Chapter 122
Xander POV
The road narrows the farther we go, and I know we’re close to the centre of the rogue territory. I remember too close, and the fog always hangs thick and low.
mhers. The trees tegen
Suddenly, the car stops, and I don’t need to look to know we’re surrounded. The silence that follows the car stoppling is loud.
I don’t move for a moment, then my eyes shift to Serafine, she’s staring at me quietly, her hands wrapped around fryz
I can feel the magic curling in her veins, it’s restless again, rising and aware of the danger.
I take a breath and place my hand on her thigh. She looks at me, and I can see the understanding in her gaze, but also the worry. She needs to do as she’s told now, because if she steps out of the car, it’s harder to protect her.
“Make sure you stay in the car,” I say, keeping my voice low and even. “No matter what happens, or what you hear. You don’t open the door, Serafine
Her lips part, and I shake my head before she can speak. I’m not giving her a chance to argue or try to make this worse.
“I’m serious, if you hear shouting, fighting, anything, even if it sounds like I’m dying, you don’t come out.”
I keep my gaze fixed on hers, waiting for her to agree.
She swallows hard, but she nods. “I promise.”
Good, squeezing her thigh once, I get out of the car and step into the mist. The cold air wraps around me like a second skin. It doesn’t matter how sunny it is, this place is always cold and dark. The silence would be unnerving to those not used to it; the forest should never be this silent with no rustle of leaves or birdsong. It’s pure stillness, like everything is just watching.
Moving slowly, I take several steps away from the car until I’m standing in the center of the dirt path we’re traveling along.
The sound of low voices comes first, then the crunch of boots over gravel and dirt. They merge from the fog in a slow spread, six figures all dressed in patchwork leathers and cloaks.
Their eyes flow faintly in the dim light, there’s no unity with them, no grace, they moved like animals, untamed and unpredictable, something I learnt to do while living with them.
d
Alaric stands in front, tall and broad. His grin is carved across his face, and the scars on her jaw and neck twist like rope. He doesn’t look surprised to see me; if anything, he is amused.
“Well, well,” he says, stepping forward and spreading his arms. “Look what wandered right into our hunting ground. If it isn’t the Alpha of the North himself, the rogue who plays the role part–time.”
“I’m not here for trouble,” I say, my voice flat.
“No?” He tilts his head, grinning wider. “Then you’re dumber than I thought. Because walking straight through rogue land with others and not alone, like we agreed, like you own this place, is either suicidal or stupid.”
“I’m heading to Nyvarra’s Hollow.”
Harsh laughter follows suddenly, and two of the others begin clapping mockingly.
“You’re serious?” Alaric asks. “You think that place will let you in? You’ve got your mate in the car, don’t you? And the little Threadborn whelp?”
I don’t say anything, but I feel the air shift around me, the faint pulse of warning from my wolf.
He chuckles again. “Figured so, god you’re bold… Or maybe simply reckless?”
Chapter 122
“Look, I’m not looking to make us enemies, we’ve worked together a lot,” I say. “I just want to pass”
“Well, that’s unfortunate,” he says, his smile going thin. “Because we’ve got a
foll on this road.”
Keeping my eyes on his, I try not to raise to the bait. I know they often want things for letting non rogues pass, so it’s not a shock. “What tall?” (in witing to negotiate.
He jerks his chin toward the car behind me.
“How about you hand over the child?” Alaric says with a calmness that doesn’t match the violence that I can hear is coiled beneath his words, “You and the others are free to pass, no blood, no chase. That’s our offer.”
For a moment, silence falls, and I don’t move. I don’t even breathe, I just look at him, and let the stillness thicken around us. I let him think I’m considering it. Then I take a step forward, and the air tightens.
“No,” I say, voice flat but clear.
His gaze sharpens. “You’d better think that through, Xander. We may have worked together, but I don’t offer things for free.”
“I’ve already thought this through,” I reply, holding his eyes. “You made your offer, now here’s mine. You will let us pass, without another word ofinp your throat out in front of the others.”
He lets out a laugh, loud and mocking like I’m a fool, but I’m not, I’m not just some random alpha who strolled in here not knowing about them, not knowing things. The others shift their weight, restless and waiting.
Grinning, he steps closer. “You think that our past, and your bloodline, make you untouchable?”
“No,” I say, letting the words drag. “I think you just threatened my son.”
His eyes flick toward the car, and then he lunges. He doesn’t come for me, he turns for the vehicle, toward Serafine, toward Eryx. The moment he does, the world snaps out of stillness.
My shift hits before the breath in my lungs can catch, my bones stretch and crack, claws bursting through my skin, and I move fast enough that the wind tears behind me. I’m not shifted entirely, but enough because he’s not even halfway to the car when I catch him.
My claws dig into his spine and drag him down, and my body crushes him into the dirt. He tries to scream but the sound barely begins, before my jaws close over his throat and rip it open in a vicious snap.
Warm blood sprays across my chest, and I watch as he twitches once, just once, then nothing.
The silence that follows is entirely different now; it’s thicker and darker. I rise from the corpse slowly, still half–shifted, my claws dripping with blood. The others stay still, frozen in place. All pretense of confidence has disappeared from their eyes. One of them gulps audibly, and another takes a quiet step back, almost like instinct is finally catching up to stupidity.
I keep my voice low, but it carries with every word.
“You try to touch my child again, or my mate,” I snarl, “and I won’t just kill you. I’ll make it slow. I’ll make it loud. And I’ll make sure the next pack of rogues who thinks they can set terms for me finds your heads on a fucking pike.”
One of the younger ones raises his hands slowly before taking a step back, showing he means no harm. “We didn’t know he’d do that,” he says, his voice shaking. “We weren’t backing him; he acted alone
Oh, but they were, until I did that; they were all for Alaric stealing my son.
“You watched,” I snap, letting my fury sink into my glare. “Every one of you stood there and let him speak for you. That makes you complicit.”
“Look, Xander, we’re not looking for a fight another adds quickly. “You can go, safe passage, I promise, I swear it.”
“I want to hear that again,” I growl, narrowing my eyes at the one who had spoken first.
Chapter 122
He nods frantically. “You can go. We won’t stop you.
Safe passage.”
Holding his gaze for longer, I wait, watching for any flicker of deceit. They’re all staring at me like they just saw death walk into the clearing, and i guess they have.
“I think you all forgot who I am. Don’t test me, because not one of you rogues will be standing when I finish.”
One of them nods. “We didn’t forget Xander.”
“No?” I snarl, stepping closer. “I may not be a rogue, but I guarantee I will rip you all apart like one. I may have gone back to my pack, but that doesn’t mean I’ve lost what I became.”
They nod quickly, and I turn, walking back to the car, slowly and deliberately. I don’t break stride or rush. My claws still drip with blood every step I take, but I don’t bother shifting back fully until I reach the door.
I will make you watch as I kill every last person you dirty hearts care for.”
Turning, I look at them. “If one rogue, even one, comes for what’s mine, I’ll bring a
a
war on you so bad not even your children will survive, and believe me,
Pulling open the door, I climb in. Now we’re safe.
1
We
cond gift
