Mercy

Roza and Maksim were playing outside with Anna on the field as the men continued to work on building the east wing. After that day that Roza and Nikolai kissed, she has been avoiding him, not because she was ashamed or upset. It was because she was confused about what she was feeling.

Her feelings were all jumbled up into a bundle of knots. It had so many knots that she can’t seem to understand what was it that she really wanted. Anna could see how distant Roza was. She wanted to ask questions but also didn’t want to intrude.

The sun was high in the sky and Roza knew that it was right around noon time. The day was hot and the air was thick. She knew staying outside out in the sun could cause heat stroke and moved Anna and Maksim toward the shade at the edge of the woods, but still close enough to the men who were still working.

Nikolai has not tried talking to her yet. She thinks that maybe he was waiting for her to first react or bring it up, but she had no clue how. She sighed and looked down at Maksim who was playing with his kitty. He was trying to pounce on the poor cat’s tail as he made small growling noises.

Roza turned back to Nikolai and saw him helping some of his men carry a log toward the pack house. He disappeared from sight and she turned back to her son. However, her eyes caught some movements in the woods just a few yards from them.

“Anna.” Her voice rose as soon as she started smelling a foul stench. She stood up immediately as her eyes darted around the woods for that movement again. It smelled like rotten meat and with this smell only means one thing --rogues.

“Anna, take Maksim and run back home.” She ordered.

Anna immediately picked up Maksim. She turned to flee back to the house as ordered, but an overly large grey wolf jumped in front of them. He bared his teeth as he snarled. Roza immediately pushed Anna and Maksim behind them.

“I’m going to distract him.” Roza said, still formulating a plan in her head.

The blood shot colored eyes told Roza just how feral the rogue was. He snapped his jaw at Roza, who moved away from Maksim and Anna to avoid them getting hurt. The rogue’s eyes remained on Roza as she maintained eye contact.

She saw the rogue lift his paw and swipe at her arm. She let out a painful cry before turning towards Anna.

“Run back.” She ordered. “Now.”

The rogue growled and was about to go after Anna and Maksim when he saw Roza begin shifting into her own wolf. He turned back around and prepared to attack her. Fully shifted she snarled and jumped at the rogue.

Rogues are feral werewolves who mostly stay in their wolf form to protect themselves as they don’t have a pack to help them when they need help. There are many kinds of stages a rogue goes through once they are not a part of a pack. Most become weak and die, but others who fought past it become completely uncontrollable and stronger -- wild.

The rogue caught onto Roza’s shoulder and clamped his jaw hard. She whimpered and swiped her head to clamp onto his rotting skin. It was his turn to let out a painful whimper. His lock on her neck loosened a little bit and she kicked him with her hind legs. He released her, but not without tearing her shoulder.

She limped and took a few steps back, but her leg buckled and she fell to the ground. Her eyes remained on the wolf in front of her. She wasn’t going to let him out of her sight. She can smell her blood and feel it seep out of her wound and down her fur.

A fierce growl had both Roza and the rogue turning to see who it was. Nikolai’s wolf jumped in front of Roza and he stood over her body — protecting her. His tail pointed high and his ears erect. He was stating his dominance. The rogue snarled and shook his head, but slowly his head started to lower. Even when he was feral he can still sense when a werewolf was a lot stronger than him.

Nikolai stepped forward, his canines bared as he growled. As he got closer, the rogue’s head lowered even lower in submission. Nikolai didn’t care. He was going for the kill and when he was close enough he snapped onto the rogue’s neck with his jaws and with his front paws he effectively snapped the rogue’s neck.

The rogue’s body fell limply to the ground. Dimitri came running forward with a few soldiers. Nikolai shifted and grabbed the pair of shorts Dimitri offered him. Pulling them on, he ran to Roza’s side. Lifting her wolf into his arms he pulled her close as he examined her wound.

“Get Trevin to the pack house.” Nikolai said without looking up. He scooped up Roza’s wolf and ran like crazy down the hill and up to the pack house. Taking the stairs three at a time, he made it to his bedroom where he lay her wolf down.

Roza whimpered as her body fell onto the bed. Nikolai ran his hand through her fur to help ease some pain. She turned her head to look at him and he shushed her silently.

“It’s okay. You need to remain in wolf form. It will cause you less pain. If you shift now, you will be in a lot more pain.” He instructed. Roza’s head fell back onto the bed and her wolf kept whimpering from the pain.

The door opened and a patrol walked in. Nikolai turned to see the patrol that was suppose to guard the border. Dimitri walked in with Trevin. Trevin immediately walked to Roza’s side to examine her wound.

Nikolai walked up to Dimitri and the patrol. “What the hell happened?”

“Eddie here was supposed to be guarding the border while the new patrol was heading out, but we found him sound asleep against a tree.” Dimitri sneered and pushed the patrol towards Nikolai.

“I am so sorry, Alpha. I was exhausted from lack of sleep. I have been patrolling the borders for two nights straight-”

“Two nights?” Nikolai snarled his claws extended and his hand came up for the patrol’s throat.

“Y-yes. Levin wanted some time with his mate and asked for me to take his shift. I told him no, that I haven’t had any sleep and needed to get enough for my next shift, but he insisted on me staying and covering his shift. I thought that maybe I could just close my eyes for a mome-” Nikolai snapped the patrol’s throat.

Turning to Dimitri he growled an order. “Bring me Levin.”

“But he has a mate-” Dimitri stopped talking the moment he saw the rage in his Alpha’s eyes.

Nikolai was furious. Their lack of communication and dedication for the border allowed a rogue to slip through their territory and harm his mate. He wanted blood and he didn’t care if it was his pack. Dimitri immediately pivoted and walked out the door, obeying Nikolai’s order.

“Alpha.” Trevin’s voice came from the bed and Nikolai walked back over to the bed. Roza had shifted into her human form.

“She will be in pain in this form.” Nikolai pointed out.

“I gave her some morphine. She should be fine.” Trevin said. “The bite isn’t bad. Tore some of her skin and she will need a few stitches to help her heal faster. I’ll also give you some antibiotics that will help get rid of any infection she can get from the rogue. She should take two pills for the first day and one pill once a day after that for five days straight.”

Nikolai nodded in understanding. The door opened and Dimitri brought in a quivering Levin. Nikolai turned to walk over to Dimitri and Levin when Roza’s hand came up to grab Nikolai’s. He turned to look down at her.

“Don’t do it.” She whispered weakly.

“He almost got you killed.”

“He has a mate. Punish him some other way, but do not kill him. He is your pack member, Nikolai. Please.” She begged and just like that, Nikolai’s heart was rid from any anger. He turned to look at Levin and stalked over to his side.

Grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt, Nikolai pulled him close. “You are lucky I am letting you pass this time. Because of your selfishness and your pack mate’s stupidity, you almost killed your Luna. You will not be patrolling the border from now on. You have lost that privilege. Instead, you will be demoted to an omega position in my pack.”

Nikolai threw the man on the ground and then turned to Dimitri. “Get rid of the body.”

Roza wished she was able to stop Nikolai in time before he killed the patrol that was patrolling the border, but she knew that Nikolai would not stop. There has to be someone to blame.

After Trevin finished his work and handed Nikolai the medication, he informed them he will be back by nightfall to check on the bandages on Roza’s arm. He left after that. Nikolai moved to sit on the edge of the bed. His hand coming up to push her bangs back. She looked up at him from underneath her eyelashes.

“I questioned you.” She mumbled a little delirious from the drugs she was given.

“It’s okay.” Nikolai replied.

“You don’t like it.” She stated.

“I don’t like you getting hurt more.” He pointed out and the corner of her lips lifted.

“You called me your Luna.” Roza was completely out of it if she was smiling at that. If she was sane and knew what she was saying, Nikolai knew that she probably would bite off Nikolai’s head for telling a pack member that.

She sighed and closed her eyes. Nikolai watched her eyelashes fanning her cheek. She looked exhausted.

“Nikolai?” She asked softly.

“Yes?” He responded.

“I don’t know what to do with you. You make me feel things, but I am still so angry.” The last of her words dropped as she fell asleep. He sighed and cupped her cheek. She made him feel things — things that he feels like he can’t control. She doesn’t know it but she was everything to him. She always has been.