“Uh-huh.” I glance around at the wolves, their shoulders rolling as they walk, the way they seem to communicate with a subtle lift of the head, a glance. “Actually, it’s weird. I should have felt your presence, but I didn’t. How did you manage to sneak up on us?”
“We have to be careful,” Omar says casually, glancing at his rogue comrades, “even out here. The rogues who first established the Sanc—that’s what we call Rogue Sanctuary—wanted to find a place so remote they wouldn’t be bothered by pack wolves. But even in the middle of this desert they still fear trespassers and wannabe colonizers.” He lifts his head back in Jasper’s direction; Jasper clenches his jaw and stares straight ahead. “So they learned to quiet their presence, to hide themselves. Every wolf who joins the Sanc has to learn to do this or risk revealing the location to every alpha in America.”
“Whoa.” I survey our escort once more. “Everyone here has that much control over their wolf energy?”
“Hell yeah,” he says, kicking a pebble along the ground playfully. “We can teach you. Then maybe you wouldn’t have to block everyone out, y’know.”
I smile and shrug. “That would be kind of cool. But aren’t we sort of…your prisoners?”
Omar stops walking to give me a dirty look like I insulted his mother.
“Prisoners? Who said anything about prisoners? It’s not like that—I mean, we’re a peaceful bunch, the council just wants to talk with you to see whether you mean us any harm.”
“If we meanyouany harm?” Jasper says, his voice rough, indignant. He’s stopped walking as well, the rogue wolves meander around us. “If we’re not prisoners then let us go.”
“No can do, my man,” Omar says, clapping his hands together and continuing walking once again. “Council’s orders.”
“Max,” Jasper whispers roughly in my ear. “This is bad. If I cause a distraction, you can shift and make a run for it. Run back to the house and let the guards know what’s happened.”
“Don’t be silly,” I say. “I’m not leaving you. Besides, I don’t think we’re in danger, just because they’re rogues.”
“They’ve kidnapped us and are taking us only the moon gods know where. I don’t see how this ends well.”
“Let’s just talk to them, then I’m sure they’ll let us go.”
Jasper doesn’t look convinced.
“What?”
“Why do you think no one has found this place before? You think they just let their prisoners go?”
“If they wanted to hurt us wouldn’t they have ripped out our jugulars while we were sleeping? They’re rogues, not murderers. They’re probably just making sure they’re safe from us.”
Jasper clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes.
“You boys coming?” Omar calls over his shoulder, and a large chocolate-colored wolf knocks into me with her shoulder, nudging me forward.
“Honestly, I don’t think I’d make it back anyway,” I say as Jasper and I begin trekking along with the wolves again. “We know Omar,” I venture a moment later, “that has to count for something.”
“Barely.”
“Still, try reading his energy. He doesn’t want to hurt us. Let’s just go with them and explain that we were camping out for a night and we don’t want to intrude, then I’m sure they’ll let us go.”
I can hear myself and even I’m surprised at the slight hint of excitement in my voice. Here we are being potentially kidnapped but I’m more intrigued than frightened. These wolves have some wild control over their energy, and if they’re willing to show me how they do it, maybe I could learn a little more about my blood-wolf abilities, maybe I could stop living in fear of migraines, and maybe Jasper and I could finally mind-link.
“Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt,” I say, low enough not to be heard by the rogues. “Don’t you want to see what a real rogue settlement looks like?”
“Not especially.”
“Come on, give them a shot.”
Jasper stares into my eyes as if trying to ascertain something—maybe whether I’ve lost my mind completely, or maybe some other unspoken concern I can’t quite read. But finally he relents, shaking his head. “Fine. But the second things get out of hand I want you to promise you’ll run.”
“I promise.” I take his hand in an attempt to be comforting. “And, hey, seeing as I didn’t get to say it yet, last night was…pretty freaking great.”
He squeezes my hand back, staring straight ahead. “Agreed.”
We walk for a few hours before Rogue Sanctuary comes into view. I don’t know what I was expecting but it sure wasn’t this.
