Queen Athena

06. Rogue

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Athena Grace Hound

The Free Lands

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Liam skidded to a stop just by the border of the pack. The forest just end by a clearing, with a dead land ahead of it.

I gripped Liam's coat tighter with my fists, anxiously looking over.

"Liam? Where are you taking me?" I ask, but not one answer. The pack bond was no longer there, and I cant communicate with anyone in the pack.

He nudges me to get off of him which I do so. Then he hides behind one of the trees with the bag still slung on his back.

I waited for him to shift and put some clothes on.

I look ahead of me, the BloodHound pack is conveniently located right next to the free lands. The territory where all humans reside and which connects the west packs to the north packs. It is called the Free Lands.

I heard multiple stories from the helpers in the pack about rogues seeking refuge and hiding amongst humans like they weren't wolves. Disguising themselves as humans and living like them.

Where rogues can live in peace, unchained to the rules of any pack.

I lifted the sleeve of my shirt and gazed at the burn like mark left on my shoulder.

I was a rogue now.

Liam then appeared next to me in his human form, fully dressed. He then rummages through the duffle bag that he was carrying and gives me a contact lens case.

"You must wear that before we leave the territory" he urges me. I nodded wordlessly and followed what he told me.

I had a bit of trouble with putting them on, but remembering what Poppy told me I managed to.

"Liam, are you going to be a rogue too?" I asked him, worried for his own wellbeing.

He shook his head" Ena, dont worry about me." And smiled sadly at me.

Swallowing the big lump in my throat "This was what I wanted remember?" I say staring behind him. "To be free and to leave the pack"

"I just never thought that, I would" with a heavy pause "do it like this" looking at him sadly.

He stares right at my eyes and places his hand on mine. Just by that moment, their was a sharp tingle at the back of my head making me wince in surprise.

He immediately pulls back. "Its the mate bond" he says and starts to walk towards the pack boundary, crossing the invisible barrier between the pack and the free lands.

He then looks back at me. I stood there frozen, watching his every move. Just a few steps in front of me, I would officially leave the pack that I've been in my whole life.

I inhaled deeply, taking small steps. Stopping right at the boundary. I could feel the tears that was about to fall out of my eyes.

I was leaving behind my family, the life I come to know.

Pack less and a unmarked wolf.

Crossing the border I looked back. To the forest of the BloodHound pack.

"Athena, we must go before the royal army can track us" he calls for my attention and urges me to walk away.

"From here we cannot shift into our wolves, we are close to a human town. We can seek shelter in one of their motels and grab some dinner by then" he mentions, grabbing my hands and pulling me.

I nodded hesitantly.

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Clio Sephiran

The BloodHound Pack house

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I felt a great pull on my chest, indicating that someone left the pack and passed by the invisible barrier that I created around the pack.

" They left border" I said to Alpha Benjamin and Apollo who was sitting patiently at the office of the Alpha.

"But Athena is in a very vulnerable state, time can only tell if she will be able to shift again or not" I say, filled with worry. Gazing outside the window, into the forest.

" I'm afraid if she can even handle being outside the borders, in such a condition."

"Can you tell us where they are heading?" The alpha asks " just by the border where the free lands connects us to the other packs" I say looking at Apollo who started pacing in the room.

"Why the free lands? It could be dangerous for the both of them" he asks his father anxiously.

"I trust William's decision, he's going back to pack where he was born in" Apollo informs his father. The Alpha then stops and crosses his arms.

"Our main concern is your sister, she could very well put herself in danger, or worse. Her body is reacting to her mark-less state, her immune system is weak, her whole body is weak for that matter"

"I have to follow them dad, I have to help her" Apollo says, and starts to pace the room. He growls under his breath in frustration.

"We can't leave the pack Apollo, the King has the border under lockdown until he finds your sister"

"I still find it hard to believe your decision Alpha, I'm sure the King only wants what's best for Athena" I say, looking at them both.

"My decision is for the best. Athena doesn't want to have a mate yet. And being mated to King, holds a lot of responsibilities that cannot be delayed"

"The King is aware of Athena's condition. I dont trust him with her, she could take advantage of what she's capable of" Apollo mutters

I stared at him in shock.

"Alpha what did you do!" I gasped out, inhaling deeply. Alpha Benjamin looked at me in confusion. "The decision I've made is for her well being, she's my daughter and I wont let a ruthless man have her as a mate" he declares, glaring at me.

"But you didn't have to remove her pack mark" I accused him which he returned a confused look

"I would never do such a thing Clio. She's my daughter for god's sake" he informs me. "Then why did I loose connection to her?" I asked myself.

The King then started to panic, but still composed. "Nobody can contact her for that matter" Apollo adds looking at us distraught.

"Alpha.. did you place her pack mark on a full moon?" I ask him and he stops to think.

"I did, but I haven't yet completed the ceremony. She was far too weak as a child, I concluded I should just finish it on her 18th birthday." he informs me.

"Oh no… yet today you haven't. And she left the border before you can finish it." I stood there stiff.looking at him in disbelief.

He starts to breath deeply, calming himself" I didn't think of completing it ever since. I just concluded that since she will never leave the pack I should just postpone it until her legal time" he brushes his hair back, Apollo paces the floor, their faces covered in sweat.

"This is all my fault. I never.. I should have completed it when I had a chance... I am a failure as a Alpha., and as her father"

"There are far more dangerous people that could harm our precious Athena."

"I'm just hoping that the King could find her before anything happens to her" I say gazing again outside the forest.

"Gods be with my child, may no harm come to my sweet baby"

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Xavier Blackwood

The Border of the BloodHound Pack

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" My King, I found his scent and his trail. But I'm afraid the Queen's scent is not alongside his" The best tracker in my army informed me.

Inhaling deeply as to not loose my patience. "She's unmarked, her scent would disappear as her body is coping with her mark-less state. I'm sure the mutt is with her." I say and looked at him directly. "Find them, follow their scent and report to me immediately" I ordered him which he nods, bows in respect and leaves changing into his wolf, sprinting into the forest.

I start to pace the dirt covered ground, I could feel her presence inside my head, even if she isn't with me. There are hints on what she feels, and her wolf was barely thru the surface.

"My child, have you found her yet?" I heard a familiar voice at the back of my head.

"Mother, we still don't know where she is. But my wolf has their trail" I informed her telepathically. "Your Queen is the most precious thing in the world"

"I'm very aware of that mother" I say with respect. She is the current Queen and my mother for that matter.

"May the Gods be in your favor" she blesses me and stops the conversation.

I then ordered my troops to prepare, everyone was on alert. My mate, the uncrowned Queen's life in in jeopardy.

"King Xavier! They left the border" I heard from the pack link. Everybody tensed and started to shift.

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Athena Grace Hound

The Free Lands

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I stared at the room that Liam booked. It was small and dainty. The paint on the walls were starting to chip off, the bed nearly off its stitches and the couch looked worn down.

"Wait for me here Athena, I'm just going to buy food. Whatever you do, do not open the door for anybody" Liam says before he leaves.

"Don't worry, I can handle myself" I said, but lacking confidence.

I wa dun a very weak state, I could barely manage to lift anything. Running was out of the option, for my body couldn't handle it, easily out of breath.

"Is this normal?"

"What is?"

"Feeling like... I'm no longer a wolf" I say, sitting on the bed. Looking at my fingertips.

I hear Liam sigh and approach me. Standing in front of me and crouching to meet my eyes. He then places his knuckle on my chin and lifts my head to look at him.

"Your a born wolf Ena, no one can take that away from you" he says sympathetically. I looked down refusing to meet his eyes.

"But I'm markless, a pack less wolf. I'm sure no one will take me in, I'm a rogue now. I'm basically a criminal in society's eyes" I muttered. Dread filled me upon realization.

Liam growled, making me look at him, teary eyed. "Athena don't degrade yourself like that, your not"

"Liam if any of the packs sees me, I would be identified as a criminal. Rogue's are criminals remember? There are even packs that kill off rogue wolves, what would happen to be by then?" I anxiously say, tears starting to fill my eyes again.

Liam sighs and starts to wipe the tears that flowed down my cheeks. He then caresses my cheeks.

"That's why I'm here Athena. I won't let anyone harm you" he declares, looking at me sincerely.

"How can you be so sure?" I ask doubtfully. Looking at Liam, doing my best to keep my tears at bay.

He gives me a small smile. "I promise, I wont let anything happen to you"

"But you already broken promises before"

"But I done it for your safety. I wont let anything happen to you okay?" He comforts me. Standing to his feet and leaving a kiss on my forehead.

"I swear my life on it Ena" he declares, hugging me close to him.

"I'm just going to buy a few things okay? I have the key so you can lock this room" he says grabbing his wallet from the bag he placed near the door.

He then looks at me expectedly. " Ena, dont leave this room, and do not open the door for anyone okay?" He says, which I nod in response.

"I'll be back in a few minutes"

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Xavier Blackwood

The Border of the BloodHound Pack

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I whiffed the cent of that good for nothing wolf. They stopped just by a few minutes at the border seeing as his scent lingers here despite them being gone for a while.

"Looks like he shifted before going to the human town"I notice and came to a conclusion, informing my wolves.

My tracker then took off, sprinting to the human town in his wolf form. I let him, but commanded my other soldiers to remain on foot.

"Do not do anything that will suspect suspicions from the humans. Do your best to blend in with the crowds, and never shift. Inform me when you have a lead" I then followed my tracker as he quickly sprinted through the dead field.

I manage to catch up with him with ease, covering a mile distance from the BloodHound pack and bearing the Human Town.

He then points his nose at me and stops just before we are able to reach the town.

I inhaled deeply, relaxing once I got a faint smell of her scent. You can barely notice it's there, but being a royal blood I managed to get her scent among the dew like smell of the humans in town.

"Shift before any human sees you, I'll search for them first" with that said I left him and started heading into town.

Just wait my Queen, I will get you home and safe.

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William James Thompson

The Free Lands

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Searching through the countless isles in this massive supermarket, I gathered all the necessary stuff that we might need.

The journey to my pack is a 3 day long sprint. And in between that, we have to settle to the small motels that we can.

Due to Athena's condition, we have to be careful. She's like a human now, her wolf's abilities stripped from her the moment her pack mark faded.

I've only interacted with a few humans, some that manage to get to our pack territory, to our town.

Of course it's the only interaction that I could get with humans. Choosing to be by Athena's side and be her guard, I wasn't able to go on missions, where the pack soldiers train in the human side of the free lands. But being Apollo's beta, I've been trained on how to deal with them

It is a pack law, wherever pack you may go. That no wolf would cause or harm any human. Regardless of them hurting us. The superiority of our kind and how we could easily harm them made the law a priority to the Council.

But even with this law, humans grew paranoid about the supernatural. Us wolf's were treated like a myth, a folk story passed on from generation to generation. Seeing us as dark souls that would tear them apart and take away there life.

It was far from the truth, seeing as us werewolves often get hunted by humans and be some kind of household pet for them.

There were common stories circling about in our pack. The rogues who do managed to live at the free lands, would never shift again, always in there human state. And some were unlucky, being in their wolf state, never to turn to their human again.

Quickly finding my way, I got a few bandages for Athena, as well as sanitary cloths. Making my way to the food section, I grabbed granola bars and a few more stuff.

"Stay where you are mutt" I heard a familiar voice behind me. Stiffening I turned around, and came face to face with the Royal Beta.

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Athena Grace Hound

The Free Lands

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I sighed in content as I submerged my whole body in a hot bath. Relaxing my tense muscles and causing the pain on my shoulder to turn numb.

I looked up at the ceiling, with the paint fading into a dirty white.

How was my father doing? My brother? Even mother? I left without saying a proper goodbye, who know when I get to see them again.

I closed my eyes and tried my best to link with my pack, reaching for someone, anyone. But my mind was blank, unfamiliar and cold.

I was born with the pack link, there was no memory of what so ever with me not constantly hearing the pack link between the pack members.

I didn't notice for how long I was trying to reach them, but a sharp knock on our door pulled me out of my thoughts.

For some reason my heartbeat started picking up. Nervousness filled me as i remembered what Liam said.

I quickly got out of the inviting bath and dried myself off. Throwing an oversized sweater and shorts on I hesitantly got out of the bathroom.

The knocking didn't seem to stop as it bombarded the wood door of the room. Keeping my feet light as ever I slowly went near the window right next to the bed.

"Room service" it said and with a juggle of the door handle, it flew open.

I was ready to shift into my wolf but seeing her cart and the cleaning supplies she has on her I stopped. Relief washed over me as I saw her uniform as well.

"Sorry for the intrusion ma'am, I wont take long" she said with a warm smile which I returned.

But suddenly a masked man entered the room behind her, hitting the back of her neck with a gun he was holding.

Shock as I saw her collapse to the floor. Fear crept into me as I tried my best to shift or communicate with anybody for help, but it was no use.

A sharp sting returned to the back of my head, making me wince.

The man watched me, glaring at me behind his black masked.

I couldn't decipher who he was, wearing all black, without any scent on him whatsoever. Or was it my lack of werewolf abilities that made me not smell him.

I didn't know if he was a wolf or a human.

He then pointed the gun to me, fear crept in and made me quicker in the spot. I wanted to run away, fight him. But it was no use, it was like my body wasn't mine, I couldn't move, I was frozen in place. I never felt so weak my entire life.

"You! Your good for nothing kind" he shouts at me as he moves the gun, his voice, deep and raspy. I moved my hands in front of me, pleading him.

"Its your fault my daughter was taken away from me. You wolves killed her!" He continues, as I sobbed with his threats.

I was defenseless, I couldn't even fight him.

"Please! I didn't do anything" I pleaded, he then let's out a harsh chuckle.

"The moment I saw you in town I knew I have to kill you!" He threatens, I hyperventilate, not knowing what to do as I continuously plead him to stop.

It was getting hard for me to breath as tears blocked my vision. He then started to sob and screamed at me.

"Your kind should be dead! You killed my innocent little girl. And you have the audacity to go into a human town!"

"I shouldn't have trusted you, you good for nothing wolves!"

Then all I heard was him pulling the trigger.