Chapter two- The rogue king 

Chapter two- The rogue king 

When I woke up, my body didn't feel as stuffy anymore. That was the first thing I noticed. 

I rubbed my eyes and accessed my surroundings. One glance and I could tell that I was away from my pack's territory. Does that mean… I made it?

I sat up and winced as I felt an unbelievable pain shoot up my spine.

"Oh— Fuck!" I cursed as I felt my body automatically force itself back to the ground.

"Oh, you're up. Better not to move, your spine is fucked." I hear a gruff voice nearby. I turn my head and see a man in at least his late thirties, sharpening a knife. He smiled and dropped the steel before standing on his feet. "... Fixed it but you'll probably still feel pain for the next twelve hours or so," he continued while approaching me.

I grabbed onto the grass I was lying on with my weak fist and forced myself to crawl back. Now that I was completely sober, my senses were picking up on inconsistencies such as my clothes… I wasn't wearing my tunic and my long-sleeved shirt. Instead, I was wearing my plain dress and camel jacket. My hair seemed to have been cleaned too... My eyes widened with panic. He couldn't have…

"Don't worry, I didn't fuck you while you were asleep. I was going to… but I don't like my women dirty. Plus, I was hoping to hear you scream when I finally put my hands on you!"

From his cackle and dry yellow eyes, I could tell he'd been in the wild for ages now. He was a rogue, an insane lunatic who would do anything to feel something. A connection he could only feel in a pack.

I scoffed as his eyes ran through my body hungrily, "Even if you forcefully take me it won't do anything. All you need is redemption… A meaningful bond with—"

"— Shut up!"

I felt a rough tug on my chin and the nasty breath of the oldie in my face.

My breath hitched, and the hairs on the nape of my neck rose.

I froze, but my heart wouldn't stop racing, and my legs couldn't stop shaking.

I didn't dare make a sound.

The differences between our strength was massive. I had felt his rough grip before I saw it. How the hell was I to counter that? It didn't help that my opponent was a rogue, there was no talking my way out of it.

"Moon goddess,"

I bowed my head in defeat. 

"Why must you be so cruel to me?"

BANG!

I felt thick liquid pour onto my lap and my heart stopped for a moment. In front of me was a tall muscular man with long dirty brown hair and light brown eyes. His face was graceful but… in his right hand was the rogue from earlier who was taunting me. The muscles in his face were scrunched up and his head was bleeding.

"Finally," The man spoke and I felt my body tingle with goosebumps. "I find my kill." With that, he crushed the man's head with his fist and it exploded, leaving behind splatters of blood as he tossed the body aside.

Then he looked at me; His eyes were meager, yet soulful, because of the streak of sharpness his light brown eyes held. He was like a victorious warrior in battle. Bloody, yet graceful. The exact reason I could not bring myself to trust him. 

While I was shaken up by the amount of blood on my lap, he seemed at ease, like a king.

"Here," he gave me his hand. The one dripping blood from the rogue he'd just crushed.

Despite that he was looking at me, his eyes were distant. I was distant, and unable to accept his kindness. If he could kill that rogue easily, then I wasn't much of a challenge.

"Do it," I said, and closed my eyes.

I didn't die in the hands of my pack's Delta nor the hands of a hungry rogue, yet I would die in the hands of a fiery warrior? I almost didn't mind it. It was an honor, really.

I heard the sound of hands wiping on a grass which made me smile. He likes to keep his hands clean for each kill, doesn't he?

I exhaled and—

The next thing I felt was me being swept into the embrace of a strong pair of arms.

I looked up into the man's pair of light brown eyes. "W-what are you doing?"

"You can't move, can you?"

"B-but I thought—"

"—That I would kill you?" He scoffed, "Don't flatter yourself, you're not much of a challenge."

Somehow, those words calmed me down. Maybe it was because it reminded me of myself.

In the past, while I was training to be Beta, my younger sister would often come to me begging for a duel and my response would be… The same thing this mystery warrior just told me.

And the reason I said that was because I didn't wish to bring harm to my little sister. Somehow, I felt he also didn't wish to harm me. So I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck and let him take me away.

As we walked deep into the forest I noticed that animals within three meters from us were moving away, some were hiding. I looked up into the sharpness of the warrior's eyes and saw that he was not hiding his bloodlust aura, which was ultimately clearing the path for us.

As he moved, I noticed how heavy his steps seemed and his eyes… When he stared down at me for the second time, I panicked and immediately averted my gaze.

I hear his chest rumble with indignation, "What were you staring at?"

"Nothing," I made sure to look further away from him, into the pair of land that now stood in front of us.

Built on the land was a collection of interrelated huts which made me wonder…

The warrior was now in halt. Standing… waiting… for something. I wondered what it was.

Seconds later, I heard movements from the ground. There were people coming, in a group.

My grip instinctively tightened around his neck. 

"Don't worry, they're my men." He said.

Not far from sight, I saw six werewolves in their wolf form appear from behind the huts and ran towards us.

The moment they arrived, they knelt and bent their head to the warrior holding me.

"King," they said.

I slowly turned to look at the werewolf that was holding me, my mouth unable to enunciate the millions of questions running through my mind all at the same time.

I heard the sounds of bones rearranging. I turned to look, only to feel his large palm cover my eyes.

"Don't move," he ordered.

"But—"

"You guys put your clothes on immediately, I don't want to see any of your sex organs jingling around"

"But king, you never used to care about these things."

"You can walk around naked all you want but not in front of my woman,"

I was shocked by the last piece of information he told them. He was clearly referring to me as his woman! Didn't that mean I was doomed? These people didn't seem like a pack. More like a group of abandoned wolves.

I knew it, my luck would not be that good to be rescued. This man only brought me to be officially used as his plaything. I was basically just a piece of flesh at his disposal.

My heart ached. This was too much for me…

When he finally removed his palm from my eyes, his men were fully dressed in clothing made of animal skin and fur. I was about to say something but he cleared his throat, causing me to turn to face him. 

"I…" he whispered, "Mason,"

My lips parted, "Your name is Mason?"

He nodded.

I also decided to go along with it, to postpone my humiliation date. "My name is Lyra," I said.