You Rejected Me. Remember?

Astrea

We had rubbed the wolfsbane on our skin to cancel out our scent so that it became easier for us to move around undetected. We went to the unclaimed part of the forest, making sure that we weren’t spotted. Since rogues usually travelled on the forest floor, the five of us used the stealthy skills we learnt from the Grandmaster to jump from tree to tree. The massive, interconnected branches of the canopy made our movements easier.

By the time we arrived at the heart of the forest, it was already midnight. Which meant that the rogues would be the most active. They were more like nocturnal creatures and were used to moving around during the dead of the night. I guess they found it easier to hunt for food when the activities of the regular packs were minimal.

We channeled our wolf senses so that we could see through the darkness and used our mind links to communicate with each other. We couldn’t risk being discovered.

Hidden by the swaying leaves of the trees, we waited in the thick branches in anticipation. If the Royal soldiers had noticed their movements around here, we too would eventually find something.

We just had to wait.

We weren’t disappointed. A group of three rogues strolled in the forests, skillfully weaving through the trees. I gestured to my companions to follow them, keeping in mind to be as silent as possible.

I made sure that I didn’t lose sight of them as I skillfully jumped from branch to branch. The three rogues looked around and sniffed the air, likely trying to detect the presence of anyone in the area.

I smirked. The wolfsbane that we had rubbed on our skin had canceled our scent. Yes, it stung a bit. However, Ash had gradually gotten used to slight amounts of the poisonous vine. They wouldn’t be able to catch a whiff of our scent. What caught my interest was their lack of conversation. They didn’t talk, so I guessed they were communicating through mindlink.

That was extremely suspicious. Rogues were loners. They submitted to no one, hence they weren’t linked with anyone unless they had formed a bond of some kind. If they were linked through their minds, it could only mean that they have submitted to someone and formed some kind of a bond.

I squinted at them. Could it be Calvin?

I wondered.

The rogues nodded their heads as though they were giving affirmation of something. We followed them until they went further in and entered a rundown shack. The area was well hidden in the thick trees of the woods and it looked like they had cleared the land that surrounded the shack.

I smirked in triumph. So that was their hideout. We had discovered one of their lairs.

I glanced at Sarah who was right behind me. Elena, Rafael, and Arnold were on another branch of the tree, studying their movements.

“Let’s see what they are up to,” I said after opening a link to all of them. “Take the potion, Sarah. Arnold, Rafael and Elena wait outside. And keep in contact with us through our link. Warn us if you notice anything outside. “

I heard their confirmations through our mindlink. I took the little bottle of vanishing potion from my belt after giving them the instructions and downed it in one go.

Sarah followed my instructions and when I saw that she had disappeared from plain sight, I knew it was time to carry out our scheme.

“So what’s the plan?” I heard Sarah’s voice in my head as we climbed down the tree.

“Let’s go inside and try to find out what these rogues are up to,” I replied.

“And then we leave?” She asked via our mindlink as we sneaked up to the entrance.

“Yes, but we must destroy this place before we go. We can’t let them use this place again,” I spotted an open window as I replied.

“Try to sneak in. I’m aiming for that window,” I whispered, and I stealthily sneaked up to it, making sure that we didn’t make any sound. I couldn’t see Sarah, so I relied fully on faith.

The shack was dimly lit, just enough for us to see around. The three rogues were looking for something in the shack as they lit the place using some flashlights. I wished they would communicate openly so that we could eavesdrop on them.

I climbed in. The training from the Grandmaster had taught us how to sneak and move around without making any sound that could alert our enemies.

“Let’s go,” one of them mumbled after putting something into their bags. I stopped on my tracks, wanting to gather as much information as I could.

“The boss told us to be back as soon as we got this.”

I frowned. Now, who could this boss be?

“I wonder how long we have to wait till the secret weapon gets ready. I can’t wait to teach those pathetic Royals a lesson,” another grumbled as they prepared to leave.

“Now, hush. We aren’t allowed to openly discuss that, remember?” The third one snapped back.

Rolling his eyes, “chill. We are in the shack, so we are safe. Besides, if anyone is around, we can sniff them out,” the other rogue scoffed.

Sighing, “just a couple of months more. This year’s b***d moon isn’t far,” his companion replied.

I gritted my teeth. I didn’t like what I was hearing. What could the secret weapon possibly be?

“The fúck,” I heard Sarah’s voice in my head. “Why can’t we finish them off now?”

“Do it,” I hissed back as I grabbed the nearest rogue and held him in a chokehold. The rogues gasped as they tried to save their friend, but Sarah was faster than them.

She used her gun to shoot silver bullets at the remaining two, killing them on the spot.

“Who do you work for?” I growled at the rogue. He didn’t reply. Nevertheless, he kept struggling in my grip.

“Or, maybe you can’t speak,” Sarah taunted. Using a rope on the floor, she tied his limbs so that he wouldn’t be able to move. I released him and held my gun at his temple.

“Now spill. Who sent you here?” I demanded.

His sweat trickled down his face as he gasped for breath.

“Who are you?” He growled, earning a smack on his head.

“I’m the one interrogating. Now answer me or…”

I trailed off when I saw dark brown fur sprouting from his arms. His eyes changed colour and his limbs started to change shape. He was shifting into his wolf.

Oh, so he didn’t want to speak.

Without wasting another second more, I blasted a silver bullet into his brain before he could shift completely. I wasn’t going to let him escape. Not after he had realised our presence. Their ‘boss’ would eventually find out that they were gone, but they wouldn’t know that they had died at the hands of invisible assassins.

“Let’s search the whole place and then we blow the place up,” I mumbled.

“Just make sure that you don’t start a forest fire,” Sarah replied as we rummaged through the shack.

We found nothing that could give us a clue about who their ‘boss’ could be. Just a bunch of ammunition hidden in the shack.

“Looks like they are planning something against the Royals. Remember when they said that they can’t wait to attack,” Sarah commented.

She was right. I grabbed the bag the rogues were carrying and started to gather all the ammunition they had stored in the shack.

“We must warn the Queen. Take this bag and let’s get out of here. We aren’t leaving this place intact,” I said as I planted a bomb in the compartment where the ammunition was hidden.

The door flung open and I knew Sarah had exited. After initiating the blast, I dashed towards the exit. I managed to hide behind the massive trunk of the oak tree right before the bomb blew up.

Thankfully, the blast wasn’t powerful enough to start a fire. It simply destroyed the shack, burying the bodies of the dead rogues underneath a pile of debris.

“Hey, where are you guys?” I heard Arnold’s concerned voice through our link. They must have seen the blast.

“I’m here behind the oak tree,” I replied.

“Me too,” I heard Sarah’s voice.

“Everyone is safe, right?” Elena spoke.

“Yes, I guess,” Sarah replied.

“What happened to the rogues?” Elena asked.

“Well, they are dead,” I shrugged my shoulders.

“So now what?” Sarah asked.

“We will go back and inform the Royals about what we found out,” I started.

I saw Elena, Rafael, and Arnold climbing down the tree.

“Where are you?” Rafael called. “You know we can’t see you,” he added.

Laughing, I walked up to them.

“I’m right in front of you,” I said.

“Well, I guess we will be invisible for some time,” I heard Sarah mumble out. “So do we go back to the Palace like this?” She asked.

“We need to go back as soon as possible,” I commented. “We now know for sure they are planning something. They have a secret weapon and something is supposed to happen on the night of the b***d moon. We just don’t know what,” I told them.

“Yeah,” Sarah said. “Wait…” she trailed off. “Do you smell fresh bread here?” She asked.

I scrunched my nose. “Fresh bread? In the middle of nowhere? Sarah, are you hungry?”

“No… I mean… ” I heard her sigh. “That smell…”

“I’m darn sure that she is sensing her mate,” Ash mumbled, and I went rigid.

“Uh… maybe Elena and the guys can go back. We will explore this strange scent a bit and follow. Does that sound good?” I asked.

The trio nodded. “Good. Take this bag with you. We will be back after a little investigation,” I told them.

When they jogged away, I looked around. There was no sign of anyone around. But if Sarah was sensing that smell, there must be something.

“So, where is this smell coming from? My wolf thinks that it could be your mate,” I shifted on my feet. “Don’t run off, I can’t see you,” I reminded her.

“Mmm….. Mate…” she sighed.

“Let’s hold hands,” I suggested, and reached out to her.

“Follow me,” she said as soon as our hands connected. I could sense her enthusiasm as we strolled through the trees. Although I couldn’t see her, her cold palms spoke volumes. She was excited about meeting her mate.

I smiled. How wonderful.