Luna Of The North

Chapter 5: Rogue – Part I

A royal carriage was running through the woods, breaking the silence. The sun was about to fall asleep behind the tall evergreens, leaving the red-orange sky behind. Birds were chirping around before going back to their nest. Maybelle was looking outside of the carriage. But her eyes were vacant as if she were mulling over something.

It had been months since she saw her mate last time, inside her room. She asked Nicholas about him so many times, but Nicholas assured her that their father also could not find him. Nicholas tried to console her every day, saying he was unharmed. But that was never enough for the werewolf princess. She put one hand on her pale cheek. Since the last incident, her father never let her go anywhere alone. Roger had always been with her, no matter where she went. She was getting sick because of that. But that was not all. Her dreams! They were becoming worst and worst, turning into her nightmares. All she could feel after waking up every day was emptiness and pain inside her heart. She lost her weight in the last few months. She could say that now she was the same as that lady from her dreams. The only difference was, she still did not have any bruises on her body. Her dreams never showed her anything clearly, but she could tell that the lady was tortured by her own family. But she was still unclear what was her connection with that silver-haired alpha king. Was it her mate? All those dreams felt so real to her.

She desperately wanted to talk to Zura about all these, but she did not get that opportunity. Zura left the village where she used to live as she was sent to some other stronger coven to learn more about her elemental ability. Maybelle became alone after her only friend was gone. She hardly talked to anyone after that. She self-isolated herself. Her mother was more than worried about her, and hence she thought of sending her to the northern castle. Rosella thought some change in her life might do some good. She was still unaware of what Maybelle was suffering from.

A sudden jerk brought Maybelle back to my senses. She was sitting inside the carriage with the head of the royal army, lord Roger. He was supposed to escort her to the castle so that no menace could touch her on their way. The alpha king had chosen him because Roger was the one who had seen that mysterious mate of his daughter who happened to be disappeared in thin air and Edward was very much eager to find out who he really was.

Getting back to the reality, Maybelle looked towards Roger once. She could see frowns on his face. Roger pecked a look from the window and then turned his head towards the werewolf princess. Along with that, the werewolf princess smelt rotten eggs. Rogues! Maybelle thought.

“Stay inside, princess. No matter what”, he whispered, handing her a silver dagger.

Maybelle nodded her head, but her heart clenched in an unknown fear. She took the dagger and held on to it tightly with her both hands. Although her mother taught her how to use it, she was not very skilled. Probably because she lacked in stamina.

Roger left the carriage, and Maybelle could hear bone cracking. The sun was gone by then. It was getting darker with every passing moment. She picked up the sound of their paws hitting the ground and loud growls. The surrounding filled up with howls. Their carriage was still running. Maybelle could sense something was not right. Suddenly she felt someone on the roof of the carriage. She gasped for a moment. Then she heard another painful howl. It was dark outside by then. She heard a loud neigh of the horses and then everything became quiet.

Maybelle tried to keep strong. She was holding the dagger so tightly that she could feel pain in her palm. Her hands started to tremble. Her heart was racing. Suddenly she heard another loud noise on the roof of the carriage and with that, the glass of the window by her side shattered into thousands of pieces.

“Ahhhh!”, Maybelle screamed her lungs out and opened the carriage door. She knew she was not safe inside anymore. She jumped off the carriage and ran.

The only thing she could see was blood. She saw their coachman was dead. His body was lying lifeless on the ground. There were other bodies. They were rogues. Maybelle could tell that by their smell. She started to run, but one of those rogues grabbed her gown and she fell on the ground, hurting her hand and knees. She sat back immediately, but it was too late. The rogue was almost over her body. His sharp nails were pressing again into her porcelain-like skin. His demonic gaze made Maybelle shiver. His gaze was hateful. His saliva was dropping on her chest.

‘I have to be strong’, she thought. She tightened her grip around the dagger and stabbed that rogue suddenly in his chest. That wolf howled painfully. Maybelle wasted no more time. She took off the dagger and stabbed him again and again. The rogue’s body fell on her instantly. She never thought she could do that. Her hands were still shivering. That wolf transferred into his human form. She pushed his body away from her and then she sprinted again into the woods.

Before she could go any further, she found a frail trail of Roger’s smell among those rotten eggs. She followed the trail only to find Roger laying on the ground, unconsciously. He was bleeding terribly.

“Roger,” Maybelle shouted, rushing towards him.

She sat on the soil quickly and examined his body. He was still breathing, but his wounds were not healing. He was stabbed by silver. Maybelle was puzzled, not knowing what to do. They were in a deep forest, away from Northern Lands, and she knew she would not be able to get any help by this hour of the day. It was dark already.

Suddenly she felt she was not alone. She turned around. She saw one rogue taking steps towards her. His eyes were hungry and lustful. Maybelle shivered at his gaze.

‘Ava,’ she desperately called for her wolf, but her wolf was too weak to do something.

‘Oh, moon goddess! I am good for nothing!’ She thought to herself, gripping the dagger. She stood up and took a defensive position. She could see smirks on his face. She felt like that wolf was humiliating her.

One of them launched himself towards her. She avoided him and stabbed him instead with the dagger. The wolf started to pant. Maybelle took that opportunity and stabbed him again. But meanwhile, she realized she was surrounded by the rogues. She could hear angry growls around her. There were too many of them. She looked at Roger once more. He must have fought bravely against all of them to protect her, whereas she could do nothing. One of the werewolves came forward and snatched the dagger from her hand and threw it away. Her hand started to bleed terribly. It was painful. She would not be surprised if she found it broken later.

“What do you want?”, Maybelle asked in a feeble voice.

“Please, let him go. I will do anything”, she pleaded. Her voice became like a whisper.

She was exhausted. Her legs gave up gradually. She was bleeding everywhere. Her hair was disheveled. Her gown was torn in several places and covered with dirt and blood patched. Was that her end? She thought. She closed her eyes and waited for them, but they never came. Suddenly she heard painful howls and panting around her. But she was too scared to open her eyes. After another few minutes, everything became peaceful again. Her eyes were still closed.

She heard a loud growl that stabbed her like thunder. The painful howling halted. Everything became so quiet again. Suddenly she could hear sobs. She opened her eyes gradually. Then she saw her again. Her hazel hair was in a mess. Her gown was dirty and covered with blood patches. Her back was resting against a huge evergreen. She was scared. She was curled into a little ball, hugging her knees. Her face was buried in her knees.

Maybelle could see red blood patches were decorated on the white, wet snow all over the area. Then she saw all those corpses. But they were not rogues. She could tell that by their scents. She was standing in the middle of a blood pool. It was a m******e. Who would have done that?

“NO! Father!” Suddenly Maybelle heard a voice. She turned around. Now that lady was looking towards a gigantic pitch-black wolf, standing in front of her. It was indeed her father. There was no doubt. But that lady looked more scared. Her ocean green eyes were in great pain.

“Please,” she pleaded again. But Maybelle could not understand what she was pleading for.

That pitch-black wolf looked rather angry. It took slow steps towards her. His black fur was covered with blood. His eyes were not loving and warm anymore. Maybelle felt some demon had possessed him.

Her father went near that image of hers and sniffed her once. She closed her eyes. Maybelle could also feel a shiver on her spine. Then suddenly that gigantic wolf tore off her throat and pressed his paw deeply again her heart. He growled loudly before leaving. Her body fell on the pure white snow.

And with that, she realized that she just had another vision.