Twenty one
1231 Words
Rogue King (Elias) POV
I saw her.
Even now, I could not get the image of her out of my head. It clung to my thoughts like a shadow I could not outrun, haunting and intoxicating at the same time.
My wolf would not settle.
It paced restlessly beneath my skin, agitated in a way I had never experienced before. It wasn’t anger. It wasn’t the usual thirst for dominance or control.
It was something far more dangerous.
It was calling to her.
The pull was undeniable, sharp and relentless, just as the witch had said it would be. I could still feel it, even from this distance, like an invisible thread binding me to her existence.
The Moon Born.
The one whispered about in prophecy.
The one destined to be stronger and faster than any wolf alive.
The one said to be my end.
A slow breath left my lips, but it did nothing to quiet the storm building inside me. I had gone there with a purpose—to see her for myself. I had no intention of capturing her, not yet. I needed to understand what I was dealing with before making a move.
But what I saw…
It was far more than I expected.
She was powerful.
Wild, unrefined, yet devastating.
She fought like a force that had not yet learned its limits, and still, she managed to bring my men down with ease. That alone should have angered me, but instead, it stirred something else entirely.
Something darker.
Something possessive.
“We had the chance. We should have captured her.” Caleb’s voice cut through my thoughts, filled with frustration.
I did not turn to look at him immediately. Instead, I let a faint smirk form on my lips, though there was no humor behind it. “Not now, Caleb,” I said calmly. “I only wanted to see her.”
To confirm the prophecy, to feel that pull for myself.
“And now we know enough,” another one of my men added cautiously. “She is not normal.”
No.
She wasn’t.
“She has three mates backing her up,” he continued, his tone uneasy.
At that, something in me darkened.
Three men who had already claimed what my wolf was demanding.
A sharp, unfamiliar feeling twisted within me, something dangerously close to jealousy. I immediately suppressed it, my expression hardening.
It meant nothing.
Not yet.
“And we also have one of their elders working for us,” I said coldly. “We will capture her at the right time.”
Because something like her could not be taken by force alone. She needed to be handled carefully.
The air fell silent after that, tension thick between us. My men said nothing more, though I could feel their unease lingering.
A soft presence approached from behind, and I turned just as she stepped into view.
It was Zelda.
Her movements were slow, deliberate, her eyes sharp as they scanned the camp. “I see your men are injured,” she said smoothly.
There was something in her tone that immediately irritated me.
Without a word, I dismissed the others. They hesitated briefly before leaving us alone.
The moment they were gone, I moved.
In an instant, my hand wrapped around her throat, slamming her back against a tree. The force of it made her gasp, her hands flying to my wrist as she struggled against my grip.
“You nearly cost me my men today,” I said, my voice low and dangerous.
Her breathing became uneven, but there was still defiance in her eyes.
“I warned you,” she said, her voice strained as she fought for air. “You chose to go see her for yourself.”
My grip tightened slightly.
“She didn’t know who she was,” I said, my voice dropping further, more intense now. “And yet she was able to unleash that kind of power on my men.”
That was what unsettled me the most.
If that was her without control…
Then what would she become once she understood what she truly was?
Zelda’s lips curved faintly despite her struggle. “With her by your side,” she said slowly, “imagine how powerful you will be.”
Her words lingered.
Power.
That had always been the goal.
Always.
I released her abruptly, and she stumbled forward, coughing as she tried to steady her breathing.
My gaze remained fixed on her, my thoughts shifting.
“Is she really my mate?” I asked.
For the first time, there was something uncertain in my voice.
Zelda straightened, recovering quickly, her expression turning knowing.
“I already told you the prophecy,” she said. “Four are her mates. Three are meant to protect her… and one will ruin her.”
Her words settled heavily in the air.
Ruin her.
My jaw tightened.
“If I can get her alone,” I said slowly, more to myself than to her, “she will accept me.”
I was her mate too, that alone should have been enough.
But the thought of sharing her didn’t sit well with me.
Not at all.
Zelda let out a soft, almost mocking laugh, her body swaying slightly as she stepped closer. “I don’t know why you need her,” she said, her voice turning seductive. “When you already have me.”
My expression didn’t change. “You are a witch, Zelda,” I replied coldly. “She was born of the moon. One day, her power will surpass yours completely.”
Something dark flickered in her eyes at that, though she masked it quickly.
“That is,” she muttered under her breath, “if you don’t ruin her first.”
I heard it.
Every word.
My gaze sharpened instantly. “You speak as though you are certain it will be me,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. “Yet your prophecy does not name who will ruin her.”
She met my gaze without flinching. “You are blinded by power,” she said simply. “And that alone is enough.”
Silence fell between us.
For a brief moment, I considered killing her.
I had thought about it many times before.
The only reason she still stood before me was because she was useful. Because her knowledge gave me an advantage I could not ignore.
But once I had what I wanted, she would no longer be necessary. “You may leave,” I said finally.
She held my gaze for a moment longer, as though she could see the thought behind my eyes, before turning and walking away.
I watched her go, my expression unreadable.
But the moment she disappeared into the shadows, my thoughts returned to her.
Desiree.
The pull returned instantly, stronger this time, sharper.
My wolf stirred again, restless, demanding.
Mine.
The word echoed deep within me, dark and possessive.
I lifted my gaze toward the distant pack lands, my eyes narrowing slightly.
Three mates already stood beside her.
But I was the fourth and I was not like them.
A slow, dangerous smirk spread across my lips. “They think they can protect you,” I murmured softly into the night.
My voice carried no warmth. “They have no idea what’s coming.” And neither will she.
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