Taming the Rogue King

Eye- opener

Liam

Ira was darting towards the fighting witches as James pushed his protection over to Kirra.

What a stupid witch! Why would he want to lose his fight this way!

As Ira sprinted forward Liam placed his hands on her tiny waist and pulled her against himself. His fingers almost encircled her thin delicate waist completely as he pulled her hard against himself. 

Her exquisite aroma of summers and flowers teased his nostrils and muddled his thoughts. For a moment he forgot where they were.

Her back slammed against his chest and his body responded to the constant wiggling. How he would love to pin her under himself!  

He felt Ira go stiff. s**t! She knows it!

He expertly dodged her question about his intentions. He wasn’t going to tell her how he wanted to rip her clothes off. The girl would get traumatised by his not so decent thoughts and bandit like rough behaviour!

She was already struggling with her brother losing to Miriam.

He could understand her anger but he couldn’t control his body’s reaction to her. His skin tingled with sparks as Ira struggled against his body. It took great strength to control his wolf from marking her right there in front of his mother. Especially since his mother appeared to be too busy winning.

He looked closely at the battle. His mother was so engrossed in the fight that she hadn’t noticed their presence. That was good.

Also, he did not want Ira to get hurt. He knew how powerful his mother was.

When James got captured in magical ropes conjured by Miriam, Ira struggled the most to get out of Liam’s hold. Which was a wasted attempt considering he had almost a foot more in height and width on her.

Miriam’s laughter reached their ears. He could hear everything as if Miriam was right there, next to him. Thanks to his werewolf hearing!

Miriam had waited for this day forever. She would finally avenge his father’s death.

She started to laugh crazily but went quiet when she saw a huge dome-shaped cage of green light land on Kirra, caging her with the concentric circles. 

Liam heard Kirra’s angry command, “James! Let me out of these damn rings.”

Stupid girl! She was the one who had distracted her mate. She was going to be his downfall! A command wouldn’t work on a witch like James! 

Liam thought gleefully even as Ira tried to pull herself out of his hold.

Suddenly becoming aware of Ira who struggled desperately in his arms, he felt a little guilty that he was enjoying her brother’s defeat. But he couldn’t help it.

Kirra’s Blood Moon clan was responsible for his father’s death and James was trying to save Kirra!

Her clan was the reason why he and his mother lived here on No Man’s land! Although he was happy now. He had money and power both but he had seen some terrible days in his teenage years. He wanted to repay Kirra for it.

His wolf whimpered. But Kirra is just eighteen! She isn’t responsible for father's death! His wolf tried to talk sense to him but he shut out the stupid furry softie.

He watched in anticipation as Miriam laughed at Kirra’s frustration. “Stupid girl! Don’t you see? He can’t! I have got him. He will see me kill you before I allow him to die!”

Kirra tried to get out of the rings but the rings did not budge. 

Giving up she concentrated on Miriam. Looked like she was stalling. “Why do you want to kill me? I have never hurt you!”

What’s the use? Liam thought. With Miriam in control, Kirra’s wolf will be bound and weakened!

Again the witch laughed. “You are too weak to hurt me. It was your father!”

*****

Liam's heart skipped a beat. He waited to hear the story. Miriam had never shared the details with him.

Today he would know how his father was killed by the drongos of the Blood Moon Clan.

Miriam laughed again. “You are too weak to hurt me. But your father did!” With tears shining in her crazy eyes, she glared at Kirra.

Liam was getting wary of her laughter now. Ira had stopped struggling.

Whatever was the reason he thanked the Moon Goddess. He was able to control his hard work now!

Everyone knew that Kirra’s father had slipped into a coma the moment her mother died while giving birth to her. With the looks on her face, it was clear that she knew nothing about her father.

He could smell her anticipation too. Strangely, his chest ached at Kirra's pain. She did not know about her father either.

His wolf whined again. ‘Yet she might be killed today! Do you think that is right? Would you have allowed this to any of your pack members? Even though they are rogues??’

Liam again pushed his wolf aside. He tried to hold on to his hatred and anger which was kind of slipping away.

Why was he feeling this sudden sense of guilt? Why was sympathy taking root in his ruthless heart?

Was it because of Ira in his arms? He couldn’t be sure! Mate bonds worked in weird ways and in his case it had been extra weird till now.

‘She is just an orphan! We should save her!’ His wolf stated boldly.

‘Can’t! Her clan killed father!’ He shut his wolf up.

  “My father?” Kirra sounded puzzled as she questioned his mother.

  “Yes! Your father, Jiemba." Miriam spat. "That f**k*ing ass*hole! My sister Deborah loved him unconditionally.”

Wait! What? Liam’s ears perked up Deborah who? What story is this? Never knew I had an Aunt Deborah!

Miriam raved on. “But what did he do? Instead of rejecting his stupid weak human mate, he rejected my sister. She was his lover for 5 long years. For five long years, Jiemba used her and then left her without a second thought, the moment your mother waltz in. The bit*ch snatched him from Deb. It completely broke her!”

Miriam zoned out as if reminiscing the past. 

“Can you hear them?” He asked Ira. She was abnormally quiet. She just shook her head and Liam strained his ears to hear what was going on. For some reason, the sounds were getting a little muffled and he needed to know what happened to his father!

“My twinnie kept crying for that vile man."

Twinnie? Wow! That's just ripping, isn't it? He thought as a vein in his temple pulsed.

While his mother continued, "My blood used to boil seeing her pine for that bastard. She just wouldn’t give him up. Deb could not move on. She slipped into depression. Her magic suffered. She lost interest in living.  I had to punish him for his wrongdoing. Your f**k*ng grandfather saved him. Waru would have killed us on sight. She was a young woman. Only in her early twenties! The time when she should have spent living her life, she tried ending it! Many times. How many times I saved her! Do you know what it feels like to see your twin’s pain?” she asked.

Liam frowned. Where does dad come in this? What happened to dad? Why isn’t she talking about him? She was only 20 at that time? How could that be? He was 12!! The numbers aren’t adding up! “Fuc*k!” He swore.

His heart beats raced as the meaning of these words started sinking in. Was my entire life a lie? His wolf tried to come out as his agitated mind started to lose control.

Miriam continued. “I helped her get her strength back. Only revenge could replace her sorrow. She had to take away what Jiemba had fallen for. I helped her kill your mother, so she could get her rightful place again!”

 “My mother died giving birth to me! No one said anything about a witch.” Kirra shrieked. She had to speak loudly as the noises around them had increased.

Liam intently listened to what they said completely oblivious to his surroundings.

There was a reason why Ira was quiet!

“Your mother and you! Both were supposed to die that night. I had helped Deb to cast the spell. It is not easy to kill someone from a different space. To take a life you have to pledge your own. Together we managed to place the spell on your mother and her unborn child by pledging our own lives. Everything was going as per plan. We sneaked into the Blood Moon territory and revealed ourselves. As expected, Waru sent Jiemba to kill us. I was prepared. I hated your father for what he had done to Deb. I was going to avenge her.” 

Suddenly mild tremors ran through the ground around them and a faint rumbling sound joined the cacophony of the swirling wind. This time Liam looked around at what was happening.

A storm was brewing. He had to save Ira. She was staring at the storm completely pale as a ghost.

No wonder she had stopped struggling against him. That’s why she had been so quiet! What was she think? Damn! I won’t be able to hear her until I mark her! 

‘Let’s do it!’ His wolf hummed excitedly. 

‘Shut up! I need to know what mother has been up to! If she was trying to kill Jiemba then who the fuc*k is dad and where is he. Who am I?’

His wolf whined and calmed down. 

“I would have killed him but Deb begged me to spare his life. She thought that if Grace and you were killed, he would come back to her. Naive girl!!” Miriam fumed.

“We were battling Jiemba and his good for nothing wolves, waiting for you and Grace to die. But something went wrong. Someone interfered. Waru was getting help from someone who understood spells. Your mother died and you survived. Our spell backfired and Deb died because you lived. Jiemba got distracted. I attacked him but the asshole was lucky!” Miriam hissed.

She gritted her teeth and shook her head. “I heard he survived. I was out of your territory. I desperately wanted to get back and kill him. I knew where they would take him. I knew everything about your packhouse and the pack hospital but some fuc*king magical barrier kept me away. I tried going through it but every time I tried, it hurt me and my magic. Every time I came back wounded, it took longer for me to recover. I swore to come back and finish the job one day. I swore to do anything that would help me wipe your filthy bloodline out!” She laughed hysterically.

They spoke about everything else but his father. They spoke about Miro. Hos death! Liam wasn’t interested in that.

He already knew about the magical barrier. 

“Why the rogues? If you wanted me, you could have killed me anytime! Why try to get my territory?” Kirra asked.

Maybe now they will talk about dad? He thought with a racing heart. His hands were getting cold and clammy as he wondered what he would do with the knowledge.

“You are one stupid tingo (bit*ch)! Jiemba will die. I will avenge my sister. Once your bloodline is gone, the age of the witches will arise and I will rule the werewolves. You dogs have enjoyed a good life while the witches have lived in the shadows. I am going to claim our lost glory. What better way to start than to defeat the clan that wiped the witches off the Aussie lands? I own the Rogue king! My army of rogues will kill and die for me!” She jeered, baring her teeth.

Her army of rogues? Really?? Liam frowned. Age of the witches? Did I even know this woman ever?

Ira shuddered in his arms and that’s when he saw an umbrella-shaped cloud floating over the heads of those three. It descended engulfing them into its core, while Liam pulled Ira farther away from the storm. It looked like a tornado.

“Run with me! Fast!” He pulled Ira but her feet wouldn’t move. He picked her up onto his shoulder like a bag of potatoes and rushed towards the quieter part of the forest.

He couldn’t hear Kirra and Miriam anymore and neither did he care.

Devastation crushed his heart. He wanted to shout and run as far away from this place. But he couldn't. Ira was still here. It was unsafe. His mate had to be safe! Nothing else mattered.

Soon the tornado was engulfed in raging fire moving around in a circle. Liam watched in awe at the scene unfolding before him. The rest of the forest was peaceful.

This had to be a witch’s doing.

Was it James’ or Miriam’s? He would know soon enough.

 *****