I wake up drenched in sweat again. Another nightmare. I hate these sweats because it meant that I would freeze the rest of the morning until I made a fire. Blinking a few times, I decide I cannot sleep any longer.
I don’t wish to return to my nightmare either. My home is a rock cave that I found about a week ago. It’s hidden nicely behind a waterfall so I feel somewhat sheltered, protected. I begin to build my small fire in hopes of warming up.
Over the last several years, I had collected some clothing items from rogue camps, but left it all behind when I was trapped a few weeks ago.I preferred to live in wolf form for many reasons, not having clothes being one of them.
My wolf, Morrigan, came to me about three months ago. She is a comfort to me in so many ways. I have someone to talk to since my mother passed. At the time, my hopelessness could not have descended any farther. Her voice is not meek like mine. She is confident and her presence felt, but motherly at the same time. She arrived when I needed her most. I had contemplated taking my life so many times. Morrigan, or Mor as I’ve come to know her, convinced me to keep pushing. What for, I’m sure I don’t know.
I used to keep track of the days on a tree near our home that we had built the year following our pack’s destruction. We thought it to be well hidden but a band of rogues attacked us one afternoon and destroyed the shelter.
We had run for our lives once more until we found a second hideout. It stayed peaceful for some time there. We kept busy building a new shelter, collecting forest animals for food and trying to accumulate clothes. Mom taught me it was difficult to stay in wolf form at all times. Eventually your wolf needs rest. Of course this was before I had one but she was diligent in teaching me the ways of our wolves. Life seemed somewhat serene until that hateful day when they came. I desperately avoid thinking of this day at all costs. The sounds of her screams, their maniacal laughs as they tried inventing ways of attacking and torturing her. I was of course bound and gagged myself, clothing stripped from me. The rogue group’s leader had a distinct laugh and wore an eye patch on the right. There were five in total. While my mother lay there in the dirt, soaked in her own blood, they turned their attention to me.
Sweat dripping from my forehead again. I must’ve drifted off to sleep. At least I managed to wake up again before the worst part of the nightmare. I had been lucky enough to escape that hell. Mom however paid the ultimate sacrifice. I almost couldn’t leave her body, but I didn’t have a choice. Seeing her so bloody and twisted tore out my insides. She prayed on the goddess’ life that I could escape and run far away.
These nightmares are never ending. I haven’t had a peaceful night’s sleep since we’ve been rogue. Always on alert, always ready to defend. Now that I have a wolf, it has been easier to defend myself and to hunt. But I am lonely. Crushed from the weight of my parents’ deaths. What is left for me?
As I sit there pondering this, I hear a twig snap. Again, another snap. Ears to attention. Morgan pushes forward, ready to take charge. We decide to stay silent behind our waterfall curtain, in hopes we aren’t discovered. Crap! The smoke from my fire. It’s too late, I hear noises coming toward the cave. Just then I shift into my white but dirty wolf. My green eyes do not change from human to wolf form.
They are attentively watching for intruders. I decide to sneak out the back way and as I’m creeping on all four paws, hoping to not make a sound, the alarm I had fashioned crashes down. With no choice, I exit the safety of my cave.
These are two wolves I’ve never seen. Both large and muscular but not menacing. They look at me with curious eyes. They look at each other and then back at me. My hackles straight up, fangs extruded, ready for a fight. Suddenly, I hear a voice… “We mean you no harm. What’s your name?”. It seems as though he’s talking to me in wolf form. “Have you mind linked before?”, he asks. My mother died before my wolf came. I feel a sense of sorrow that my wolf never got to meet her. No time to feel sorry for myself. I need to focus. I look at the wolves as if to speak but nothing comes out. Besides, what would I even say? Looking confused, the wolf says to me “we will shift but do not want to startle you. We’re going to step behind these rocks over here and if you will step behind that tree and shift, we would like to speak with your human”.
They both gently head over to the rocks that are plenty tall for me to not accidentally see their naked human flesh. I oblige and head over the tree nearby and shift. Shifting has never been comfortable. It’s riddled with painful bones cracking and snapping. Does this ever get easier?
“Are you still there?”, I hear a masculine but gentle voice call out. “Yes, I am”. “I am Zak, this is my brother Leo. We are scouts of the Broken Mountain pack and are looking for a pack of rogues”. I contemplate their words as there hasn’t been any rogue activity with the exception of the horror I had escaped. “I’m afraid I’m the only rogue in these parts to my knowledge. I do not know where I am. Am I trespassing?”, I ask in fear. This may be how I die, though they both seemed genuinely concerned.“Technically this is our land but it’s rarely patrolled or used” one says. “Where is your pack or your family?”. At that thought, I look down at my very soiled hands and a tear begins to well. “They’re gone. It is just me”. There is an awkward silence accompanied by small whispers. “Please come with us to our pack. Our alpha is quite lenient and would offer you food and shelter”. Morgan yips excitedly in my mind at the thought of a safe place to sleep and ooh maybe food! “Morgan, how do we know this isn’t a trap? No one has ever shown kindness while trespassing”. “Em, we both need something to eat other than squirrels and besides my friend, you could use a bath”. I look down at my body with its scraped skin and mud caked in places it probably shouldn’t be.
Zak’s POV
We had been patrolling for what seemed like hours when we both smelled, “wait, is that fried squirrel?”. I look at my brother quizzically. Just then, I see a shadow behind the waterfall that’s draping down like a curtain. There’s a moderately sized wolf with bright green eyes, “green eyes?” my wolf Beteo says questioningly. “Have never seen that before. Leo, it looks terrified. Maybe try and talk”.
“We mean you no harm, what is your name?”. Nothing. I can tell the wolf is a female. She looks at us even more confused. “Zak, is she a feral?”. Ferals are not common but they are wolves that have spent so much time in wolf form, they forget how to mindlink. “Zak, let’s see if we can shift and talk to her but I don’t want to scare her off. I’m going to offer to hide behind something so she has privacy”. “Well aren’t you quite the gentleman”, Leo scoffs snidely.
After she seems to have accepted the offer of shifting, we wait to hear the sounds. “Are you still there?” I chime out. I try peeking around the rock facade just to see a face or perhaps an age of the rogue we are talking to. I capture a glance of her face and oh my, what a face it is. Long brunette wavy hair, I dare say quite muddy and tangled, but nonetheless; it cascades down her body to cover her female features. Her eyes, piercing green and ruby lips.
Leo gasps, “do you see her bruises?”. “Oh shit, those are intense. There’s one on her neck too- looks like a strangle mark”. We both dart our eyes to one another. Who would harm this innocent and bewitchingly gorgeous woman. We offer for her to come with us to the pack, suggesting of course in wolf form as it is too far to walk and none of us have clothes.
Emma’s POV
We arrive at the outskirts of a mountain basin. The mountain behind the small but quaint… well, the fortress really, is striking. This must be their namesake. I am lured out of my thoughts when one of the wolves, I had admittedly forgotten their names, offers for me to stay put until he returns with some female clothes. I start pacing in place.
“Morgan, I don’t know if I can do this. What if..”. “What if what Em? This is your chance to get out of the forest where we have suffered so much already. You will have a roof over your head and warm food… I hope so anyways”. I smile at Morgan. She’s been a mother figure to me these past few months. She seems much more mature than my wolf should for being so young.
Just then the brownish wolf returns and drops a pile of clothes behind a tree and nods to me, mindlinking “I will be just over there. When you’re done changing, come out and we’ll get you some food and water”. I slowly creep over, keeping my eyes on him. Wait, where did the other one go? I grab the clothes and dart to the tree. I shift and go to grab the sweat shirt.
Oh it smells so good like a cotton cloud. I vaguely remember mom doing laundry in our old home; loving the smells of the fresh bed sheets. Enough daydreaming. I snap myself out of it and reach for the sweat pants. Both are rather large for me. I thought he said female? “It’s better than what you had” Morgan scoffs at my lack of grace. “You’re right Morg, I’m sorry”. She smiles at me.
Zak’s POV “Alpha, may I have a word”. I am sweating a little, not sure if it was the right thing to bring a rogue in, well not after what happened to the town a year ago. Liam barely turns his focused head, “hmm”. He is a statue of a man. He is taller than me and I am at least six feet. Easily womps any of us at sparring and has muscles to prove it. Scars too. He has been in a few brawls, mainly to protect our town and pack. I have known alpha since we were small boys and we have always been good friends. My father was his father’s beta. They were both murdered during the attack. “Sir we came across a lone she-wolf in the far territory. She had been camping in a cave. I’m not quite sure how long she has been there but well… we”.... “You wha
Liam’s POV The thought of a rogue in my house makes me queasy, she-wolf or not. I step lightly down the kitchen stairs and see Grace conversing with a seemingly small human on a stool, facing away from me. I could not tell her exact stature as the clothes were easily five times too big. Her hair cascading down her back. Mom looks up at me suddenly, “Alpha, son. There is someone I would like you to meet”. The girl stops eating, setting the apple slice down and lowers her head in submission. Keeping her head bowed, she turns toward me. I can’t quite see her face with the light shadows and her immense amount of hair. “What’s your name?” I ask. She lifts her eyes to meet mine. It feels like a bomb exploding in my gut. Kalen rushes forward, “MATE” he screams, loud enough I thought they all heard. My heart racin
Liam POV Holy shit, holy shit. “Oh my goddess Liam, did you see our mate? She is BEAUTIFUL!”. “Yes she is Kalen. I cannot believe our mate is a rogue?!”. “But did you see her bruises? Those were gnarly. And the choke mark on her neck”.. “Wait what? Did we see the same woman, Kalen?”. “You seriously didn’t see her face full of bruises? Wow you really were affected. Don’t worry, I am too little guy”. I have never seen Kalen this, well, emotional and sort of girly. He is gushing big time. But bruises? Why can I not remember any bruises. As I walk hurriedly to some unknown destination, I bump into Zak and Leo. I did not really acknowledge the bump and keep walking. They jog to catch up, “Alpha, everything ok?” Leo asks. I turn to
Grace’s POV Emma is such a sweet and shy young woman. She told me she was content with an apple and water. I won’t push it, knowing full well that going from famished to well fed takes time. Her bruises are fairly extensive. She was definitely hit hard several times. There is also a red mark around her neck. Despite the wreckage, she really is a beautiful girl. I sense her discomfort by my staring. “Sorry dear, I am a physician and was just examining your wounds. May I ask how they occurred?”. She looks down at her apple and without looking at me, “you can imagine being a rogue she wolf.. Well, it can get.. Well, rough without a pack. No one to protect you, no one to help you. Still though, I feel lucky. I managed to escape, unlike some”.
Emma’s POV The screech stops at my door and I hear a knock followed by the sound of whispers. Without waiting for permission, the door swings open followed by a young and bubbly face. As soon as she spots me, she screeches again and runs over to me, throwing her arms around me. I awkwardly return the hug, sort of. “Ruth, what on earth are you doing? You’re going to frighten Emma to death”, Grace chasing behind her. “I finally have a sister” she exclaims and hugs me again. Ruth is beautiful. A tall, thin version of her brother. She is very young. Her face is so full of happiness and exuberance. “A sister?”, I ask Mor. “What does she mean, a sister?”. “I don’t know Emma but she seems friendly”. Morgan is usually s
Liam’s POV Tapping my fingers on the oak table, listening to my friends talk about the deer they hunted earlier. “What is taking the girls so long?” I ask Kalen, my wolf. “Girl things I think” he says with a grin, whatever that means. Just then I hear a shrill “brother” from behind me. Leo’s eyes light up. Zak and a few other members all hide their faces that seem to say “oh god, hide us”. My sister Ruth is a bit… much. She has been away since she was 15, now 18. Leo has always had a crush on her. Neither of them were old enough to have mates when she left. Oh goddess, what if they mate? I can’t think about that. “Where is she?” Kalen asks impatiently. “I want to see our mate”. “I know buddy, m
Liam’s POV “Ruth, you’re here for a few hours and manage to fuck things up”. “What the hell Liam, I didn’t ask anything wrong”. I just look at her with so much anger. “Mom, please explain it to her, I don’t have the patience”. I stand up, motioning for all others to remain and eat. I gently open and close the balcony door. She’s not out here, where’d she go? “Oh shit Liam, she ran”. Just then I hear movement on the grass below. Peeking over, I see her with her hands covering her face. Trying not to startle her, I clear my throat. She turns and her jade green eyes pierce through me but she quickly looks down. “Alpha… I am so sorry”. I gently walk towards her but not too close.. “It’s
Emma’s POV “Here, I had this brought to your room. It’s hot chocolate with whipped cream, my favorite”. I sniff the mug, it smells delicious. “Here is a set of silk pajamas. This week, I shall like to take you to town to buy you a wardrobe”. My eyes snap up to her. I could not possibly go into a town and with what currency? I have nothing. She easily senses my uneasiness and gently cups my shoulders, “honey, please let me do this for you. You are one of us now. And do not worry about the particulars, they do not matter any”. She hugs me gently and closes the door behind her. Remembering the cocoa, I take a sip “oh my goddess Mor, are you tasting this?”. I end up drinking it too fast, wishing I had more. Just then, I feel sleep com