Chapter 5: Mine
1284 Words
The rogue was coming straight for me.
Everything seemed to slow.
The screams.
The fighting.
The crashing of bodies.
All of it faded into the background as those yellow eyes locked onto mine.
He wasn't looking at the warriors.
He wasn't looking at Damien.
He was looking at me.
Like I was the only thing that mattered.
Fear froze me in place.
"Move!" my wolf shouted.
My body finally obeyed.
I stumbled backward just as the rogue lunged.
His claws sliced through the air where I had been standing a second earlier.
A gasp escaped me.
Too close.
Way too close.
The rogue grinned.
"You're faster than I expected."
I didn't know what to say to that.
Why would he have expectations about me?
What did he know?
The rogue lunged again.
Before he could reach me, a silver blur slammed into his side.
Damien.
The Alpha's massive wolf crashed into the rogue with enough force to send both of them skidding across the floor.
The room shook.
Growls echoed through the hall.
Damien rose first.
His silver fur gleamed beneath the lights.
Power radiated from him.
The rogue got to his feet more slowly.
For the first time, he looked nervous.
Good.
The rogue snarled and attacked.
Damien met him head-on.
Their bodies collided with terrifying force.
I stumbled farther back.
Warriors rushed around me.
Some shifted.
Others fought in human form.
The entire hall had become a battlefield.
Blood stained the floor.
Broken furniture littered the room.
And somehow, every rogue still seemed focused on finding me.
"Ava."
My wolf sounded uneasy.
"What?"
"Something isn't right."
That wasn't exactly helpful.
Nothing about tonight was right.
Then I noticed something.
The rogues weren't attacking randomly.
They weren't trying to kill everyone.
They were creating openings.
Searching.
Looking.
For me.
The realization made my blood run cold.
A warrior crashed into a nearby table.
Another rogue broke through the line of defenders.
His gaze immediately landed on me.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
The rogue charged.
I turned and ran.
The crowd made it difficult.
People pushed past me.
Children cried.
Panicked wolves scrambled for safety.
Behind me, heavy footsteps closed the distance.
Too fast.
Much too fast.
I glanced over my shoulder.
The rogue was gaining on me.
His grin widened.
"You can't run forever."
"I wasn't planning to!"
A doorway appeared ahead.
Without thinking, I darted through it.
The noise of the hall faded slightly.
I found myself in a long corridor.
Empty.
Quiet.
For half a second, relief washed over me.
Then I heard the rogue enter behind me.
So much for relief.
I sprinted.
My lungs burned.
My legs ached.
The corridor seemed endless.
The rogue laughed.
Actually laughed.
As if this were some game.
As if he already knew how it would end.
Anger replaced some of my fear.
I was tired of being hunted.
Tired of being confused.
Tired of everyone knowing things I didn't.
The rogue suddenly appeared in front of me.
I skidded to a stop.
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.
How had he gotten ahead of me?
The smile on his face answered that question.
He had been playing with me.
"Finally."
I backed away.
"What do you want from me?"
The rogue tilted his head.
"You really don't know."
"Know what?"
For a moment, genuine surprise crossed his face.
Then he laughed.
"That's actually hilarious."
My hands clenched.
"I asked you a question."
"So did I."
The rogue took a step forward.
"You have no idea who you are, do you?"
My stomach twisted.
The same question again.
Who I was.
What I was.
Everyone seemed obsessed with it.
Everyone except me.
"I know exactly who I am."
"No."
His smile disappeared.
"You don't."
The certainty in his voice frightened me.
Because part of me wondered if he was right.
The rogue moved closer.
"You should have been told years ago."
"Told what?"
His eyes darkened.
"Your father made a mistake."
The words hit me like a slap.
"My father?"
The rogue nodded.
"He should have run."
Rage exploded inside me.
"Don't talk about my father."
Something flashed across the rogue's face.
Not mockery.
Not amusement.
Recognition.
"You loved him."
The statement caught me off guard.
Of course I loved him.
Even after everything.
Even after the disgrace.
Even after the whispers.
He had still been my father.
The rogue studied me carefully.
Then he smiled again.
"A lot of people died because of him."
My vision blurred with anger.
"Shut up."
"It's true."
"Shut up!"
The corridor trembled.
The rogue froze.
I froze.
For a second, neither of us moved.
Had that been me?
The rogue's eyes widened.
Then excitement replaced the surprise.
"There it is."
Fear crept back into my chest.
"There what is?"
The rogue actually looked pleased.
As if he had found something.
As if he had been searching for proof.
"You really are his daughter."
My wolf growled.
A deep, dangerous sound.
The rogue's smile widened.
"You feel it too, don't you?"
I didn't answer.
Because I had no idea what he was talking about.
A powerful crash echoed through the corridor.
The wall exploded.
Stone flew everywhere.
I screamed.
A massive silver wolf burst through the dust.
Damien.
The Alpha landed between me and the rogue.
His fur bristled.
His lips pulled back from his teeth.
The growl that escaped him sounded murderous.
The rogue sighed dramatically.
"You're becoming a problem."
Damien stepped forward.
The message was clear.
Touch her and die.
The rogue chuckled.
"You're protective."
The silver wolf's eyes flashed.
The rogue glanced at me.
Then at Damien.
Understanding slowly appeared on his face.
"Oh."
A horrible grin spread across his lips.
"The bond."
My stomach dropped.
The rogue laughed.
"This just became interesting."
Damien growled again.
The sound echoed through the corridor.
The rogue lifted his hands.
"Relax."
Then he looked directly at me.
And his next words made my blood freeze.
"They'll come for you soon."
My heartbeat quickened.
"What are you talking about?"
The rogue ignored me.
"They've been searching for years."
Years?
Who had been searching?
For me?
Why?
The rogue took a step backward.
Then another.
Warriors were approaching from the far end of the corridor.
Reinforcements.
The rogue noticed them too.
A disappointed look crossed his face.
"Looks like our time is up."
"Wait!"
He paused.
I swallowed hard.
"What am I?"
For the first time, the rogue looked almost sympathetic.
Almost.
Then he smiled.
"A dead girl if they find you first."
Before I could ask another question, he shifted.
The massive black wolf leaped through a nearby window.
Glass shattered.
Then he was gone.
Silence filled the corridor.
My breathing was ragged.
My hands shook.
Nothing made sense anymore.
My father.
The rogues.
The secrets.
The bond.
All of it felt like pieces of a puzzle I couldn't see.
A soft whine pulled my attention back to Damien.
The silver wolf was watching me.
His eyes no longer looked angry.
They looked worried.
Concerned.
Protective.
My wolf immediately noticed.
"He's scared for us."
"Good."
"You don't mean that."
I ignored her.
A second later, Damien shifted back into human form.
His chest rose and fell heavily.
A small cut marked his shoulder.
Blood trickled down his skin.
For some reason, seeing him injured bothered me.
I hated that.
"Ava."
His voice was rough.
Serious.
"What?"
His gaze locked onto mine.
"We need to leave."
Every instinct screamed that he was right.
But after everything that had happened, there was only one thing I wanted.
Answers.
And I wasn't leaving until I got them.
The problem was...
Would Damien finally tell me the truth?
- Writer
