The Art Of Sneezing

Chapter 48

Taylor wakes me up as he gets in the bed.

        "Taylor, why are your parents here?"

        "Parent and step parent," he mutters. "They visit from time to time - try to make me see things their way. They won't go against me, though. They're too scared." He gives a dry laugh.

        My back is to him, but I can almost sense his scowl in the darkness. I don't reply. Suddenly, an arm wraps around my waist and pulls me to his chest. "You're lucky," he hums.

        "W-why?"

        "I can't fully mate you until I can remove that mark, which won't be until your next heat. That gives you plenty of time so we don't get into technical terms like 'rape'"

        I set my jaw as he tugs my earlobe with his teeth. "It will always be rape with you!" I feel his growl on my back. "Go to sleep, Riley."

        His command doesn't work, though, because I stay awake long after his breathing slows and evens. I wiggle in his loose hold, realizing I might be able to get up. My heart pounds as I slowly inch from his hold.

        Taylor stirs slightly before going still again. I fumble on the table beside the bed in the dark until my hand grasps his phone. With soft steps, I slip out the bedroom door and walk around to find the living room. The phone is clutched tightly to my t-shirt clad chest as I sit on the dark sofa. I punch in the memorized numbers, winching as the ringing sounds extra loud in the quiet house.

        It's answered with a yell. "Taylor, I swear to God-"

        "It's me." I whisper.

        There's silence.

        "Riley?" Alexander gasps in disbelief.

        "Yes, it's me. Taylor's asleep, so I took his phone."

        "Are you okay," he rushes. "He hasn't done anything to you? Hurt you? Diana came back and told me what happened. I'll kill him, Riley. I swear."

        My voice remains a whisper. "Why haven't you come for me?" I try to hide my sniff as a tear rolls down my face.

        He lets out a strangled cry. "No, no, no! I've tried. Your father and Alpha Black offered to fight with us, but that's still not enough. We need Cross Pack, but Derek has to challenge Josh and Josh won't be back for two more days. I don't like it at all, I promise. We need Cross though."

        "I-I understand." I take a shakey breath. "I can't fight back to him. When he realized hitting me wouldn't work, he threatened Tom and Daniel. I can't let them get hurt."

        "I'm so sorry Riley. I love you so much. I swear, I'll kill him."

        I nod, though he can't see me. "I love you, too."

        "Riley, if you know anything that could help - patrol schedules, pack meetings, anything . . ."

        "You're parents are here."

        He sighs, "I know. Can . . . can you find Taylor's office? We need information and you're the only insider."

        "Y-yeah," my voice doesn't work, so I clear my throat lightly and try again. "Yes, I'll find it."

        "Don't put yourself in danger, Riley. If this is not safe don't do it."

        "I'll be fine. Hang on while I look for his office, okay?"

        "Yeah," he replies as I stand and walk quietly out of the room. I wander the house until I come across a set of stairs. The first step is silent, but the next one creaks. I'm half way up the stairs, testing the next step, when Alexander speaks. "You're not sneezing."

        "No," I whisper. "Taylor had someone steal some of your clothes. I have a shirt, but he wears the other things, so that I don't sneeze around him."

        He swears. I reach the top of the stairs and enter the first room I see.

        "I found it."

        "Patrol schedules, any meetings that would distract him, files of his pack members. We need to know the number we're up against."

        I hold papers up, squinting to read them in the moonlight. Bills, bills. I pick up a piece of notebook paper. "Patrols are every three hours." I read off. "Two groups of 5 start oppostie of each other - north and south - and patrol all the way around. Starting at midnight."

        "That's great, Riley," he praises as I hear a pen scratch on paper.

        "The calendar on the desk doesn't say anything about meetings." I check his filing cabinest behind the desk. "There's a full cabinet of files on memebers."

        My mate sighs. "Okay, find Taylor's file. At the bottom of the file - if he runs this pack like any other - there should be a number. I need it."

        "What is it?"

        "The number of members."

        I find the file and pull it out. "Alex . . . how many members do we have?"

        "2,054. Many familes live in normal homes away from the pack house, but that's still very large for a pack. Most have around 500."

        "Taylor has 5,906."

        There's slience and he swears again.

        "Why didn't you tell me your brother is the Alpha of the Rogues? You told me he died? Why didn't you tell me he's a half like me?"

        "Riley, I'm sorry. I didn't want to worry you and -"

        A growl burst from my side of the call accompanied by a yell. "RILEY!"

        I gasp, "I have to go."

        "No! Please-" I end the call as I run out of the room, leaving it like it was before. I delete the call record, sit on the third to the top step, and dial a different number.

        Taylor storms up the steps angrily, but pauses when I hold a hand up. I answer the welcoming voice. "Yeah, can I get a large everything pizza with cheese stuffed crust?" I place my hand over the phone and look up to the angry Alpha. "Do you want anything?"