The Rogues Who Went Rogue
Chapter 96

Lucianne's lycan was practically scratching its face when they knew that Greg and Ivory had started executing the plan. Her eyes would go to the wall clock every few seconds, despite the stack of files she deliberately placed in the middle of her office desk when she thought that would keep her mind properly occupied while she waited for the time to pass. She envied how well Reida was sleeping in the baby cot at the left corner.

Saying that Lucianne was worried would be an understatement. She started regretting not forcing Greg to take Desmond, Hailey and Alissa as back-up, though she doubted he would. Too many creatures would make him look desperate, and that vulnerable trait couldn't be shown in any business negotiations in the kingdom, let alone in the rogue world. Xandar made her a cup of tea and took a chocolate bar out of the fridge before making his way to her office that was now next to his, separated only by a glass wall because he loved watching her work when he took short breaks from his own work. The moment he stepped in, Lucianne covered her face in guilt when she realized that her emotions were not under control. After Xandar moved the files to the side and placed the steaming cup in front of her, his strong hands found their way to her tensed shoulders as he pecked a kiss on her cheek. "Sorry," Lucianne muttered guiltily and heaved a sigh, then started taking deep breaths to calm herself for the sake of her mate.

"Don't apologize, baby."

He lifted her off her seat and sat in her chair before placing her on his lap, guiding her head to lean against his chest as he handed her the chocolate bar. She looked at the bar in amusement and tore the wrapper from the top before biting into it. Xandar stroked her forearm, letting their skin contact and proximity ease the stress. Lucianne found comfort in his touch and scent, and his steady heartbeat felt like it was assuring her that everything was going to be okay.

After some quiet moments, Xandar pecked a kiss in her hair and said, "They'll be fine, Lucy. They've probably done things like this a million times before."

"That was before Greg was on our side."

"If anything happened to him or Ivory, his followers would have alerted us...well, alerted you by now. As long as we don't hear anything, they're fine." She muttered, "I hope so."

After Lucianne snuggled deeper into his embrace, Xandar casually asked, "How's Toby?"

"I spoke to him. He said he's fine but his head is a little in the clouds if you ask me."

"Like he's keeping a secret?"

"Yeah. Maybe he's not ready to tell anyone yet."

"I wonder what it is."

"Whatever it is, he'd better tell me first. I'm his best friend."

Xandar chuckled at her territorial nature when it came to this particular friendship, which Toby easily matched before he said, "I'm sure you'll be the first to know, sweetheart."

###

As soon as everyone left the Forest of Oderem, Toby breezed through the goodbyes and took his jet to a place he once went to with some friends in his teenage years.

On his way there, Lucianne linked him and it felt very uncomfortable to not tell her what he felt in the hideout. He was sure she suspected something was up, and he wondered how he was going to break it to her. He got excited over a name on a leaf.

There weren't any living creatures there to confirm that he was getting excited over a bonded mate. The most unsettling thing was that his wolf was so sure that that was his mate. He never heard of a creature finding their mate through their things. The mate itself normally came first, not the objects they owned.

His jet landed in a green space because he wanted to go on a short run. He sprinted for half a mile to get the frustration and confusion off. The wind grazed his skin as the scent of leaves and grass graced his nostrils. Not long later, Toby was welcomed by the sound of waves crashing on the shore and the squawking of a few seagulls.

He paused to catch his breath, and took off his shoes to feel the grains of sand beneath his feet. His sights went to a few boulders where he and his friends sat to take a group photo when they came here more than a decade ago as teenagers. It was a group of six guys, five of whom were now dead from fighting rogues over the years. He lost the last one two weeks before he met Lucianne.

He still missed them, and never had the strength to come back to this beach since then. Somehow, on this day, he felt that he had to come here, that he was being pulled here, though he couldn't fathom why.

At the six boulders, his hand went to the names engraved on each one. When he reached his own name, he sat on the boulder, the same place he sat when they took a group photo. He found himself tearing up and muttering, "I do have new friends now but I still miss you guys.” He watched the sun that would be setting in less than an hour's time. A part of him wanted to leave to avoid having to watch the sunset like he once did with his friends, but a larger part of him asked him to stay, not to remember what he lost but to honor the memories he shared with those he loved.

When the sunset began, he took a deep, steady breath, recalling his friends' laughter and the stupid things they'd say and do together, and he felt lighter, happier. He knew for a fact that they were in a good place, and smiled at the boulders before talking like his late friends were right there listening to him, telling them about the progress White Blood has made over the years, how the wolves were now treated better, how much he had personally grown.

He saved the best topic for last when he said, "I have a best friend for many years now. Her name's Lucy. I know the six of us swore that we'd never pick one over the other for exclusive friendships but...I'm sorry, guys. She's really cool...and really scary. It's kind of stupid to refuse being best friends with her. You guys should have met her. She'd definitely kick your asses in ten seconds flat, probably even break your spines if she's in the mood. She broke Tate's in their first spar by the way."

In the midst of detailing how Lucianne helped White Blood, his wolf caught a scent of gardenias and apples, making him pause in his storytelling. He got up, and followed the trail that led him to a few palm trees not far from where he sat.

There, he saw a female in a grey sweater and black pants looking straight at him, her wide blue eyes amplifying shock and even a little fear. Toby had never been struck by anything more gorgeous, and while his wolf declared 'mate', he uttered, “Ella."