"Phoenix? There's a man asking for you." Phoenix turned from her computer to see the smiling ancient face of her human landlady.
"Hey, Dorthey. Did he say what he wanted?" she asked, standing up and pushing her hair back over her shoulders.
"It was odd. Something about a spinning charm?"
Phoenix felt her muscle stiffen and forced herself to relax. "Take me to him, please."
***
Phoenix stopped and took in the man in front of her. "Vinny," she said with a smile, holding out her hands to take his. "I haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to?"
He shrugged. "Jail."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
He shrugged again. "Can't say I didn't deserve it. Thing is while I was in there they kicked my kid brother out of the pack. Said he was too slow to be a valuable member. Took me a while to find him. He's fallen in with scum. Turned out they like having a slave though. So he's alive. But they won't let him go. Had no choice, I've always taken care of Timmy. Had to join them."
"What have you done, Vinny?" Phoenix kept her words soft.
"I'm involved in a kidnapping."
Phoenix felt her eyes widen. "Who'd you kidnap?"
"Some Alpha's siblings."
"Why haven't I heard about this? I should have..." Her eyes narrowed as realization struck. "What Alpha?" she growled.
He shrugged. "She wears your charm. That's why I'm here."
Phoenix took a deep breath to calm her wolf. "It's a good thing you came. Ash is all that would have been left if something had happened to her." She took a deep calming breath. "How did you get away?"
He blushed. She blinked. She'd never seen him show more emotion then a shrug. "Vinny?"
"I poured beer down the drain until we were almost out." He whispered as if confessing to all seven of the deadly sins at once.
Phoenix let a peal of laughter out before smiling at him. "I'll never tell a soul. On my honor. Go buy your beer. Then come get me."
He gave a slight nod and turned, but turned back. "I can't risk Timmy."
She smiled at him with a deep understanding. "I wouldn't risk him either. You earned a charm for both of you with this. And I'm going to send you to the Alpha Rogue. He'll find a place for Timmy and you." She blinked again at the tears in his eyes.
He swallowed. "Thank you."
"You are the reason someone precious to me will be okay. So we're even. Go get your beer."
***
Phoenix dashed back to her room and began going through her bottles of herbs. She pulled her phone over and called a number.
"You're calling? What's wrong?" a soft voice asked.
"Eevi, I need to knock out two rogues without them realizing it. And the only thing I have to put it on is their beer.
"Good or bad?"
"Bad but one good might have to drink."
There was a long silence then, "Take an ounce each of magnolia bark and valerian root, with the smaller half of an eighth of a dried nightshade berry and one sliver of a wolfsbane root. Grind them very fine all together. Mix well with lavender oil. Using a paint brush or Q-tip or something of that sort, put a thin line where their lips will hit, but not taste. Three drinks will put them in a sleep for 3 days. They'll wake up with only a slight headache.
"Thank you, Eevi."
"Anything for you, Little one." The line went dead.
Phoenix went to work.
***
Phoenix sat staring at her first phone. If she made this call. She glanced around a funky room that she rented for a steal from her wonderful landlady. She sighed and hooked her phone up to her computer and downloaded everything off of it. While she waited for it to finish, she packed her stuff and emailed everyone who had her number that it was worthless now. Then, unhooking the phone, deleted everything... but one video.
"Sometimes choices are hard," she whispered, remembering her mother's words, "That didn't mean they aren't right."
She sighed and dialed the number.
"Hello?" A rich, deep voice answered. There was an edge to the voice, a stress.
"Hi." she swallowed. "I'm trying to reach André Belcourt. Is this the right number?" She listened to his silence.
"Yes."
"You don't know me, but I'm a friend of your sister's. I've helped her out of a few times."
"Are you her rogue?" His voice seemed to become deeper.
"I guess you could call me that. Anyway I found out she is in trouble again, today."
"You can't help this time."
Phoenix laughed, "Wanna bet? I'm a rogue, Alpha. I already know where she is. And I'm about to go rescue her."
"What?"
She smiled at the hope in that one word. "I'll leave the address of where to find her at the only bed and breakfast in Franklin, about two hours' drive to the east of your lands. I've got to go."
"Wait. Let me get there first."
"Can't take the risk. A lot could happen in two hours. It's was nice to finally talk to you."
"Wait."
"Sorry Alpha, I can't." She clicked the hang up button and turned the phone off just as his number lit up the screen.
Tossing her bag over her shoulder, she took one last look around the room. "Bye," she stated as she walked out.
***
At the front desk she found Dorthey glaring at an old computer.
"Hey Dorthey, what has Bob done now?"
"He's..." Dorthey's eyes took in her bag and the key she held in her hand. "Are you leaving, Phoenix?"
"I have to," she whispered.
Dorthey's eyes filled with tears. "I'm going to miss you, you funny girl. You bring sunshine wherever you go. I'm going to miss its warmth."
Phoenix blinked fast and looked up at the celling.
"It's okay though, some people are only supposed to come into our lives for a bit. I've been blessed to have had you." Dorthey hurried to assure her.
"I'll never forget you," Phoenix vowed.
Dorthey's wrinkled face lit up with a smile. "That is an honor indeed." Dorthey caught her hand. "I hope one day you can stop running from whatever it is that's behind you."
"That would be nice. I... I have a charm for you. If you spin it, it says Phoenix." She handed it over with a smile. Dorthey pulled the chain over her head and spun the charm, looking up with a child's joy as the word appeared.
The door opened and Vinny walked in. Dorthey frowned at him. Phoenix held out a pad of paper. "Write down the address of where they are and then wait for me in the car, please." He quickly did as she asked. She pulled the top paper off and, folding it in half, handed it and her phone to Dorthey.
"A man's going to come looking for this address. Please give it to him with this. Tell him I hope he can find someone who can use the phone. And don't tell him my name. If he asks, tell him the name I signed in with please."
"Is he who your running from?" Her old eyes grew fierce.
Phoenix shook her head. "No. He's good. It's just, the name Phoenix will change how he thinks of me. Negatively. I don't want that. And while he's not who I'm running from, he can't catch me either. Do you understand?"
"I do," She hurried around the desk and enfolded Phoenix in a tight hug. "Take care of yourself, funny child."
Phoenix pulled away and with one last smile, shut the door firmly.