I'm baaaack! 

The honeymoon trip was a-ma-zing! We went to Dublin, London, Paris, Venice, Rome, and Barcelona. I think Venice was our favorite--it wasn't too crowded; Have you been to any of them? Which was your favorite? ♥ 

I actually got back on Monday, but then I caught the stomach flu and couldn't focus on anything for a few days. I'm mostly better now, so here is the next chapter! 

Dedicated to FallonAldon for the sweetest message ever! 

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"We don't have much time, so let's get started." Father grabs a chair, sets it down with the back facing us, and straddles it. Then he frowns for a few seconds and demands, "do you have any idea where the Rogues took Jess?"

"No, of course not." Saf's eyes widen. "If I did, I would have told you."

"Father..." I growl in warning.

"No one is accusing you of anything, Saffron dear," Mother adds. She shoots a glare at Father, but he just raises an eyebrow at Saf and waits patiently, as if expecting a confession. He's demonstrated this technique to me in training, right down to that intimidating scowl he's now using. It's textbook Rogue Interrogation, meant to make even the toughest prisoners talk. Except that there is no reason for Father to be using the technique on my mate.

I'm about to tell him so, when Saf blurts out, "did you look in Oakburg."

"Why Oakburg?" I ask in surprise. Oakburg is home to the Moonlit Pack, but what reason would the Rogues have of going there?

"It's where Saffron grew up," Father tells me absently before turning back to her. Suspicion laces his voice as he asks, "Why would the Rogues take Jess to Oakburg?"

"They probably didn't." Saf shrugs, then grimaces in pain at the movement.

"Then why would we look there?" I frown. Maybe the medication Doctor Dev gave her is messing with her head or something.

"I recognized two of them."

"You did?" I perk up. "I know one was the Wolf who's been following us around, but what about the other—"

"Not him, the brothers," Saf interrupts. "The gray Wolf who crashed into the tree and the one who was still a kid."

"And you're saying they're Moonlit Pack?" Father demands, sounding about as shocked as I feel.

"No." Saf shakes her head and her eyelids drift shut for a split second. "They were just passing through..."

"Saffron," Father snaps, and she jerks awake and looks at him in surprise. "Where and when did you see them?"

"In our house. About a year ago?"

"Your house? Your father knows them?" I have reason enough to destroy her father already. Associating with the Rogue who did this? My wolf demands that we find Saf's Father and teach him a thing or two, and I just start to move when her words stop me.

"Dad doesn't know them." She shakes her head. "He wasn't even home at the time."

"Then what were the Rogues doing in your house?" Father frowns.

"Looking for food," she says it casually, as if it's perfectly normal for a Rogue to show up at your door and ask for something to eat.

"Did they say anything?" Mother asks softly. "Anything at all that might give us a clue to who they are?"

"Not that I remember." Saf shakes her head. "They just wanted to pick a fight."

"Did they hurt you?" I growl, pulling her close. Saf grimaces, and I quickly let go and take her hand instead.

"No." Saf blushes, but doesn't pull away. Her palm feels soft and warm against my own, and my pulse speeds up at the mere touch. Saf's voice quavers slightly as she continues, and I know she's just affected by the contact as I am. "S-something spooked them and they ran off."

"If we'd known, we could have stopped them a year ago." Father growls, and Saf's grip on my hand tightens. "We could have prevented the attack if you'd just—"

"James." Mother growls right back and shoots him a meaningful look. "You have no way of knowing—"

"No way of knowing?" Father shouts. "They attacked our pack! We could have stopped them, should have stopped them..."

"James," Mother snaps, moving to his side. "There were other Rogues there. They might have brought different allies" She squeezes his shoulder gently.

"Stronger allies," I agree. "It could have been a lot worse."

"Or this whole thing could have been avoided..." Father argues. Then he gets this sad, far-away look. It's the same one that always mars his face when he tells me about about grandma, grandpa, and Uncle Jack—about the Rogue attack that killed them.

"There was nothing anyone could do, James," Mother whispers, and I wonder if she's talking about the Rogues who kidnapped Jess, or the Rogue attack that happened fifteen years ago.

"I'm sorry," Saf whispers. "I just couldn't do it."

"Do what, Saffron?" Mother asks gently.

"The kid was so much smaller then." Saf clenches my hand in a death grip. "He was just this tiny, skinny little boy. He was starving, and his brother—he looked just as skinny. I didn't want to fight them..." Saf shakes her head. "Even if I'd known... I... I don't think I could have killed them."

"Killed them?" I gasp.

"Saffron, we don't kill Rogues who break the rules." Mother shakes her head. "We would have taken them in, taught them our ways."

"I tried," Saf cries, tears filling her eyes. "I offered to teach the kid to hunt. I said he could have some food—that I'd help him, help both of them. What else did you want me to do?"

"Reported it?" Father asks the obvious, his voice at a near shout.

"To whom?" Saf shouts right back, swiping away at the tears. It's a suddenly, jerky movement, and though she tries to hide it I see the pain that fills her gaze. Still, her eyes blaze and she doesn't look even remotely like an Omega as she glares at Father.

"The Moonlit Pack," he snaps.

"Yeah, right." Saf rolls her eyes, and even Father looks surprised. The difference between this girl, and the one who cowered a few days ago, is astounding. "Why would the Moonlit Pack care? If they did, they would have done something years ago."

"About your Father?" I ask gently.

"Not Dad," Saf cries in exasperation. "Well not just Dad. If they cared, they would have done something about all the other Rogues."

"What other Rogues?" Father echoes the question racing through my mind. There haven't been any other Rogues, not in fifteen years.

"The ones attacking us." Saf sags against me slightly and stifles a yawn. "If the Moonlit Pack cared, they would have helped a long time ago."

"Saffron," Mother says gently, "are you saying those two Rogues weren't the first ones who attacked you?"

"No, I mean yes..." Saf's eyes drift shut and then she opens them and gives her head a little shake, "here were other Rogues. Lots of them."

"How many?" Father demands.

"I don't know," Saf yawns. "A couple hundred?"

"A couple h-hundred?" Mother's voice squeaks.

"You... that..." I try to find words. The thought of six rogues banding together is bad enough, but several hundred? There's no way there are that many Rogues out there. It's just not possible! Our pack wouldn't stand a chance against that number—even the Wolfsbane Luna, with her entire army, would be in trouble.

"You faced an army of several hundred Rogues and lived to tell about it?" Father raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.

"Not at the same time," Saf sighs, her voice growing softer with obvious exhaustion as the medication kicks in. "They usually attacked alone or in pairs... and once there was a group of three."

"Wait... that's what you meant before?" I ask, mentally going over our conversation at Joe's Pizza, "about your Dad training you?"

"Yeah." Saf nods. "If he hadn't prepared me for the attacks..." She lets out a huge yawn.

"So your dad knew about this?" Father demands. "Did he ever report it?" Saf nods. "To the Moonlit pack?" Another nod. "How about you? Did you ever mention this to anyone from their pack?"

"They never talked to me," Saf shakes her head, her eyes drifting shut.

"Saffron," Father snaps, "How strong were these Rogues?"

"Most were half-s..." she yawns, "starved."

"So they were weak?" Father asks in relief. "You were able to defeat them all?"

"Usually, with Dad's help..." she trails off, yawns. "We've not very strong, so sometimes..." Her eyelids drift shut, and she falls asleep, her hand still in mine.

"Saffron!" Father shouts, but she doesn't even flinch. "Saffron! Hell and damnation."

We sit silently for several seconds, gathering our thoughts as we watch her sleep.

"D-do you believe her?" Mother finally asks, her voice quavering.

"My mate wouldn't lie. If she says there were hundreds of Rogue attacks, then..." I stop, as the implication finally hits me. I tighten my grip on Saf's hand, but Doctor Dev's medication keeps her under and she doesn't react.

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that," Mother whispers. "Is this really happening?"

"I don't know." Father shakes his head. He's gripping the chair, his knuckles white and his face pale. It's the first time he's ever looked genuinely scared, and it sends a bolt of fear through me. "I don't know."

"The Moonlit Pack had to know about this," Mother whispers, almost in a daze. "Do you think they've been planning an uprising?"

"Alpha Jordan?" Father asks incredulously. "The man is nearing ninety."

"Has he picked an heir?" I ask, idly playing with Saffron's hand as she sleeps. Alpha Jordan never had any children, but another Wolf looking for power...

"It's a thought," Father agrees.

"But what would be the point?" Mother argues. "Why Rogues? Even if they're waiting for Jordan to die so they could challenge for the title, why attack Saffron and her Dad? It makes no sense."

"It doesn't," Father agrees.

"Any why take Jess?" I add.

"A distraction?" Mother suggests.

"You could be right." Father shakes his head. "Until we figure out what's going on, we need to be prepared. I'm pulling back our army in case of an attack. I want the entire pack on lock down. Tell everyone it's just a precaution and try to act normal... I don't want to start a panic. Can you two do that?"

Mother and I nod.

"And call the Luna. Tell her everything. I know it's a long shot, but make sure Wolfsbane is prepared for an uprising."

"Of course, James." Mother nods.

"Good. In the meantime, I'll head to Oakburg and pay the Moonlit pack and Saffron's Dad a little visit. Something isn't adding up here, and I'm going to find out what." 

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Did you like this chapter? 

What do you think POW will find out? 

Any idea why the Rogues have been attacking Saf?

Do you think the Moonlit Pack knows something?

What about Saffron's dad?

What do you think will happen next? 

And what did you think of my new graphics? Did you like them?