn demands, his voice a low rumble that resonates.
“We call them The Bandits,” the rogue murmurs, his voice hollow. “They come, killing our people, taking what little we have.” He shudders, the fear palpable in each word. “We’re not safe even from our kind.”
I feel a surge of pity for these outcasts, their eyes reflecting a mix of hope and dread as they watch us from a distance. Families huddle together, their children peering out with wide, curious eyes. I couldn’t imagine having to live like that.
“What else?” Zayn asks
The rogue swallows quickly. “They… they don’t take prisoners,” he rasps. “They’ve killed some of us. It’s a sort of warning—to stay in line or else.”
“Or else what?” Zayn prods, moving closer so his entire chest lines my back.
“Death isn’t the worst thing they threaten us with; they’ve taken a few of the women when we’ve refused them,” the rogue whispers, casting a wary glance at Cleo before returning his focus to Zayn. “We live like ghosts; most of us are banished families clinging to the fringes of Nightshade City; the majority of us were from his pack or so mom says. I don’t remember not being rogue. That Alpha… Joseph? He gave us an ultimatum; scare your pack or remain exiled forever.”
“Banished? Why?” I ask, stepping forward with a creased brow, only Zayn tugs me back against him and I sigh. “You said you’re from my father’s pack?” I ask.
The man’s face drains of color, and he stumbles back a step, as if the very ground beneath him had shifted. “You’re… you’re the Alpha’s daughter?”
“Your father…” The rogue hesitates, his eyes widening as if he’d just pieced together a puzzle. “When his mate—your mother—was killed, he banished my mother for not submitting to him along with those who refused.”
“Submission is not loyalty,” Zayn growls. “It’s control, fear. That’s not how you lead a pack.”
“Wait,” I say, my voice quivering with a mix of anger and curiosity. “You knew my mother was killed. Why would my father banish you for not submitting?”
“Because we refused to be his pawns,” the rogue states, his own anger surfacing.
“Just like he’s using Alpha Dane and Samuel to manipulate the packs now.”
The rogue’s revelation hits me like a physical blow, my breath catching in my chest as I struggle to reconcile this new piece of the puzzle. Zayn’s grip on my shoulder tightens.
“Tell us more,” I demand, trying to keep my voice steady. “What do you know about my mother’s death?”
The rogue man looks between Zayn and me, his eyes darting nervously, as if the truth he harbors is a dangerous secret itching to break free. “I only know what my mother told me; I had a head injury a few years ago, and lost all earlier memories.”
“What did your mother tell you, then?” Zayn asks, his curiosity now piqued.
“Her mother… she was a visionary,” he began, his voice a husky whisper. “She saw the potential for peace, for unity between packs. She and Alpha Greyson had been discussing a merger, one that would have strengthened both packs against enemies; my mother believed Greyson was her true mate.”
“Did your mother tell you anything about my father?” The question spills from my lips before I can stop it.
“Alpha Joseph,” He hesitates, swallowing hard. “He didn’t take kindly to the idea. Said he was Alpha, and that if your mother wanted to leave he expected her to give up her pack for him and his new Luna; something about her owing him for something?” the man asks, his brows creasing like he isn’t sure on the last part.
My heart races, pounding against my rib cage like a caged animal desperate for release. The implications are staggering. My mother’s death, the banishment of these rogues—how much of it was orchestrated by my own father? It now has me questioning if he had something to do with her death.
“Did he kill her?” The words tasted bitter on my tongue, I can feel Zayn’s silent growl vibrating through his chest, the sound feral and protective.
“No,” The rogue shakes his head, adamant yet somber. “But when she died, he seized the chance to tighten his grip, to make sure no such union could threaten his rule again. That’s why we refused to submit—my mother was one of her warriors. She also said those rogues killed her. The ones who attacked the city a couple of months back. If you need information, you can meet her.”
“You said they answer to Alpha Samuel?” I ask. The man nods, and I glance at Zayn, trying to make sense of this mess.
“Well then, I guess you need to take us back to your mother,” Zayn states.
“You won’t hurt them?” Blake asks.
Zayn shakes his head. “I’ll do one better, your rogues help me, I’ll help them,” Zayn offers and the man glances at me nervously.
