The Lycan Prince’s Defiant Mate Novel - Chapter 19

19 Rogue In The Woods Rogue In The Woods Ara's POV My fingers had just brushed the hidden crescent moon etched into the stone when the rustling came. Leaves crunched behind me. The scent hit me first. Rotting eggs and unwashed fur. My body locked instinctively before I whirled around to face two wolves emerging from the underbrush. Their eyes gleamed with something feral, something hungry. Rogues . But not the ones I knew. "Look what we have here?" The first one grinned, yellowed teeth flashing. "Hey, pretty face.

Wanna play with us?" The second licked his lips, his gaze dragging down my body like filthy hands. These weren't desperate souls seeking shelter. Their eyes gleamed with something darker, something that made my wolf-less human instincts scream danger even without supernatural senses. Every muscle in my body coiled tight, I could practically taste their intentions in the air... sour and predatory. But a month of surviving in rogue lands had taught me one unshakable truth. Never show fear. "What do you want?" I demanded, shifting slightly to block their view of the hidden marker.

Luna Celestine had taught me to see the wounded behind the fangs, to offer mercy before violence. But these men? Their eyes held no pain. Only hunger. The first rogue inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring. "You smell divine, beautiful." "Been too long since I had a she-wolf beneath me," the second growled, palming himself through his pants. "Let me hear you beg." A chill slithered down my spine. No. Not wounded. Just dangerous and cruel. Think, Ara! "That won't get you anywhere," I said evenly, buying time as I calculated distances. I forced my voice steady.

"What if you had a second chance instead? A good pack. Proper meals. A roof?" The taller one barked a laugh. "And why would we want that?" "Unless it's a pack where we can use she-wolves as whores," the other sneered. "Then I might be interested." They were Monsters . The kind I'd heard about in whispered warnings growing up. The kind who earned their r ogue status. "Stay away from me," I warned, shifting into the defensive stance Kade had drilled into me. "Or what?" The larger one took another step. "You gonna scream?" " Scream my name, w *** e ," his friend smirked.

"I'll love it ." They moved in unison then, flanking me like the predators they were. I couldn't lead them to the pack O < 19 Roque in The Woods Couldn't risk them finding the entrance. That left one option. I feigned left, then bolted right into the densest part of the woods. Their laughter followed me. "Faster, little rabbit!" I didn't look back. The forest became my weapon. I ducked under low branches they had to crash through, used my smaller frame to slip between trees that forced them to detour. When the first one got close enough to grab, I whirled.