CHAPTER TWO

HOPE’S POV

Elise was bleeding heavily.

The cut on her side was deep, and her arm had claw marks from Duncan’s men. She tried to act strong, but I could see the pain in her eyes.

“Sit still,” I told her firmly.

“I’m fine,” she said through clenched teeth.

“You’re not fine.”

We were now inside our cave, the small place we called home. It was hidden between large rocks and covered with vines. No one could see it unless they knew where to look.

I opened my small pouch and took out the herbs I had dried weeks ago. I crushed them carefully and mixed them with animal fat to make my ointment.

“It will sting,” I warned her.

Elise rolled her eyes. “I’ve been stabbed before. Just do it.”

I applied the ointment gently to her wounds. She hissed in pain but didn’t complain again.

“Rest,” I said quietly.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, studying my face.

I didn’t answer at first.

But she already knew.

“You’re going after her alone, aren’t you?” Elise said.

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

She grabbed my wrist. “Hope, Duncan is not some small rogue. He has at least fifteen men. You saw how many attacked us—”

“I know.”

“He wants you,” she said softly. “He won’t let you leave alive this time.”

I met her eyes. “He already thinks he owns me. That’s his mistake.”

Elise’s jaw tightened. “Then I’m coming with you.”

“You’re injured.”

“I can still fight.”

“And slow me down,” I replied.

She stared at me for a long moment. Then she sighed heavily.

“If you die, I’m bringing you back just to kill you myself.”

I almost smiled. “I won’t die.”

But inside, I knew this was dangerous.

Duncan was the strongest rogue in this region. He wanted to unite all rogues under him and call himself Rogue Alpha. Many feared him.

And he had been obsessed with me since the first time he saw me.

“You’d make a strong Luna by my side,” he once told me, his eyes dark with hunger.

“I’d rather die,” I had replied.

Since then, he had tried many times to corner me.

That was why I had prepared.

I stood up and picked up a small cloth bag.

“You kept it?” Elise asked.

“Yes.”

Inside the bag was the dried plant I had found deep in the forest months ago. When burned, it created a thick smoke that made wolves unconscious. It didn’t last long, but it was enough.

“Be careful,” Elise whispered.

“I always am.”

I left before she could argue again.

The night was quiet as I moved through the trees. The moon was high, lighting my path. I stayed low and silent.

Duncan’s camp was built around abandoned factories and broken houses from an old human town. Rusted metal, shattered windows, and cracked walls surrounded the place.

It looked dead.

But it wasn’t.

Wolves guarded the outer area. I could smell them before I saw them.

I climbed onto a roof silently and waited.

The wind shifted.

Perfect.

I lit the plant quickly and crushed it into a metal container. Smoke began to rise immediately.

Slowly, I moved along the rooftops, letting the smoke drift down into the camp.

One by one, I watched as guards swayed.

“What’s that smell?” one muttered.

Then he fell.

Another tried to shout, but his voice faded as he collapsed.

Within minutes, most of them were down.

Not all. But enough.

I jumped down and moved between the buildings.

The camp was too quiet.

I didn’t like it.

I found the room where Maya was being held. Two guards stood outside, but they were already weak from the smoke.

One tried to lift his head when he saw me.

Too late.

He dropped.

I caught him before he hit the ground loudly.

Taking the keys from his belt, I unlocked the door.

“Maya,” I whispered urgently.

She was tied to a chair. Her face was pale. A bruise darkened her cheek.

Her eyes opened slowly.

“Hope?” she breathed.

“I’m here.”

I cut the ropes quickly.

“You shouldn’t have come,” she said weakly.

“Of course I came.”

I gave her a small dose of antidote from a tiny bottle I carried. After a moment, her eyes became clearer.

“You came alone?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Maybe.”

She gave a faint smile.

“We need to go,” I said.

But as we stepped outside, she grabbed my arm.

“Wait.”

“What?”

“There’s someone else,” she whispered.

I frowned. “We don’t have time.”

“He’s in the far building,” she insisted. “Duncan locked him there. I heard him say the man is important.”

“I don’t care about Duncan’s prisoners.”

“Hope,” she said firmly. “Duncan seemed afraid of him.”

That made me pause.

Afraid?

Duncan feared no one.

“Show me,” I said finally.

We hurried to the farthest building. The smoke was thinning. Some guards were starting to move.

We entered the dark room quietly.

And there he was.

Chained to the wall.

Even unconscious, he looked strong. His body was muscular. His black hair fell across his forehead. Bruises marked his face and arms.

He didn’t look like a rogue.

He looked… powerful.

I stepped closer and touched his wrist.

The moment my skin touched his, a strange tingling ran through me.

Not like the mate bond.

Not pain.

Something deeper.

I pulled my hand back quickly.

“We can’t leave him,” Maya whispered.

“This wasn’t part of the plan,” I muttered.

But something inside me refused to walk away.

I unlocked the first chain.

Then the second.

Voices suddenly echoed outside.

“The smoke is clearing!”

“Check the buildings!”

My heart raced.

“Hurry,” Maya urged.

I unlocked the final chain.

The man’s eyes snapped open.

They were sharp and intense.

Not confused.

Not weak.

Alert.

He looked directly at me.

“You’re my savior,” he said calmly.

I blinked. “Can you walk?”

“Yes.”

He stood up immediately, like he had only been resting.

That was strange.

No time to think.

“Follow me,” I ordered.

I grabbed his hand without thinking.

Warm.

That tingling came again.

We ran.

Shouts exploded behind us.

“Intruder!”

“Someone’s escaping!”

Then a roar shook the night.

“HOPE!”

My eyes widened.

Duncan.

He knew.

We ran through the broken buildings.

“You dare enter my territory without permission?!” Duncan’s voice boomed behind us.

We reached the forest.

“Faster,” I said.

Maya was breathing hard but kept moving.

Behind us, wolves howled.

“They’re shifting,” Maya whispered.

I didn’t look back.

Suddenly, a wolf leaped from the side.

The stranger reacted instantly.

He pushed me aside and punched the wolf mid-air. The wolf crashed into a tree.

My lips parted in shock.

Strong.

Very strong.

“Who are you?” I asked quickly.

“Hunter,” he replied.

Another wolf lunged.

Hunter shifted partially—his claws extending, eyes glowing—but not fully into a wolf.

Strange.

He moved like a trained fighter.

Within seconds, two wolves lay unconscious.

“We have to keep moving,” I said.

Duncan’s massive black wolf appeared behind us.

Bigger than the others.

Stronger.

His eyes locked onto mine.

“You belong to me!” he roared in human voice as he shifted back halfway.

“I belong to no one!” I shouted back.

Hunter stepped slightly in front of me.

Duncan studied him carefully.

Recognition flashed in his eyes.

“You,” Duncan growled. “You should have stayed chained.”

Hunter’s expression turned cold.

“And you should have stayed silent.”

The air grew heavy.

I grabbed Maya’s hand. “Run now!”

We didn’t wait for them to fight.

Hunter followed close behind us.

We ran deeper into the forest until Duncan’s roars faded.

Finally, we stopped near a river.

Maya collapsed onto her knees, breathing hard.

I turned to Hunter.

“Who are you really?” I demanded.

He looked at me quietly.

“Someone Duncan should never have touched.”

That wasn’t an answer.

“You’re not a rogue,” I said.

“No.”

“Then what are you?”

He held my gaze.

“You’ll know soon enough.”

I crossed my arms. “You’re coming with us for now. But if you bring trouble—”

He stepped slightly closer.

“I don’t bring trouble,” he said calmly.

“Trouble follows me.”

I stared at him.

Something about him felt dangerous.

Powerful.

And strangely… familiar.

Behind us, in the distance, a furious roar echoed once more.

Duncan wasn’t done.