Chapter 3 - The Rogue King.

V E R A

"Well... what exactly do we have here?" Cole lets out as he slowly looks around the hall, his pale eyes moving across the room while every single person stands frozen in place.

"Looks like a party no one bothered inviting us to." He continues just as he slowly steps forward.

The entire room goes tense after that, and I can practically feel it happening around me as wolves begin stepping backwards carefully, all of them trying to keep distance between themselves and the Rogues now spreading through the entrance of the hall. The music has already stopped completely, and even the servants carrying drinks have gone still, too afraid to move while every Alpha in the room watches the Rogue King standing right in the middle of the Moonfall Gala as if all of this belongs to him.

Then one of the Elders finally finds his voice.

"Drakov!" The man booms, making us all turn to watch as Elder Magnus steps forward angrily, his grey and blue robes shifting around him as he points toward the entrance behind the Rogues.

"You are not welcome here. Take your band of rebels and leave this premises immediately." He says, his mouth moving despite being covered by a grey beard and moustache, his long hair tightened into a small, low ponytail.

A few wolves murmur in agreement around the room while Cole slowly turns his attention toward the Elder, and the look on his face almost makes me wish Magnus had stayed quiet.

"Oof... Elder Magnus," Cole says with mock sympathy as he places a hand against his chest dramatically. "That's not very kind of you, is it?" He calls out just as a few of the Rogues behind him snicker quietly.

Magnus straightens himself proudly despite the obvious nerves creeping into his scent.

"You have caused enough damage across this region. Your presence here is an insult to every pack in attendance." Elder Magnus lets out, trying to show no fear in his voice.

For a second, Cole says nothing, then it all changes in a matter of seconds...

The grin slowly disappears from his face while his expression darkens so quickly that several wolves near the front instinctively step back. Even I feel my pulse jump slightly when his eyes lock onto Magnus again.

"I highly suggest you reconsider letting us stay." He answers, his voice changing completely now, becoming far more dangerous, and before anyone can react properly, he vanishes.

Gasps immediately break across the hall.

The Rogue King moves at superspeed, faster than the eye can catch. One second, he is standing several feet away, and the next, he is behind Elder Magnus, grabbing him violently by the head and jerking him backwards hard enough to expose his throat.

"We wouldn't want this to get ugly now, would we?" he murmurs near Magnus' ear while holding him completely still.

Fear spreads through the hall instantly, and I see multiple Alphas preparing to intervene, their wolves already pushing close to the surface, but none of them moves another step once Cole's claws press lightly against Magnus' skin.

"Aht aht," he says lazily without even looking at the others. "Anyone comes any closer, and I'll show you all what the inside of this throat looks like," he says in the calmest of voices, as if this entire situation entertains him, and the entire room goes silent again.

Elder Magnus swallows hard while trying to maintain composure, though the fear in his scent grows stronger by the second.

"Y-You are actively breaking sacred laws..." Magnus manages to say. "There will be consequences for this."

But Cole chuckles softly behind him.

"I'm a Rogue, remember? Your laws don't apply to me." He answers as he glances at him once. Magnus' breathing becomes uneven when Cole's claws graze lightly against his neck.

"I... urge you to reconsider this course of action..." Elder Magnus says, his voice coming out strained as he holds out his hands in surrender.

"Sounds to me like you're begging for your life," Cole replies casually, and Elder Magnus shuts his eyes briefly, his body now physically trembling with terror.

"P-Please..." Elder Magnus whispers, and the entire room waits in agony to see if Cole will spare his life, or if he will take it...

And after a moment, the Rogue King finally makes his decision, and lets him go...

The Elder nearly stumbles forward in relief while Cole walks around him slowly, completely relaxed despite the dozens of furious wolves glaring at him from across the room.

"Allow me and my wolves to stay," he says smoothly, "and we won't cause any trouble. We're here for the..." He trails off for a second, his eyes suddenly shifting toward me. Directly toward me, making my stomach tighten instantly.

"...festivities as well." He finally finishes, and my heart sinks at the mention of that.

Out of everybody in this room, I don't understand why he keeps looking at me specifically, and judging from the confused glance Alaric sends in my direction, he notices it too.

Cole turns back toward the Elders while Magnus exchanges uncertain looks with the others seated nearby.

They're afraid. Every single one of them, and honestly, I understand why.

The Rogue King is infamous for a reason.

After a long moment, the Elders finally nod reluctantly toward Magnus, silently agreeing, and Magnus looks furious about it.

But he also looks smart enough to know he currently has no choice, and as he turns back to face Cole, he lets out a deep breath through his nostrils. fear still lingering in his expression.

"You may stay," he says through clenched teeth, and Cole grins instantly.

"Fantastic." He answers before he turns toward the hall.

"Now, can someone play some actual music?" he says loudly. "None of that pretentious garbage I heard when I walked in."

Before anybody can object, one of the Rogues immediately shoves the poor DJ aside and plugs in another device. A second later, loud rock music blasts through the speakers, startling half the room.

Under any other circumstances, I probably would've enjoyed the music... but right now it only makes the situation feel more surreal.

Within minutes, the Rogues completely take over the atmosphere of the gala while the other packs separate themselves carefully, watching them with suspicion and fear. Some wolves whisper among themselves while others refuse to take their eyes off Cole for even a second.

And through all of it, the Rogue King begins walking directly toward me, making me straighten instinctively.

But before he reaches me, another figure steps into his path...

Alpha Alaric.

Just as Cole draws closer, he eyes Alaric from head to toe.

"Talmor," Cole says casually as he comes to a stop. Alaric stands directly in front of him now, tall and tense, his crystal blue eyes locked onto Cole with open hatred.

"Drakov," Alaric responds coldly, a growl rumbling deep in his throat.

Cole smirks as he eyes him from head to toe. "I'd say it's nice seeing you again, but unlike you, I don't lie for sport." He answers, and I see Alaric's jaw tighten while several nearby wolves glance nervously between the two men...

"You've got nerve showing your face here after everything you've done," Alaric says, trying not to be fazed by Cole's comment, but it makes me wonder why Cole would say such a thing to him.

Cole tilts his head slightly as he watches Alaric.

"Interesting choice of words coming from you, pretty boy." He lets out, and the smile slowly spreading across his face makes the tension worse.

"Seems you've finally grown a spine after stepping out of daddy's shadow." He continues, and that does it.

Alaric steps forward immediately, his wolf practically radiating through his demeanour now.

"I should kill you right here." He growls deeply, through his teeth, but Cole doesn't even blink, completely unimpressed and unshaken by Alaric's threats.

"We both know you can't." He says, and the confidence in his voice irritates me instantly, though the worst part is how unbothered he looks standing this close to another Alpha threatening him openly.

"But by all means," Cole continues. "Prove me wrong." He says as he too takes a step closer to Alaric, meeting him eye to eye as the tension between becoming heavier by the second, and that's when I realise that I don't do something, this may escalate into something ugly.

"Stop it. Both of you." I finally let out, the words leaving my lips before I even have a chance to stop myself...

The sound of my voice instantly makes both men turn to look at me.

Alaric appears tense, almost worried about me involving myself, while Cole looks openly intrigued now that he has my full attention again.

"Alpha Vera Novarnis," he says slowly, speaking my name like he already knows exactly who I am, making my chest tighten immediately...

"How... how do you know who I am?" I ask carefully, feeling uneasy as he stares back at me...