Rogue Enchanted

Chapter 8: The source of his joy, the center of her world...I've got U!

Jaxon Spencer vs. Catherine 'Kate' Stevens

Pix: The lady boss

Video: I Got You Babe

Dedicated to JenLai29

Apologies for the delay, guys. Very tight at the moment but will try my best to post another next week. Pardon me if I'm unable to. 

PS: Pardon my errors. 

Cheers!

***

"You sure you're okay, Katie?" Stan asked for the third time.

"I'm fine."

"She's not," Will said as he stretched out on the lounge between his mate and the sexy head of warriors. "She looks as though she's carrying all the troubles of this world on her shoulder."

"And she's been this way since we left," Stan added.

"I'm right here, you know," Kate muttered. "You could snap me out of whatever y'all think is wrong with me by giving me a sexy X-rated show," she added but even her voice lacked its usual high spirits. "That should work."

"Want that right here or in the room?" Will drawled as he reached for his shades. But Kate's only answer was a disinterested chuckle.

They were relaxing by the pool at a beautiful resort in Bordeaux, in the south of France, where the annual conference for warriors was being held. They'd been on the resort for three days. They had four more days to go. And Stan couldn't help but notice how withdrawn and out-of-sorts Kate seemed. That was so unlike the feisty warrior. He had noticed something off about her when she joined them at the airport on the day of departure. First off, Kate couldn't look him in the eye. She was acting like a junkie who needed a fix of whatever substance they were on, and most shocking of all, she smelt different.

Will had immediately commented on the fact that Kate smelt different but both Stan and Kate had ignored his comment. As a newly turned wolf, Will didn't know the implication of a werewolf smelling different from their usual scent. The only thing that would make a werewolf smell differently was if they were mated, pregnant, or very sick. As far as Stan was concerned, Kate was neither mated nor pregnant. That left the possibility of his head of warriors being very sick, and that worried Stan tremendously.

He'd decided to corner Kate later and ask whether she was okay. And he had been doing that right from the airport and every day since they'd been in France. But she was sometimes evasive, and other times insistent she was okay. There was nothing Stan could do. He couldn't force Kate to tell him her problems. Even though they were a pack and very close to each other, werewolves were naturally proud beings who hated to be pitied or appear weak. Stan therefore wanted to wait till Kate was ready to tell him whatever it was in her own time rather than pressure her.

Stan was supposed to come for the conference with only Kate but had decided to bring his mate along. He didn't want Will all by himself, thinking about what that stupid rogue had done to him. Even though Will appeared strong and unbothered, as his mate, Stan could feel just how messed up and gloomy he was. He'd lost everything, thanks to that son-of-a-bitch so it was only to be expected. Stan couldn't wait to torture that rogue until he begged for death. He thought between himself and Kate, they would show Will a good time since that was his first werewolf conference. What Stan hadn't envisaged was the moody and soulful countenance of his bubbly sassy head of warriors.

'You know you can tell me anything, don't you?' Stan asked on his mind-link with Kate as his fingers leisurely combed through Will's wet hair.

'I know,' Kate breathed, knowing she would never discuss her current predicament with Stan. She knew just how much Stan hated the rogue.