Se connecterQuinn's POV The moment I stepped inside my tent and dropped the canvas flap behind me, my legs gave out. I collapsed into my chair, my hand shooting to my chest to clutch the center of my ribs.A strange ache was throbbing deep within my chest—a suffocating pain that I couldn't quite explain. It had started right as I was standing outside Elsie's tent, but I had forced my face to stay flat so she wouldn't notice. It could easily be nothing, just the physical toll of shifting back and forth to fight Ezra's monstrous form. I didn't plan to mention a word of it to Elsie. She had already suffered enough today, and I didn't want her worrying unnecessarily.Sitting there in the quiet tent, I could still smell her sweet scent wafting over from her tent a short distance away. It had changed a little bit earlier but I figured it was nothing a little rest couldn't fix once the stress of the battle wore off."Your Majesty," Hunter's voice called out as he pushed the tent flap aside and stepped
Elsie's POV The very first thing I encountered upon returning to the camp was the head healer bustling up to me, handing me a small wooden cup. It turned out to be the usual weird-tasting herbal drink she always forced on me these days. I narrowed my eyes at the woman's pleased, expectant face as I downed the liquid, but I really wasn't in the mood to argue with her today. Handing the empty cup back, I immediately asked about Tate, and the healer pointed me toward the rear section of the large medical tent. I had been told that Tate was in the healer's tent, and I had rushed here the second I arrived back at camp. I was already expecting the worst, but when I pulled back the inner divider, he looked whole. He was fast asleep on a low cot, wrapped in a wool blanket. I let out a quiet breath of relief and sat down on the stool beside his bed. The moment my fingers lightly touched his shoulder, he jerked awake, his body tensing in defense. I smiled softly at him, but my expression f
Elsie’s POV There were no rogues around him—none of them had even bothered to protect him, which was precisely what his treacherous nature deserved.Oliver scrambled to stand up, his breathing ragged as he glared at me. I eyed his deep, angry wounds, noticing the lack of regeneration. "Why aren't you healing?"Oliver looked away bitterly, his jaw tight. "The Rogue King poisoned me... so I wouldn't betray him."I let out a short, choppy laugh, shaking my head. "Can you see what has become of your life, Oliver? Look where your endless arrogance and pride have gotten you.""Just kill me now, Elsie!" Oliver snapped, his eyes flashing with rage. "I don't need your mocking words!""How are my words mocking?" I asked smoothly, stepping closer. "It's just the plain truth. And you know what? I changed my mind about killing you."Oliver gave me a wary, suspicious look.I smirked up at him. "I will send you back to the Sunset Pack for my father and the elders to do with you as they see fit. If
Elsie’s POV I took the lead alongside Commander Jasper, using my tracking skills to guide our column through the narrow, snow-dusted ravine. Commander Jasper had joined us with his squad, bringing our total force to roughly one hundred and fifty warriors. Most of our army remained back at the camp; we didn't need a large force to wipe out the remaining, battered survivors of the rogue unit.As we jogged over a rocky ridge, I spotted Carter moving near the flank. I cut tangentially across the snow to catch up with him, matching his fast pace.I glanced at his tight, somber expression. "Why is your face like that, Carter?"Carter let out a heavy, ragged huff. Without any preamble, he muttered, "Gerald is dead."I lost my footing for a fraction of a second, my boot slipping on the ice before I quickly regained my stride. The news hit my chest like a lead weight."How did it happen?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the crunching snow.Carter's jaw worked tightly, his knuckles w
Elsie'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
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
Quinn's POVI asked for strong, hardened warriors. So why did I find myself staring down at a runt who looked like he had barely seen eighteen winters?I sat perfectly still on a thick branch of the ancient oak tree, my presence masked by the shadows and the rustle of leaves. Below me, the pup had
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 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 POVA hand with wicked-looking claws sliced through the air toward me. I felt the rush of wind against my skin and only ducked at the last second. I could have moved sooner, but I loved the thrill of the danger. It made my blood hum.Staying low, I swiped my short wooden sticks, the ones I







