By The Full Moon ( A Hunter Novel #1)

Ten: Rogue

Ten: Rogue

Ava

Emilio came up beside me, matching my strides.

"You've made your mark here already. Playing with the pups, protecting them, taking care of the Rogues." He said, and I nodded, slightly surprised at the praise.

"That is what a Luna is meant to do with her pack." I said, keeping a certain distance metaphorically and physically. I couldn't trust them still, not after this morning. On top of that, today made a change in me. I may have fought other wolves, knocked them out, locked them up. But I had never killed one, and today I had killed three. Even if they were Rogues, crazed out of their minds, they were still living creatures. I didn't want to take their lives, but if was between them and the children, I would do it all over again. Even if it made me feel numb.

"So, you think of this pack as your own?" he asked in surprise.

"Am I not supposed to?" I asked back.

"I mean yes, you are, however I was worried that, due to the circumstances, you wouldn't want to. But you have been extremely kind to the pack." I looked him in the eyes.

"Just because there has been animosity between my old pack and yours, does not mean it has to stay that way. I was raised to be better than my anger. My old pack can be forgiving, so long as there are no more attacks against them." I gave him a pointed look and he opened his mouth to say something only to close it again.

"That's what I figured. You're no better than your previous Alphas." I scoffed at him. He stopped walking for a moment, but I didn't pause. I had almost made it to the jail when I felt my arm being pulled back.

"He-" but it was cut off when I felt a hand on my throat. I looked into Emilio's eyes, a pitch black.

"Never, ever compare me to him!" he snarled at me. I felt his hand grip my throat tighter, cutting off my air. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"What you're doing right now, is exactly how your father ruled. By fear, brute force. Thing is, I am not afraid of you, and I will never cower or bend to you or your brother's will. Try to attack my old pack while I'm alive again, and you'll have to kill me with them." I told him as calmly as I could even as I shook with anger and became light headed from lack of air.

Emilio's eyes went back to normal as he looked at his hand, like he couldn't believe he had done it. He looked me in the eyes once more and his hand moved up to my cheek.

"I'm so-"

"What did you do Brother?" both our heads snapped to the side to see Elijah standing there, his arms crossed, a dirty look on his face.

"Nothing." I responded for him and walked away from the both, and into the jail. The guard that stood post was still there, looking angry and stoic. I nodded at him, relieving him of his duty. When he walked away, a naked man sat in the jail cell, chains on his body. He was skinny, like he was starving, his hair was over grown and matted with dirt caked to it. He huddled in the corner, hugging his legs tightly to himself. I opened the door to the cell but felt a hand on mine. I looked up. Emilio.

"What?" I asked.

"We can talk to him, you shouldn't have to be around him after what happened." I pulled my hand away and gave him a tight smile before pushing past him and going into the cell. The man looked at me and growled, baring his human teeth at me.