My bones rattle as the alpha’s voice echoed through the chamber. My eyes widened and I looked around. All the other wolves had their heads lowered respectfully. I gritted my teeth and turned to face him again, looking him right in the eye.
I narrowed my eyes, anger welling up inside of me as the alpha looked down at me with his chin raised. His lips were turned toward in a stern scowl, but something in his eyes glinted.
Rage boiled over and I openly glared up at him, keeping my stance firm.
His thick, angular eyebrows rose in surprise, taking me aback for a brief moment as well. I had broken through his strict alpha facade. Even if it was just for a second, I felt as if I understood the expression well. The asshole was shocked that I had challenged his authority. It likely never happened before.
He would just have to get used to it.
The fear I had felt when the alpha announced my sentence was quickly replaced with the stubbornness I needed to survive.
Who did this asshole think he was, trying to determine my fate? I glanced around the room again, but nothing else had changed. No one in this huge pack would dare go against this arrogant brute, despite the fact that their leader was planning to kill me off without a clear reason.
I was hoping that with a nice pack member like Avery, the alpha should be at least reasonable. I was clearly wrong, however, rogue or not, I wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
I still had alpha blood in me after all, with or without my wolf.
I straightened, tilting my chin up defiantly and looking him dead in the eye. “You have no right to kill me.”
He leveled me with a look that probably would have caused me to duck my head if I had been a member of his pack, but all his dominant eyes succeeded in doing was irritating me further.
Fury poured from his eyes, and his single bout of anger was enough to bring me to my knees—the fatigue from running from the rogue earlier coupled with days of starvation finally caught up with me. I clenched my fists against the cold floor beneath me, frustrated with myself for being in the submissive position as if I actually respected this jackass without the slightest provocation.
Unless he knew my secret, but how could that be?
I was breathing hard, my knees burning from my fall. No one moved, not a single person dared to come to my aid. Even Avery stayed planted where she was just a few feet away from me, her breath hitching when I hit the floor.
My head snapped up when I heard his heavy footsteps approaching me. I gritted my teeth, willing my body into an upright position, but I was shaking too hard.
He stopped in front of me, his standing shadow completely enveloping me. I managed to narrow my eyes at him once again right as his hand shot out and grabbed my chin. My eyes widened slightly with confusion when a shiver shot through my body.
He leaned down, his cold face inches from mine, but I wasn’t afraid. A hiss escaped through my teeth as he roughly tilted my chin up so our gazes locked. I tried to ignore my racing heartbeat.
“You can’t kill me,” I announced again.
He didn’t respond, instead, tightened his hold. I glared up at him with all the hatred I could muster, while inwardly cursing at myself for once again appearing weak.
I wanted to snap at him to unhand me, but he pinched my chin hard between his thumb and forefinger with a grip like iron. I winced and sucked in some air instead.
His light brown eyes held mine firmly. I was momentarily distracted by the golden flecks that shimmered around his irises.
Then he brought his face even closer to mine and whispered in a rough and cold voice. “You can try to pretend all you want that you’re weak and pitiful, but you aren’t going to fool me.”
His voice was so low that only the two of us could hear. It rang in my ear so deep, yet musical, sending shivers down my spine, despite the harsh words it carried. His scent of cedar and musk invaded my senses. It was intoxicating, and I felt my knees would give in had I not already been on the floor.
It was just not fair. How could an asshole have my body submit to him so easily? I bit my lips hard and used all my strength to keep my body straight.
Rather than cower at his words, I just scowled. He seemed to understand somehow that I was… different. It was the main reason why I didn’t try to join another pack after Uncle passed away. There was no way another pack would ever accept me for what I was. Being on my own was better than being treated like dirt.
“Alpha Jared!”
The alpha and I both turned with surprise.
Avery’s head was still bent with respect, her tiny fists clenched at her sides. From the way her lip trembled, it was clear that she had never spoken without permission toward her alpha. I doubted that any of the other wolves had either.
Needless to say, others in the room were just as shocked as me.
The alpha, Jared, was the first to recover. “Avery?” he said in a steely voice.
Avery froze at Jared’s icy tone, and I immediately felt a swell of protectiveness toward the girl. I struggled against his powerful grip on my face, but he only tightened it further, keeping me still. My body was still exhausted so I could do little but struggle feebly against him.
“I mean no disrespect,” Avery said softly. Her voice rose steadily as she found her confidence. “Please, I know that we must always be wary of rogues, but I strongly believe that Claire is not our enemy.”
So she did know I was a rogue, yet she still brought me to her pack.
I turned my head enough to gaze at Avery with respect. Here she was, just a healer, who looked incredibly small for a wolf, and yet, she found the courage to speak against her alpha, in order to defend a lowly rogue who she had just met mere an hour earlier?
A shrill voice cut in before Jared could even begin to scold Avery for speaking out of turn. “How dare you go against our Alpha’s decision?”
The crowd parted to reveal a young, redheaded woman. She was clad in tight black pants and a matching long-sleeve top made of leather. Her smooth, round face twisted into a sneer, her nose up in the air as she stomped over to us.
Avery ignored the other girl, despite the fact that the redhead got right in her face. “Well?” she demanded, hands on her slim hips. “Care to explain this sudden bout of disrespect?”
Avery kept her head down, but she turned so she was facing away from the other woman and only facing Jared and me.
“Please, Alpha. Claire and I were attacked by another rogue in the forest, just outside the boundary line–”
She was interrupted when the other wolves began to murmur amongst themselves in concerned, hushed voices.
All Jared had to do was crane his neck and narrow his eyes at the crowd and they immediately fell silent. His hard gaze went back to the tiny healer in front of him. “Explain, Avery. Now.”
Avery trembled slightly. “Yes, Alpha,” she said softly. In a louder voice, she started to describe what happened. “Claire and I bumped into each other and a rogue was chasing after her–”
The redhead shrieked angrily. “So, she led the rogue right to you? And toward our property?”
The crowd started to murmur again, more loudly this time.
Avery lifted her head slightly to glare at the redhead. “Let me finish,” she snapped.
Alpha Jared once again silenced the whole room with a single, firm look. Even the angry redhead ducked her head in submission.
“Claire could have run away and left me on my own,” Avery continued. “but she came back to save me. Had she not returned, I wouldn’t be here.”
“If she hadn’t led the rogue to you, you would not have needed saving,” the redhead snapped again.
This time, I narrowed my eyes on her. Jared finally lowered his hand from my face and pinned me with an intense gaze.
Avery’s voice was clear and strong. “Claire might be a rogue, but she is not dangerous.” She lowered her head forward into a deeper bow. “Please, Alpha. Our pack law prevents us from killing without reason. I beg of you. Spare her.”
I snuck a glance up at his face. His amber-colored eyes were unreadable and still fixed on me.
“Whether she saved your life or not is irrelevant,” snapped the redhead. She gestured at me in outrage. “She is a rogue and all rogues should be killed. That is the end of it. No exceptions.”
I wondered briefly if she had a death wish. It was a miracle that this hotheaded alpha hadn’t ripped her to shreds by now. Perhaps she was a relative, or someone with rank to get special treatment.
I was well aware that rogues were looked down on among packs. We carried the mark of shame wherever we went. It was assumed that rogues were kicked out of their packs, and to be banished would have meant we had committed a great offense of some kind.
Most of the time, if someone lost their pack, they would join a new pack. My circumstance was a unique one.
The crowd had begun to murmur once again, but they were silenced yet again, not by the alpha, but by Avery. The young woman got down on her knees and pressed her forehead to the cold floor.
Her high, but powerful voice echoed through the large chamber. “Please, Alpha. I sense something great in Claire. She is no ordinary rogue. From the moment I met her, I sensed that she was special.”
My eyes widened. What did she mean by special? Could it be that she knew about me? I shook my head internally. There was no way. There couldn’t be.
And yet this young healer continued to fight for me, despite the fact that her entire pack seemed to be against it.
The redhead shoved Avery in the chest, further away from Jared and me. “You’ve said enough. It’s Alpha Jared’s decision now.”
Avery straightened and dusted the front of her dress off. “My thoughts exactly,” she said through her teeth. “The decision is our Alpha’s and certainly no one else’s.”
She tilted her chin and somehow managed to look down at the redheaded woman, despite the fact that she was shorter.
Jared frowned at the two, causing them to step back and lower their heads respectfully once again.
My eyes widened when Jared turned his attention to me once again. I swallowed, but stood up, unable to stomach being on my knees in front of him any longer.
I straightened as he began to circle me. His eyes not once left me, like a predator watching his prey. He inhaled over and over while pacing around me.
I stiffened. He was inspecting my scent.
Unwilling to submit, I continued to openly stare back at him. However, I regretted it immediately. The more I looked at him, the more I couldn’t deny how handsome he was, frustratingly so with his chiseled jaw and muscular build.
I snapped out of my thoughts when the alpha spoke in a cold, but gruff voice.
“Let’s allow her to prove just how special she is, shall we?”
My lips thinned as Jared continued to circle me as if I was prey that he was going to play with before eating.I felt myself bristling when he looked at me and smirked. I had been silent long enough. “And how will I prove myself?” I demanded, gritting my teeth.He ignored me and took his time making his way back to his throne. Once he sat down, he looked at his pack and answered, speaking more to them than to me.“As we all know, water has been scarce over the past several weeks,” he said, his deep voice ringing in my ears. “If this rogue is able to solve the issue, not only will I spare her life, but she will also be allowed to remain in our pack.”Jared grinned wickedly down at me right as I felt the grimace form across my face. His look made it obvious that this would be no easy feat, in fact, it was likely going to be impossible.I was tempted to yell right in his face that I had no interest in helping the likes of him. He was setting me up to fail anyway. So I opened my mouth to
“Watch where you’re going, rogue,” he spat in a deep, rumbling voice.My eyebrows raise at his tone. “My apologies,” I muttered, not really meaning it. He should have been able to dodge me. Yes, we were in a rush, but we weren’t running, especially, he had the keen senses of his wolf on his side.It was almost as if he wanted me to bump right into him.He tilted his head slightly, looking down at me with danger swimming in his gaze. “I hope you aren’t messing around,” he said. “You haven’t much time left to find a solution to our problem. The clock is ticking.”“I believe I’ve figured out the problem.” I lifted my chin, hoping to sound much more confident than I felt. “I have reason to believe that there is some kind of blockage along the river. Perhaps it would be best if you sent a team out to investigate. I’d guess by the water level, the blockage is several miles up the river.”I felt a rush of satisfaction when Jared’s eyebrows rose with surprise. For a short moment, he didn’t sp
I stepped back, my heart pounding when the man who just entered my room shut the door behind him, locking it firmly.I didn’t recognize him. His eyes were so dark, they looked black in the dim lighting of my room. His sandy brown hair was choppy and messy around his angular face. He grinned when he saw me and it wasn’t a kind smile.“Get out,” I snapped, having a bad feeling that he wasn’t going to obey.I was right. His dark eyes just danced with amusement as he sauntered toward me. “My apologies,” he said, though he didn’t sound sorry in the slightest. “I just figured I would offer you a greeting of sorts. That was quite the show you put on in the throne room earlier.”I hugged the towel tighter around my body and raised my voice, making it firmer and hopefully more threatening. “Get the hell out, now!”He just chuckled, rolling his eyes as if I was a silly child. “Don’t think so. I was sent over with strict orders from the alpha to make sure that the filthy little rogue stays out
He paused and I stiffened, sitting up a bit straighter. His light brown eyes were calculating as he gave me a once-over. My heart stuttered nervously. Avery glanced at me in concern as well when she caught Jared’s look.He gave me a long look before facing the rest of the pack. “Needless to say, rogues are extremely dangerous and must be treated as such.”Again, his hard gaze fell on me and my eyes widened. “And tonight, we have one among us.”It was clear that word of my arrival had not reached many people, which wasn’t extremely surprising. Gasps and shocked exclamations echoed throughout the room. I ducked my head slightly, cursing Jerkface Jared to the pits of hell when a few members at our table sent looks of fear and disgust my way.All Jared had to do was narrow his eyes slightly over the crowd and they quieted immediately. “That being said, interacting with the rogue girl without my permissio
Her pointed nose was tilted up as she walked, but she somehow kept her icy blue eyes on me the entire time she crossed the space between us. While the other men and women at the dinner were dressed in semi-formal attire, Amanda took it upon herself to wear a shimmering blood-red gown that looked like it belonged on a runway.She was undoubtedly angry about something. Her black heels clicked against the smooth floor. Her fiery hair fell in luscious waves down her back, with shimmering pins holding a few strands away from her heart-shaped face.I hated to admit it, but she had a pretty face.I felt Avery straighten in her seat as Amanda approached. She tried to keep her tone pleasant as she smiled at the girl. “Hello, Amanda. Is there something you need from me?”Amanda flipped some of her wavy red locks off her shoulder before poking her lower lip out. “I just wanted to offer my condolences to you, Avery. It sounds awfully t
I shivered delicately, Jared’s voice seemed to echo through the small space of my bedroom. His eyes burned in the dim lighting.For some strange reason, I wasn’t afraid. A part of me felt resigned. From the moment I stepped foot on Moonstone territory, I knew that death was a possibility for me. Perhaps I had been lucky to make it this long.However, I also felt a spark of rage rise up within me. I tried to jerk my chin out of Jared’s grip, but he held me tightly. “If you’re here to kill me, then what are you waiting for?” I spat coldly. “Get on with it!”I swallowed as my own arrogant voice reached my ears. I regretted the way I spoke as soon as the corner of Jared’s lips tightened before tilting upward slightly.If I didn’t know him better, I might mistake the bastard’s sneer for amusement.Either way, I refused to break eye contact with him. If he killed me, I wanted to look him defiantly in the eye as he did.My coherent thoughts scattered for a moment as I attempted to glare at h
I should have known better than to trust a rogue, I thought to myself as I paced along the edge of the lake. She would apparently rather die by drowning than by my hands, which I respected in a way. I cursed again, even louder.I could have easily grabbed her before she dove in. She was quick, but I knew that I was faster. Why was I hesitating so much?I was just about to jump into the lake to look for her when a small dark head emerged from the depths.Rogue Girl shook her long dark hair away from her eyes and peered up at me. She waved her arm, gesturing behind her. “This way!”I blew out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Looking in the direction she was gesturing, my eyebrows rose at the island toward the middle of the lake. Before I could say anything, she turned and started to swim toward the island.I hesitated briefly before jumping in after her.She didn’t look like it considering how small and frail she appeared, but Rogue Girl was a decent swimmer. She seemed to e
*Jared*Part of me was relieved when Rogue Girl announced that she needed to rest. I didn’t want to suggest it myself, but she was starting to look run down. The usual healthy pink hue on her cheeks had faded, leaving behind a pasty white. Her bright blue eyes seemed to lose their shine as well as she started to slow down.She probably needed more than just rest. She probably needed to lie down. I turned to order her to do just that, but just in time to watch her shut her eyes and fall into the raging river.I thanked the Goddess for my quick reaction when my body propelled itself forward. I cursed immediately after when the girl’s body disappeared beneath the surface. I had to sprint alongside the river to keep up with the monstrous current. I could barely make out her silhouette beneath the waves, and it was even more difficult to keep my eyes trained on it as I ran.I gritted my teeth before breaking into the fastest run I could muster, pushing my body as much as I could, allowing