#9 The Lonely Rogue

Junie

I ordered the team to bring Cohen, Corbin, and Reid back to this house alive along with Ruth, Amelia, and Maggie James if they happened to find them. I had my own ideas on how to handle them once they were in custody. I couldn’t think about anything other than ending their terror on me, my mate, his family, and our realm. Everything else, my possible pregnancy, my emotional stress, could be tabled for later.

I hated waiting around for the team to report back with any news, but I knew better than to try and go with them. Caspian would never allow me to go alone, he would insist on going with me, and he would hold me back. I still can’t shift, not until I knew if I was pregnant or not, and that left me at a disadvantage.

“Where’s Malcolm?” I asked, noticing that he wasn’t here for the first time.

“He stayed behind to protect the castle and comfort mother.” Caspian said, his eyes turned down in a frown.

“Alice.” I whispered, the memories coming back to me, “What about Cole?”

“He’s fine, he was here. He went after Cohen.” Caspian said,

“I’m so sorry about Ally, Caspian.” I mumbled, feeling guilty for not saying something sooner.

“What happened?” He asked in a small voice.

“She was protecting me. She pulled out a knife and killed two wolves before they took her down. Cohen….Cohen used her knife…” I couldn’t finish. Caspian’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed his anger, pacing back and forth in the yard in front of Constance’s house.

“She was sixteen, she couldn’t shift yet.” He said,

“I know. I yelled at her to stop, but she wouldn’t give in.” I watched him with my eyes but didn’t move towards him,

“Of course she did, she’s fierce.” Caspian’s smile was bitter and sour.

“Her guard, Luke….” I said and Caspian shook his head again,

“Dead.”

“Cohen will pay for all of this, for everyone he’s taken from us.” I said in a stern voice and Caspian’s eyes locked with mine,

“He won’t take anyone else, I promise.” He walked up to me and pulled me into a hug, keeping me close to his chest.

It didn’t take long for our team to return with Cohen and Corbin, Reid was noticeably absent as were the mistresses. Corbin and Cohen were shackled in silver and brought to their knees in front of us.

“Reid Cooper wasn’t with them. These two were fighting at the house. We also found Constance’s body.” Jett reported.

“What about Ruth, Amelia, and Maggie James?” Caspian asked and I resisted the urge to growl at the sound of him saying their names. Corbin started laughing devilishly,

“They were torn apart in the house. We didn’t even know it was them until Corbin confessed.” Jett said, looking sick.

Jett moved to stand behind Caspian and he approached the pair. Cole shifted and ran up to me for the first time since I was taken, looking guilty.

“You’re okay?” I asked as Cole quickly pulled on a pair of pants and came to stand next to me.

“I’m more worried about you.” He said, his eyes pulling together in genuine worry.

“I’m better now that we have these two. I’m glad to see you on your feet.” I smiled, squeezing his hand as I chased the images of him, bleeding on the castle’s floor, from my mind.

“Where is Reid Cooper?” Caspian asked Corbin and Cohen.

“Gone.” Corbin answered plainly.

“Why did you kill the girls?” Caspian asked another question.

“For fun.” Corbin shrugged with a bored expression.

“What were you two fighting over?” Caspian asked again, beginning to sound frustrated.

“They were fighting over Constance.” I said, walking towards them, “Weren’t you?” The pair looked at me with the devil in their eyes.

“He poisoned my mate against me.” Corbin snarled.

“You killed her!” Cohen wrestled with the restraints to lunge towards Corbin. Jett kicked him in the face to subdue him.

“You didn’t care about her, you said so yourself.” I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes on him.

“I didn’t trust her when it came to you and her family,” He sneered, “But, I did care about her. She was supposed to be my mate.”

“You killed your mate.” Caspian pointed out.

“Yes, my chosen mate was weak and deplorable. Constance was much stronger and much more useful. She should’ve rejected her pathetic mate as I did and joined me.” Cohen spit towards Corbin.

“She never would have rejected me!” Corbin shouted.

I looked between the two with an amused expression.

“You’re both morans. The only person Constance cared about was herself.” I shook my head at their idiocy.

“You gave up a decades-long plan because Corbin killed Constnace?” Caspian looked confused.

“No, he let both of his useless children get away. He was too feeble to see that they were both plotting against him.” Cohen admitted.

“Reid let me out, he set me free so I could stop you. He didn’t want you to be king because he didn’t want his father to be disappointed; he wanted to give Corbin everything he thought he deserved.” I explained, throwing Reid’s lack of loyalty in Cohen’s face, “He chose Corbin over you.”

“No one is loyal to you, Cohen, not like you thought. Even most of your rogues surrendered instead of dying for your cause.” Caspian said with a solemn expression.

“Get him up.” I ordered, nodding towards Cohen. Caspian was looking at me carefully, but said nothing.

Cole pulled Cohen from the ground and placed him in front of me.

“You murdered my grandparents because they saw threw you, you turned my parents against each other and their children, you poisoned my brother’s innocence. You murdered Caspian’s mate and unborn child, you threatened mine. You killed a sixteen year old princess.” I stated his crimes, my eyes never leaving his. Cohen had the good sense not to look smug,

“Oh, but there are so many more deaths on my hands than that.” He said in a low voice.

“And there will be no more.” I growled, feeling my hand begin to shift into a claw.

“Junie.” Caspian said cautiously, grabbing my elbow and tugging me towards him.

“What?” I snapped harshly, trying to free myself from his grip.

“You don’t want to do this.” He said, his eyes soft as they looked into mine.

“It’s what he deserves.” I argued.

“Yes, but not by you. You don’t need to darken your soul this way.” He said, “Let me lock him in the dungeons and do it properly.”

“The cells couldn’t hold his conspirators.” I said, pointing angrily towards my father.

“That was at Cypress. In the realm he’ll be under the watch of our guards, he won’t escape.” Caspian assured me.

“I need this, Caspian.” I said, sounding like an addict looking for a fix.

“I won’t stop you, not if you really want to do this. But, I don’t think it’ll do what you need it to do.” He sighed.

“Junie?” Malcolm’s voice came up behind me. Caspian released me so I could turn to face his brother.

“I thought you were at the castle?” I asked in confusion, momentarily distracted.

“I came when I heard they were captured.” He replied, his eyes were sad and lifeless which only increased my anger towards Cohen.

“You’re too good for this.” He said, as if sensing my rising bitterness, with a concerned expression. I looked around the crowd and saw that everyone had the same look in their eyes as they watched me carefully. Cole was looking nervous as he held Cohen up.

“Maybe that’s the point. Maybe I don’t want to be so good anymore. Look what it’s gotten me.” I replied bitterly.

“What has it gotten you?” Malcolm asked, opening his arms up wide as if to show off all the wolves around him, “You have so much, Junie, you don’t even realize it.”

“He’s right, dearest.” Caspian’s low voice said beside my ear.

“You were made for so much more than this moment and these pathetic traitors.” Malcolm said, his face hardening as he looked towards Corbin and Cohen.

I glared at Cohen as if I was trying to burn a hole straight through his face. I realized that my anger should’ve been directed towards my own father, but it wasn’t. I wasn’t angry with him, he had disappointed me my entire life and wasting any more feelings on him wasn’t worth it. With that, I had to consider why I wanted Cohen dead. I wanted revenge for what he did to Alice and to Sabrina, I wanted him to pay for altering my father’s life so many years ago and, therefore, altering mine.

I took a deep breath and felt my claws return to smooth skin and fingernails. I wouldn’t kill someone in cold blood out of revenge. I wouldn’t execute someone who was being held, without a way to defend themselves, in front of me. Caspian was right, we would do this the right away.

“Okay, you’re right. Take him back to the realm.” I sighed in defeat, collapsing against Caspian’s chest. He seemed to let out a heavy breath before wrapping his arms around me from behind.

“I’m proud of you.” He whispered in my ear before kissing his shiny mark on my neck. I shivered against his lips and the urge to devour him was almost uncontrollable. Caspian chuckled darkly,

“Soon, my love.” He said, sniffing the air as if he was smelling my arousal. Of course, he probably was.

“You’re weak.” Cohen said as Cole tossed him back on the ground.

“No, she’s strong. The Queen Luna is so much stronger than she should be and that’s not thanks to you or her worthless father.” Cole snarled with eyes as black as ink.

“Take them both.” I said, motioning towards Corbin as well.

Caspian nodded behind me and several wolves gathered up the prisoners. A couple of large SUVs had since arrived to take us all back to the portal, so Jett and the guards carrying Cohen and Corbin all piled into one and started the journey back home. Caspian had a couple more wolves go inside the house to make sure that all traces of the altercation and werewolves were gone so the house could be sold by the humans.

“I need to go back to the bar and let Vivian know everything is okay.” I said to Caspian as we waited outside.

“I already mindlinked the wolves on guard there to take Vivian and her parents to the castle.” Caspian surprised me by saying.

“Really? Is Viv okay with that?”

“It was actually her idea. I wanted them brought here but Vivian asked to come to the castle. I think she wants to be with you and Jett, she wants to feel safe.” Caspian shrugged.

“I can’t blame her. She’s been through a lot today, too.” I nodded thoughtfully.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Caspian held me in his arms as we stood off to the side, taking a private moment just for the two of us.

“No, I’m not okay,” I admitted, “But, I will be.”

“We need to get you to the pack doctor to find out for sure….” Caspian’s voice trailed off,

“I know. We will as soon as we get back and everyone is settled.” I nodded.

“Honestly, Junie, what are you thinking about all of this?” Caspian’s eyes pulled together in worry.

“I think that I have no tools to use towards being a good mother, but I’ll do everything in my power to be one. I think that with you by my side I can do and be anything.” I sighed, leaning into his touch as his hand gently touched my cheek.