RUMOURS AND ROGUE REPORTS
1676 Words
RHAEGAR’S POV
I stormed down the corridor, my boots thumping heavily against the stone floor. My jaw was clenched so tightly that I thought my teeth might crack.
*What the hell was that?*
I’d barely made it three steps away from her door before my wolf started snarling, clawing at the inside of my chest like he was trying to rip his way out.
*Go back. She needs us.*
“She doesn’t need anything from me.”
*Liar.*
I shoved the thought away, forcing myself to keep walking. This was insane.
I’d come to the wildlands border to investigate rogue activity. That was the whole plan, find them, deal with the threat, and then head home.
But instead, I ended up bringing a nearly lifeless outcast back to my castle. A woman whose scent drove me wild. She looked at me as if she recognized me—like she knew me from the past.
And the worst part? I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
*Mine,* my wolf growled again, more insistent this time. *She’s ours.*
“No.”
*You felt the pull. The bond.*
“There is no bond,” I snapped under my breath. “She’s nothing but a stranger.” But even as I said that, I knew it wasn’t totally true.
Because her scent—still noticeable beneath the blood and fear, it was soo similar to one I had been trying to forget for two years: wildflowers after rain.
The woman from the forest. The one I’d taken against a tree in a moment of anger and drunkenness when she was crying and I was too upset to care. The one I’d called a mistake.
She smelled like her. I didn’t know how. I didn't know why, and that terrified me more than anything.
I turned the corner quickly, heading toward the main hall, and almost bumped into two servants standing in the hallway.
They jumped back, lowering their heads immediately.
“Your Majesty,” one of them stammered. “We didn’t…”
I brushed past them without saying anything. But I could hear them. I could hear the gossips starting up again the moment they thought I was out of earshot.
*“Did you see her? The girl he brought in?”
“I heard she’s from Silvercrest Pack, and she was banished.”
“Banished? For what?”
“They say she tried to seduce the Alpha’s son. When he rejected her, she accused him of…”
“That’s not what I heard. I heard she’s scentless. That’s why they threw her out.”
“Can you imagine? No wonder her pack threw her out.”
“Either way, what’s the Alpha King doing with someone like that?”
“Did you see the way he carried her in? I’ve never seen him touch anyone like that.”
“Maybe she seduced him too. Got him to take pity on her…”*
My hands curled into fists at my sides. Keep walking. Don’t react. But my wolf was snarling now, furious and protective in a way I hadn’t felt in years.
*They’re talking about her. Make them stop.*
“It’s just gossip.”
*They’re disrespecting what's ours.*
I stopped walking. The hallway went silent immediately. I turned slowly, my eyes locking onto the group of servants—three of them now, pressed against the wall as if they could disappear into the stone. Their faces had gone pale.
One of them, a young woman with wide eyes, shook her head quickly. “S-sorry, Your Majesty. We were just…”
“You were spreading false rumors,” I said flatly, taking a step closer. “About a guest I brought in.”
“We didn’t mean…”
“I don’t care.” My voice dropped to something threatening. “Let me make something very clear. The woman in the west wing is here because I allow it. Anyone who speaks about her, or spreads lies or gossip will answer to me directly. Do you understand?”
They nodded quickly, their eyes wide with fear.
“And if I hear my name attached to any more rumors,” I continued, my gaze moving between each of them, “you’ll all be reassigned to the border patrol. Permanently.”
I didn’t wait for a response. I just walked away, leaving them trembling in the corridor. But even as I shut them down, I couldn’t shake the words: scentless, banished, disgraced. What the hell happened to her? And why did I care?
My wolf rumbled in approval. *Because she’s ours.*
“She’s not.”
*Then why are you protecting her?*
I didn’t answer. Because I didn’t have one.
…
By the time I reached the Great Hall, my temper was barely under control. The hall was already filled with pack members, warriors, advisors, servants, they were all gathered for the morning reports. They bowed as I entered, their voices falling silent.
I ignored them and moved toward the head of the hall, where Cain was waiting with a stack of reports.
“Your Majesty,” he said, bowing his head. “The rogue attack reports are ready. We also have…”
“Not now.”
He raised a brow but didn’t argue. His eyes studied me carefully, too sharp for his own good. “Of course.”
I was about to speak when the doors at the far end of the hall opened, and Sabrina walked in.
She wore an elegant deep blue silk, embroidered with silver thread, and her hair was styled in intricate braids. She looked just like the royalty she was, as if she had spent hours preparing to make an entrance. And she was smiling.
“Father!” she called, her voice bright as she crossed the hall toward me. The pack members bowed to her as she passed, murmuring greetings: “Princess,” “Welcome home, Princess.”
But I didn’t smile. I just watched her. She reached me and moved to embrace me, but I stepped back. Her smile faltered.
“You’re late,” I said flatly.
Her face went pale. “I…I know. I’m sorry. The negotiations took longer than expected.”
“You were supposed to return three days ago.”
“I know, but…”
“What kept you?”
She hesitated, her hands fidgeting with the fabric of her dress. “There were… complications. Discussions with the SilverFang council. They wanted to finalize the trade agreements before I left.”
I studied her, my expression cold. She was lying. I could see it in the way her eyes avoided mine, in the slight tremble of her hands, and in the faint, unfamiliar scent clinging to her clothes. It was that of a male wolf—not from Bloodmoon territory.
*Who is he?* my wolf growled, suspicious.
“Father,” Sabrina said, forcing a smile. “Aren’t you proud of me? The negotiations were a success. SilverFang agreed to our terms.”
“You should have returned when you were told to,” I replied, my tone hard. “Three days, Sabrina. You disobeyed a direct order.”
Her smile crumbled. “I…I didn’t mean to. I just thought…”
“You thought what? That the rules don’t apply to you?”
She flinched, her eyes filling with tears. “No. I just… I wanted to make sure everything was perfect. For you.”
I didn’t answer; I just turned away, moving toward the table where Cain was waiting. Behind me, I heard Sabrina’s breath hitch, but I didn’t look back.
The hall was tense now. Pack members exchanged glances, their expressions uneasy. They knew better than to speak when I was like this.
“Who were you with?” I asked.
“No one!” she said, her voice breaking. “Father, I swear, I was just…”
“Sabrina.” I stared at her, my jaw tight, and she looked away, her hands still trembling against her dress. I knew she was hiding something.
The hall was so quiet I could hear her breathing.
“Go to your chambers,” I said coldly. “We’ll discuss this later.”
She nodded quickly, her composure crumbling, and turned to leave. But she stopped after a few steps, glancing back at me.
“Father… is something wrong?” she asked quietly.
I didn’t answer.
She hesitated, her voice barely a whisper. “You seem… different.”
I straightened, my expression hardening. “I’m fine. You’re dismissed.”
She blinked, hurt flashing across her face. “But I just got back. I thought we could…”
“I have work to do, Sabrina. Leave.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she nodded. “Of course.”
She left, nearly running from the hall, and the heavy doors closed behind her with a resonant thud.
The pack members remained frozen, uncertain whether to speak or move.
I turned back to Cain. “The reports.”
He cleared his throat, his professional mask sliding back into place, and slid a map across the table. “Seven rogue sightings in the past week. All near the eastern border. We tracked them back to a camp about five miles into the Wildlands.”
“How many?”
“Nine confirmed. Possibly more.”
I studied the map, forcing myself to focus. “Increase patrols along the eastern border. I want scouts out every night. If there are more rogues, I want to know about it before they get any closer.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
I nodded sharply. “Dismissed.”
They filed out one by one, but Cain lingered near the doorway. He held my gaze for a long moment, then sighed.
“As you say, Your Majesty.”
He left, and I stood there, my hands braced on the table, staring down at the maps and reports without really seeing them. Because all I could think about was her. The woman upstairs.
Why can’t I stop thinking about her? Even right now?
- Writer
