THE ROGUE QUEEN

Chapter 20

I woke up to the sound of someone crying.

It was soft and quiet, but I knew someone was sad nearby.

For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. Then the pain hit my shoulder, ribs, every muscle aching. Memories came back: the long journey, the losses, Lyra stitching my wounds.

Camp.

I was back at camp.

Next to me, Kael was still asleep, breathing deeply. Lyra’s medicine had knocked him out. His leg was bandaged and resting on a rolled-up blanket.

The crying continued.

I slowly pushed myself up, holding back a groan. My shoulder hurt with every move, but I managed to stand. Through the opening of the shelter, I could see the early morning light.

I stepped outside.

The camp was quiet. Most wolves were still asleep, tired from days of fighting and fear. But near the fire, I saw her.

Zara.

She sat alone, her face in her hands, shoulders shaking as she cried quietly.

I limped over and sat next to her. She didn’t look up.

“Finn and I were friends,” she said finally, her voice raw. “We came to camp at the same time. He was kind… always made me laugh, even when things were terrible.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“Elena too. She taught me how to fight with a knife. Said I was good at it.” Zara rubbed her eyes roughly. “And Thomas… Thomas was like everyone’s grandfather. Always gave advice, always listened.”

The names hung heavy between us. Tears started filling my eyes.

“I should have been here,” I whispered. “I should have fought with you—”

“Stop.” Zara’s voice was sharp. “Thomas decided to send you away. He knew what he was doing. If you had stayed, we might all have died protecting you.”

“But—”

“No buts.” She finally looked at me, her eyes red and swollen. “You’re back now. That’s what matters. We need you for what’s coming.”

“What’s coming?”

“War.” Her jaw tightened. “Real war. Not just defending our camp. Maya is already planning. We can’t just react anymore. It’s time to strike back.”

After Zara left to get some rest, I stayed by the fire.

As the sun rose, more wolves started waking up. I knew most of them now, faces that had become familiar over the last few days. But there were also empty spaces. Faces I would never see again.

“You’re up early,” someone said.

I turned to see Lyra walking toward me with a basket of fresh bandages.

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Your shoulder hurting?”

“Everything hurts.”

“Good. Pain means you’re alive.” She sat down and started checking my bandages without asking. “These need changing. Stay still.”

I did as she said while she worked quickly and skillfully.

“How many?” I asked quietly.

“How many what?”

“How many did we lose in the attack?”

Her hands paused for a moment. “Four are confirmed dead. Three more badly injured, might not make it. And lots of smaller wounds.” She continued wrapping the bandage. “We were lucky, all things considered. They sent twenty fighters, and we only had fifteen adults ready to fight.”

"But you won."

“We survived. That’s different.” She finished tying the bandage. “They ran when they realized we weren’t easy targets. But they’ll be back with more fighters and better weapons.”

“How long do we have?”

“Days. Maybe a week if we’re lucky.” She packed up her supplies. “Maya is holding a meeting this afternoon to discuss our options. You’ll need to be there.”

“Me?”

“You’re at the center of all this, Selene. Like it or not, this war is about you.” Her expression softened. “But you’re not alone. We’re all with you.”

The council meeting was held in what remained of Old Thomas's shelter.

It felt wrong being there without him. His presence had always filled the space, warm, steady, reassuring. Now it was just empty.

Maya sat in the center with maps spread before her. Zara, Lyra, and other familiar wolves were around her. When Kael and I entered, both of us limping, everyone turned to look.

“Good. You’re here.” Maya gestured for us to sit. “Let’s start. We don’t have time to waste.”

She pointed to the map. “The Council has at least three teams hunting Selene. Garrett’s team, you already met them. Another team is to the south. And a third is coordinating from the old mill, about ten miles east.”

"How do you know this?" Kael asked.

“We captured one of their scouts during the attack,” Maya said. “He talked… before he died.”

The whole room went quiet.

“The Council has put a huge price on Selene,” Maya continued. “Fifty thousand gold if she’s captured alive. Twenty‑five thousand if she’s killed. Every mercenary and hunter in the area is now looking for her.”

My stomach dropped. "That's... that's a fortune."

“That shows how badly they want you gone.” Maya leaned forward. “So we have two choices. One: we run. We keep moving and hope they eventually stop chasing us.”

"They won't give up," Kael said. "Not for that kind of money."

"Exactly. Which brings us to option two." Maya's eyes glinted dangerously. "We strike first. We destroy their main base. Scatter their forces. We make it too risky and too costly for them to continue hunting us.”

"You want to attack the mill," I said.

“I want to send a message,” Maya replied, standing. “Rogues are not prey. We fight back. And anyone who comes for us will regret it.”

“That’s suicide,” someone whispered. “They’ll have guards. Strong defenses.”

“Then we have to be smarter.” Maya looked straight at me. “And we need our Shadow Wolf.”

Everyone turned to look at me.

“Me?” My voice sounded small.

“Your powers are our advantage,” Maya said. “The Council doesn’t know what you can really do. Their hunters don’t know either. You’re the one thing they can’t plan for.”

"I can barely control my shadows—"

“You controlled them well enough to scare away Garrett’s whole team,” Zara said. “That means something.”

“But I’m not trained. I’m not ready—”

“None of us were ready for this war,” Maya cut in. “But it came anyway. So we adapt, we learn, and we survive.” She paused. “Or we die. Those are the choices.”

Her blunt words silenced all my excuses.

“When do we go?” Kael asked quietly.

“In few days time,” Maya said. “That gives us time to check out the mill, plan our attack, and let the injured heal a little.” She looked around the group. “No one is being forced. Only volunteers. But I’m going. And I’m taking the fight to them.”

“I’m in,” Zara said right away.

“Me too,” another wolf said.

One by one, voices joined in agreement.

Then Maya looked straight at me. “What about you, Selene? Are you with us?”

Everyone turned to wait for my answer.

I thought of Old Thomas. Elena. Finn. Davey, who died believing I was worth protecting.

I thought of the rogues who accepted me when no one else did.

“I’m with you,” I said. “No matter what.”

Maya smiled—strong and proud. “Good. We have few days to get ready. Let’s use them well.”

After the meeting, Kael found me sitting outside Lyra's shelter.

"You okay?" he asked, settling beside me.

"I don't know. Am I supposed to be?"

"No. None of us are okay. But we keep going anyway." He stretched his injured leg out carefully. "For what it's worth, I think you made the right choice."

"Which choice? Coming back? Agreeing to the attack?"

“All of it.” He looked at me. “You could have run. You could have stayed hidden. But you chose to stand and fight. That’s brave.”

“Or stupid.”

“Sometimes bravery and stupidity look the same.” He gave a small smile. “But I’d rather fight beside someone who’s ‘stupid and brave’ than hide with someone ‘smart and cowardly.’”

Despite everything, I laughed. "That's a terrible philosophy."

"It's kept me alive this long."

We sat quietly, watching the camp slowly return to normal. Wolves treated injuries, fixed shelters, cooked food. Life continued, even with danger all around us.

“Kael?” I said softly.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you. For everything. For protecting me. For believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”

“Don’t thank me yet. We have three days to turn you into a weapon. You might hate me by then.”

“Probably.”

“Definitely.” He stood up, wincing. “But first, we both need rest. Lyra’s orders. So sleep now. Tomorrow, we start real training.”

“Real? What were we doing before?”

“Playing. Tomorrow, we prepare for war.”