The Rogue Queen

Chapter 3 - Captured - Alastair

What had started out as a stealth mission to locate my mate turned into the biggest betrayal of my life. I had waited a very long time to find her, believing the witch who gave me the prophecy was wrong.

Just as I was about to give up, I received word from an informant I had on the lookout for her that my mate was suspected to be in the lands of the Rising Sun pack, the very pack I had been at odds with since we discovered that our territories bordered each other. They believed themselves superior to me simply because they were an officially recognized pack, allied with others, while I was a Rogue leading my own pack.

I provided refuge to thousands of rogues, offering them redemption and second chances away from the hypocrisy of the Council of Elders and the self-proclaimed royal court. In mockery of them, I proclaimed myself the Rogue King, which enraged King Tholan Arvus, making it his mission to hunt me down.

My cousin was easy to fool and full of himself, allowing me to stand unthreatened by him or anyone under his command. That was until he reached my beta, Kellum, whom I had considered a brother.

Kellum betrayed me just as I met my mate, Cinthya Austin. She was stunning, with a shy, quiet demeanor. I watched her for what felt like an eternity, noting her petite frame and her role as a healer.

When she looked up from her book, our eyes connected, and we both felt a spark. She set her book aside and moved toward me, captivating my attention. In my vulnerability, I failed to notice the guardians lying in wait.

One of the guardians struck me like a ton of bricks. She was in a pitch-black war form, her fur so dark it was like staring into the abyss. She had a powerful half-man, half-wolf form built for combat and only one purpose: killing.

Capable of shifting between four paws and two legs, her eyes stood out as the only contrasting feature to her dark appearance. There was something about her that intrigued me, although I couldn't quite put my finger on it. However, there was no time to ponder this; she posed a real threat.

She knocked me to the ground, aiming to bind me, and her silver scent confirmed her intent. I heard my mate's scream as another guardian pulled her away from me, despite her protests and pleas to be with me. The sound of her fear made my spirit-wolf, Rusten, howl in rage as our mate was dragged further away from me.

"We have to get to her and protect her." Rusten whined, panicking.

I struggled to maintain control over my wolf, as he was desperate to reach our mate. My excitement about finding her had caused me to lose myself in the moment, and that proved to be my downfall.

I scanned the area for the rest of my pack. Kel and four of our warriors had come with me as backup. When I spotted Kel, he was blending into the forest. The look on his face was one of hatred, unlike anything I had ever seen before. He waved to me and then disappeared from view. At that moment, I knew he had betrayed me.

Enraged, I fought against the guardians who were trying to bind me completely. Once fully bound, they took me to a cell. I was given fresh clothes to change into, and as I dressed in a blue jumpsuit, I couldn't help but frown.

"If it isn't the infamous King Alastair Knight," a deep voice growled from outside my cell.

I looked to see a large man standing there, his stark white hair and neatly trimmed beard standing out. He wore a black uniform with the name Monroe on the pocket.

I rolled my eyes and turned my back to him, ignoring his taunts about having outwitted me and how my beta had betrayed me. He explained that Kellum had turned on me quickly to save his own life and disassociate himself from me. I resisted the urge to respond, knowing it irritated him further. His arrogance was overwhelming, and it seemed like his head might bloat and explode at any moment.

"The Council of Elders is on the way, and soon we will see you hung or maybe beheaded." he continued. "I hear the King is on his way as well. I look forward to the show."

"Great, put me out of my misery, and I won't have to hear you talk anymore." I retorted. This angered him even more, and he slammed against the cell, drawing the attention of someone else.

"Jonas?" She spoke. Her voice was like music to my ears, and I found myself rising to get a better look at her.

Jonas turned to face her as she approached. She was of average height, with an athletic build and dark black hair pulled up into a tight bun. I couldn't help but wonder what it looked like at full length. She must have been the one who took me down, and for some reason, I wanted to know more about her.

"She is important to us." Rusten whispered in my mind. "I don't know how, but she is."

As I listened to their conversation, I realized she had heard Jonas getting upset and assured him she would personally watch over me.

"You shouldn't let him get to you, Jonas." she spoke softly, her voice was sweet to my ears. "Besides, I think the King will be pleased you have captured him. I'll handle things here. I am sure you have plenty to do to prepare for the council and the king to arrive."

"You're right." he grumbled, glaring at me one more time. Something in his eyes said he wasn't finished, but he left the room.

With my new guard were two others, whom I recognized from the ambush. I noted she wore the same last name on her uniform, making me wonder if Jonas was her father. It was a shame, I thought, that such an amazing creature came from the loins of such an asshole.

Once Jonas was gone, she turned to the two others she called Rashard and Sasha. Based on their conversation, I learned her name was Calliope. She moved over to my sell and looked me in the eye.

"I am sorry." She said softly. Her demeanor towards me was much kinder than any pack member had ever been.

Behind her, a younger man entered the room and escorted Cindy toward my cell. He was rough with her and I felt my lip curl in defense of her. I saw Calliope move over to talk to the man.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Father wants the ties severed. He refuses to let Cindy go. Orders are orders, Cal." he said without emotion.

"You are the next alpha, Asher. You can stop this! Challenge him! No one should be forced to reject their mate."

Asher looked away from her. He wasn't going to challenge his father. Calliope argued with him longer before he stared her down and she looked away from him.

"You know what to do, Cindy." he said a threat in his tone.

Cindy slowly approached me. Nervously. I watched in horror as she began the ritual to sever our connection, rushing to the bars to beg her not to do it. Tears streamed down her face as she spoke the words.

"I reject you." she said, and my heart shattered.

"You are not my mate." she cried between her words. "Please, Alastair. Don't. Don't make this harder than it has to be. Don't make me suffer being a Rogue. I don't want to be in pain any longer and accept my rejection. I'll never be your queen." Her eyes shifted to Asher, and I dropped to my knees. "Please, Alastair."

I gazed at her, then at the others present. Calliope seemed angry, but she remained silent as Cindy was forced into the ritual. I was silent for a long time as Cindy continued to plead with me to accept the rejection. She then approached the bars and continued. Tears had streamed down my face as I sighed, my heart heavy.

"I can't accept." I finally uttered. I had waited so long for her, only for it to end like this. Maybe my impending death would be a welcome release. I wouldn't have to go on alone. "I waited for you for so long. Just give me a chance."

"A chance for what, Alastair? You are here. They are going to kill you, and I will have to feel that pain as you die. I will die inside as that happens. Is that what you want for me?" she asked, crying as well.

My eyes shifted to Calliope, who was now speaking to Asher again. They appeared to be arguing, and Asher walked away from her to approach Cindy.

"Accept the rejection now, Mutt." he growled. "If you care at all about her, you will."

I stood up and stared him down until he turned his head.

"Take your hands off her!" I growled, my anger flaring, slamming against the bars and causing enough of a commotion to set off alarms. Calliope moved to intervene, and I seized the opportunity with her being too close to grab her around the throat, fully aware that her role was connected to Asher.

"Let. My. Mate. Go." I commanded, tightening my grip on Calliope's neck while she struggled to breathe.

"You first, man." Asher growled in response, his eyes turning black with rage. He had released Cindy, which was what I wanted, but now it was crucial to take her with me. I knew Asher wouldn't harm her, but he couldn't be sure of the same regarding me.

"Take your hands off her." I repeated. It was a tense moment before Sasha, one of the other guards, pulled the keys from her pocket and walked over to my cell, unlocking it.

Asher attempted to charge me, and we struggled as he tried to free his mate. Suddenly, there was a bright flash and a heat that struck me like a punch to the chest. I was knocked backwards, hitting my head on something, and everything went dark.