I am Rogue [Book 1]

Chapter 16

            “Have you had your fill?”

            I blinked at the sound of his voice, deep and powerful, demanding my attention back to his face. My cheeks felt hot as blood began to rush to the surface, promising me that I was no doubt now looking the girlish fool I had been gaping at him.

            “Ex-excuse me,” I managed to stutter out in my embarrassment, my inner animal bristling at my lack of backbone right now. If only she could understand that I didn’t understand this man or why I felt some sort of connection with him on a more primal level. Hell, shouldn’t my inner animal understand this? Shouldn’t she give me some sort of instinct to react towards him other than feeling flabbergasted?

            The man smirked and leaned back against the doorframe he was standing in front of, his eyes glowing a moment to show me his animal side was well aware of me as mine was of his. “Have you had your fill, darling? I couldn’t help but notice the way you were drinking me up, so I hope I have at least been able to quench that demanding thirst of yours.”

            The burning in my cheeks intensified, my eyes falling from his face to the floor only to jump back to his dark ones as a growl rolled off him. My fingers began to fidget with the dress fabric once more as I stared into his eyes, feeling sucked into their dark depths as though they were drawing me in.

            Licking my lips, I tried to find something to say, anything that could be more my normal self. I wasn’t used to being so confused, nor used to the impulses that came with feeling attraction to a member of the opposite sex. Sure, I found Nyx attractive, and my inner animal approved of him as a companion and even saw him as the closest thing we had to a mate, but that didn’t mean I felt… pulled to him.

            “I…”

            Before I could probably make a bigger fool of myself, a woman I had never seen before burst into the room, her face blotchy red from what looks like previous screaming elsewhere and her eyes were focused on my with a deathly intent. Everything about this woman screamed enemy to my instincts, my own eyes narrowing on her until I saw nothing else. I watched her as a predator watches another trespassing on their territory, my eyes catching every twitch of her body.

            “Bitch,” she hissed out towards me, venom laced in that one word enough to kill.

            “You killed him, you killed him,” she screamed before lunging at me, my body reacting before hers could collide with mine.

            Stepping out of her way, I crouched, ready for her to pivot, but I should have known better. She was a woman of a pack acknowledged. She wasn’t trained like a warrior. So instead of an expected pivot and second attack, I watched as she slid right into a small black leather loveseat, her head bouncing off the wooden curve of the right side arm rest.

            Standing out of my crouch, I couldn’t do anything but stare at her in confusion. I know had killed several people, several deserving people in my opinion, but to the specifics of who I had killed I was at a loss. Obviously someone had been this woman’s mate, and therefore I understood her rage, but I had no idea who so I couldn’t really say anything to her.

            “Nina don’t!” A shout came from the doorway catching my attention just as the woman jumped up from where she had fallen and slammed into me.

            “Holy-“ I bit off the surprised swear word that was about to leave my lips just as my back slammed into something hard.

            “That is about enough. Your actions are unbecoming of a woman of your status,” the same voice from a moment ago said as large arms wrapped around my body, enclosing me against the hard, and now that I was noticing, warm, body pressed against me.

            The woman, whose name I now knew was Nina, glared at me, her lips twisted into a snarl before her eyes shifted to whomever was chastising her.

            “You protect her? A rogue whore who slew my mate?! She slew him! A man who did nothing to her and yet her kind came onto our land, came right up to our home, and she sunk her teeth into his throat!”

            “I…” I was going to apologize for her loss, however the arms holding me tightened so I quieted only to turn my head to find the man from before was who I had slammed into, his lips upturned in a funny looking smile as his eyes connected with mine.

            “Your husband, like all husbands of the pack, understand what it means to protect the pack. As alpha, it was his duty to face the rogues on the battlefield, it was his duty to die for the pack. You should be grateful to have had such a mate.”

            Breaking contact with the man I was being held by, I turned to stare at a much older looking gentleman turning his gaze onto me.

            “Forgive Nina, she means only to avenge her mate and alpha.”

            Forgive her? Wait, why did I need to forgive anyone? Weren’t they going to kill me since I killed an alpha?

            “I see the confusion in your eyes, young one. We, too, did not know what to do at first. A woman slaying an alpha in a challenge is not something we have come across before. A woman who is established as rogue yet is unclaimed and even untouched is even more peculiar to us. You have been wild, untamable, and even savage while we have observed you, yet at the same time you have shown loyalty and a sense of caring for those whom you deemed important.”

            I tried not to smirk, thinking back to when I was showering and having had punched one of my guards for making a negative comment about Cold while she talked to me about Nyx before being rudely shoved on her way.

            “You are a strong and pure female, one who could promise great things in the future if guided correctly. The council has decided your fate. You will accept this, we will not give you any other choice but to do so.”

            “What… fate?”

            “You will become Luna of this pack, whose alpha you have slain-“

            “No!” Nina screamed from where she stood, her eyes ablaze with anger and hate.

            “This has been decided, Nina. You will step down from the Luna position and your son will forfeit his right to inheriting the alpha status when he comes of age. The Council has given legitimacy to your mate’s oldest son and determined him rights to his father’s pack based on his status within his pack.”

            The arms that held me seemed to tighten suddenly, something I was thankful for as my head began to feel as though it was being held underwater. They were going to force me to mate. They were going to force me to comply to such a union that was not of my choice…

            My vision began to grow blurry as I felt the vibration of the man at my back begin to growl before he began to speak. As the first few words left his lips my legs gave out beneath me, my mind barely acknowledging the man lift me up as though I were a bride being prepared to be carried over the threshold of my new home while his voice faded away.

[Image of the man holding her in media.]