WOLF LOYALTY

Just Friends

**

I can only hope that Derek, whoever he is, lives in the building. I burst through the front door into the corridor.

“Derek! Derek, please, it’s Rogers!”

A man appears from the upstairs floor. He’s walking slowly as if he doesn’t hear my desperate screams, but his eyes are on me.

I become aware that I’m naked, but I don’t care.

Derek? Rogers needs help – please, hurry!”

Oh yes, Amelia, Rogers needs help, and you can help him. You need to back off.”

“I what?”

The sound of Rogers’s screams suddenly goes quiet. I abandon Derek and run back to the bedroom. Rogers is getting up, his face grim, but he seems uninjured.

“I Rogers? What happened?”

Before he can speak, Derek steps into the room. “I warned you, Rogers. I told you, it’s too dangerous, at least right now. You’ll hurt her.”

I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.”

You could. You’ve already come close. You need to stay away from her.”

You don’t own me, Derek!”

“Yes, I do,” Derek hissed. “And you know it. Now get dressed.”

To my utter astonishment, Rogers does indeed start getting dressed.

Seemingly satisfied, Derek leaves. I hear him shut the front door on his way out.

Rogers? What – why are you letting him tell you what to do? What happened? Was it a migraine? You looked like your head was about to explode with pain.”

Rogers doesn’t say anything. He looks pale and shaky. Clearly, he’s not completely recovered from his ordeal.

As much as I need answers, he’s obviously not up to giving them to me right now.

“Let’s get you to bed.”

“Thanks, Lia. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Oh, you can count on it,” I say as I tuck him in.

***Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

I’m up early the next morning. It took me hours to fall asleep, but when I did, my nerves wouldn’t let me sleep for long.

Rogers wakes up late. I’m waiting for him with coffee when he stumbles through to the kitchen.

“Hey.” I hand him a cup of coffee.

“Hey, Lia. Thanks.”

He drinks in silence for a few minutes.

If he thinks I’m just going to forget about what happened last night, he doesn’t know me. Sooner or later, we’re going to talk about it.

So, we should talk about last night.”

Either Rogers is a mind reader, or our minds are just alike.

Yes, we should. What happened?”

Rogers sighs, staring at his coffee as though hoping it will explain to him. “The people who live in this building – we’re all part of a group.

I know that much already.”

Of course, you do. I forget what a good journalist you are. Well, the group has a leader – Derek. Derek has ruled that it’s not safe for me to be around other people, at least not for now.”

Why? What on earth does he think you’re going to do?”

Lia… when I left before, I didn’t go because I wanted to. I had to. Something happened to me that night in the woods, and it changed me. ľ’m not the same Rogers you knew.”

I know that too. A few details wouldn’t go amiss, though.”

“I can’t give you details. It’s against the rules. But I can tell you that Derek isn’t entirely without a point. He’s already mad I let you move in here. At the very least, he wants me to refrain from being intimate with you. When he realized I was disobeying his orders, he gave me a… harsh reminder.”

Do you mean that was him, causing you pain?

“Yes,” Rogers admitted. “It’s something all leaders of groups like ours can do, but they seldom resort to it.”

Rogers, we have to go to the police! If he’s hurting you, trying to control you –

“No, we can’t go to the police. Trust me, that would just make matters worse. Look, I’ll talk to Derek. He may be the leader, but as I said last night, he doesn’t own me. He was just mad, and scared, for both of us.”

So, we can’t…?

We can. I’m not going to let him control me. I know myself, and my limits. I would never hurt you.”

“I know that.”

Derek doesn’t, but I’ll convince him. It’s my life and my body. He’s trying to protect me, but I don’t need his protection.”

He sounds awful.

“No, he’s not. He’s had some bad experiences in the past, which has made him overly cautious.”

The conversation with Rogers seems to be bringing up more questions than answers.

Why don’t you just tell me, Rogers?”

I’ve told you, I can’t.” He drains his coffee.

“Now, we both have to get to work. I’ll work out things with Derek.”

I hesitate, feeling the need to clarify. “We’re still just friends, right? I mean, we’re not crossing a line here?”

“Just friends,” Rogers agrees. “Friends with benefits, but still friends.” He seems sad when he says it. I don’t know what I feel, and my mind is too busy buzzing with

questions for me to examine my emotions right now.

Right, then I guess I’ll see you this evening. Oh, and you don’t need to pretend to go to work. I know you’re meeting with Derek and the rest of your group.

Rogers shakes his head. “Go to work, Lia, and forget all about this.”

That’s not going to happen.

I keep my private thoughts to myself as I go to my room and start getting dressed.

***

I tap my foot impatiently. I should be at home having dinner with Rogers. Instead, I’m sitting in my car on a deserted road, waiting for Jim.

Why couldn’t he just give me his information via email like he usually does?

Rogers has been away on mysterious business for the past four days, and I’m eager to see him. He promised me that when he got home tonight, we’d have dinner together. I have everything ready at home.

I’m too eager to have what Jim knows to wait at home while the roast cooks, though. I check my emails again, confirming that I’m at the right spot.

My mind strays to Rogers. Though he talked to Derek, we haven’t had sex since that night. I think we’re both nervous.

Tonight, I’m going to break through that nervousness. Now that I’ve had Rogers, I’m not sure I can go without him. I never knew sex could be that good.

I’m brought out of my increasingly lusty thoughts as the car door opens. I gasp as I see the person step inside. It’s Jim, but he’s barely recognizable. His face is a mess of cuts and bruises.

“Jim! What happened?

I came here in person so that you’d see and understand the gravity of the situation. I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself involved in, but back off, Amelia.”

He’s the fourth person to tell me to back off. How many will need to tell before listening?

“What happened??”

What happened was that I was lucky to escape with my life. Don’t contact me again.” with that, Jim leaves.

I sit in the car seat, stunned. I can’t believe it.

Who would do this to Jim?

Derek would. Whatever secret he’s protecting, he’s willing to hurt people to do it, just like he hurt Rogers.

I turn the car on, heading home, wondering not for the first time if I’m mad to keep pushing to find out the truth in all this.

I get back just in time to take the roast out of the oven. I set it down on the table, looking at the clock. Rogers said he’d be home by seven.

Seven Comes.

Five past seven

Ten past seven.

Half-past seven.

The food is mostly cold by the time Rogers walks in, but the food is nothing to the expression on his face.

Rogers! Welcome home, I was… getting… quite…” My words trail off as what I’m seeing filters through to my brain. “Rogers, what’s wrong?”

I never thought you’d make it this far, Amelia.” His glare is powerful enough to back me up a step.

What do you mean?”

You know what I mean! Scoping out social media is one thing, but having me followed? Do you know how badly you almost messed things up? I thought I could trust you!”

I can barely force a whisper out through numb lips. “You can trust me.”

Not when it matters. Not when I need to be alone, for my safety and everyone else’s, and instead, I have an investigator trailing me!”

*What did you expect me to do, Rogers? I’m part of your life now. I need to know what’s going on. You certainly aren’t rushing to confide in me.”

Do you think I don’t want to? You think I don’t wish every day that I could?”

You knew I’d take steps to find out.”

“Well, this is one step too far!” Rogers storms through the house, heading for his bedroom. I follow after him, frantically wiping at my eyes.

“Rogers, please wait.” I don’t want to talk right now. Goodnight, Amelia,”

He slams the door shut in my face.

I stand there staring stupidly at the door.

How did he find out?

I suppose that doesn’t matter now.

Crap, I really messed up.

What if he never wants to speak to me again?

What if he hates me?