The Rogue Queen's Rise

I woke up to the smell of damp wood and the faint creak of an old house settling around me. My body ached, a dull throb radiating from my side as I took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Before I could push myself upright, the door creaked open, revealing a tall man with sharp features and a roguish smirk. Owen. The infamous rogue whose name alone sent shivers down spines.

If this had been me before, I might’ve been terrified. But now, I stared at him with deadened eyes, unflinching.

“Why did you save me?” I asked, my voice flat.

Owen’s gaze darkened as he strode over, gripping my chin with surprising force. His eyes bore into mine, cold and calculating. For a moment, I thought he might snap my neck right then and there. Then, just as suddenly, he smiled, boyish and warm, like a golden retriever.

“I can’t stand seeing people get wronged,” he said, his tone light, as if we weren’t in the middle of a tense standoff.

Without another word, he dropped a piece of bread on the table beside me. “Eat,” he said.

I hesitated, narrowing my eyes at him. “I’m a rogue too. I can’t repay you.”

He shrugged, already walking toward the door. “Didn’t ask you to. But…” he paused, glancing back at me. “If you want to stop crawling and start standing, join me. We could use someone like you.”

I stared at him, unsure how to respond. He shrugged again. “Think about it. Good luck, Kaia.” He shot me a wink before disappearing into the hallway.

I stared at the bread for a moment before hunger got the better of me. The stale crust was tasteless, but it filled the void in my stomach. Once I finished, I left the old house. My goal was clear.

I needed to find him.

The forest was eerily silent as I approached Selene’s pack’s territory. Hiding in the thick bushes, I watched the scene unfold before me. Selene sat on her makeshift throne, her auburn hair catching the moonlight. Around her, men groveled and catered to her every whim. And among them, like a hollow shell of his former self, was Cesar.

My teeth clenched so hard my jaw ached. He served her, obeyed her, like some broken puppet. The Cesar I knew—or thought I knew—was gone. But I didn’t move. Not yet. I waited until the crowd dispersed and Cesar was alone, his shoulders sagging as he stood by the edge of the clearing.

I stepped out of the shadows, my heart hammering in my chest. “Cesar.”

His head snapped toward me, his expression a mixture of shock and guilt. “Kaia? What are you doing here?”

“I came to talk,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “Why are you doing this?”

For a brief moment, something flickered in his eyes—maybe regret and love. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could answer, Selene’s voice cut through the night like a blade.

“Cesar!”

His entire demeanor shifted. The softness vanished, replaced by an icy detachment. He turned to me, his face hardening. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

Before I could react, he shoved me backward, pulling a knife from his belt. The blade glinted in the moonlight as he drove it to my side. Pain erupted, white-hot and blinding, but it was nothing compared to the agony of his next words.

“It’s over, Kaia,” he said coldly. “I’m never coming back to you.”

I gasped, clutching at the wound as blood seeped through my fingers. “Why?” I choked out. “Cesar, why are you doing this?”

He looked down at me, his expression unreadable. “Because I’m tired, Kaia. Tired of running, tired of fighting. Selene can give me peace.”

“There’s another way,” I pleaded, desperation creeping into my voice.

He shook his head, his gaze cold and unyielding. “No, there isn’t. This is the only way.”

Selene approached, a satisfied smile playing on her lips as she draped herself over Cesar. She leaned in and kissed him, slow and deliberate, her eyes locked with mine as if to drive the dagger deeper into my heart.

When she pulled away, she sneered. “If you ever come back here, your head will roll at my feet.”

With that, she led Cesar back toward the pack’s den, leaving me crumpled on the ground, tears streaming down my face. My body shook with sobs, the pain of betrayal far outweighing the physical wound.

“You’re pathetic like this, you know.”

I flinched at the sound of Owen’s voice, his silhouette emerging from the shadows. He crouched beside me, his expression unreadable. “What are you doing here?” I whispered.

He tilted his head, studying me. “Offering you a second chance. You don’t have to keep chasing after someone who doesn’t want you.”

I glared at him, but the fight drained me. “Why do you care?”

He smirked. “Let’s just say I have a thing for lost causes. So, what do you say? Join me. This time, for real.”

For a moment, I hesitated. Then I thought of Cesar, of the emptiness in his eyes as he turned his back on me. I thought of Selene’s cruel smile and the laughter of her pack.

I looked up at Owen and nodded. “Alright. I’m in.”