The Rogues Who Went Rogue
Chapter 28

her own daughter was only allowed fifteen minutes.

The policewoman informed Margaret about Tate's visit, as usual. She groaned in annoyance before she was escorted from her temporary cell to the interrogation room. She wondered why there wasn't a limit to the number of times Tate could visit her in a day when When she stepped into the room, Tate was already there, leaning against the wall behind his chair. Margaret's eyes stuck to the floor, like it did the last few times. But unlike the last few times Tate came to see her, she didn't feel his gaze on her.

She took a peek, and realized that Tate had his hands in his jacket pockets as his eyes fixed on the floor. The creases on his forehead showed that he was pondering deeply. Margaret couldn't deny that Tate was one hell of a looker with his diamond-shaped face and hazelnut hair, and there was something about his eyes that just drew her in. Sharp, bright and determined.

From the first moment they 'met', she noticed how well-built he was, and why wouldn't he be? He was an Alpha. Blessed with the best genes in a pack. Margaret ignored her wolf's protest and brushed off the attraction she felt as the 'typical mate-bond blindness'. As soon as Tate's face moved an inch, she averted her gaze and chose to stare at the table instead.

"Thank you, Laila," Tate uttered politely.

His deep voice was just so good to hear, and it made her animal wag its tail in happiness. 'Damn it! Damn the mate-bond!' Margaret thought to herself as she reminded her animal about their past, how they were both betrayed. Her wolf growled fiercely and defended their present bond. 'Stubborn, naïve wolf!

"You're most welcome, minister. I hope it won't be too much trouble to tell the queen that Heather and Hannah said 'hi."

"Who?" Tate asked in bewilderment.

Officer Laila responded with a smile, "My daughters, minister. Five and four years old respectively. I brought them to work one day and, coincidentally, it was the day when the queen came to see our chief. My kids have been enchanted by her ever since." Tate chuckled, and it made Margaret's wolf turn defensive when their mate was laughing because another woman made him laugh. It growled ferociously in her head even though no one could hear it.

It was only brought out of its rage when Tate started speaking again in the most melodious voice it had ever heard, "I'll let her know, Laila. Thank you."

Officer Laila nodded gratefully and muttered, "I'll leave you to it. Let me know if you need anything."

"Will do," Tate responded simply, and the red wolf was brought back into bliss seeing that Laila was leaving.

Tate took his seat opposite Margaret, and as soon as the door shut behind them, silence ensued. Her wolf kept prompting her human to look at their mate but Margaret remained stubborn. What was unusual was that Tate had not initiated conversation. He'd normally say something by now. Anything.

When Margaret finally decided that the silence wasn't normal, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked up, and Tate's gorgeous brown eyes held her captive almost immediately. There was hurt, disappointment and even some anger but he wasn't any less attractive. "So you do know that I'm here," Tate began with a pained and disapproving smirk that looked more taunting than welcoming. Her wolf whimpered, and was prompting its human part to talk to their mate, to ask him what was wrong. He wasn't like this earlier this morning. This morning, he was soft, gentle and assuring.

Now, he just looked defensive and upset. What happened?

"Still have nothing to say, mate?" Tate asked. His slightly harsher tone made his animal regret instantly, and it made Margaret's wolf whimper so hard that it kept pushing for Margaret to talk to Tate. Margaret remained stubborn and pressed her lips tighter to seal it up. She then averted her eyes and chose to look at the wall instead.

"Fine," Tate muttered. His volume turned up a notch when he announced, "You'll be happy to know that this is not entirely about the mate-bond. I came on behalf of the government with an offer."

Although she was still refusing to look at him, Tate noticed her ears perk up. She was listening, so he continued, "We're willing to grant you and your people pardon over any crimes committed in the past with one condition."

Tate remained silent. He was not going to let Margaret get away with getting full information without looking at him like he was one of her mindless goons. If Tate had learned anything about Lucianne and her rejections, it was that she had enough self-respect to walk away from anyone who didn't see her value, who didn't give her the basic level of respect that any decent creature was entitled to receive.

Margaret wanted to stare at the grey wall but she was more interested in the offer. She had been trying to get Stella to find a way out for all of them for days, and that useless daughter of hers had been more troublesome than helpful. This only confirmed what Margaret already knew when she became a rogue: if you want something done, you have to do it yourself.

Tate's offer seemed too good to be true. But what was the condition?

When she finally admitted defeat in the look-away contest and met Tate's hard gaze that had been patiently waiting for her, Tate spoke in a deadpan voice, "On the condition that you and your people work with us and another rogue group to track down a third group of rogues we're trying to find and eliminate."

Silence.

"I can't read your mind, Margaret. Is that a yes or a no? If you're afraid to speak because I can somehow steal your voice, at least give your head a nod or a shake."

His hostility made Margaret feel like she was being...pushed away, which was the same feeling that she had been having with Stella recently. It was familiar but it still hurt.

She gave a firm nod, and began mentally planning an escape route when they let her and her people out.

Tate and his wolf were beyond relieved that their mate finally gave a response. "Good. After this, I'll send Officer Laila in. You can give us the location of your entire rogue pack and we'll bring them here to cooperate."

Margaret's eyes widened in shock. Tate's eyebrows raised in surprise at her shock. "I still can't read your mind, Margaret. But if this is your way of asking whether I meant the whole pack when I spelled out the offer, then yes. This includes your entire pack, every last rogue under your supervision. You know where they've run. If you continue to hide them, I can't promise you that our allies won't kill them when they hunt them down. You know how this works: all rogues are the same in our eyes. It's safer to bring your people here, and give them a shot at earning a safe future for themselves."

This got Margaret thinking. She was going to lie about her people's current location but Tate was right. If they were hunted down, there wouldn't be a way out. The past few months had been more hectic than it had ever been before, with her pack having to move more frequently than they usually did because the wolves started tracking them down when they used to only stand guard at their own packs and attack rogues if the rogues choose to enter. The moves were tiring and angering her people and herself. This offer seemed like a ticket to freedom for all of them. No more constant running, moving and hiding, and finally rid of the anxiety of being found, caught and slaughtered.

Tate was getting more frustrated by the second, and he muttered in impatience, "The offer doesn't get better than this, Margaret. This is already the best one on the table, hence the best one I could ask for."

Her animal's ears perked-up in attention. HE asked for her and her people to be pardoned? It made her animal coo when their mate was being so protective of them and the people under their care. Again, no response.

Tate heaved a frustrated sigh like he just wanted to get this part over with now when he said, "Anyway, it's not without a...penalty for breach."

His eyes held hers when he declared in a low, warning tone, "If, at any point in time during the cooperation, you or any of your people decide to do anything that goes against our goal, be it betraying us, trying to escape or hurting anyone on the team, the queen will personally end you or anyone else involved. And trust me when I say you don't want to get on the queen's bad side. She will break you, and she will make you feel it until you can't anymore."

The warning made Margaret shudder, and she looked away before Tate's eyes started glistening at what he just told her. If Margaret were being honest, her wolf was intrigued when they first met Lucianne. She was unusual. Lucianne's energy declared her power and status but it also amplified an unusual warmth that felt...trustworthy.

Now, hearing that Lucianne would end her, her wolf whimpered as it scratched the invisible walls in Margaret's head, angered that its human was so reckless and disrespectful in their last encounter with the queen. It was so strange to Margaret that her wolf was not the slightest bit offended after Lucianne used her Authority on them both. Stupid, stupid wolf.

"Do you understand everything I've just said?" Tate's voice held a balance of anger and concern. Margaret nodded.

"Good. Now, about the mate-bond. Let's just be frank: do you want it?"