Chapter 5

Ludovica's POV

The road stretched ahead of me, long and empty, as I drove through the neutral territory. Tall trees stood on both sides of the road, their leaves moving gently in the evening wind. Everything was quiet, almost too quiet, and the silence made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I kept both hands on the steering wheel and forced myself to focus on the road. My eyes were still swollen from crying, and my chest felt heavy, but I refused to stop. I had to keep moving because I needed to reach Manfredi's cabin before something else happened to me. More than anything, I needed to find a safe place for myself and my baby.

A strange feeling suddenly moved down my spine, like cold fingers brushing against my skin. I looked into the rear-view mirror, but there was nothing behind me except the empty road and the fading light. I shook my head and tried to calm myself. After everything that had happened that day, it was only natural that I felt nervous. Marcello had made his decision, the pack had turned against me, and I was finally alone. There was no reason to believe anyone was following me.

I pressed my foot a little harder against the accelerator, hoping I could reach the cabin before darkness completely covered the road.

Then everything changed.

Bright headlights suddenly appeared from a side road ahead of me. Before I could understand what was happening, two old trucks swerved onto the road and blocked my way. I slammed my foot on the brakes, and the car skidded across the dirt before coming to a rough stop. My heart jumped into my throat as I tried to reverse, but another vehicle came up behind me and blocked the road.

I was trapped.

My hands tightened around the steering wheel as fear spread through my body. I could smell them even through the closed windows. Rogues. Their scent was wild, dirty, and dangerous. They were wolves who lived outside pack rules and took whatever they wanted from anyone unlucky enough to cross their path.

Four men climbed out of the vehicles. Some carried guns while others held knives that caught the last bit of sunlight. They walked toward my car without any hurry, as though they already knew I had nowhere to go. One of them was tall, with dirty blond hair and a deep scar across his face. He stopped beside my window and tapped the glass with the barrel of his gun.

"Get out of the car, sweetheart," he called. "Give us everything you've got. Your money, your jewelry, and that little bag. Do it quickly, and nobody gets hurt."

My hands were shaking as I unlocked the door.

I stepped out slowly, holding my small bag tightly against my chest. The evening air felt much colder now, and I could feel their eyes moving over me as they looked me up and down.

"Nice car," another rogue said as he walked around it. Then he looked at me again and gave a slow grin. "But look at her. Damn, she's beautiful."

The scarred man smiled, but there was nothing friendly about it. His eyes moved over me in a way that made my stomach turn.

"Change of plans, boys," he said. "We'll take the stuff, of course, but first we're going to have some fun with her. She looks like she could use some company after whatever made her cry."

Fear exploded inside my chest.

No.

Not this.

Not after everything I had already lost that day.

My hand moved instinctively toward my stomach, and the thought of the tiny life growing inside me gave me a strength I did not know I still had.

"I don't have much," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. "Take the money and leave me alone. You can have the car too if you want it."

The men laughed.

The scarred rogue stepped closer and reached for my arm.

"Oh, we'll take the money," he said with a cruel smile. "And then we'll take you."

Something inside me snapped.

Before his hand could reach me, I swung my fist with all the strength I had and punched him directly in the nose. Blood immediately spilled from his nostrils, and he shouted as he stumbled backward.

I did not wait to see what he would do.

I turned and ran toward the trees as fast as I could. My heart was pounding wildly, and every part of me was screaming to keep going. If I could reach the forest, maybe I could shift and escape them. Maybe I could find somewhere to hide until they gave up.

But I did not make it far.

Strong arms suddenly wrapped around me from behind and pulled me backward with so much force that my feet left the ground. I screamed as the scarred rogue spun me around and slapped me across the face.

Pain exploded across my cheek.

"You stupid bitch!" he snarled. "You're going to pay for that."

The other men surrounded me, laughing as if they were enjoying themselves. One of them ripped my bag from my hands and threw it onto the ground, while another grabbed my hair and pulled my head backward. I kicked and struggled with everything I had, but there were too many of them.

Their hands were rough as they held my arms and waist, and the smell of alcohol and sweat made me feel sick. Tears of terror filled my eyes as I fought against them, desperately trying to get free.

"Please," I begged, my voice breaking. "Don't do this. I'm pregnant."

For a moment, I hoped those words would make them stop.

Instead, they laughed even louder.

"Even better," one of them said. "We like them feisty."

Panic took over completely.

I fought harder and screamed as loudly as I could, but the empty forest seemed to swallow my voice. My wolf was frantic inside me, desperate to shift and tear the men apart, but I was terrified that shifting could hurt the baby. I could not risk it. I could not think about myself anymore.

I had to protect my child.

One of the rogues grabbed me and started dragging me toward one of the trucks while I continued to fight and scream.

Then bright headlights suddenly cut through the darkness.

Another vehicle came speeding down the road before stopping sharply near us. The doors opened, and heavy footsteps hit the ground.

"Get your filthy hands off her!"

The deep voice was so commanding that everyone froze.

A few gunshots suddenly rang through the night. They were not aimed at anyone, but the sound was enough to make the rogues step back in fear. The man holding me released me, and I dropped to my knees on the dirt road, gasping for air.

I looked up through blurry eyes and saw three unfamiliar men moving toward the rogues. They were tall and strong, and the way they moved made it obvious that they knew how to fight. I did not recognize their scents as belonging to any nearby pack. There was something different about them, something wild but controlled.

One of the strangers had dark hair and sharp eyes. He grabbed the scarred rogue by the throat and slammed him against the side of the truck.

"You picked the wrong woman to mess with tonight," he growled.

The fight started almost immediately.

Fists struck flesh, bodies crashed against the trucks, and the sound of bones cracking filled the road. The rogues tried to fight back, but they were no match for the three strangers. Within a few minutes, two of them ran into the trees, bleeding and cursing as they disappeared into the darkness, while the other two were left unconscious on the ground.

The dark-haired stranger turned toward me.

The anger disappeared from his face when he saw me curled up on the ground, shaking.

"Hey, it's okay now," he said gently as he crouched a short distance away from me. "You're safe. They're gone."

I tried to stand, but my legs refused to cooperate. My entire body was trembling, and now that the danger had passed, the fear I had been holding inside finally came crashing down on me. My cheek throbbed where the rogue had slapped me, and my arms hurt from the way they had grabbed me.

Then I felt something else.

A sharp pain suddenly twisted through my stomach.

I gasped and immediately pressed both hands against my belly.

"My baby!"

The fear that filled me was worse than anything I had felt before. I could handle being hurt. I could handle losing my home, my husband, and my family. But I could not lose my baby.

"No, please," I whispered desperately. "Not my baby. Please, not after everything."

The world around me began to spin. Black spots appeared in front of my eyes, and the voices of the strangers became distant and unclear. I could hear one of them saying that they needed to get me help, but his voice sounded as though it were coming from far away.

I tried to stay awake.

I really did.

But my eyelids were becoming too heavy, and my body no longer felt like it belonged to me.

The last thing I saw was the dark-haired stranger reaching toward me as I fell forward.

"My baby..." I whispered again, my voice barely strong enough to be heard.

Then everything went black.