Tatum

''What was that about?'' My eyes flickered from where my mate once sat to the rugged, tired looking male trudging into the water not far from my left.

''Who even knows?'' His eyes narrowed before he dropped himself to a ledge.

The way his eyebrows knotted and his arms were tense as they rested to either side of him on a higher ledge, I could tell something was eating at him.

I felt like growling in annoyance at my need to help my pack mate, especially since not too long ago this asshole was belittling my mate.

''You smell like sex.'' I scrunched up my nose as his scent wafted towards me when he moved to readjust himself.

He let out an unamused laugh before staring at me and gesturing with his hand that he had spent the night with no one but his right hand.

''Your Princess smells the same as me. Is there trouble in paradise already? You can't keep up with an omega so he has to find someone else?'' He smirks as I sent a glare his way.

''Careful now. He'll be Luna before you know it.'' Alic stepped into the room smacking Dustin over the head.

''If Tate has the balls to challenge his father that is.''

''Are you thinking about his balls?'' The bigger man jeered at a now angry, red-faced Dustin.

''Fuck off old man I have higher standards.''

''Whatever you say Dusty.'' He cooed and patted the younger boys head earning a chuckle from me.

Dustin growled Alic's way but he ignored it as he turned to me, his eyes turning cold which meant I had work to do. He didn't even need to tell me. I had seen the look a thousand times before throughout my childhood.

I pulled myself from the water not caring that I was naked around my pack mates. Everyone had seen everyone naked here, we weren't shy. My poor mate would never get used to it and for that I was glad. I would not share his precious body with anyone, not even a glance at it.

I swiftly made it back to my room, Alic following behind me until he disappeared somewhere along the way. My clothes were in a neat pile along a stone bench in the far right corner of my room, compliments of my mate who insisted a box was definitely not sufficient enough for clothes storage.

I quickly grabbed whatever clothes were easiest to grab which happened to be a pair of black chino shorts and a faded grey plain jumper quickly pulling them on along with some black heavy boots which completed my look. Boots were always a good idea in my line of work.

Making my way out of my room, Alic was still nowhere in sight so I figured he was ditching interrogation today. It wasn't the most glamourous job in the pack but it was a job that needed doing and it happened to be a job I excelled in and it was always a plus on the Alpha resume.

I knew Jaidan would be safe as long as Charlie didn't get him into troublesome situations but I knew my uncle wouldn't be too far behind them. He seemed fixed on embarrassing my mate at every turn but I knew he meant well and they seemed to get on well with each other.

My order took me on a decent walk from my room to a corridor behind the throne room at the front of the cave, a left around our dining hall and kitchen, to a right past some more bedrooms and finally another right.

Suddenly the faint smell of rogue suffocated the air and my face turned stone cold as my feet carried me down the long hallway of stairs that got darker and darker the further you delved into the depths of the cave until it came out to a room on the right with an old wooden chair holding a tied and bloodied, dirty old man, his grey hair matted around his face and fell in knotted locks over his lifeless, dull brown eyes.

The air in the room was noisily sucked in through his nose, his eyes rolling in his head before his whole head rolled my way, his eyes locking with mine as a sinister smile formed on his thin, cracked lips.

''You've really pissed our Alpha off, pup.'' His voice was scratchy and barely there.

''You've really pissed my Alpha off.'' I circled his body until I came to a halt at the front of him again.

''First, you stole that precious piece of ass and now you've taken in a homeless shifter. Boss isn't happy. He's had his eyes on the pair for a while now.''

''Who is your Alpha?'' My teeth were clenched, my jaw felt like it was about to cramp the way I grit my teeth at his mention of my mate.

''You answer my question first.''

''What question?'' I slowly made my way over towards a table not far from his chair, but far enough so that his slimy paws couldn't reach if he was to break one of the shackles which held his hands bound to the arms of the old, creaking chair.

''Is he good in bed? We dream of it every night.'' His hips rolled out of the chair, biting his lip causing it to split and bleed because they were so dry and cracked.

''Keep dreaming.'' I shrugged holding onto every ounce of training I had received growing up.

I turned on the room's generator before making my way towards the rogue, loose wires playing in my black rubber gloves.

''How about the shifter? I hear they're very....erotic.'' The words rolled off his tongue disgustingly as a bulge formed in his pants.

I swiftly lifted my booted foot off the floor before my weight came crashing down on his nether region, a howl of pain escaping his foul mouth.

Removing my boot from his crotch I moved the wires around his shackles, his body quickly jerking with the pulses they provided as I took my time strolling back towards the switch to turn off the flow of electricity to him.

By the time I turned them off, I could smell the distinctive scent of human tissue burning, his wrists a nasty mess of black and red. The smell was so strong you could practically taste the metallic blood, like copper or a battery nudging its way into your mouth, and the flesh like a burnt piece of sickly sweet beef on the tip of your tongue.

''We'll wipe your pack off the face of the earth and take all the ones you hold dear for slaves and whores.''

My fingers curled into fists but I'd save my knuckles this time. I knew how Jaidan looked at me after the last time I visited him after work.

My boot connected with his face with a deafening crack from his nose and jaw where blood was now flowing freely in red rivers not doing much to improve his dirty face.

''Hit me again.'' His bloody teeth crept through his smile as he spat blood toward my boots.

Not a second passed before I lifted my leg and kicked him straight in the throat, his gurgles of blood filling the room when I followed through with a solid kick to the stomach.

He was now chocking on his own blood, writhing in his chair trying to escape the pain which was clearly evident in his crazed eyes, a poor sight but nothing more befitting for someone who relished in the taste of others blood. They were nothing but blood thirsty beasts' once gone rogue.

''Answer my question.'' I breathed out the words in boredom.

They rarely answered my questions so it came as a surprise when he finally whispered a name; a name that a thousand others had refused to give up even at their last useless breath.

''Myles.''

''Myles? Myles who?'' My eyes narrowed.

''Moore. Ask your mate about him, they were very well acquainted.'' He laughed evilly until I switched the electricity flow back on and he gritted out his last growls before his chest went lax of breath, the electricity causing the only flow of foreign life in his body.

I swiftly exited the room, removing my gloves and now stained shirt, nodding to a middle rank who would clean up after me and letting him know the prisoner was no longer with us. They never did last long once I was set upon them.

''We have a name.''

My father lifted his eyes from his paperwork as he impatiently waited for me to continue.

''Moore, Myles Moore. He's their Alpha. Is the name familiar?''

''Unfortunately so.'' Was his short reply as he signaled me to leave the room with the flick of his wrist.

My eyes narrowed once again before I made my exit. It wasn't worth the effort to fight with him. He may be my father but he was also my Alpha and it wasn't my place to question him no matter my station.

The name seemed vaguely familiar but the fact that my mate had somehow along the way become acquainted with this guy had me furious. What kind of relationship had they had and on what terms? Was it someone from his old pack? Someone close to him? Or someone who had wormed their way into his life through other means?

I let out a frustrated sigh as I made my way through the tunnels rubbing my temples in annoyance.

I just wanted to hold Jaidan against me and forget all this rogue business, but I knew they had it out for him and I wouldn't rest until they were all obliterated from the face of the goddesses' good green earth.

The moon shone through cracks and openings within the cave like little spotlights dancing along the rocky walls signaling it was now well into the night. A whole day I had wasted in the dark with a rogue when I could have spent it relaxing, hunting or training. I hoped Jaidan had a better day than me.

Just as I was turning the final corner for my room I spotted Alic and Charlie exiting my room, their eyes growing wide a saucers before they quickly ducked into Charlie's room, Alic dragging with him a stunned half naked Dustin wearing only his grey sweat pants which hung very low on is hips, who had just sleepily left his room.

I felt like my eyes were constantly narrowing and suspicious today as I took slow cautious steps towards my room looking around for any signs as to what was happening.

If Alic was up to something it was never a good thing and now he had Charlie for a sidekick who seemed the same if not worse at causing trouble. I had my hands full.

I once again rubbed my temples and sighed, a puff of cold air visibly leaving my lips as I pulled back the furs for my room looking back towards Charlie's room hearing the faint noise of a growling Dustin asking what the fuck was going on.

I rolled my eyes as I entered but before I could sigh again at their antics my eyes snapped onto my mate kneeling half naked in our bed, his creamy porcelain skin glowing in the candle light.

Just as I was about to go kill the people in the room next door for being near my mate like this, his small pale hands reached for his clothes and he tentatively pulled them off, his eyes half lidded and latching onto my now hungry ones.