Kael
As soon as I found out where to find my mystery woman, I wasted no time in leaving the palace to find her.
Ethan follows me out of the front door, shouting my name.
“You can’t just leave in the middle of paperwork.
If you don’t finish it, I will have to do it.”
I glance over my shoulder and flash him a mischievous smile.
“Then you’d better get started.”
”You shouldn’t go alone,” he yells again.
“What if something bad happens?
I will be in trouble.”
”You worry too much.”
”I hate you sometimes,” he shouts as I get into my car, but I know he doesn’t mean it.
The engine roars to life, and I peel out of the driveway.
I take the back roads too quickly to the Moonclaw Pack.
My sports car corners like a dream on the mountain roads, but as I reach the other side, I am forced to skid to a stop.
There is a downed tree in the middle of the road.
My knuckles turn white as I grip the steering wheel, assessing the situation.
It would waste too much time to turn around now.
I will have to get out and move it.
“Fuck,” I curse as I get out of my car.
As soon as my feet hit the pavement, everything feels wrong.
The air shifts, and the scent of rogues fills my nose.
My eyes dart around the trees, trying to spot them.
Their shadows move in and out of the trees.
There are a lot of them.
Too many for me to take on by myself.
I growl at myself.
I hate it when Ethan is right; he will never let me live this down.
I shouldn’t have come alone.
Now, I might be stronger than the average werewolf because of my royal blood, but I am not a fool; I know when to run away from an unbeatable fight.
Not turning my back on the trees, I walk backwards to my car.
“Going somewhere?” A voice calls out from behind me.
I spin around and see several rogues blocking my car. New chapters come out on g.com first.
I steady my heart rate and point to the downed tree.
“Just going to move the tree from the road.”
A rogue nudges the one beside him.
“Maybe it was too heavy for him to move alone.”
”I don’t want any trouble,” I say, trying to inch my way back to the car, but these rogues have no intention of letting me leave.
Suddenly, I am surrounded.
They are everywhere.
I shift into my wolf, ready to fight, but these rogues aren’t stupid; they come in waves, attacking me from all angles.
Rogues don’t fight like normal wolves.
It is chaos.
They take bits of my flesh, but I take just as much from them.
Somehow, I manage to fight my way out.
I am not sure if they let me go, or if I actually won, but it doesn’t matter.
My wolf runs in the direction of the Moonclaw Pack, but there is too much blood flowing from my body; I am not going to make it.
My wolf stumbles forward, falling on the ground in front of a small house.
He lets go of control and leaves me naked on the front lawn.
Spots begin to fill my vision, and darkness consumes me.
Until someone touches my side.
My eyes flutter open, and the smell of smoke fills my lungs.
The house is burning, but standing in front of the flames is my mystery woman.
Lilith.
I groan loudly, rolling over onto my back.
“I have been looking for you.”
Her eyes are wide as they roam over my body, but she doesn’t speak.
Peeking around her, I look again at the burning house.
“Is this your handiwork?”
She crosses her arms over her chest.
“That depends on who is asking.”
I snort with laughter, but blood trickles down my chin.
“My little arsonist.”
”I am not your little anything,” she snaps.
“I should just leave you here to die.”
“You owe me.”
A little gasp parts her very kissable lips.
“I owe you nothing.”
I try to sit up, but the pain is unbearable.
“You most certainly do.
I saved your life, and you headbutted me.”
Her jaw ticks in anger, but she doesn’t walk away.
I get the feeling she has nowhere else to go.
I draw in a breath, trying to breathe in her scent, but I only end up coughing up blood.
I wipe it away with the back of my hand.
“Your scent is changing,” I continue.
“You are a rogue.”
”What do you want?” She snaps.
I cough up more blood.
“I have a safe house.
Not too far from here.
I need you to take me there.”
She looks me up and down, her eyes lingering a little too long on my manhood.
“You look heavy, and…
you are naked.”
”You are strong,” I remind her.
“I have seen you fight.”
Her eyes roam over me again.
“I am not that strong.”
I push my bottom lip out into a pathetic pout.
“Is this any way to treat a wounded man?
Plus, you need a place to go, and I am in need of assistance.
No one would question why you are helping me.”
She stomps her foot in frustration but doesn’t argue.
I pull off the key badge that is, thankfully, still hanging around my neck and toss it in her direction.
“The address is on there.”
She catches it with very swift reflexes and jams it into her pocket.
“This feels like a much bigger favor than what I owe you.”
”A life for a life,” I whimper despite myself.
“Or have you not noticed that I am bleeding out?”
She sits beside me and assesses my wounds.
“What is your name?”
”Kael.”
Her eyes widen, but she continues to look at my wounds.
Lilith pulls clothes out of a bag and makes bandages for my wounds.
Her fingers press the fabric against my skin gently, and she curses under her breath about ruining her favorite shirts for a stranger.
I whisper a weak thank you before the darkness takes over again.