The Rogue King's Mate

Chapter 04

Kieran

She was closer.

In less time than I thought, I was drawing close to the Crescent Moon pack territory. The scents of my fellow rogues and hers invaded my senses strongly. The air of the forest had changed and I was hell bent on catching the trespasser.

“Catch her!” The beldam had said. I took her in my arms just before her life slipped away. What had happened while I was away? Who had touched her? Who did she see? Did she drink anything?

None of those and others swirling around in my head as I ran, my bare feet on the earth, towards this trespasser.

But she was now dead.

Her body was still cooling on the stones of my circle. Her lips, once always in motion, were parted as if about to utter one last warning. I had touched her cheek. I had waited for her vast knowledge to lead me, as the only carer I have ever known, to fix this world once more like she always had.

As I ran and the sky released its rain, I grew livid at the feelings of confusion and frustration after losing one of mine. I wasn’t one to feel grief. And this is not going to be the first time. But something had changed in the forest today.

And this foolish she-werewolf was the one to blame.

I was close. I could see the towers and the high fence and I felt disgust in my bones. It propelled me forward. I smelled the scent of them. The arrogant bastards!

Who were they to use my brothers as sport?

I got close enough until I saw them running after her. She was a long-coated auburn wolf … extremely fast on her four feet.

I growled when I passed the rogues and they stopped. At that very second, the wolf jumped into the other side of the fence as guard wolves appeared, already transformed. It didn’t take me long to immobilize them all.

But throughout, my eyes were on her.

She lay on her back, breathing hard and naked against the wet soil.

I turned to face the rogues, puzzled.

Now, they were on their knees in the wet earth, heads bowed low, eyes cast down. Their fur was slicked to their skin with blood and rain. Gashes split across their ribs, their faces. I smelled torn flesh. Broken bones.

I turned my head to look back at her and then thunder flashed.

I was frozen in place. My anger was gone and in its place, shock and more confusion.

What was happening?

I watched as she looked around, alert for anything and staring at the unconscious bodies of the wolves I was ready to kill. I forced my body to move but it disobeyed.

Catch her!

I looked up again – and our eyes met.

I gasped as dread filled my entire body. My eyes were impossibly wide and my soul cried out in unbearable and uncontrollable yearning. Every part of me, like never before responded wildly to the trespasser whose head I wanted.

No! No! No!

This can’t be happening. It was how they always said it …

My eyes glowed in the rain and I knew she felt it too.

I am the rogue king! I have no mate!