14
1434 Words
Chapter 14
His gaze locked onto mine, and my wolf whimpered in fear and recognition.
"Welcome home, Millicent," he said, his voice a low growl that sent shivers down my spine.
My wolf stirred, whispering a single word in my mind. "Father."
As if he heard me in my head, the rogue leader smirked. "I would have wanted to meet under different circumstances, but I can’t always have what I want." He took a step closer, his presence heavy and suffocating. "But I think you could change that."
I tugged on the silver collar around my neck, the cold metal biting into my skin. I tried to remove it, but it was a fruitless battle. "What do you want from me?"
"The world," the rogue leader answered simply.
I frowned. "The world?" How could I give him that.
"I would have taken it earlier if your mother hadn’t hidden you from me," he said, almost ruefully, as though the thought physically pained him.
"You know my mother?" I asked, my voice faltering.
"Knew. Yes, a little too well." He replied smoothly, his tone laced with unspoken meaning. He extended a hand, palm open. A flame burst to life, hovering just above his skin. Its light flickered, casting eerie shadows across his face. "The world of elemental wolves is too small to not know everyone. Which is why you have so much fanfare."
I gasped, stumbling back a step. I hadn’t thought he was an elemental wolf. I knew he had one working for him, but this... this changed everything. If he could control an element, why did he need me?
"Judging by the expression on your face, you didn’t know I could control fire, too," he said, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Don’t worry about that, though. My powers are far too weak for what I want to achieve."
My throat tightened as his words sank in. "And what exactly is your plan?"
He turned fully toward me, his red and black cloak shifting with the movement. "I want you to help me take over the world."
I blinked, unsure if I’d heard him correctly.
"For years, elemental wolves have been kingmakers but never kings—protectors of the wolf race without gaining anything in return. Shouldn’t we be the most revered wolves to ever grace this world? Instead, we are sidelined for those who wouldn’t be able to organize themselves into functional packs without us."
His voice rose with passion, his fiery eyes blazing with ambition. "I want to end that. I want to be king."
I stood frozen as his words sank in. He wasn’t just after power; he wanted to rewrite the order of the wolf world. This wasn’t ambition—it was madness.
"You seem hesitant," he observed, narrowing his eyes.
"You’re good at reading people," I replied carefully, my voice steady despite the fear building in my chest.
"You don’t get very far not being able to, Millicent." He smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "I wish you could ask your mom about that."
I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. He caught the reaction instantly, smirking as though he’d won a game I didn’t know we were playing.
"She was hesitant to join me, too," he said casually, almost like he was reminiscing. "Instead, she blindly trusted the Alpha King over me. He didn’t understand her power like I did. He feared the unknown—and that fear ended with her death." His tone grew cold. "Christina was too naive. I could have taken her so far. Somewhere that didn’t end in an early grave and never being able to watch she loved the most grow up."
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. My thoughts spun wildly. My parents had always been enough for me. I’d never questioned my origins before, never sought the truth about my birth parents. But now... Now, I had questions I wasn’t sure anyone could answer.
"And my dad?" I asked cautiously.
The rogue leader’s eyes glinted, shifting to a cool, unnatural blue under the chaotic red. His wolf stirred beneath the surface. "Your father is irrelevant."
"What is that supposed to mean?" I demanded.
"There’s nothing to know about him. He was just some random wolf that drew a lucky card when he slept with an elemental wolf." His tone was dismissive, but his eyes betrayed something deeper. The blue hue flared briefly before he blinked it away. "Join me, and you’ll never be as insignificant as him."
I shook my head instinctively. Something felt off—about him, his story, all of it. "Where are my mates? What have you done to them?"
"They’re safe," he replied, his lips curling into a smirk. "For now."
"Take me to them," I demanded, my voice firm despite the tremor in my hands.
"No." His answer was sharp, final. "Not unless I get a promise of your cooperation. Their fate is in your hands."
I bit back a growl. "I need to see them first before I agree to anything."
The rogue leader tilted his head, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. "Don’t make the same mistake Tala did. Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment."
I stiffened at the mention of Tala, my heart sinking. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"She could have had everything, but she let sentimentality win." His tone turned mocking. "Don’t be as foolish as she was."
Anger surged in my chest, hot and unrelenting. How dare he speak of love and loyalty as though they were weaknesses? He didn’t understand what it meant to truly care for someone.
"Take me to them. Now," I demanded, my voice leaving no room for argument.
His eyes narrowed, but he gestured for me to follow.
***
The cells were in a dark, damp corner of the rogue fortress. The air was thick with the metallic tang of blood and the faint scent of silver. The bars shimmered faintly under the torchlight, lined with enough silver to keep any wolf subdued.
I spotted them before they saw me, and my heart sank.
Orion, Flint, and Evan were each in separate cells, their bodies battered and bruised. They looked weaker than I’d ever seen them, their movements sluggish and their eyes dull. The silver had done its job, cutting them off from their wolves and slowing their healing.
"Millicent," Orion rasped, his voice hoarse but full of relief.
Flint managed a grin despite his swollen lip. "Plum, you’re okay."
Evan said nothing, his piercing gaze locked on the rogue leader standing beside me. His silence was more telling than words; he was assessing, calculating.
"These are the great Alphas meant to protect you?" The rogue leader’s voice dripped with disdain. "Look at them—caged, powerless. Is this the future you want for yourself, Millicent? A life tied to weakness?"
My chest heaved as I looked at my mates. They didn’t deserve this. None of us did. "They aren’t weak," I said firmly, my voice steady despite the lump in my throat.
I turned sharply toward the rogue leader, my fury barely contained. "Release them. Now."
His gaze darted between me and the cells, a flicker of hesitation crossing his features. But then he smirked. "No."
"What?"
"No," he repeated, his tone mocking. "Do what I want first, and then—"
He stopped abruptly, his eyes widening as blue flames flickered up my arms.
The rogue leader took a startled step back, his composure faltering for the first time. I hadn’t even realized the fire had appeared until I saw the reflection of the flames in his eyes.
"You—" He cut himself off, his gaze darting to the blue glow that had joined the flames. My wolf pushed to the surface, her power spilling over in waves I could barely control.
"Release them," I said again, my voice resonating with a strength I hadn’t known I possessed.
The rogue leader hesitated, his bravado cracking under the weight of my power. But then his expression hardened. "Not yet," he said, though his voice lacked the confidence it held before.
I stepped closer, the flames around me intensifying. "You said their fate was in my hands. So listen carefully. Let them go, or I’ll burn this fortress to the ground—with you in it."
For a moment, the rogue leader looked genuinely afraid. But then he smiled, a dark, twisted grin. "You’re more like me than you realize, Millicent."
"That’s where you’re wrong," I replied coldly. "I’m nothing like you."
- Writer
