Flashbacks from yesterday haunt me. Every time I close my eyes, even just a blink of the eye brings back the blood, the terror, the screams. Everything happened too fast for me to process, but somehow every detail is engraved on my mind.One moment and I see Axel jump towards the rogue. The next one comes and I see myself between them, trying to protect the stranger instead of my own mate. A third one and Axel falls down so he can avoid hurting me. Forth and another rogue jumps at the opportunity and bites Axel. The blood starts spilling as Axel's eyes lose their shine. Fifth blink and I am thrown to the side by Caroline, desperately trying to push him off Axel.The Alpha comes after that and the rogues run away. The warriors take their human forms and circle us as I crawl towards Axel. But Caroline stops me. She didn't care to grab something to cover herself, she doesn't care that half the pack is around us, she cares for nothing as her eyes get red with anger."Traitor!" She screame

"What's the deal between you and that filthy rogue?" He jumps straight at it with an expression far from the loving one from earlier."Wha... Axel, you were there when I explained it to your father. I felt like I owed it to him for saving me twice... I'm so sorry for hurting you. If I knew you would get hurt I wouldn't...""Of course you didn't know I would get hurt. That would require you to have any knowledge or training in combat." He spits furiously as he gets up and starts pacing around the room.I stare at him in disbelief. What happened since I left the Alpha's office? Did the Alpha already break his part of the deal?"Axel? I... I'm really sorry... For everything. I know I messed up, but...""Oh mess up does not even begin to describe it! Yeah, sure, my dad will say it was a misunderstanding, but that won't clear your name completely. You... if they didn't like you before... now, I don’t even know. And it's only four months before the Alpha ceremony. Should I announce you as L

"I don't know about this Axel..." I whisper as he picks the lock of his father's office."Don't worry, I've been doing it since I was ten." He brushes off my concern with a wink and gets back to business."I thought you could just tell him you want to look over them, not that we have to break in!""All the reports are in his office and they can't leave his office. Pack safety. So if you don't want to spend some quality time with my dad, let me focus.""I was standing accused of treason yesterday and now I am breaking into the Alpha's office. This can't end up well." I complain, terrified of returning to that dark and moldy dungeon."Only if we get caught!"Judging by my luck, the Alpha will have a nightmare about not watering his plants and will come to check up on them the second we get in. I point this out to Axel, but he rolls his eyes saying his dad has plastic plants.Finally, a click from the door almost gives me a heart attack, but Axel turns around, proud of his work.The offi

"Alpha!" Both me and Axel greet him as he puts his phone down."If it isn't the heroic couple." I believe he tried to sound genuine, but god damn did that come out sarcastic. And exactly because he attempted to be nice, I am so much more convinced it won't be a good discussion. "Take a seat. Rose, Axel told me you were the one that figured that the rogues would attack yesterday.""I just thought of looking for a pattern when Axel mentioned the attacks can't be predicted." That and the moon Goddess appears in my dreams and gives me advice lately like a fairy godmother, but I'm not going to say that out loud. Not that they would believe me anyway."Yes. In the reports that you too stole from my office the other day."All the blood drains from my face as I sneak a look towards Axel, but my mate seems quite pleased with himself."I see that old age didn't make you senile, father." he says, and I almost choke with my own breath. I expect the Alpha to be outraged, but instead, he bursts out

#Axel's perspective#"I will try to hint at this, Rose, but... It took them so long to admit that the attacks are a problem, even though endless packs fell in the last years. To accept there is any pack in the world that would work with the rogues... It would shake the foundation of their beliefs." I shake my head as I paced around the room."Their beliefs is the root of those troubles. The distance between packs, the distance between members of the same pack, between us and the rogues. Instead of a community that was created for the survival of everyone, it became the rule of the strongest.""Because that's what is needed to survive...""No, that is the easy way to exist, not what is needed to live, to thrive."We are running in circles at this point, with both being right and wrong at the same time. And I get what she's saying is right in a way, but just because it's right, it doesn't mean everyone will jump to accept it. Yeah, the weak will, seeing an opportunity, but the strong? T