Ezra POV

She's gone.

I knew what would happen when I let those pathetic wolves pass me by, carrying my mate in their arms towards her fate.

The talk and gossip in the pack spreads like a wildfire, burning everything in its destructive path.

It's all that anyone talks about for days and days. There's been no sight of Klepto after those two pack ruffians dragged her away. She's a rogue now, and the pack members seem to be rejoicing over her disappearance.

I've spent most of my time in the cabin, whenever one of my teammates would ask about my not showing up to patrol, I would come up with one excuse or another, but I know they didn't buy them.

I also stopped calling the Councilman. I'm tired of our conversations, and I doubt he'll miss my phone calls.

I lay in bed, staring into the darkness with one thing on my mind.

Klepto.

Everyone is saying she stole the dead Luna's ring, something so precious to the Alpha that he had no choice but to kick her out. It was the only plausible option.

I can't help but agree, but for much different reasons.

Klepto leaving this back is for the best, because it's the best thing to happen to her.

My heart reels inside my chest, tightening to the point that I can't breathe. I miss her, I miss her so bad it hurts.

I didn't even talk to her often when she was still around, but the daily dose of catching a whiff of her, or the occasional eye contact was enough to keep me going. Now that's all gone along with her.

I would compare the sensation to a recovering drunk getting a sip or two of their favorite drink, but now that Klepto's gone I'm going cold turkey against my own will, struggling to make it through the withdrawals.

My body shifts on the bed, rolling over to sit up on the side. The action reminds me where I am,and what exactly happened in this exact spot.

That kiss. The one and only kiss that made me feel anything.

Being that I was born in the year 1925, I have of course had a kiss or two in my life, but nothing compared to the moment my mate's lips met mine.

Even though I've kissed a female, I've never gone farther than that. Just a kiss. In the shifter community, mates are sacred and are to be treated as such, which means it's standard to wait until you are mated in an official ceremony before having sex.

It's the way things are, a way to show devotion and love to your mate. Those who share intimacy before the ceremony are looked down on, it's seen as a disgrace to your soulmate, and the Moon Goddess.

In a mating ceremony you pledge your devout dedication to them, promising to stand by them and protect them. It's the way our culture is. You show your mate you appreciate them for who they are, not only for what their body has to offer.

Not that I haven't had the desire to sleep with someone throughout my life, but it's ingrained in us to wait for our mate to come along and fulfill us in a way no one else can.

Too bad I'll never receive that glorious treasure.

I pick up on someone walking down the hallway towards my room. I blow out a big breath, wishing I'd locked the door to prevent anyone from bothering me.

Not that a locked door could stop Hyrum anyway.

A light knock sounds, and I remain silent, hoping he'll get the message and leave me the hell alone. He doesn't, in fact he opens the door immediately after knocking, his enormous frame taking up the entire doorway.

Hyrum's violet gaze narrows at me through the darkness of my room, stepping inside to flick on the light switch.

"Pouting again, I take it." He drawls, and I grunt in acknowledgement, not wanting to talk.

He waltzes in on his thick boots, his tree trunk arms crossed over his chest. I can tell he's just gotten back from patrol. The aroma of plants and dirt cling to him like a second skin.

"It's strange you're so upset, seeing as you contributed to her leaving."

I'm quiet after that, Klepto's face coming to mind immediately. That crestfallen expression when I let them take her away still haunts me when I close my eyes.

I know I was to blame for her being gone, but I can't help but despair over it.

Hyrum stands in front of me, staring down at me with a quizzical look.

"Do you think she did it?" Hyrum asks, and I shrug. I haven't really given it much thought. Now that's she's gone not much else matters.

"I don't." He says after a drawn out silence.

I start, glaring up at him with a hefty dose of irritation.

"And what makes you so sure?"

He shrugs, looking casual.

"Kleptomaniacs do not typically take things that have value." His thick Jamaican dialect reverberating off the walls, "It doesn't seem like something she would take, but that is my opinion."

I've heard that before, but I don't know enough about Klepto to know if it's actually true or not. So, I brush it off and try to nonchalantly change the subject.

"How is border patrol going? Any signs of Ryk?" I ask, looking up at him after putting up an empty facial expression.

Hyrum sighs, pinching his nose between his fingers.

"No, there are no signs of any rogue activity at all. We are basically useless here."

I nod absently, thinking back to the day I beat the shit out of Nathan and walked Klepto to our cabin through the woods. I stopped when I'd heard something, I remember feeling like someone was watching us, but soon after that the feeling passed and I continued on.

Thinking back to that moment, I don't know wether or not to assume it was a rogue or if I was just being paranoid and on edge after the fiasco back at the pack house.

I decide to forget about it, clearly there are no rogues around here anymore. Before we arrived, the local humans claimed to spot wolves on numerous occasions, but the only situation to happen since we got here was when Klepto claimed she saw a rogue. Though I'm not sure if that's important or not.

It could've been some loner traveling through the area, or maybe it was like my incident and was nothing more than a fleeting moment that you can chalk up to nothing.

"Why did you let them take her away, Ezra?" The question throws me, and I end up with my mouth hanging open in response. He stares at me expectantly and a twinge of pain shoots through my heart as my mind starts to run again.

"You've seen the way she's treated here. She needed to leave. She'll be better off without the torture she endures here! Not to mention the punishment she would face if I convinced them to let her stay. Klepto wouldn't last another day in those prison cells." I picture the delicate, pink scars on her wrists and shiver with rage.

"She's stronger than you give her credit for."

"I know she's strong!" I snap, "That's why she's better off as a rogue."

"You wouldn't know that because you didn't give her a choice." He hisses at me, and I growl.

"Of course she would chose to stay here! Her brothers are here, and she loves them. That's the thing about her, she cares more about them than she does herself. She lets herself live this terrible life so she can be with them. It's messed up."

Hyrum seems to consider this for a minute, stroking his chin in thought.

"Then why is it that you can't just accept her as your mate?" He makes it sound so easy.

I rake a hand through my hair in frustration.

"Because if I did, we'd have to stay here. You know the rules, unless you're a Commanding officer or higher up on the scale you can't take a mate and be a warrior at the same time, it just doesn't work. You have to join whatever pack your mate is in." I squeeze my eyes shut.

"And if I did, I wouldn't be able to watch her 24/7, she'd still get looks and snotty comments. She wouldn't have any friends, she would still be surrounded by the enemy. I would never do that to her."

Once I finish, Hyrum smiles.

"It seems like you've been doing lots of thinking on this."

I nod mutely, going back to staring at the ground.

"I thought you wouldn't accept her because you'd lose your position at the Guard?" He asks, and I laugh a humourless laugh. Of course Reid told him that, why wouldn't he? My teammates can't keep a secret to save their lives.

"Yeah, well things change. People change."

He nods, grinning at me with the littlest bit of satisfaction.

"Yes, people change." He agrees, and with that he leaves me to sulk in silence once more.

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