Chapter 5

97 YEARS LATER

AMELIA'S POV

I let Eve burst through my skin as the sickly sweet scent of vampire falls upon our campsite. Wolves shift all around me as we all make a break for it. As rogues, we never stand together. It's every wolf for themselves nowadays.

I make a beeline for the coast, using the underbrush to hide my medium-size frame. My black wolf is mostly invisible tonight due to the cloud cover, and I am thankful. I have to survive tonight because tomorrow I finally get to set sail to America. The last stronghold werewolves have. The packs there are still functioning, unlike the packs here in Europe. My pack was one of the last in Scotland until five years ago.

Five years of living as a rogue. Five years of fighting. When you are on your own, you fight for everything: your food, shelter, and even your virtue. At 20 years old, I've done a fantastic job. I'm still pure, and I'm still strong. I am the fourth child of the late Alpha Connor and Luna Marian, and I carry that bloodline with pride.

The Royals started a program to help save the European wolves two years ago, according to the rumors. They allow you passage to American and train you. In return, you join the Royal Army, which seems extremely reasonable to me. The Royal Army has fought for over 50 yrs, and The Kings fight in every battle. They stand for every single wolf, and I plan to stand next to them. I finally made some connections and got myself a spot on the Royals ship. Tomorrow at 9 am I leave. I was supposed to leave with the group I was camping with... we will see how many make it tomorrow.

So far, the Vampires have done an amazing job of wiping us out. They just followed the hunters and rogues tactics after their experiments failed. They eliminate females. No matter what age, whether mated or not. If you have a vagina, you die! Without she-wolves, the werewolf population has basically died out. Many of the rogue females I have met are just breeders. They hook up with every wolf they can. Rejection is common practice but even finding a mate to reject is rare.

The werewolf population has gotten so low that the Kings now breed humans often to make more wolves. Pure wolves. Since their wolf spirits are technically Lycans, they can generate more wolves. The Lycan brothers are, according to legend, the first wolves in existence. They were the ones to create werewolf kind when they slept with human females. So I guess their advisors told them it was time to bring that custom back. I just feel bad for their future mates.

The Kings started doing this ten years ago when African Werewolves were deemed extinct. My father had been over the moon with the news. He said it might swing the war in our favor. Apparently, their offspring are powerful and fast-growing. My father also said that the women are compensated heavily and are treated like jewels while carrying our future.

But from my point of view, all I see is prostitution. A species can't be saved with sinful acts, and breeding with others that aren't your mate is wrong. The goddess won't let this stand. That is why I fight for my virtue even though other females see me as a failure. All of them ask me why I don't want to help save us, but I refuse even to answer them. Some say it's okay because the Twin Kings don't have a mate, but I'm afraid I have to disagree. All wolves have a mate, and they are disgracing theirs. But I still respect them. They fight for us, and they do whatever they must for werewolves to survive.

I breathe a sigh of relief once I start to taste the saltwater on my long tongue. I've run for miles, and even though the vampire's scents are long gone, I don't plan on stopping. Someone had to have seen us and reported us to the vampires.

That's another thing that is very different than the old days. Humans. Humans have, for the most part, sided with vampires over here. They sell their blood to them. They sell their healthy children as slaves or future vampires. They don't care as long as they are compensated. They have decided that the vampires will win, and they need to be on the winning sides team.

After ten more minutes of running, I can see the dock. My wolf prances as we exam the area from the treeline. There isn't anywhere we can lay low, so I decide to stay in the treeline. I groan as I think about my situation. Tomorrow morning I will have to board naked. I shredded my clothing back at the campsite.

Eve- maybe the guardhouse has clothes

I dart our eyes back to the shed with windows.

Amelia- maybe let's check it out.

I move forward silently. Being a rogue does have one bonus. You become entirely one with your wolf. They are your one constant. Your only true friend.

I glance through the slightly cracked window and spot a locker. My wolf and I smile a big wolf smile as I shift back. I push the window all the way up and shimmy in. The locker isn't locked, and lucky for me, it has a pair of shorts and a large male jacket in it. Better than nothing!

I get dressed quickly before peeking through the rest of the locker's contents. A small tin of biscuits catches my eye, and I thank the moon.

I tear through the tin in seconds, enjoying every moment of it. Human food is a rare commodity nowadays.

Eve and I head back to the forest quickly, deciding it was the safest place. I find a decent size bush and hunker down for the night with a full belly. I do hope some of the other rogues made it. I brush my dirty blonde hair to the side as I begin my nighttime routine. I brush through the rough strands removing as much debris as possible before I begin to braid my hair back. My hair is so coarse and dirty that the braid mostly stays until morning every night.

Tomorrow morning can't come fast enough.

A ship horn jolts me awake, and I scramble to my feet. It isn't the royals ship, but I'm glad to be up. I have no alarm and no way to tell time, but I'm guessing it is around 8 am. I sniff the air deeply, searching for any familiar scent. Two hit my nose, and I smile. I wasn't the only survivor. I dart through the trees and quickly find the two young males hunched together.

"Morning," I sing out, and they jerk awake.

The older of the two openly glares but the younger smiles once his fear vanishes.

"Morning, Amelia. Glad to see you made it," the younger says, and I smile.

I have no idea what his name is, but I know I am more memorable being the only female in our small group. The older huffs and stretches his limbs. I notice a small backpack and smile.

"Trade you this jacket for two shirts," I say, hopefully tugging on the oversized heater I have on.

The older looks at the sturdy jacket with a calculating gaze, but after finding no holes, he nods. He digs through the pack and hands me two t-shirts. I turn and change quickly, handing him the worker's jacket.

"Do you have the time," I ask eagerly, wanting to know how soon we can leave.

The younger lifts his wrist, and I gasp, a watch!

7:43 am

"How have you not lost this," I ask in shock. He grins.

"It has a stretchable band. So when I shift unexpectedly, it doesn't break. A gift from my father," he answers with a sad smile.

I nod and return his smile. "Do you know if any of the others made it," I ask hopefully.

The older finally cracks open his dry lips, "not from what we saw."

My heart squeezes with the knowledge of more loss. More wolves have gone back to the goddess. I nod quickly and look away to hide my tears.

The next hour and a half are spent in silence. The older male goes hunting, and we stay behind. Eve and I remain on high alert. Being alone with a male does that to you when you have been attacked before. But this male seems nice, and he might be even younger than I am.

Finally, the horn sounds, and we head to the forest edge. The Royals ship has arrived! Our freedom awaits. I feel a bright smile break across my face for the first time in a long time.