The Rogues Who Went Rogue
Chapter 110

The defense ministers, Margaret and her mavericks, Lucianne, Xandar and Christian reached the Den. Chief Dalloway, who was escorting Kate, looked at the duke, as if asking him an unspoken question. Greg got the message, and pointed at the only chair at the side and said, "Over there, Chief."

Despite being surprised that this duke actually addressed him politely, he complied.

Kate was confused. What was happening? And why did she have to go first?

None of her friends knew what this was about, not even Margaret. But Tate knew, and it was killing him and his wolf to not say a thing to their mate. Lucianne even had to discuss with Xandar for two whole minutes before deciding whether they should tell Tate. Even now, she wasn't sure if she made the right decision. She hated to be the reason that Tate had to keep something from his mate, who he had been trying so hard to get close to.

The present test was to see how many in Margaret's pack knew about what Kate had been doing. The royal family members and defense ministers stood at parts of the room that gave them a good view of the clueless faces, which they hoped would remain clueless. Greg's top four were just mindlessly walking around the room as they waited like it was just another business day for them.

Lucianne envied at how casually Alissa could chew gum. Although the queen kept her composure, she was boiling like a kettle on the inside. She gave her word that should there be betrayal or treachery, she'd torture the traitor until she was satisfied.

She hadn't seen the evidence Greg and the mavericks found against Kate yet, and she hoped for Kate's sake that there was a plausible explanation to whatever Greg found, but that was unlikely.

Xandar's hand was on her shoulder, his thumbs drawing comforting circles there. Lucianne offered him a small smile and touched him lightly on his chest before Greg got the ball rolling, “Kate, how long have you been in contact with this creature named Rudolpho?" Kate's body stiffened.

Lucianne and the others were relieved to see that Margaret and her followers were squinting their eyes, looking confused and muttering 'who?' to each other at this point.

Kate cleared her throat and uttered, "I don't know who that is."

Greg expected that answer because not everyone knew that deleted messages could be retrieved. The duke continued reading from the screen and questioning monotonously, "You don't know who you've been sending 'I love you. Please be safe.' text messages to? Really?" Margaret's confused eyes widened in ferocity when she scowled at Kate, waiting for her answer. They weren't supposed to be sending messages to anyone! It was a safety precaution that their pack had agreed to take. They were allowed to have phones for any function EXCEPT communication.

Kate gulped and insisted, "If that's in there, it's fake. You must have put it in."

Lucianne saw the way her foot subtly moved and her eyes averted when she said that. Kate's steady voice made her a good liar, but her less-than-perfect body language showed that she wasn't good enough. The queen walked up to Kate and asked again in a voice that sent a chill down everyone's spines, "You're certain that the duke is lying, Kate? Think very carefully before you answer me."

Kate neglected that warning, and immediately insisted, "It's fake! We're not allowed to contact anyone! I didn't do it! This high-tech guy and his goons must have gotten it into the system to frame me somehow."

Azalea asked in genuine confusion, "There are forty of us. Why frame you?"

"I don't know, Az, okay?"

Lucianne saw the body signals of a liar again, and it pissed her off that she was being lied to in her face more than once. Her eyes turned blue, emitting her Authority as she pinned Kate to her chair and asked, "Is the duke lying?" Kate fidgeted in her seat, trying to fight off the compulsion but she couldn't so she muttered, "No."

That made some of her pack members gasp, and half of them growled as they shot Kate a glare that could have burned through her skin.

Lucianne continued asking, "Who is Rudolpho?"

Tears started forming in her eyes at the way she was made to go against her will when she answered, "My...boyfriend."

Azalea hissed in a whisper, "What the f*ck?! Since when?!"

Kate was glaring at Lucianne now. She never hated anyone more at that point. Lucianne remained unperturbed when she repeated, "Since when?" "Two years ago."

"So, he's a chosen boyfriend, not a bonded one?"

"Yes."

Margaret let out a low growl and was about to pounce forward out of pure rage had Tate not held her back. The Alpha was beyond relieved that she was behaving this way. At least his mate was clear from this. Lucianne proceeded to ask Kate, "Does he know about the conditional pardon?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"That it wouldn't mean anything soon because they have a plan to remove you."

Xandar was at his wife's side within the second as he glowered at the woman in the chair. Greg came over, too. Both were already trying to rein in their animals who demanded to be released after what they just heard. Lucianne scoffed darkly and asked, "So...your boyfriend and his pack are the ones we're after?"

"Partly."

"Meaning?"

"They're collaborating with a few other groups. I wasn't told how many. He said the less I know, the better."

"Well, he got that right. Too bad he already told you so much. Anyway, did you know about the Blue Crescent attack?”

Kate tried with all her might to press her lips together but eventually she answered, "Yes."

"So, the attack wasn't just an attack, was it? It was also supposed to be your escape route." "Yes."

"Who was supposed to take you away?"

Kate was breathing heavily in anger now as she said, "A discretus. I don't know his name."

"Where were they supposed to take you?"

Kate smirked. "I don't know."

Greg's hand was about to go to Kate's neck for the way she was behaving but Lucianne stopped him when she spoke using a gentler tone, "Not yet, Greg."

Her attention returned to Kate. "So, it's safe to assume that you've met up with him before?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

Hailey and Ivory turned more alert and immediately brought up the hologram of the map as their index fingers got ready to pinpoint every location they were about to hear. "Grotte, Ravin, Forêt, Bordure, Talus."

Margaret lost it when she yelled, "So, basically, EVERYWHERE we've been in the past two years!" Kate bit her lip and refused to meet her leader's eyes.

Greg then confirmed Kate's account, "Those locations are also where her texts were sent from, My Queen."

Lucianne proceeded to ask Greg, "And the texts from Rudolpho? Where were they sent from?"

In a flat, discontented voice, Greg replied, "The almighty, magical Forest of Oderem, My Queen."