Move, sad two-leg.Brumsy nipped my left ass cheek.Cake!
“Yeah, yeah. Keep your fur on.”
My brothers fell into step beside me. Cas at my right, Koa at my left.
Some things, thebestthings, stayed, solid and real, even when the storm passed.
And those were the things worth holding onto.
16. Into the Darkness
Foster
At dusk, I walked the rogue encampment like I owned it, which technically I did. At least until Arabesque decided otherwise.
My boots barely made a sound against the packed earth as I studied the shifting mood of the camp. More snarls than usual, hackles raised at every minor provocation, wolves bumping shoulders where they’d given space before, their eyes a little too wild, their claws a littletoo close to the surface. A thousand rogues with cabin fever and growing aggression.
Two months ago, I could’ve controlled them with a look. Now I was counting down minutes. Calculating odds. Watching shadows.
Dominic Loving stood at the edge of the training yard, his posture rigid as he supervised Cosmo’s combat training with Elio, Devi watching from the sidelines. His brown hair was pulled back in a messy knot, and the hollows under his blue eyes had deepened since yesterday. Death walking and talking.
Just like me.
I caught his eye and tilted my head toward the tree line. Giving me a nod of understanding, he said something to Devi, then made his way to me, shoulders hunched to appear smaller. Smart. He’d learned to navigate this prison camp well.
“Half an hour,” I murmured as soon as he was close enough. “Behind the big barn. Bring your pups.”
A spark of something almost like hope flashed in his eyes.
“Me, too?”
“That was the deal.” I kept my eyes forward, scanning for watchers. “You leave tonight or not at all.”
Dominic’s heart rate spiked.
“Arabesque—”
“Will be occupied. Got a diversion planned. Be ready. No hesitation, no goodbyes, no grabbing extra shit.”
“Understood. The plan?”
“I’ll explain at the barn.” I flicked my eyes to his. “Last chance to back out.”
“Back out to what? More ofthis?” A humorless smile twisted his mouth. “Elio had nightmares again last night. Cosmo broke down crying yesterday behind the supply shed. And Devi hasn’t spoken in three days.”
Devi. My biggest headache, the one who kept me up at night. The only she-wolf in a camp of a thousand rogues. My warnings bought her reprieves, but there were always others willing to test boundaries. Hungry, cruel men who saw her as prey.
“Make sure it looks casual,” I warned him. “No packed bags, no suspicious behavior. Just a midnight patrol with your charges, following some bullshit order I gave you.”
“We’re all ready.” Dominic nodded. “Been ready.”
“Keep them close. Elio’s smart, but a nervous wreck, so make sure he doesn’t panic and bolt. Cosmo’s got wit and skills to spare. Let him help, and it’ll keep him calm and grounded. And Devi…” My eyes fixed on the girl, remembering the latest bastard who’d tried to force himself on her. I’d ripped his throat out and scattered his bones for the birds, but she’d never be safe here. “Don’t let her out of your sight for a second.”
“Never,” Dominic growled, a flash of fang showing the fierce protector beneath the broken shell. “No one will touch her again.”
I clasped his shoulder, feeling the coiled strength there, the determination. We weren’t so different. Two lone wolves, battered and scarred, hanging onto our humanity by a thread.
Leaving him, I continued my rounds, nodding at the guards posted along the perimeter. Rogues weren’t built for packs, families, or homes. Not for long stretches, anyway. They weren’t cooperative by nature. Arabesque had been gathering them for over a year now, and the cracks were starting to show. Too many predators, not enough prey.
