The Rogue Den
Chapter 114:
Lucien’s eyes narrowed. “You expect us to follow you blindly?”
The woman didn’t flinch. “You don’t have much choice,” she said evenly. “Unless you’d rather stay here and bleed until the next patrol finds you.”
Lucien’s jaw tightened. “You don’t give orders to me.”
Her mouth curved, not quite a smile. “Then consider it a suggestion, Alpha.” She turned, motioning for the others to move. “Follow, or don’t. But choose fast.”
Rain dripped steadily through the trees. Aria looked from Lucien to Kael, he was pale, shivering, and still bleeding. It wasn’t really hard to make a decision after all.
“Lucien,” she said quietly. “We can’t stay.”
Lucien looked to Aria. Rain slicked her hair to her face, her eyes bright and uncertain, but she didn’t look away. “We can’t trust them,” he said quietly.
“I know,” she answered. “But we don’t have to trust them to survive the night.”
That silenced him. For a long moment, the only sound was the rain and the faint hiss of blood cooling in the mud. Then Lucien exhaled slowly, lowering his blade just enough to signal truce.
His jaw worked for a moment, but finally he nodded once. “Fine. Lead the way.”
“But one wrong move–”
“You’ll kill us,” the rogue finished, a ghost of a smile on her lips. “Yes, Alpha. I’ve heard that one before.”
Lucien’s glare lingered a heartbeat longer before he moved to lift Kael. “Let’s go,” he said.
The rogues moved first, melting into the trees like shadows. Their steps were light, and they moved fast, weaving through paths only they seemed to know. Lucien followed, supporting Kael with one arm. Aria came next, glancing back every few steps, half expecting more hunters to appear, but the woods were silent except for the rain.
The rain had reduced to a drizzle as they walked, but the air still reeked of dead bodies and blood. Aria stayed close to Lucien, her nerves stretched thin. The further they went, the deeper the forest became. The ground dipped, then rose again, winding through rock and bramble until the trees began to thin.
Kael groaned softly with each step, but said nothing. Aria checked him once, fingers brushing his arm. “Hold on,” she whispered.
“Wasn’t planning on letting go,” he muttered weakly, forcing a crooked smile.
Lucien’s hand tightened on Kael’s shoulder in silent warning for him to save his breath.
After a while, Aria leaned close to Lucien. “You think it’s a trap?”
“Everything’s a trap,” he murmured, his eyes scanning the dark. “But if it keeps you alive until sunrise, I’ll walk straight into it.” Her heart caught at that, even though his voice was all steel. He was so different from when they first met.
It seemed like they had walked for what felt like hours. The forest thickened, closing in until even the moonlight vanished. The air smelled of wet bark and smoke. When Aria’s legs began to ache, the lead rogue finally stopped at the mouth of a ravine where faint firelight flickered below.
The walls on either side were slick with moss, and faint light shimmered below, campfires, flickering orange and gold through the rain. “This way,” she said, beginning the descent. “Stay close.”
They trailed down a narrow path carved into the stone. The sound of rushing water grew louder as they went, until the ravine opened into a wide hollow hidden beneath the cliffs.
Aria’s breath caught as she froze at the sight in front of her.
A camp…no, a settlement, spread out beneath the cliffs– a hidden refuge carved into the land itself. Makeshift shelters built from stone, wood, and torn canvas dotted the ground, close to each other, and a dozen small fires burned in circles. Wolves moved between them, some in human form, others half-shifted, their eyes glinting warily in the dark.
“Gods…” Kael let out a low whistle. “So this is where all the lost souls went.”
Lucien didn’t answer. His gaze swept the hollow, measuring exits, counting bodies. Always calculating. “How many?” he muttered under his breath.
“Dozens,” Kael rasped. “Maybe more.”
The rogue turned back to them, her pale eyes glinting faintly from the light of their torches. “Welcome to what’s left of us,” she said. “The ones the packs cast out, the ones who refused to kneel.”
Lucien’s voice was low, cautious. “And why exactly have you brought us here? The werewolf king? A warrior, a girl blessed by the Moon goddes. What do you want from us?”
She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she studied Aria, gaze lingering on the faint glow of the Rune through her damp clothes. “Not from you,” she said finally. “From her.”
If Aria stiffened further, at this point she would become a stone, “Me?”
The rogue nodded. “The one who carries the Moon’s power. The packs whisper about you, girl. Some say you’re cursed. Others say you’re the end of the old order.”
Aria’s stomach twisted. “You believe stories that easily?”
“Out here,” she replied, “stories are all we have.”
Lucien stepped slightly in front of her. “And which do you believe?”
The rogue’s smile widened slightly. “Does it matter? Either way, you draw blood. And blood draws wolves.”
“What do you want?” Lucien snarled, already pissed at her cryptic words.
“Not you,” the rogue said simply. “The hunters have been tracking all our kind, not just yours. We followed them here, and we found you instead.” Her gaze flicked to them, one by one, lingering on Kael. “You’re welcome.”
Kael, still leaning against Aria, gave a weak grin. “You’ve got perfect timing.”
The rogue tilted her head. “I guess you could say so.”
Aria stepped forward. “Why help us?”
The rogue’s eyes glowed faintly. “Because, Alpha Aria, whether you like it or not, your fight’s becoming ours.”
Lucien stiffened at the word ‘Alpha’. The rogue smiled faintly and just said, “You’ll understand everything soon.”
Only silence remained as the rain continued to fall around them, washing the blood from their injuries into the earth. The rogue gestured to the fires. “Come. You’ll rest. The wounded one needs tending."