Chapter Thirty-Four

*Rogues*.

Their distinct scent muddled with the blood of their unconscious friend, and Queen Lana’s blood and scent.

Laura let loose a warning, layering the tones with power.

The males paused, noting her presence just outside of view for the first time.

Neither of them spoke, but one nodded to the other as the longer-haired male took Queen Lana completely in his arms while the other approached the area where Laura crouched.

She didn’t give him time.

Laura leaped from her position, bounding past the male approaching her to neatly land beside the long blond holding the queen, kicking out a hind leg that connected to the back of the knee. He was forced to let her go.

Laura winced as the queen tumbled to the ground, her head landing unceremoniously on the dirt, but she moaned.

*That’s a good sign*.

Movement behind her made Laura whirl to see the other male had shifted, and not into his wolf form, but the more powerful half-form that wasn’t exactly human or wolf.

To call it a beast would be most accurate...

And this one wielded a knife.

She chuffed, which in her wolf form probably looked ridiculous, but what was really astonishing was a shifter with claws stronger than steel brandishing a knife.

Nevertheless, he swung at her, forcing her back.

The long-haired male, now shifted to a similar state as his friend, also pulled a knife–*not what you’d call a fair fight*. They’d also shifted without ripping through the black material covering their bodies.

Clearly professionals.

*Tsk*.

She didn’t want to, but if she was going to have a fighting chance against two while protecting a third, she was going to have to go tit-for-tat.

A snarl ripped through her throat as she shifted to her half state, a soft lavender glow emanating from her body along which underscored the stark glow that emanated from her eyes and the crescent on her forehead.

She knew the sight of her would give them pause, but her mistake was showing the weakness that she felt–staggering to the left as pain shot through her temple. Laura panted as the energy she used only continued to drain her.

“Wait,” the long-haired male spoke for the first time–gruffly in his shifted state, “take her too.”

The other male nodded as they both decisively stashed their weapons.

Then, without further communication, they lunged simultaneously.

One went for her upper body, arms extended as if to grapple her into submission, while the other dove for her legs.

She didn’t think as her body moved.

Balancing her weight, she leaned her upper body back, tucking her arms close as she lifted her leg in one powerful stroke and, swiveling fast, brought it down hard. Her heel connected with the shoulder of the male aiming for her upper body in a sickening crunch, the momentum sending him flying into the male below.

They both snarled, the long-haired male contending with his broken shoulder as the shorter-haired male was quickly recovering..but Laura was faster.

Claws extended, she connected with the base of the throat of the shorter-haired male mid-lunge, digging her nails deep.

Then she twisted.

She didn’t stop as she felt her fingers connecting with each other inside of him, before ripping her hand back.

She watched as he labored. The wound wasn’t fatal so long as he was healthy, and she’d never killed anyone before… But it was a no brainer if it came to her versus them.

The queen stirred, pulling Laura’s attention.

Mistake.

She heard his rushed footfalls–predicted it even–but when she lifted her arm to deflect, the same arm she used to incapacitate his helper, a mangled appendage met her gaze. She tried to shield it last minute, and took his claws down her side instead, rolling to the ground with force.

*Ugh!*

Laura shook her head, making the stars behind her eyes worse as she clutched her side, her hand coming away a deep red. She could feel she was healing, but with the stress her body was under, it was slow.

Just then, the shorter-haired rogue had apparently recovered enough to let out a guttural howl..

*One…Three..Five…

Shit*.

She should've just ripped his vocal cords. Five answering howls sounded somewhere deeper in the woods.

*Wait*.

Why didn’t she think of that?

Laura mentally thumped Evelyn.

*Come find me! I’m near the main road. Eight rogues*.

She shut off their link before Evelyn could give a winded response about recklessness.

*“Ugh.”*

Laura turned sharply at the sound as Queen Lana, still half conscious, made noise from her attacker’s attempts to lift her once more. As he tried, Laura could see dark liquid pooling under the queen, originating from somewhere on her head. *That’s not good*.

Laura sucked in a breath before giving back over to the fur that brushed just beneath the surface. She needed to fight with something bigger than her half-state–something less energy demanding.

Fur matted in her own blood, she shook out the cramps and ignored the pain shooting up her arm as she rocked back. She bolted forward, resisting the urge to limp as she closed the distance to the long-haired male, bodying him with her full weight as she clamped down around his waist.

They tumbled to the ground, and–*thankfully*–he didn’t drop the queen this time.

Laura bit deeper, shaking her head vigorously to force his attention on her.

It worked.

He released the queen to tumble gently near a large tree. Unfortunately, he was quick enough with his turnaround to land a solid slam to Laura’s skull.

Her disorientation was short, as her head throbbed and vision blurred.

*Where are you?*

The words were firm–less a question, more a command. She couldn’t keep him out.

*You’ll never be able to keep me out, mate.*

She didn’t have time to form a coherent response as she dragged the limp queen by her collar with her teeth, kicking the downed rogue out the way before pulling her up against the tree, just narrowly avoiding more damage from the swipe of a large paw.

She yelped.

The rogue had shifted.

Movement behind him drew her attention to the other rogue–also shifted.

Rustling from the bushes divided her attention in five more directions.

*Fuck*.

Laura positioned herself between seven rogues–all Alpha– and the queen.

Fear seeped into her body like cold water. On the upside, adrenaline was numbing everything.

*I’m coming*.

His fierce response was almost reassuring, but the rogue Alphas didn’t even tilt their heads at the menacing howls clearing the night air in the direction of the castle.

Laura swayed, digging all four claws into the earth.

*Right*.

She just needed to hold out for help.