Chapter 40: I've Got Your Back

Dominic

My instinct to chase after the rogue is overridden by my need to make sure that my mate is okay. I let the chick pass by me, and rush over to Amelia. Heedless of anyone watching, forgetting that we are supposed to be keeping our relationship a secret, I grab her out of her chair and pull her into my arms. I feel her melt into my hug. Holding her tight, smelling her fragrance, relieved to feel that she is clearly unhurt, I whisper into her hair, “Are you all right?!”

She lets me hold her for another minute, then whispers back, “I’m just fine. Here, sit down.” She gently pushes me back into the chair where the rogue was just sitting.

I look down at the remains of her lunch. Amelia fed the rogue? Well, Theo did tell me that she’ll probably be feeding lunch to the homeless people by the end of the morning, so I guess I’m not really surprised. Apparently she had no idea how dangerous this was.

I have to explain this to her, help her to be more cautious. Gesticulating back towards the door with my hand, I say, “That was -”

She interrupts me. “I know. It was the rogue from the ambush on your way out here.”

She knows? I am blown away by this. I lean back in my chair, absolutely flabbergasted, staring at her wordlessly.

She looks at me, clearly trying to figure out what to say. Instead of explaining, she asks, “Are you hungry?”

I look down at the rogue’s food with distaste, and she immediately starts clearing it away, putting it onto the tray still on the table. When she has removed the evidence that there was a rogue sitting here enjoying a meal, Amelia pushes her own plate over to me, with half a sandwich and some chips still on it. “Here, I’m done with this,” she says.

I’m about to object, thinking she’s trying to distract me, but she knows what I am going to say. “You eat, I’ll explain,” she says. My outrage slips away, seeing her smoothly take care of everything I need in her practical way.

“She came over to me and asked to talk,” Amelia says as I pick up the sandwich. “I figured out pretty soon that she was a rogue, and I just confronted her about it. I figured that if I could get some information, it would help our leaders make their plans. I assumed she’d try to deny it, and pretend she had nothing to do with the rogues, but she just admitted right away that she had been involved in the ambush the other day.”

Huh. I swallow a bite, and say, “But still, Amelia, it was really risky to even be with her. What if it was a setup again? What if the other rogues were just waiting for her to lure you away somewhere where they could….” My heart palpitates just thinking about my mate being in the slightest bit of danger.

I’m sure she can tell what is bothering me. “It’s perfectly safe here,” she assures me. “This cafe is owned by River Moon. We’re everywhere.” She points to the barista behind the counter, to someone sitting at another table, to some people we can see outside. “There, and there, and there - just all over Arcata. I had people all around that would help if I needed it. But I’m sorry if you were worried.” She reaches across the table and lightly touches the back of my hand. Ahhh.

She gestures at the sandwich. “Eat. So, she told me about her background. She’s had a really hard life, Dominic, I have never heard anything so sad.”

Ah. That’s what it was. She was sad because of whatever story the rogue had cooked up to tell her. I shrug. “It doesn’t matter how sad her life has been, Amelia, she was up to no good. Rogues are exiled for a reason. They’re criminals. She was working some angle, trying to get something out of you. She got you to buy her lunch, obviously.”

Amelia nods. “You’re right, she did want something.” I knew it. I wonder what the scam was. She goes on, “She wanted to know if there was any way to join our pack.”

“What?”

“She said she has left the rogues, and wants to feel safe again, and that she’d be willing to do anything it takes to be accepted into River Moon.”

I am gaping at her. Good thing I already finished the sandwich, so I don’t have food in my mouth while it is hanging open. I’ve never heard of such a thing. “Do you guys… do that?” Who knows, maybe this is a thing for River Moon?

She shakes her head. “I’ve never heard of it.” Okay, then I’m not crazy. “But maybe it should be possible. I mean, Corinne seems nice, and sincere, and I think she deserves a second chance.”

I cross my arms. I will never forget that chick, apparently “Corinne”, standing there on the side of the road holding a fake baby and wearing her booty shorts, trying to get us killed for our car. Amelia looks at me, her adorable face full of concern, for me, for the rogue apparently, probably for the pack, trying to figure out how to solve everything.

The phone in my pocket vibrates, and I take it out and glance at the screen. “It’s Theo,” I tell her, “they’re leaving the beach and going to the sporting goods store, to look for caving equipment. He’d like us to bring the SUV and meet them there. All right with you?”

She sighs and nods. I can tell she’ll be thinking of ways to accommodate the rogue. I am seeing this is a personality trait, that she cares for everyone, wants to take care of everyone. The whole reason we are waiting to make our mating official is because she wants to take care of the Alpha and new Luna first. She is so generous. So compassionate. It makes me love her even more.

As we’re standing up, I see an unopened bag of cookies still on the table, and she smiles and picks it up. “Trip snack,” she says.

When we make it back to the car, as we are getting in I tell her, “I want you to be careful, and not do anything risky, but if you want to try to figure out how to help the rogue, I’ll back you up.” The rogue is gone anyway, we might not ever see her again. Amelia’s beautiful blue eyes melt, and she nods at me gratefully. I add, “I have no idea what on earth you could possibly do, but I’ve got your back. I always will.”

I think that is what mates are for, really.

Amelia

When she runs out the door I don’t get the chance to even look to see which way she goes, because Dominic is on me at once, crushing me to him, clearly afraid for me. I should have realized that he would recognize her, that he would be alarmed about me sitting together with one of the rogues who attacked him.

I’ll explain everything, but in just a minute. I know that we’re hugging in public which doesn’t really help my plan to keep us a secret, but I am overwhelmed with his love and his delicious scent. He has always smelled like hot chocolate and a sunny beach to me, and standing here in a cafe where I can smell the actual hot chocolate being served, and realizing that his scent is enhanced by having been at the actual beach today, I just can’t make myself let go of him for a second.

Mmmmm. He talks about being horny all the time, and I’m starting to think that I understand what he means. He smells so nice. Feels so nice. I feel his strong arms, the tight muscles of his torso, his height compared to mine. I’m tingling and throbbing and …. Amelia. Get a hold of yourself!

I push him over to sit down, give him the rest of my lunch, and explain everything to him. I’m worried that he’ll be too worried to agree, maybe even yell at me for talking to Corinne. But instead he says that he has my back, and I have never felt so loved and supported in my life.

Every moment our mate bond grows a little stronger, even without having truly marked each other, without completing the process. I feel so close to him already. I’m already looking forward to being alone with him again tonight.

First, though, we have other things to do. While we are driving back towards Eureka, I ask him if he enjoyed surfing.

“I really did,” he says, glancing at me then back to the road. “But Evan? Oh man, he was apparently born on a surfboard. You should have seen him! I’ve never seen anyone learn anything so fast. I’d suspect that he actually surfs all the time, except that there are no beaches anywhere close to us at Dark Woods.”

We chat, and laugh, and tell stories, and I feed him cookies, and I love every moment that I spend with him. Everything I learn about him makes me love him even more. I am so lucky.

It makes me wonder if Corinne is okay. I realize that I won’t be able to do anything about her for a couple of days. Tomorrow is Christmas, and I won’t see Gamma Michael or any of the other leaders until the day after. I’ll have to find a way to ask him about the possibility of rogues joining the pack, without revealing yet that I’ve been speaking with one. I want to protect her if I can. I’ll give it some thought - it’ll come to me.

When we get to the sporting goods store, Theo and Evan are already inside. The other pack members have returned to the packhouse with the other car.

“Hey Evan,” I tease him, “I hear that you are secretly a professional surfer?”

He grins. “That was the funnest thing I have ever done in my life,” he enthuses. “I definitely need to do that again before we go home.”

A sales clerk has come over to help them, and is offering advice about caving equipment. “If there could be any water in the caves, you might want to get wetsuits. Those can help keep you warm too. Would you like to look at our selection?”

The guys all look at each other, obviously having just been wearing wetsuits.

“Um, no,” Theo says, “we have wetsuits. Thanks for the advice, we’ll bring them along too.”

After a couples of hours, we have stocked up on headlamps, helmets, ropes and other things. I think all this stuff will be able to fit all right in our pack’s carrying bags. I smirk a little. Our TTSBPP’s.

We load it all into Dominic’s SUV, and caravan back up the road to the packhouse. The others help us unload it. By this time, it’s nearly sunset.

Theo asks, “Anyone have any plans tonight?” Dominic meets my eyes, but we can’t very well announce what our plans are for later. When none of us have any response, Theo goes on, “How about I order pizza, and we can all watch a movie or something?”

Oooh! That sounds nice, although I wonder when Dominic and I will get the chance to be alone together. Later. Just a little later.

“It’s Christmas Eve,” one of the other girls points out, “let’s watch a holiday show.”

Evan and Dominic look at each other. “Ya know,” Dominic says, “Me and Evan here have a favorite show that has some Christmas specials. I’m sure we could find them on a streaming service. Anyone up to watch The Doctor?”

Ha! I’m looking forward to it, hopefully I’ll get an idea about what he’s been talking about. An evening with friends, watching t.v., and in the company of my mate sounds so perfect. And, of course, I am anticipating what I know will come after.