Chapter five

Leticia

I didn't need to turn back before I knew the voice belonged to a rogue. Once a wolf was left without a pack to protect them, there were only two endings. They either ended up dead or became rogues themselves.

From the sound of the footsteps, it wasn't just one. There were several. My stomach tightened painfully as I forced myself to turn around.

The moment I did, my blood ran cold. Five men stood a few feet away from me. All of them were large, dirty, armed, and smiling. Their eyes moved over me slowly, making my skin crawl.

"What a beautiful snack," one of them said, while the others laughed.

My fingers instinctively curled around my stomach. The way they were looking at me made bile rise into my throat. ‘Scrap, I would rather die.’

Without warning, they started walking toward me. I immediately stepped back. "Don't you dare touch me." I tried to sound brave. I really did but my voice shook.

The rogue in front chuckled. "She's scared."

"No," another one said while looking me up and down. "She's smart." The laughter that followed made my heart pound even harder.

I kept moving backward until my shoulders hit a tree. My breath caught when I realized that I was trapped. The tallest rogue stepped forward and placed a hand against the tree beside my head. "Where are you going, little wolf?"

I glared at him. "I said don't touch me."

His smile widened. "And what are you going to do about it?"

My heart hammered painfully against my ribs.

Think.

Think.

Think.

I couldn't fight five rogues and I definitely couldn't run, not with the baby. Not with my body already exhausted from everything that happened tonight. The rogue reached for my face and I slapped his hand away.

His smile vanished immediately. The next second his hand connected with my cheek. The force sent me crashing against the tree. Pain exploded through my head. The rogues laughed.

Tears immediately filled my eyes but I refused to let them fall..No. I wouldn't cry. Not in front of them. Not after everything. The rogue grabbed a fistful of my hair and forced my head up.

"Got spirit."

I bit his hand hard. His scream echoed through the forest. Before he could recover, I shoved him away and finally decided to try my luck so I ran. As fast as my body could handle towards any direction my feet could take me.

The pain shooting through my stomach nearly brought me to my knees but I kept moving. Branches scratched my arms. Roots caught my feet. Leaves whipped against my face. Behind me the rogues started shouting.

"Get her!"

My chest burned. I ran harder. The forest became a blur around me. I could hear them crashing through the trees behind me. They were gaining. Of course they were gaining. I was pregnant, tired, heartbroken, and completely alone.

A hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder. I screamed and twisted away. The rogue stumbled. I picked up a rock and smashed it into his face. Blood splattered instantly and this made him cursed loudly.

I didn't wait. I ran again. My lungs felt like they were on fire now. My vision blurred. Every step hurts. Every breath hurts. But the thought of stopping terrified me more.

The baby kicked suddenly. A sob escaped my throat. "I'm trying," I whispered. Another sharp pain shot through my stomach. I nearly fell. Something wasn't right. The pain was different. It was stronger and deeper.

I pushed the thought away and kept running. The rogues were still behind me. One of them suddenly appeared from the side. I crashed directly into him. His hands instantly wrapped around my arms.

"Got you."

Panic exploded inside me. I kicked. Scratched. Bit. Anything. Everything. If there was something motivating me to fight, to survive I guess it's the will of a mother to protect her child.

His grip tightened painfully. The others quickly surrounded us. "This one is troublesome."

"Let's break her legs."

"No."

The leader stepped forward. His eyes moved to my stomach. A cruel smile spread across his face. "She's carrying an Alpha's pup." The forest suddenly became silent. My blood froze. How did they know that?

The leader noticed my reaction and laughed. "Interesting." I immediately stopped struggling. Something about the way he said it felt wrong. Very wrong.

These weren't ordinary rogues. The realization hit me instantly. They were waiting for me. The thought sent a chill down my spine. The leader reached toward my stomach. I jerked away but my reaction only made his smile widened.

"There it is."

"What do you want?" I demanded.

He tilted his head. "Not you."

My heart stopped.

His eyes dropped to my stomach again. "The pup." Pure terror washed over me. I twisted violently and slammed my head into the rogue holding me.

His grip loosened. I immediately shoved him away and ran again. The forest exploded with shouting behind me. My legs burned. My vision blurred. The baby kicked again. Another sharp pain shot through my stomach.

Then another.

Then another.

I stumbled. Not now. The trees suddenly opened into a rocky clearing. My heart sank. There was nowhere left to run. The rogues slowly emerged from the forest around me. They spread out carefully. Blocking every escape route.

I backed away until my heel hit a large rock. The leader smiled.

"It's over."

"No." I said. The tears I had been holding in finally broke loose and started rolling down my face.

"It is."

My breathing became uneven. I looked around desperately but found no one who could help me. The rogues started closing in. I wrapped both arms around my stomach protectively.

The baby moved again. A fresh wave of pain hit me so hard my knees almost buckled. The rogues noticed immediately. The leader frowned. Then his eyes widened slightly.

For the first time all night, the smile disappeared from his face. Another pain tore through me..Stronger this time. Much stronger. I grabbed the rock beside me for support. The rogue leader looked at my stomach. Then at my face.

A curse escaped his mouth. The others immediately looked confused.

"What?"

"What's wrong?"

The leader took a step back.

"She's in labor."

The words slammed into me.

My breath caught.

No.

No.

No.

Not now.

Not here.

Another sharp pain ripped through me before I could even process it. I doubled over. A cry escaped my lips. The rogues exchanged nervous glances. Then something warm suddenly ran down my legs. The entire clearing fell silent.

My eyes widened. My heart stopped.And then I felt it.

My water broke.