Chapter 4: Lance

Smack!

My shoulder throbbed as the bloody bastard brought down his baton against it. I snarled and tried to shrug the mutt off, but my cuffed hands didn't help. Instead, I fell on my knees, my teeth knocking painfully from the impact.

Hands gripped the scruff of my shirt, dragging me forward.

"If you can't even walk, we might as well just break those legs. They're fucking useless anyway," one of the patrols drawled as he looked down on me.

I glared at him and bared my teeth. "Bold of you to assume you can just lay your hand on me, mutt."

Derisive laughter came from the wolves surrounding me. "Are you blind, too? Or maybe just plain stupid. We've caught you, Rogue."

"You're all bark but no bite!" Another hollered, followed by a round of chuckles.

"No, that's wrong," someone wheezed in while laughing. "He's no wolf. Not like while being tied up like a pig in slaughter. Oink, oink!"

I gritted my teeth and stayed silent while they laughed their assess off. If I could just break away from my bindings, I could snap their necks in a single breath. My wolf prowled inside me, growling at the mutts with unadulterated hatred. He wanted to rage and to wreak havoc. He wanted blood.

The rope dug into my skin as I tried to loosen it again, but it was useless. They made sure to use a rope imbued in silver. It partially suppressed my wolf and sapped my strength, preventing me from escaping.

They pushed me up on my feet again and continued parading me throughout their compound. The place was eerily empty. If I remembered correctly, pack houses were supposed to be populated. Although my memory might've been rusty. It's been a long time since I've been in one.

That thought sent my wolf whining, remembering why we ended up in this predicament in the first place.

I didn't belong to any pack now.

A man darted towards us, chest heaving from breathing fast as if he had just ran a marathon. "The Pack Alpha is waiting. Bring him in," he shouted before jogging back to where he came from.

My eyes followed him until I saw an opulent mansion up ahead. That must be the main house in the compound. It was brightly lit, and the sounds of an ongoing party could be heard even this far from it. That explained why the rest of the houses were empty. Everyone must've been inside, enjoying whatever festivity they were celebrating.

My captors dragged me onward until we crossed the enormous double doors. Extravagant chandeliers illuminated the vast ballroom, and I had to squint my eyes from the sudden onslaught of light. The whole place was elegantly decorated, and the scent of food and liquor wafted through me.

I ignored it all and focused on the crowd gawking at me. Wolves dressed in suits and gowns formed a circle around our group. Rich, pompous men, and their trophy wives, probably. The elite of the society. I gagged internally and rolled my eyes.

Of course, they'd display me in front of the most influential people.

"Pack Alpha," the leader of the patrol group that captured me spoke, his head reverentially bowed before a towering man with blonde hair and blue eyes. "We offer you... The Rogue Wolf."

Gasps and whispers traveled through the room like a crashing wave.

"Is it really him? The Rogue Wolf?"

"Why is he still alive?"

"He's a traitor. He must be killed."

"We are not safe here. Honey, honey - "

I smirked and let my gaze sweep over the crowd. My eyes flashed, willing my wolf to the surface as I flexed my muscles against my bindings. Everyone stepped back, horrified.

That just made me grin wider. Fucking cowards.

The man with the blonde hair, the Alpha of this clown pack, appeared unaffected. He waved a hand on the patrol men surrounding me, dismissing them. Then, he approached me with confident steps.

"Is it true that you are The Rogue Wolf?" He asked, his voice casual, relaxed, but laced with dominance.

I schooled my face and looked at him straight in the eye. "My face is plastered in every wanted poster all over the city and even beyond. Don't waste your breathe with a rhetorical question. 'Sides, what if I say no?"

He gave me a thin smile. "I am hoping we can start and end this conversation with honesty. Do you know who I am?"

Hmmm. I looked at the guy up and down, noting his features. I've stayed away from other wolf shifters for a long time, but I made sure to at least stay updated as best as possible. Honestly, the blue eyes alone were a dead giveaway.

"Galway," I answered.

He tilted his head in a mock greeting. "Yes, Adrian Galway. I'm pleased you know me. And what's your name?"

I scoffed. "The Rogue Wolf."

"No, that won't do," he shook his head and motioned for the patrol men again. "Perhaps a bit of privacy can make you more open."

I wanted to spit in his face and say that nothing could make me open, but they started dragging me again towards a secluded room. The faint scent of roses made my wolf whipped his head in search of its owner. Before we could hone on it, the doors closed, muffling the sounds of the party.

Galway ordered his men to leave us alone again, and I was left with the sole company of the other Alpha.

"Well, is this more comfortable?"

I wiggled my hands against the rope. "Cut the bullshit. What do you want? If you want me dead, just do it."

He sat on a plush chair, his ankle crossed over his knee and fingers linked together. "You're asking me if I want you the dead? The wolf, who single handedly killed an entire pack. The wolf, who took down every assassin after him. The wolf, who managed to evade all, or almost all, authority."

I curled my lip at the subtle jab. "Your men just got lucky."

"Luck or none, you're here now." Galway's eyes flashed as he looked at me with calculating intensity. "What I'm saying is, you might be a rogue, but I'm sure your talents can be better honed."

"I'm done playing games with anyone. Whatever you're offering, I refuse."

Galway chuckled. "Don't be hasty with your decision. I'm certain we can reach a compromise. What do you want in return? If you work for me, I can give you anything."

"You want me to be your hunting dog?" It was my turn to laugh; the sound from me felt almost too foreign. "Not a fucking chance."

Galway seemed to not appreciate being laughed at because his wolf growled. "Careful, Rogue. Don't test me."

"Or what? You'll kill me? Sure, go ahead."

"Everyone wants something. Money, power, influence. I can remove your status as a rogue. You can join my pack."

"You have no leverage over me, Galway."

"Don't you want your strength to be used for the greater good?"

"If the greater good means giving you more power, then no."

I could see him losing patience with how he stifled his fingers, the tightness in his eyes, and his pinched lips. I just grinned at him, riling up his wolf. It was true the I was strong and that my wolf was a power to behold, but I'd rather die than be muzzled by a man like Adrian Galway. His type made me bristle in anger. Just one look at him, and I knew he was the kind of guy who only cared for himself. I hated him right away.

He opened his mouth to speak again, but before he could, there was a soft knock on the door. Recognition lit his eyes. "Come in."

Suddenly, the scent of roses filled the room. My wolf lurched inside me, trying to break free. If it wasn't for the silver ropes, I would've shifted right then. My senses zoomed into the woman who entered. Everything fell away as my vision was filled with her figure. All I could see were her strawberry pink hair, light blue eyes that appeared almost gray, and her scent... fuck, her scent. Roses overwhelmed every single one of my senses. My wolf salivated.

It took everything in me to not react outwardly, especially when the woman glanced at me... and there was not even a hint of acknowledgment in her eyes.

'What's happening?' I thought with dread. 'Why can't she recognize me? She's supposed to feel the connection with me.'

"Alpha," she said, a sultry hymn lulling me.

Galway smiled and beckoned her towards him. She readily obeyed, her head bowed submissively.

What. The. Hell. Is. Happening?

"The guests are looking for you."

"They can wait," Galway replied, petting her head.

That's when I finally saw the ring on Galway's finger. My eyes snapped to the woman's hand, and my heart dropped when I also saw a matching ring on her.

Howling, my wolf collapsed inside me.

A single sentence rang in my head like a broken record.

My fated mate was already married.