Chapter 25 Fucked In The Woods (4)

Chapter 25 Fucked In The Woods (4)
—•LUCIA•—

“You do, little wolf,” the Rogue King growled, his gaze locked on mine. “And you can.”

Little wolf… was that really how he saw me?

Fuck me if I said that didn’t hurt.

Summoning every ounce of strength, I pressed my palms against his chest, pushing with all I had, trying to shove him away.

But he didn’t budge. 

With one hand, he gripped both my wrists, yanking them from his chest and locking them between my legs with iron-tight strength.

My lips trembled as a sharp, ragged sound escaped. “Stop…”

He didn’t stop. 

He lowered his head, his lips finding my neck again, and the heat of his mouth on my skin sent a jolt straight through me. 

His tongue traced a path that made my back arch against my will.

I can’t… I shouldn’t… 

My mind screamed, but my body betrayed me, giving in to him even as I fought.

“Don’t deny it,” he growled into my skin, his voice vibrating against my throat. “Give in. I know you want this just as much as I do.”

I didn’t.

I couldn’t.

But his pheromones pulled me in anyway, clouding my mind and weakening my resolve.

His scent, a heady mix of spice and cold night air, flooded my senses, thicker and more potent than before. 

He was releasing it on purpose, letting it wrap around me in a heavy, intoxicating cloud that left my body feeling strange.

A slow, sinking feeling settled in my stomach, seeping through my bones.

My resolve, the tight knot of defiance I clung to, began to loosen.

“Give in to him,” Skylar purred, her voice a seductive hum in my mind. “He’s our mate. Let me out. Let me feel him.”

I mentally shoved her back, slamming an invisible wall between us. 

I couldn’t let her take over. 

If I did… she’d let this asshole fuck me, right here, right now.

And that was exactly the last thing I wanted.

My plan was to escape the Rogue King, not fuck him.

The fog of his pheromones made my head swim, my thoughts turning heavy and sluggish. 

I couldn’t let myself give in. 

Gritting my teeth, I pulled together every shred of strength left in my trembling limbs. 

With a sharp twist and a surge of panic, I yanked my wrists from his grasp and shoved his chest, forcing him back a few inches.

“I told you to stop!” I yelled.

He leaned back on his heels, eyes fixed on me. 

For a moment, something like sadness flickered in his dark gaze. 

Then he straightened, raising both hands smoothly in a gesture of surrender.

“Okay,” he said, his voice softer this time. “I’ll back off. I don’t force women.”

A harsh, disbelieving laugh escaped me. “Liar.”

He could lie to anyone else, but not to me. 

This was the same man who had promised to slaughter my entire pack if I had rejected him. The same monster who burned homes to the ground, destroyed countless packs, and killed countless wolves. 

And now he stood there, painting himself as a man of principles, claiming he wouldn’t hurt a woman.

“I’m not lying,” he said.

“Yes, you are,” I muttered, skeptical.

“Believe what you want,” he said with a shrug, completely unbothered.

I stayed silent.

Slowly, he lowered his hands and extended one toward me. “Come. Let’s see the water.”

I glared at his outstretched hand. “I can help myself.” 

My legs wobbled as I slowly pushed myself to my feet and brushed the dirt from the back of my gown.

He didn’t move a muscle as I stood, eyes flicking over me with careful attention, then he shifted on his heels and strode toward the river.

I followed behind him, keeping a careful distance. 

We moved closer to the river bank, the sound of the current filling the tense silence.

“This river is the heart of the woods,” he said, his back to me. “This exact spot where I stood is where I claimed my first victory.”

First victory?

I did not care about this bullshit information he was giving me. 

But I had to act like I did.

“Are you hearing me?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

I met his gaze. “Yes. I am.”

He held my gaze for a long moment, searching mine as if he didn’t quite believe me. 

I forced a small, tight smile. Hopefully that convinces him.

Finally, he turned away. “Follow me.”

So… he believes me. I think.

I fell in step behind him as he led us away from the riverbank, deeper into the woods. 

He glanced back constantly, practically every second, to make sure I was still trailing. 

When he wasn’t looking, I scanned over my shoulder, memorizing twisted roots, distinctive trees—anything that might help me retrace my steps later.

The fifth time—no, the hundredth time I glanced back, his hand shot out and captured mine. 

“I don’t want us to get separated,” he said, lacing his fingers through mine. I tried to pull away, but he only held on tighter. “It’s easy to get lost in these woods.”

Me, get lost in these woods? If only he knew how well I knew them. 

But even with all my familiarity, the path he was leading me along felt completely foreign.

In all my years of running, I had never seen this place.

The trees grew closer together, the canopy blocked most of the sunlight, leaving only narrow shafts piercing through.

As we went deeper, the woods grew darker and so fucking scary.

The air grew colder with every step.

We walked for what felt like hours, and my legs began to ache.

If we were going this far, why didn’t he just carry me, using that fast, super-speed trick from earlier?

Letting me run on my own was out of the question—he probably thought I’d try to escape, which I would.

Or was this his way of punishing me for pushing him away?

We walked in silence, the only sounds our footsteps and the distant hoot of an owl. 

Just as my patience was wearing thin, a soft golden light appeared, glowing between the trees ahead.

There was no doubt—that was where he was taking me.

As we moved closer, my foot caught on a hidden root. 

I stumbled forward with a gasp, certain I was about to land face-first on the ground.

Just then, strong hands caught me under my arms, yanking me upright before I could hit the ground. 

They belonged to the Rogue King. 

He held me there, steadying me, his face inches from mine. 

In the strange, dappled light, I could see his face clearly—the sharp line of his jaw, the piercing darkness of his eyes, his lips still slightly swollen from our kiss.

Lips I wouldn’t mind kissing again.

Shit. 

What the fuck was I thinking?

I cleared my throat, breaking the moment, and wrenched myself free of his hold. 

He released me instantly.

“We’re almost there,” he said.

“Okay,” I replied, and we continued walking straight ahead.

After a few minutes, the Rogue King said, “This is where I used to play as a child.”

That was when I realized we had arrived at the light spot. 

The light spot. 

That’s what I decided to call it. 

My breath caught as I looked around. 

It was a small, perfect clearing. The grass was a vibrant, light green, dotted with exotic flowers I’d never seen before. 

Tiny glowing insects drifted through the air, and colorful birds chirped in the branches above. 

The place felt alive, radiant, a paradise compared to the dark, oppressive woods surrounding it. 

“Wow. I never imagined a place like this existed here,” I muttered.

“I protected it,” he said, releasing me. “I made sure the curse didn’t affect it.”

“Curse?” I asked, turning slowly to look at him.

“Yes. A fae cursed me in these woods, which affected the forest as well. But I begged the goddess to spare this place. It’s where I spent most of my childhood.”

“Wow,” I murmured, letting the sarcasm slip in. “So not only are you ruthless… you’re cursed too.”

His gaze dropped to his hands.

“I don’t actually want to kill other wolves or destroy packs,” he said quietly. “But there’s a voice in my head. It comes without warning and takes over, making me do horrible things.”

I stared at him, searching his face for a lie, for any hint of sarcasm, but found none.

It left me unsure if I could believe a single word he said.

“Other wolves call rogues monsters,” he continued. “But that’s not true. We’re just wolves who came together and formed a pack for ourselves when no one else would accept us.”

“But you rogues kill other wolves,” I said bluntly.

“Yes. We do,” he replied. “Under my orders.”

“So you take full responsibility for that?”

“I’m not proud of it.” His shoulders tensed.

“I find that hard to believe,” I scoffed.

His head snapped up, hurt flashing in his eyes rather than anger.

“I’m telling you the truth,” he said firmly.

Then he looked away, his voice dropping. “The rogues don’t have a choice. They follow my commands because if they disobey, the curse…” He swallowed. “I would kill them.”

He lifted his hand, staring at his palm as if it belonged to someone else. “The curse didn’t just bring the voice,” he said quietly. “It brought power. Terrible power.”

The curse sounded like a living nightmare. 

“This curse… can’t you break it? Or do something?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

“I can.”

“How?” The question slipped out before I could stop it.

He was silent long enough that I thought he wouldn’t answer. 

Then he slowly lifted his gaze to mine, the amber in his eyes catching the light.

“I only need one thing to break it.”

So he could break it. Then why hadn’t he? 

Why hadn’t he found what he needed and broken the curse already? 

Or was he lying, just to make me pity him?

I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest. “What exactly do you need to break the curse?”

He stepped closer, his gaze locking onto mine, intense enough to pin me in place. 

Then he said the last thing I ever expected.

“You.”