Chapter 22

(Chapter song ‘Seven Nation Army’ by The White Stripes)

OLIVER After cleaning up and changing into military sweats, Ezra and I are taken to the Falcon Ridge Council building.

I held her in my arms the whole way. She’s holding the heart in her hands and her mouth rests on them.

I lean to her ear. “Be strong. Fight her. Don’t let her out here.”

She closes her eyes and nods. I wipe the thin sheen of sweat off her brow. Her wolf is pushing on her hard. The drive to explode and possible get herself killed is strong in her. Fuck, I hate this.

We walk into the building and I can already hear the bitching.

“Does she really need to be here?” I ask Bastian’s back as we get to the double doors.

“Yes.” He grits and throws the doors open.

I put Ezra behind me and walk in behind him. All ten sets of eyes turn to us and I narrow mine. They’re around the table already and I can see the contempt. The righteousness. The superiority.

I lead Ezra to a couch and sit her down. She leans on her knees as she holds the heart in her hands. For a rogue, being around this much Alpha must be excruciating.

I push her hair out of her eyes and pull down her glasses. My eyes lock with hers. “Do not attack. I’m taking care of this. Everything’s fine. You stand down and stay here.”

“It’s mean.” She says with her mouth small.

“I know. It won’t be for long.” I whisper. “I don’t need you to rile things up. I got this.”

She nods and closes her eyes.

I rest my lips on her forehead. “Push her down.”

My eyes fill with indifference and irritation as I stand and face the Falcon council.

“If you’re ready, Oliver.” Bastian motions to a seat at the table and I approach.

“I prefer to stand.” My jaw ticks and I cross my arms. I won’t pretend that it still doesn’t piss me off that he’s ordering me around from my father’s position.

“Suit yourself.” He leans on the podium. “So, Oliver. Care to explain what in the fucking hell you’re thinking?!!” He growls and the entire council looks at me.

I get a snarky look on my face. “Don’t fucking look at me like that. If it was anyone else beside your precious Michael, none of you dickheads would have a problem.”

I hear Ezra whimper behind me. I quickly glance at her and make sure she’s OK.

“That’s not true, Oliver.” Bastian says. “We don’t take our personal grievances out on prisoners.”

I lean forward and my brows raise. “No? You sure about that, buddy? Because if I’m not mistaken, Chase Rennet isn’t breathing because of you.”

I walk around the room. “Jackson tore a whole fucking bike gang apart. Tarzan destroyed Xavier and Sage. Rivers mate tore Torrent to fucking pieces. So don’t give me this shit that none of you wouldn’t have done the same if you were in my shoes.”

“Hey, asshole. Our chick’s were in trouble.” Luke growls. “We’re heroes. You’re a sick bastard.”

I lean on the table. “You sure about that, you punk bitch.” I snarl and turn my head to Ezra then turn back.

His face falls. “You…You’re boning her?” He asks quietly as he leans to me and points to Ezra.

I glare my eyes and grit my teeth. “There is a lady in the room.” I growl darkly.

“No, Ollie, if you and her…Wait. What’s she got to do with Michael?” He scrunches his brow.

I scrub my face. “One minute.” I hold up a finger and stride to Ezra.

Her face is scrunched up as she fights her wolf.

“Ez…” I say quietly. She opens her eyes. My heart melts every time I see them. “Baby bird, I need you to put this in your lips.” I take the heart pendent out of her hands and place it in between her full, pink lips. “Hold it there and feel the calm ok?”

She nods.

“OK. I’m going to cover your ears. Don’t take your hands off until I come back.” I take her hands and cover her ears so she can’t hear the shit storm I know that’s coming and go off. I mouth the words ‘I’ll be back.’ and leave her.

I walk back to the confused faces and plant myself in a chair with a huge fucking sigh.

“OK. Before you dicks go off…I know what I'm doing…kind of.” I eye them all.

Bastian cocks his head. “What’s going on, Oliver?”

I lower my and roll it to Ezra. “She’s a rogue.”

“WHAT THE FUCK?!”

“YOU BROUGHT HER HERE?!”

“YOU’RE INSANE!”

“CALLED IT!”

I watch them all freak out as Bastian tries to restore order. I also keep a close eye on Ezra and prepare myself if her wolf tries to break through.

“All of you! Quiet!” Bastian barks.

They all settle down. They’re throwing out uneasiness, but at least their traps are shut.

River leans forward. “Maybe she should be taken…”

“No!” I flare my eyes at him and snarl. “She stays with me.”

Jayson puts up his hand. “OK. Buddy. I get it. You and her…OK. Maybe I don’t get it, but it would be safer if…”

“I said…No!” I bark at him and he raises his hands in surrender.

“Ollie…dude…” Luke leans on the table. “I can see the attraction. You’re a dangerous guy, she’s…how can I put this gently…murderously insane. I can see how this could be…appealing? I think?” He shakes his head trying to understand. “Are you sure you’re not just…you know…letting little Ollie make the decisions…”

“NO!” I slam my hands on the table and yell.

He scowls. “OK. Just trying to make sure you haven't totally cracked your skull.”

Grey looks around Lucius, Wren and Mica. “Wait. She tried to kill Thea.” He scowls and motions to her.

I shake my head. “No. She tried to fetch Thea.”

“What’s the difference?” Wren asks.

“She’s, what she calls, a fetch hound. Michael orders her to collect the people he wants, and she…fetches them. She says she doesn’t kill, but I know that’s only partially true. She killed four in my pack in self defense.” I explain.

“Self defense.” Mica turns to me. “Rogues don’t play defense.”

“She’s not a natural rogue.” I eye him.

“What does that mean?” William crosses his arms.

“I’m still trying to figure out her backstory.” I lean back in chair and glance at Ezra. “She’s not the best at making sense. From what I’ve learned, she was trafficked by some guy, fed Croak and sold to Michael as a fetch hound. These hounds kidnap people to either help with Michael’s agenda or make more rogues for the army. Either way, she ran away from them and ended up in my pack. I’m not turning her over. I’m searching for a cure.”

“Ollie…There’s no cure…” River says quietly.

“I’m searching for a goddamn cure.” I clench.

Bastian leans on the podium. “I understand you may have feelings for her, Oliver, but you have to understand, there may not be a way.”

I arch a brow to him. “Is that what you thought about Sammy?”

He sits up and looks down at his papers.

Yeah, that’s right, dick.

He looks up at me. “Truth be told, I wanted to save Sammy in the worst way, but I prepared myself in the event that I couldn’t. I was willing to end her suffering, are you?”

I cross my arms and gaze at Ezra. “No.” I say bluntly.

“Ollie, you can’t keep a rogue. She’ll kill you.” River says.

“I DON’T CARE!” I boom at him.

The room mumbles and I shoot daggers at them all.

William leans forward. “Alright. We understand you’re passionate about her. I see her and can see why. She looks sweet. I commend you on taking her on. But a reasonable, grounded Alpha would think about his pack, Oliver. If you want to try for a cure, so be it. But at some point, you have to consider your people before your heart.”

His words pissed me off, but the resonated none the less. It was at the back of my mind. Ian’s call out this morning, still hung around. I want to think she can be a prospect for Luna, but there’s still that seed of doubt. That horrible notion that I will have to stare into those beautiful eyes and put a bullet between them.

I sat in silence while they stared at me.

“Oliver. Can she talk?” Bastian asks.

I press my lips together and nod. I swallow and sit up. “Yes, but I’ll have to interpret what she’s saying.”

“Can we talk with her?” He asks.

“I don’t think…” I start.

“We promise. We will be civil.” He reassures.

I think about it for a second. The only way they’ll understand this situation is if they talk with her. Maybe they will move faster in this rogue army if we hear it from her.

I get up and walk to Ezra. She seems calmer now.

I squat down, take her hands off her ears and pull the pendent out. I give a little smile and she smiles back.

“Are you ok?” I ask.

She nods. “Yep. The bitch is sleeping.” She grins.

I chuckle. “My friends just want to ask you some questions. They promise they won’t threaten you or hurt you. You don’t have to answer any question you don’t want to. Understand?”

Her face falls and she bites her lip.

I hold out my hand. “Where am I?”

She smiles and puts her hand in mine. “Here.”

“Right on, baby. Let’s go.” I escort her to the table and sit her down in the seat next to me. She holds my hand with both of hers and has a cautious look on her face.

“Ezra. It’s nice to meet you.” Bastian says.

“If I don’t die, it’s nice to meet me too.” She says as she eyes him.

“You.” I correct.

“You.” She’s repeats.

They look around at each other and River leans forward. “Ezra. What was your relationship with Michael.”

She squeezes my hand hard and her lips fall.

I lean to her. “Where am I?”

“Here.” She squeaks.

“Answer the question.” I instruct.

She nods. “I fetched his dead dogs.”

“Dead dogs?” River arches a brow.

“Rogues or people to turn to rogues.” I inform.

“Did you want to do this, Ezra?” Bastian asks.

She shakes her head no. “Yes.”

I stop her head. “Slow down. Think. Yes or no.” I cup her cheek and look directly into her eyes.

She shakes her head no and looks like she’s about to cry. I stroke her cheek. “Calm down. It’s just words. They can’t hurt you.”

I turn back to the table. “No. She didn’t.”

Wren leans around Lucius. “Ezra. How old were you when you became a…fetch hound?”

“Don’t know.” She mumbles.

I nod. “This is where it gets dicey. She doesn’t remember much or the sickness is blocking her memories. She only know she was taken, given Croak and sent out to fetch.”

“Ezra, who took you?” Jayson asks.

“Don’t know. He vanished into thin water." She says wide eyed.

“Air. Thin air.” I correct again.

She looks up at me. “Thin air. Yeah, that.”

“Can you describe him?” Mica asks.

She taps her finger to her chin. “Um…yellow.” She grabs her hair. “Blue.” She points to her eyes. “Looks like…” She looked around the room. “Him…him…and him. Like mashed.” She points to Grey, Luke and Jayson.

Luke nudges Jayson. “Now you know what our kid would look like.” He snorts.

“Man, gross!” Jayson scowls and shoves him as Luke cackles.

He adjusts his leather jacket. “Just saying.”

“Moving on.” I grind to him.

He waves me off.

I look to Ezra. “Please. Ignore him.”

“You don’t remember a name? Anything?” Bastian continues.

She taps her chin again. “Whistle.”

“Whistle? What’s that mean?” I ask.

“His name…Whistle…something.” She supplies.

“River?”

“On it.” He opens his laptop and begins the search.

“Are you sure that’s his name?” I ask.

“Maybe…flute?” She blinks at me.

Bastian looks to River.

He ticks his head. “Searching for flute.”

Mica leans around me. “Was he human?”

She shakes her head. “No. He’s stinky.”

“Stinky like what?” I ask.

She thinks. She sits up and balls her fists in front of her. “Stinky like ripping skin, tearing out insides, blood and guts and gross. Stinky like biting and chewing insides off the mud. Stinky like eating death as it yells out in pain.” She’s making ripping and tearing motions with her hands as her face twists into an evil stare.

“I think I’m gonna be sick.” Luke holds his stomach and blows out a breath.

“God, you’re a wimp.” Jayson crosses his arms and scowls at him.

Luke scowls at him. “I have a sensitive stomach! Fuck off!”

“Alright!” I reach out and stop her hands. I grab her attention. “Ez…was he a rogue?”

She nods yes really fast. “Really, really Stinky. Mean. But…” She trails off and looks around the room.

“Ezra?” I turn her chin to me.

She smiles. “Can I have a hot dog?”

Luke snaps his fingers. “That’s a good idea. I’m starving.”

River scrunches his brow. “A minute ago you were sick?”

“That was a minute ago. I live in the now.” He grins.

Both River Jayson cover they’re eyes and shake they’re heads.

“Hot dogs later. Ez. What were you going to tell us about the rogue flute guy?” I ask.

“Um…He’s important.” She says.

“Important? How?” I tilt my head and confusion fills me.

“He knows things. About the dead dogs. He’s a long time.” She picks up her hair and inspects the locks as she talks.

“A long time? What’s that?”

“He’s a dead long time dog.” She mumbles.

I think about that for a minute. “Long time…Ez, do you mean he’s old?”

She nods. “Very long time dead.”

“How long?” River asks.

“Don’t know. More long than me.” She says.

“Ez…How long have you been rogue?”

She thinks. She starts counting her fingers. “One. Two. Three. Four. Six….”

“You mean five.” I say.

She shakes her head. “No my brain told me five and I said six.”

I take a breath. “Five or six.”

“Six!” She snaps.

I hold up a finger. “No. You don’t yell here.”

She shies away. “Sorry.”

“OK. So you’re saying you’ve been rogue for six years?” I confirm.

“Yep.” She crosses her leg and picks at her fingers.

“There’s no way she’s a six year old rogue. Her brain would have deteriorated by now.” River says.

“I think it’s the Croak-R. Whatever is in it is expanding the life. I really think there’s a cure in this some where.” I say.

“Alright. Maybe it’s possible. What about this guy? She says he’s older. How much older can a rogue get?” Grey asks.

“Wait.” Mica says as he pulls out his phone. “I got a notice from some packs to the east. I dismissed it because it was still being investigated and we haven’t had any reports.” He swipes his phone screen. “River?” he looks up.

River looks to his laptop. He raises his head. “You’re shitting me.”

Mica looks at him. “I shit you not.”

River grabs his laptop screen. “Ezra. Is this the guy that took you?”

He spins it around and she screams. She frantically fails her arms and legs and violently falls backwards out of her chair onto the floor.

“EZ!”

“Get away! GET AWAY!!!” She shoves herself to the wall and covers herself as she cries. “FRANKIEEEE!!”

“EZRA!!!” I try to pull her out of her ball and she’s hitting me away.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!!” She growls.

My senses go haywire. “Shit.”

I grab her wrists and try to find her eyes. “Ezra! Stand down!”

“NO!” Her eyes glow red and her teeth descend. She shoves me to the floor and throws her back against the wall as the Alphas stand.

I stand and hold my hand up to the guys and one to Ezra. “Ez…Listen to me. Don’t listen to her. She’s controlling you because she thinks you can’t handle this information. Do not let her think you’re weak.”

“No! You lie! You want to hurt!” Her wolf intensifies its anger.

I step closer. “No, Ezra. The last thing I want is that. This fear and confusion you feel. This is his fault.” I point to the blonde haired fucker on the screen. “Only his and you know what?”

Her chest heaves as she flips between the guy on the screen and me. I can see her trying to work out reality and what her sickness is projecting. I imagine seeing your kidnapper triggers some sick shit in there.

“Me and you. We are going to hunt this fucker down and tear him to shreds. Together.” I hold out my hand. “Where am I?” I whisper. “Find me, baby bird.”

She flicks her eyes around the room. Her canines start to recede.

“That’s it. Good.” I shake my open hand at her.

She puts her hand in mine. “Here.” She chokes.

I smile because I can believe I just talked down a rogue. “Yeah. Right here. Right beside you.”

Her eyes fade and I see her wolf retreat.

“Good, Ez. Good girl.” I pick up her chair and lead her back to it.

Luke’s eyes widen. “You’re the psycho wolf whisperer.”

Jayson smacks him upside the head.

“What?! It’s a compliment!” He glares at Jayson as he rubs it.

Jayson face palms.

I get Ezra comfortable again and I straighten her hair as she looks nervously around the table. “I just connect with her. I don’t know how or what it is. It’s like in the messed up pieces, I can see the picture.” I lace my fingers with hers.

“Dude. That’s cosmic stuff. You two…” Luke waves his finger between us.

I eye him. “I don’t know. I’m still figuring that out. Get back to this guy.”

We all settle down. “There's reports all up and down the east coast. He’s the suspect of several kidnappings, but no one seems to know where he goes or where his victims are.” River reads.

“They’re rogues.” I grumble.

“He hurts. He hurts.” Ezra starts to whine.

I pull her head onto my chest and shush her.

River clears his throat. Clearly uncomfortable in Ezra’s pain as are the rest of them. Me the most. My wolf is begging for blood.

“They’re looking for info if this guy has shown up anywhere else. From what they found out, he has the ability to infiltrate cities without detection.”

“Where’s his last known location?” I ask.

“Oliver. You’re not council. You’re not handling this.” Bastian smugly stands at his podium.

I curl my lip. “If it involves her, it involves me and only me, got it?” I stare death into his eyes.

He crosses his arms. “We will keep you posted. As of right now, you’re suspended and relieved of duty for that stunt in the prison.”

I scrunch my face. “You think I give a shit about the fucking prison! There’s more important things, Bastian. All of you, get your heads out of your asses, grab your fucking gear and start the hunt!”

Luke nods and motions my way. “He’s right.”

“We can’t hunt something we know nothing about, Oliver. It’s a good way to die.” Bastian snaps.

Luke nods to Jayson. “That’s a good point, too.”

“Jackson, shut up!” I bark.

“You know, I was on your side, but then you yelled at me. I’m not on your side anymore.” He scowls.

“I swear, I am running you over with my fucking truck!” I rumble.

Luke scrunches his nose and casually points a finger at me. “Isn’t your truck destroyed…”

With a loud dark growl, I shoot up and pound the table with my fists.

He jolts in shock, his chair tips backwards and he disappears behind the table.

River and Jayson look down at him on the floor.

“You ok?” River tries to hide his smirk.

“Fine! I’m back on your side, but only because you asked nicely!”

The room groans and I shake my head. “All of you are idiots!” I hold out my hand. “Ezra!”

She takes it. “Um…Are we hunting?”

“Yes.” I grit under by breath.

I try to calm myself down and convince myself not to do something extremely stupid, but the thought of spilling blood in Ezra’s name is growing and I don’t know how long I can hold it back.