CHAPTER THREE: THE ROGUE

The rogue wolf's jaws snapped inches from my throat. Its hot breath struck my face, thick with the stench of blood and rotten meat. Yellow fangs flashed before my eyes as its claws scraped against the stone floor. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move.

Then—

THUD!

The creature was ripped away from me. Cassian slammed into it with enough force to send both of them crashing through a wooden table. Splinters exploded across the floor, and the impact rattled every shelf in the library.

“GET BACK!” he roared.

I crawled backwards, my palms scraping against the cold stone. The rogue recovered first. It shook its mangled gray fur, spraying blood across the floor, then its red eyes found me again.

My mark burned.

A sharp cry escaped my mouth as heat tore through my wrist. It felt like someone had shoved a burning blade beneath my skin and dragged it through my veins. I grabbed my arm.

“Cassian!”

His head snapped towards me. The moment he saw my exposed wrist, his entire body went rigid. His ears flattened. His golden eyes widened. For one heartbeat, he didn't even seem to breathe. Then his lips peeled back from his teeth.

“Cover it.”

His voice came out rough.

Not angry.

Urgent.

I yanked my sleeve down, but the mark continued glowing beneath the fabric. The rogue growled. Cassian stepped between us, his shoulders rising and falling once, slow and controlled. But the claws digging into the stone floor gave him away.

“Stay behind me.”

The wolf crouched. Cassian's muscles tightened.

Then the rogue launched itself.

Cassian shifted.

Bones cracked through the silence. His shoulders twisted violently as black fur ripped across his skin, his body dropping onto four massive paws.

A monstrous black wolf stood where Cassian had been.

I had seen Cassian's wolf before from a distance. I had never seen him like this.

He seemed almost too large for the library. His shoulders were broad and powerful, black fur bristling along his spine. His golden eyes burned beneath a lowered brow, and every exposed fang looked capable of tearing through bone.

The rogue struck first.

CRASH!

They smashed into the nearest bookshelf. The entire structure groaned as wood splintered and books flew from the shelves, slamming onto the floor.

Cassian's jaws snapped around the rogue's shoulder.

The creature screamed.

Its claws ripped across his back, but Cassian didn't let go. He drove it into the shelves again.

BANG!

The wood cracked.

The rogue twisted its head and snapped its jaws towards Cassian's face. Their teeth collided with a vicious crack.

For a second, the two wolves were locked together, jaws straining against jaws.

Then Cassian wrenched his head sideways. A chunk of gray fur disappeared between his teeth, and blood darkened his muzzle.

The rogue howled.

The sound vibrated through my chest.

I pressed myself harder against the wall.

This wasn't a fight.

It was slaughter.

Cassian moved again, too fast for my eyes to follow. He ducked beneath a swipe of claws and drove his shoulder into the rogue's ribs. The creature crashed into another shelf.

CRACK!

The shelf buckled, and ancient books rained down around them. Dust exploded into the air.

I coughed, the bitter taste of old paper coating my tongue.

The rogue lunged again.

Cassian met it head-on.

Their bodies collided so hard the floor shook beneath my feet. Claws tore. Fangs snapped. Wood splintered. Blood streaked the floor.

And through all of it, Cassian kept his body between the creature and me.

Even while attacking.

Even while bleeding.

He never stopped putting himself in its path.

The rogue's claws sliced across his shoulder. Blood sprayed across the black fur.

Cassian's head jerked.

A deep growl rolled from his chest.

Then he attacked harder.

His jaws closed around the creature's neck. The rogue slammed him against the wall.

BOOM!

Stone cracked behind his body.

“Cassian!”

His golden eyes flashed towards me.

Only for a second.

But that second was enough.

The rogue twisted free and swung its claws. Cassian ducked, the claws missing his throat by inches. He snapped at the creature's face, and the rogue recoiled.

Then its eyes moved past him.

Straight to me.

My sleeve had slipped.

The obsidian mark was glowing.

The rogue stopped.

Completely.

Its chest rose and fell rapidly. Its claws dug into the floor as its red eyes narrowed on my wrist.

A low sound vibrated inside its throat.

But it wasn't the same growl as before.

It sounded strained.

Almost frightened.

My stomach dropped.

The beast took one slow step backwards.

Then another.

I stared at it.

Why?

Why would a creature that had just tried to rip my throat open suddenly retreat from a mark on my skin?

The mark pulsed.

Thump.

The rogue flinched.

My breath caught.

Another pulse travelled beneath my skin.

Thump.

The beast's ears flattened against its skull. Its lips pulled back, exposing every yellow tooth.

But it wasn't preparing to attack.

It was trying to get away.

A strange pressure filled the room. The hairs along my arms lifted. The air around my wrist seemed to tremble.

The rogue's pupils shrank.

For one impossible second, I had the terrifying feeling that the creature wasn't looking at my skin.

It was looking through it.

As if it could see something buried underneath.

Something I couldn't see.

Something I didn't even know existed.

The thought made my stomach twist.

I didn't know what I was.

I didn't know why I had no wolf.

I didn't know why this black symbol had chosen my skin.

But that monster knew.

And whatever it recognised, it wanted no part of it.

The rogue suddenly charged.

Cassian intercepted it.

He hit the creature mid-stride. They rolled across the floor, claws tearing into the wood. The rogue's hind leg slammed into Cassian's ribs.

He snarled.

The sound was raw enough to make my skin prickle.

The rogue twisted free and drove its claws into his side.

Blood poured from three deep cuts.

Cassian staggered.

His paw slipped through the blood spreading across the stone.

For one terrifying second, he dropped to one knee.

The rogue raised its head.

Ready to strike again.

Something inside me snapped.

“NO!”

I stepped forward.

The mark erupted.

White-hot pain ripped through my entire arm.

I screamed.

The rogue froze.

Its red eyes locked onto the mark.

The black symbol pulsed beneath my skin.

Once.

Twice.

The rogue's whole body recoiled.

A whine slipped from its throat.

Then it backed away so quickly its claws scraped wildly against the floor.

Cassian lifted his head.

His golden eyes narrowed.

The rogue turned.

It sprinted towards the shattered window.

Cassian chased.

He launched himself forward, his claws catching the creature's hind leg. The rogue twisted violently and kicked him away.

Cassian crashed against the window frame.

Glass cut into his shoulder.

The rogue disappeared into the darkness.

For a second, there was only the sound of my breathing.

Then a distant howl rolled through the forest.

Cassian shifted back.

He dropped hard onto one knee.

Blood ran down his ribs and dripped onto the stone.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

I rushed towards him.

“You're hurt.”

His hand immediately clamped over the wound.

“I'm fine.”

“You're bleeding.”

“I said I'm fine.”

He tried to stand.

His leg shook beneath him.

I caught his arm, buckling slightly under his massive weight. His chest slammed flush against mine for a brief, breathless second, his feverish skin burning hot right through my clothes.

The raw, intoxicating scent of pine, rain, and blood completely overwhelmed my senses. His ragged breath hitched against my hair before he aggressively forced himself back onto his own feet, refusing to show weakness.

I stared at the blood covering his hand.

“You nearly died.”

“I didn't.”

“That isn't an answer.”

He pulled the black cloth tighter around his ribs. His fingers slipped, and blood soaked through the fabric.

I reached for it.

He jerked away.

“Don't.”

“You can't even bandage yourself properly.”

“I said I'm fine.”

“You keep saying that like saying it will stop the blood.”

His jaw tightened.

I stepped closer.

“What was that thing?”

“Nothing you need to worry about.”

I stared at him.

A bitter laugh escaped my throat.

“Nothing?”

I pointed towards the destroyed library.

“Your blood is on the floor. The shelves are broken. That thing nearly ripped my throat out.”

Cassian's chest rose sharply.

“And you still think I'm going to believe you when you tell me it's nothing?”

“Elara.”

“No.”

My voice shook, but I didn't step back.

“That wolf looked at my mark.”

His eyes dropped to my wrist.

“It stopped fighting.”

Silence.

“It backed away from me.”

His fingers tightened around the cloth.

“And then you looked terrified.”

His eyes snapped towards mine.

“I wasn't terrified.”

“You were.”

“I was assessing the threat.”

“Your hands were shaking.”

His expression hardened.

“Stop.”

“No.”

I swallowed.

“You know what this is.”

“I know enough.”

“Then tell me.”

“I can't.”

“You won't.”

His breathing became heavier. I could see the pulse beating hard in his neck. His fingers kept tightening and loosening at his side.

He was fighting something.

Fear.

Or a truth he didn't want to say.

“I don't know what you're asking me to tell you.”

“Then make me understand.”

He looked away.

I stepped into his path.

“What is Hollow?”

His face went still.

Not calm.

Still.

Like every muscle in his body had suddenly locked.

“Where did you hear that?”

“In the book.”

His eyes flicked towards the ruined table.

“The book you told me to put down.”

“Elara, listen to me.”

“No. You listen to me.”

I pulled my sleeve up.

The mark was still faintly glowing.

“What is this?”

Cassian stared at it.

His throat moved.

“Cover it.”

“Why?”

“Because I don't know what it will do next.”

The words hit me harder than I expected.

“You don't know?”

His silence answered.

I stared at him.

“You're the Alpha's heir. You knew the symbol the moment you saw it. You knew the Council would kill me. You knew someone might come looking for me.”

My voice cracked.

“And you still don't know what this is?”

Cassian dragged a bloodied hand over his face.

“I know what people believe it is.”

“What do you believe?”

His eyes met mine.

For the first time, I saw something beneath all that control.

His breathing was uneven.

His shoulders were tense.

His fingers kept tightening and loosening at his side.

He was fighting something.

“I believe,” he said slowly, “that whatever is inside that mark is the reason that creature came here.”

My stomach turned.

“You think it came for me?”

“I know it did.”

“Why?”

“I don't know.”

“Then why did it recognise me?”

Cassian didn't answer.

“Why was it afraid?”

Still nothing.

“Why did it run when the mark reacted?”

His eyes dropped to my wrist again.

When he spoke, his voice was barely audible.

“Because it knows what happens when that mark wakes up.”

Every hair on my arms lifted.

“And what happens?”

Cassian's face tightened.

“I don't know.”

“You're lying.”

“I wish I was.”

The words came out so quietly that I almost missed them.

My anger faltered.

Cassian looked towards the shattered window.

His breathing had gone shallow.

Then something cold touched the back of my neck.

I flinched.

A breeze.

It slipped through the broken window and carried the sharp scent of wet earth and blood into the library.

Cassian smelled it too.

His head turned sharply.

“What?”

I didn't answer.

Something had made a faint sound outside.

Scrape.

I looked towards the window.

Nothing.

Only darkness.

I swallowed.

Cassian stepped closer.

“Stay here.”

Another sound.

Tap.

My eyes moved towards the wooden frame.

A tiny drop of water slid down one of the broken splinters.

I frowned.

Water?

No.

It was too dark.

Too thick.

It slid slowly down the wood and stopped beside a jagged scratch.

My breath caught.

Blood.

Fresh blood.

I took one step towards it.

Cassian's hand closed around my wrist.

“Elara, don't.”

But I was already staring.

Something gray was caught between two broken pieces of wood.

A small tuft of fur.

The rogue's fur.

Fresh.

Still wet.

And beneath it, three deep scratches had been carved into the frame.

I leaned closer.

The first word became visible.

WE

My pulse slammed against my ribs.

The second word was cut deeper than the first.

FOUND

Cassian's grip tightened painfully around my wrist.

“Elara…”

I stopped breathing.

The final word was directly beneath the others.

Three fresh cuts.

HER.