Marked By The Rogue King

r the fla

ce that came before. That impossible sti

in the dark. "Stay here,

he wa

throat. The northern border was quiet, too quiet. My wolf paced just beneath my ski

a border

as a

r everything we'd ever loved. Screams cut through the air, sharp and fast, follow

y. As fast

s knees. His chest heaved, and blood gushed from his side. Standing above him was a beast of a man, his face shado

peak. Not e

d at Thorne,

vani

ard, screamin

orn

ed to the side. His last b

p, drowning

bolted upright in the tent, reaching for the blade I kept under my pillow. My h

al. No

lways fe

o my feet. The guilt never left. It never dulled. No matte

thout sayin

as casual,

eaned against the flap of my tent, arms folde

ttered, sheathing t

space. You screa

n't r

parchment on the table. The mission map. Every line etched into it pointed tow

ox G

ogue

xile, betrayal, and war. The one wolf no ki

orin asked, lowering his voice. "There's n

e point,"

ting party, small enough not to be noticed by border patrols. I didn't speak the whole

lled

our lega

ustice. It wa

t if it were the last

nly knew you'd crossed it when the air changed, when the wind

ing the wild expanse. Below us, dense forest stretched endle

ounted

This is your last chan

said. "But I'

ne a

a single breath, I crossed t

d to my wolf recoiled. Something ancient stirred

e soil, something sharp pri

pped. My hea

ed...t

one or two. Dozens. Silent. Masked

blade, every in

d us su

in shouted. "I

from behind. My spine slammed into the ground. A boot pinned my arm. I screamed, t

roat and staggered to my feet, gasping through the pain. Another rogue lunged at me, slashing

e. One of our riders wa

rove my heel into his knee, spun, and buried

were trained, organised;

couldn't see him. The fog was too thick no

have taken my head. Another rogue appeared in fr

my tunic. My breath came ragged.

erything

o the clearin

as night, jaw shadowed, eyes molten g

dd