Rogue Royalty, The Rebel Princess

I reassured her, although internally, doubt began to creep in. Elle always sensed things for a reason, and I trusted her instincts. But what could it be this time? I pondered the possibilities—anything or perhaps nothing at all.

I tensed as I heard the crunch of leaves nearby, snapping my eyes open and scanning for movement. It didn't take much searching to find Wade, leaning against a tree and smirking at me. I despised him, his obsession with me turning my stomach.

Standing up, I leaned against a tree, glaring harshly at Wade. He chuckled lightly and began to approach. I tried to move, but he grabbed my arm and forcefully pushed me against the tree. His hands were on either side of my head, his body pressing against mine. I struggled to escape his touch, but he had me pinned.

"Get off of me," I spat.

"No chance. It is only a matter of time," he spoke cryptically.

Time for what? He was speaking in riddles, and I had no idea what he meant. I needed to get away from him. He assaulted my neck with his lips, kissing down my jaw and neck. Disgust welled up inside me. I fought back, but he had me firmly pinned, continuing his assault.

Enough was enough. I brought my knee up and struck him where it hurt, causing him to back away and bend over, hissing in pain. Seizing the opportunity, I uppercut him, sending him sprawling to the ground. His nose was clearly broken and bleeding.

He glared up at me, spitting out some blood and groaning in pain. I smiled sweetly and innocently at him.

"You stupid bitch!" he screamed.

"Keep your filthy hands away from me. Step near me again, and let's just say you won't be having kids anytime soon," I sneered.

I stalked away, leaving him sprawled on the ground. I was furious, struggling to keep my wolf in check. She wanted to tear him apart, to spill blood, and I was dangerously close to letting her.

Knowing my father would be up by now, I headed to the meeting room we had set up. Leaning against the wall, I watched as the leading warrior rogues filed in, all waiting for my father. Wade hobbled in at some point, and I could barely contain my laughter as he glared at me, clearly annoyed.

My father entered the room, and a hushed silence fell. The rogues turned to him with looks of respect and admiration, sickening me. My father was nothing more than a monster, yet they treated him like a hero. Foolish. They were all foolish.

Taking his seat, my father seized control of the room. No one dared speak until spoken to. He thrived on this absolute control.

"Right. We are on the border of three packs. Now it is time to select which pack we will target first," my father declared.

A subdued murmur circulated through the room as they discussed their opinions. How naive they were, thinking they could influence my father's decision. I was certain my father had already made up his mind.

"I have already made up my mind. We will be attacking the Crescent Pack," he ordered, prompting a murmur of agreement, "Yes, it is a very large pack. Their warriors outnumber ours. However, the Alpha is young, only eighteen and recently taken over. This makes him weak, vulnerable, and inexperienced—problems we will exploit."

The group nodded in agreement as my father began outlining plans. I only half-listened, knowing that in this moment, we had sealed the Crescent Pack's fate. My father was relentless, thorough, and ruthless. The moment he decided to attack, it was over for them.

"I need volunteers to keep an eye out for stragglers on the border to instill fear. We also need someone to patrol today to familiarize themselves with their borders and patrols," my father stated.

The room filled with hushed conversations as people stepped forward to volunteer. I saw this as my chance to prove myself and avoid another beating.

"I will take on the patrol watch," I spoke up.

My father turned to me, smirking slightly, scrutinizing me, unsure if I was being serious.

"Fine. Go now. Report back to me in exactly five hours," he ordered.

I nodded and made my way out of the room through the back door. Heading towards the targeted pack's border, I found a secluded spot behind a tree, where I stripped out of my clothes and neatly stacked them for later retrieval.