The Alpha King and His Human Queen

Rogues

Alexandra

“I can’t leave you,” Eliot’s eyes flash and his wolf is already preparing for the hopeless fight, while his human refuses to accept the reality - that we can save ourselves from this and be together.

“They will kill you, “ I whisper. “You have to run. “

Even saying the words out loud sends shivers through my body. The wolves begin to close the circle around us and Eliot closes his hands around my shoulders.

“I will slow them down. You run.”

“But…

“I can do this. I will meet you at our place. “

“I can’t…”

He pushes me to the side and I stagger, while he shifts and the wolves jump him. I decided to trust Eliot. So I spring ahead in the darkness not daring to turn around.

I’ve never seen Eliot shift so quickly and my mind is still racing with the sight of it. His fur is dark brown and his eyes turned into that impossible golden colour of his omega in the blink of an eye.

I hope he is okay. He has to be….

My vision blurs at the thought of what they might do to him but I know I should not stop running. I am breathless by the time I am closer to the place where we agreed to wait for each other.

It’s not the pond because that’s where they found us last time.

I know what Eliot meant by ‘our place’. It’s a small small cave, tucked neatly among the trees, deeper in the woods. We found it as kids when we used to play hide and seek.

When we grew up we used it as a place to hide from the others.

I lose track of how long I’ve been running. At some point, I realize my hands are freezing and I’ve torn my dress. The air starts smelling like rain and I slow down.

It’s quiet.

Very quiet.

I pause and look around.

“Eliot?”

I whisper, but I also know he wouldn’t be playing games now. Still nothing so I resumed walking. After what feels like hours I finally reach the cave.

And that’s when it hits me.

Eliot may not come. If he wasn't injured, he would have already found me. I clench my teeth so hard I feel like I will break them. I don’t want to cry. I won’t.

I cover my mouth with my palms to stop myself from making a noise. It’s pitch dark and my human eyes are not enough to warn me against possible danger.

I sit at the entrance of the cave and wrap my arms around my knees. I stay like this until my limbs are numb and my chest aches.

Maybe I should go back. All of this is my fault. Eliot is hurt and it’s my fault…

I get up and make a wobbly step. I will speak to my father and I will give myself in. I am ready to do anything, as long as I know Eliot has not been hurt because of me.

I head back to the palace when I hear snaps, branches are torn and that means one thing- footsteps.

He is here.

I stop and turn around. I don’t see in the dark but I distinguish the silhouette.

And that's definitely not Eliot. Then I see the other shapes emerging from the trees.

Four big men and two wolves. And those are not my father's guards or wolves, I realize with horror :

Rogues

Oh, no…

“Well, well, well, “ One of them says, walking towards me.

“What do we have here? Boys, we've been lucky tonight. “

I break into a run when the man issues the simple order.

“Get her. “

I don’t take more than five steps before they grab me.

“No!”

I yell, struggling.

“You like to fight, little miss, “ the man says, his filthy breath on my face. Then he sniffs me and I shiver visibly.

“Mmm…. you are not just some stray woman, are you? “

“Get her here, Baldwin, “ the leader calls and I shiver again.

“Please, no!” I plead and they laugh.

“You don’t even know what you are asking for. Please no what?”

They force me to kneel before their leader and the leader squats so that his face is opposite mine. He smells like spirits, or spicy wine and… fire.

I can see the horror in my gaze reflected in the man’s bloodshot eyes.

They say the rogues coming from the kingdom of Infernia always smell like fire. I have never met one, we were always told to avoid wandering the woods at night at all costs. But right now, those lessons are useless.

It’s too late.

I squeeze my eyes shut when the man comes closer.

“Sweet beauty, “ he says and his scent makes me choke. “We will have so much fun. “

His men cheer and the wolves howl.

I feel the leader’s fingers on my cheek and I open my eyes to see him grinning against me. I can see it in the way he is looking at me and I know what they're going to do.

“You will not scream, will you. “ he asks.

I bite the inside of my cheek and feel the copper taste of blood spilling in my mouth. I won’t cry. I will not give them that. I just want this to be over with.

“I will be gentle, “ he goes on. Then the awful smile turns into a hideous grin.

“Or maybe not, we will see. “

His fingers move lower from my face to my neck, down to my chest.

The other men with him start cheering louder.

“We will have sooo much fun. I promise. “

“She’s ours! What a prize! I told you we should take this route. “

My hands are shaking but I squeeze them in tight fists. I shiver but don’t hug myself. The rogues keep calling as their leader’s hands slide over my chest to my belly.

“Come on, Reggie, let’s …”

Then the guy’s words die out.

From there on, everything happens too fast, or as if happening to someone else. The rogues have no time to react and the man in front of me stands up and watches them being ripped to pieces.

They don’t even have the time to scream. I see the blood gushing from their throats, their bodies are falling heavily on the ground. No one makes a sound. Not even the wolves whose dead bodies land in the grass with a thud.

Their leader tries to run away but the black shadow is much faster. The man doesn’t make a sound either. He is killed in seconds.

And then the dark shadow turns to me. A wolf. Blood is dripping from his fangs and he is enormous.

I am still on my knees but I fall back heavily, landing on the grass. I close my fists around the grass strands, there’s no point in running. Just like earlier, I only hope it happens quickly.

The huge black wolf is walking right towards me, slowly, his eyes the brightest red I’ve ever seen.