INICIAR SESIÓNElsie's POV The Lycan King and his monstrous twin were going hard at it, ferocious snarls and gut-wrenching growls filling the entire area. I stood a few paces back, my chest heaving as I watched the two giant beasts tear into each other. I would hate to ever be Quinn's opponent with how utterly deadly he looked in that towering white form. I shuddered at the violence of their clash, then focused my attention back on Ezra.Ezra had turned into the stuff of nightmares, his matted hide looking diseased and wrong. But if we were going by what we had already noticed with the rest of the rogues, Ezra’s sudden transformation and supernatural strength were almost certainly temporary.Having tied the herb-infused mask securely around my face, my head felt much clearer, the heavy fog slowly lifting from my mind. I decided to try reaching Quinn through our mindlink again.Instead of calling his name or saying anything complicated that could distract him, I hummed a low sound through the bond.
Quinn's POV When Elsie went ahead toward the forest, and we received the urgent report from Jasper about more approaching rogues, I immediately sent the rest of our available warriors in that direction to reinforce the area.I followed right behind them on horseback, but halfway there, a cold knot twisted in my chest. Something was horribly wrong, and every instinct I possessed told me it had everything to do with Elsie. I tried to reach her through our mindlink, throwing my thoughts across the bond, but I hit nothing but empty silence. I knew she wouldn't have blocked me out at such a crucial, dangerous moment as this.I slid down from my horse without stopping it, hit the frozen ground running, and bolted into the dense trees.The moment I broke through the tree line leading into the clearing where the skirmish was raging, I saw Elsie running directly toward—Fuck no."Elsie!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.She turned sharply at my voice, but the look in her eyes wasn't one I e
Elsie’s POV Tate and I hit the incoming wave of rogues with everything we had.My twin blades flashed in the dim light, catching the weak, gray reflection of the snow as I dodged a snap from a scarred rogue. Instead of going straight for lethal strikes, Tate and I stuck strictly to the exhaust tactic first. I danced around their wild, uncoordinated attacks, slicing their legs and flanks just enough to draw blood and force them to move, letting their unnatural energy burn out. Tate used his bulk to throw them off balance, knocking them into trees and forcing them to tire themselves out.Once their movements grew sluggish and heavy, we moved in for the finish. I spun low, driving my left blade straight into a rogue’s ribs while my right blade swept up to open its throat. Beside me, Tate snapped the neck of another with a sickening crunch.Suddenly, the cold air hissed. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the metallic gleam of a sword slicing toward my neck.I ducked quickly, droppin
Elsie's POV I leaped from the high branch, soaring through the smoky air, and landed squarely in the center of the roaring ring of fire. Only some warriors were actually inside it, the rest were outside, still fighting the rogues.The heat hit my face instantly, but I didn't pause. I unsheathed one of my twin fang blades with a sharp shing, lunging forward to slash through a rogue that dared to snap at my ankles as I landed. Blood sprayed across the melting snow, and the creature collapsed.I quickly studied the blaze surrounding us, observing how the violent flames were spreading. The black, oily substance formed a thick, continuous trail along the freezing ground, feeding the enhanced fire.Looking closer through the thick smoke, I noticed something else. Beyond a small break in the main trail, a thin line of residual drops extended past the fire ring, trailing toward the rogues' defensive position in the woods. Whoever had been tasked with pouring out the fuel clearly wasn't very
Elsie's POV The war horn sounded across the camp, its deep echo signaling the start of our march. The assembled warriors immediately began filing into formation, a disciplined force consisting of almost every warrior in the camp. Only a small group stayed behind to guard our supplies and secure the camp.A Commander was left in charge of them, much like how Dane had been left behind at the Iron Hold to oversee the keep until our return.At the very front of the marching column, the King sat atop a big black warhorse. He was dressed in full, gleaming armor and held a long iron spear resting against his side. Nobody in the entire Hold came close to his domineering presence. Having the King marching with us seemed to boost the warriors' morale, their faces set with newfound confidence for the fight ahead.I rode on a horse further back, positioned behind the Commanders alongside Harding. The King didn't call me up to ride by his side, and I didn't say anything about it either, assuming
Looking at his eyes, I could see the lingering, silent hurt from my previous words about his appearance."Beauty is completely overrated anyway," I said softly, looking into his dark eyes. "Is it really so bad to not be what most people would consider beautiful? Say... if I was missing an eyeball or my two front teeth, would you still want me?"It felt strange, almost like I was talking to myself and having to wonder who I was really conversing with between the man and the Lycan. But I meant every word.Quinn's voice echoed back in my mind, carrying a strange mix of disbelief and warmth. ‘He feels really offended that you would even think there is a reality where he doesn't want you, no matter what you look like. You will always be beautiful to me, Elsie.’"Exactly," I said, a small smile breaking on my face. "So fuck anyone who doesn't think you look fine by their narrow books. And see? He looks pretty calm to me."Just as the words left my mouth, the beast's tall ears perked up shar
Elsie's POVTheo nodded, his expression turning grim. "He brought a message for the Alpha and the Gamma. It's about war, Elsie. A real war.""War?" I repeated."Come on," Theo said, already turning back toward the village. "We need to hear exactly what he says."We ran, sprinting through the trees.
Elsie's POV As if the news from last night wasn’t enough to rot my soul, the next morning brought a fresh disaster. Oliver showed up at our front door, acting like the most dutiful son-in-law in the world.I watched him from the shadows of the hallway. He was dressed in a clean, pressed shirt, his
Elsie’s POV"She has humongous tits," a hairy, buff man shouted, his voice echoing off the canvas walls of Tent 42. He was leaning back on his bedroll, a crude grin plastered on his face. "As she rode me, they were flapping in my face like great balloons!"He finished his sentence with a roar of la
Elsie’s POV I froze in my tracks. I had always been daring, stubborn, reckless even—but this? This was beyond rebellion. If I was caught, the shame would destroy my father. But if I stayed, the mating would destroy me. Nearby, an older woman pounded grain into a mortar with exhausted arms. A cry







