#9 The Lonely Rogue

Junie

Tuesday afternoon there was a knock on my apartment door from the outside. I looked up from my laptop and groaned, tossing the blanket that was laying across my lap on the couch and made my way to the door. Looking through the peephole, I signed and rolled my eyes before unlocking the door and swinging it open.

“I was starting to think you got bored with me.” I smirked at Cole. He chuckled at me, his brown eyes crinkled with humor.

“Never, Junie, you’re my favorite girl.” He teased me as I welcomed him inside.

“You need to get yourself a girlfriend.” I mumbled.

“I have many ladies, none can handle me in the long term.” He grinned as I plopped back down on the couch. I motioned towards the oversized chair in the living room and Cole sat across from me.

“What do you want?” I asked him, pulling the blanket back around my legs and placing my laptop on my lap.

“What are you doing?” He dodged my question.

“School work. Don’t change the subject.” I was warned.

“You’re in school?” Cole leaned back against the chair and crossed his legs. I rolled my eyes at his avoidance.

“Business school, online.” I explained briefly, “To get a pay raise at the bar.” I added.

“Is this your life goal, Junie? To be a bar manager?” Cole asked, seeming genuinely interested.

“Vivian’s parents have to retire at some point and sell the bar.” I shrugged, “Now, answer my question. What are you doing here?”

“Just checking in. It’s been a few days.” Cole said.

“You snuck away Sunday night.” I observed.

“Cas called me back. He needed me for a few days.” Cole said.

“Uh-huh.” I replied, sounding uninterested as I tapped away on my computer.

“Did you miss me?” Cole winked and I threw one of the couch pillows at his face. He laughed aloud.

“Can I ask you something?” Cole’s face was suddenly serious. I sighed and closed the computer lid.

“What?” I nearly snapped.

“Cas spoke with Alpha Avery of the Cypress pack on Sunday.” Cole started and I knew exactly where this was going.

“Right,” I chuckled humorlessly, “And he told you about my vicious family.”

“He said some things, yeah.” Cole tried to sound casual.

“Like what?” I pushed.

“About your grandfather going rogue and your father committing to being packless after Cypress’ Alpha invited your family back.” Cole explained.

“Well, that’s true.” I nodded.

“He also said he kept an eye on your family in case your father tried anything. He heard about some complaints to CPS.” Cole added hesitantly. I frowned and felt my eyes harden.

“I had no idea Alpha Avery cared so much.” I said venomously.

“He’s the Alpha, this is his territory. He was just checking in.” Cole said defensively.

“Sure he was.” I mumbled.

“Junie, I’m not trying to attack you.” Cole sighed, leaning forward in his chair to look at me closely. I watched his expression and felt my own begin to soften.

“I know,” I said, “I’m defensive. I don’t speak with my father or brother anymore, not since I turned 18 and left home three years ago.” I confessed.

“So, the allegations your school made to CPS were true?” Cole cocked his eyebrow.

“It was my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Adams. She was the only one who ever cared about me. She called CPS after my father broke my arm, which came after the black eye and bloody nose I showed up with earlier that year. But, it only made things worse. After CPS came to the house and cleared my father of any wrongdoing, he kept me locked up without food and beat me for a week. He told the school I had the flu.” I answered without emotion.

To say Cole looked pissed would have been an understatement. His eyes were black and his expression was stone cold. I watched as his hands curled up into fists in his lap.

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, Junie.” Cole forced out between clenched teeth.

“It happened, I got out.” I shrugged like it didn’t bother me.

“So, you haven’t seen your father or brother since then?” Cole asked.

“No, and any nonsense they’re doing with the rogues now has nothing to do with me.” I said in a sharp tone. Cole’s head snapped up as he locked eyes with me,

“What nonsense?” He asked urgently.

“I don’t know. They’re always up to something,” I narrowed my eyes at him questioningly, “Didn’t Alpha Avery tell you about them conspiring with the rogues on the outskirts?”

“He said that your father and mother were thought to be conspiring with them before they had children.” Cole explained.

“Sounds like them. I don’t remember anything about my mother. But, I do know that my father and Reid still hang around with the outskirts rogues. I figured Alpha Avery knew, too.” I said.

“He didn’t say anything. Did you tell Alpha Avery about this?” Cole asked.

“No way. If they catch me talking with Alpha Avery, they’ll kill me.” I shook my head quickly. I pulled open my laptop and went back to work, effectively telling Cole to drop it.

Cole left a few hours later but promised to be back tomorrow. I acted like I didn’t care, but, honestly, I liked the company. I hardly ever got to talk with werewolves, the packless were too wild and the pack wolves tended to avoid us. His Alpha might be a dick, but Cole seemed like a good enough guy.

The next day, Cole was true to his word. He continued to show up every afternoon and didn’t leave until after the bar was closed. Sometimes he came back early in the morning and then disappeared during the day. Almost an entire week went by without a word from my supposive mate, but I didn’t mind. It was Friday evening and I was down in the bar, getting ready for the nightly rush.

Dressed in a pair of dark, denim shorts overtop a pair of ripped fishnet leggings, black ankle boots, and the company shirt, I stood behind the bar cleaning glasses. Karly called out sick and our back up bartender was on vacation this week. That left me to fill in with Jackson.

Lainey, Sophie, and a new girl, Gabi, were getting the tables ready for tonight dressed in minidresses of varying colors with the company logo on their black aprons. Toonly, Clyde, and Buck were all on the job as our bouncers for the night.

“I hate bartending.” I grumbled as I cleaned and stacked the last of the beer mugs.

“Tell me something I don’t already know.” Jackson chuckled, squeezing my shoulder as he passed behind me.

“Remind me to kill Karly for this.” I said.

“I heard she has the stomach flu, probably be out tomorrow, too.” Jackson said as he checked the beer on tap.

“Shut your mouth.” I threatened Jackson. I could hear Tooly laughing, “You, too!” I shouted across the dark and empty bar.

“Woah, what’s your problem?” The DJ, Fred, looked at me and laughed as he entered the bar at the same time.

“Mind your business.” I snapped at him. Fred huffed and walked over to the music table.

“Someone’s in a mood today.” The familiar voice of Cole graced our presence.

“Oh look, it’s Junie’s new boyfriend.” Vivan sang as she strutted across the bar.

“Viv.” I complained loudly. She knew damn well that he wasn’t my boyfriend.

“I know, I know. We’re just friends.” She mocked me, “I would kill to be friends with someone who looks like that.” She smirked, leaning over the bar and waving flirtatiously at Cole. Cole wiggled his eyebrows and I glared at him,

“Stop looking at her like that.” I demanded and Cole held up his hands in surrender.

A few hours later and the bar was bustling with people. The music was blasting and the drinks were flowing. I was angrily preparing cocktails, plastering on a smile for the customers and taking my frustrations out on Jackson. He didn’t care, he just continued to laugh at my misery.

“You’re so bad at this.” Jackson laughed as I messed up another mixed drink.

“Funny, business school doesn’t cover mixology.” I snapped at him.

I was pouring a round of shots when a faint, musky scent wafted through the air, assaulting my senses. I looked up from the tray of glasses and spotted him.

Alpha King Caspian was gliding across the bar elegantly. He was over six feet tall with dark brown hair that curled on the ends. He had it tied up into a messy bun, exposing his broad shoulders and thick neck. His shoulders gave way to massive biceps which hung beside his tone chest and abdomen. Through his navy blue suit pants, I could tell his legs were just as muscular as the rest of him. Not to mention the size of his bulge……

Stop it!

He froze in the middle of the dance floor, his eyes catching mine even through the thick crowd of dancing millennials. His eyes were so blue and crystal clear, I could spot them from a mile away. They were hard and distant, but, at the moment, they had captured me. His full beard and mustache were both clean shaven, kept close to his tense face and harsh expression. His jawline was sharp, etched into his warm-looking skin and evident even through his chestnut facial hair.

Suddenly, my hand was wet and Jackson was yelling at me. I couldn’t quite make out what he was saying until I had split half the bottle of liquor all over my hand and the top of the bar. I cursed and sat down the bottle, picking up a rag and wiping down the countertop.

“What the hell, June?” Jackson grumbled at me, mopping up the floor quickly before getting back to his customers. I scoffed and slid the tray of shots towards Sophie who carried it off to one of the tables.

I looked back up but Caspian was gone. Looking towards the end of the bar where I had last seen Cole, I saw that he was nowhere to be found, either.