Life as a Rogue Ch. 08

Jason watched his mate as she paced around the room. He could understand her frustration. This entire mess that had landed in his territory was frustrating. The only reason he wasn't pacing was because he had more control than Laura.

"I never thought I would get to see Amanda Knight alive."

Laura looked over at him, "you make it sound like she is some kind of a legend."

"She is."

Laura snorted.

"Even with such a high bounty on her head she has evaded capture for a decades now" Jason pointed out, "Hunters have stopped looking for her."

"It's been twelve years, almost thirteen. It's ironic that she was captured indirectly due to Conner." Laura let out a groan as she sat down, "what do I do Jason? Conner won't give her up to the Knight Pack. She will leave him again and it will break him, he barely survived the first time."

Jason's eyes flashed, he wolf's rage showing as he thought about time Conner had lost control when Amanda's elopement news had reached him. It had happened before he met Laura. But the faint scars that marked his mates stomach was a testament to just how badly he had lost control.

"Maybe she won't leave?" Jason sighed, yeah he didn't believe that for a second.

Laura shot him a skeptical look, "she had every chance to come to Donovan for Sanctuary in the past decade. Whatever her reasons she chose to abandon him."

"I have never believed the rumors and stories I have heard about her." Jason stated, "I meet them in a council meeting before Gabriel was murdered. Every time I saw Bianca and Amanda together, Amanda always seemed to be on alert, defensive almost like she was expecting an attack any moment. Whatever Conner's decision, I'm not gonna give her over either."

Laura looked at him in surprise, "so we just let her go?"

"No, she is a Rogue and a trespasser. She'll pay her penalty. If she survives that is." Mary's report on the Rogues health was not encouraging of life.

Laura bawled out a fresh wave of tears as despair flowed through her at the words, "She is his Chosen Jason, he loves her so much even now. He will die if she does."

Jason went to his mate, holding her close as she blubbered. Laura was close to all her siblings, as the eldest she felt a responsibility to look after them.

A knock on the door had her stiffening, she pulled away wiping her tears hastily.

Jason called out to enter and Conner, Jared and Andrew walked in. Looking worse for wear.

"Laura!" Conner let out a low whine seeing her tear stained face.

"I'm fine just being stupid." Laura waved him off, "how are you feeling?"

"Tired and restless."

"You will keep feeling it until your body calms down. This was your first time exposed to a heat?" Jason asked as he motioned them to the siting area.

"Yeah. It packs a solid punch"

"What do you plan to do with Amanda?" Jared asked cutting to the point and ignoring Conner's wince.

"She has a bounty on her head, a hefty 6 million." Jason stated as Laura frowned at his statement.

"You cannot give her to Knight, they will execute her." Conner appealed, "Beside I doubt the pack has the money to pay off the bounty."

It was plain to see that the state of Knight Pack was worsening year by year. Bianca has closed of both economical and territorial pack borders a few years ago. The lucrative companies run by the pack had taken a major hit due that decision and were incurring losses.

"Regardless, the council will have to be informed. Bounty aside she is accused of double homicide and abandoning her pack." Jason argued even as Laura elbowed his side, "Both major charges."

"Let me take care of it. I'll take her with me. She is not your problem," Conner shifted in his seat, his body too wound up to allow one position.

"But she is my problem. She trespassed on my lands." Jason squeezed Laura's arm as she stuck her elbow in his side again.

"Then make her pay the penalty and let me take her." He closed his fingers into a fist the claws digging into flesh.

"Why are you to adamant on taking her to Donovan?"

"I have a claim on her. She is my chosen."

"She left you."

"The claim still stands." Conner growled, his vocal cord vibrating as the animal made his irritation known.

"Then release her."

Conner snarled as gold took over the green, his wolf gone from irritated to enraged at the statement made. The very idea an anathema to him.

Jared laid a hand on his shoulder keeping him in his seat

"Roy calm down." Laura snapped, her own wolf answering to the challenge issued by her brother.

"Do not make the mistake of challenging me in my own home Conner. Family or not I will put you down." Jason stated calmly. He hadn't moved from his place but his body was coiled ready. A trained fighter and unhindered by high emotions Jason was not an easy opponent.

They stared at each other, alpha to alpha until Conner stalked off to the other end of the room.

"Why are you pushing him on this?" Laura hissed at her mate.

"I need to know where his loyalty lies. If he is this volatile regarding her, it's not safe to release Amanda to him."

"He would never harm her. "Jared frowned at Jason.

"I not worried about him hurting her. I'm worried about Donovan, with Brandon out of the country, who will stop him if he hurts them?"

Conner strode back glowering "I would never..."

"You already have. You might have forgotten but I see the results of your volatile temper every day." The dark expression on Jason's face had no mercy.

Conner looked defeated under the crushing weight of his guilt, "It's been too long. I cannot break the bond."

"She is chosen not yet your mate." Laura implored, "The bond only grows if it's feed from both sides. She hasn't been part of your life for so long, there is no way it will resist. This is your chance to move on, start living."

Conner sat down, "I cannot do it now, and she is already fighting for her life. Once she is awake I will talk to her."

After so many years of pleading, pushing, arguing, this was the most progress anyone had made with Conner concerning Amanda. Whatever his reasons he had at least conceded to talk about breaking it off. This certainly was a development Laura was happy about.