Heart of a rogue

* Chapter 3 - Bonfire for outcasts

The bonfire was set up near the riverbank, far from the cave I'd been holed up in. It would take nearly a day to reach it, but I figured I could use some fun and company besides Sam's. So we made the muddy journey together, hoping the rain would clear up by nightfall so the bonfire could go ahead. When we arrived, the mud clung to my paws, but I shook it off and shifted to human form. Pulling on my stolen clothes—a white tank top that showed a bit of cleavage and green oversized pants with pockets on the sides—I left my feet bare, muddy as they were.

"Lucy!" Voices called out, and I raised a hand to wave back. Sam was already drifting off toward his friends. I spotted three familiar faces lounging around on a pair of logs, beer in hand, and meat roasting on sticks over the fire. I smiled, glad to see Liam, Mia, and James again.

"Hey, Liam, Mia, James. What's up?" I grabbed a beer, chugging it to cheers from the others. I liked these three—solid friends in a world where loyalty was scarce.

Liam had light brown hair and dark eyes, always a bit mysterious about his age, but we guessed he was around his thirties. Mia, with her red hair and green eyes, wasn't someone you wanted to mess with; she could kill with a finesse that was both impressive and unsettling. James was quieter, steady, with brown hair and blue eyes like mine. We weren't rogues for nothing, after all. Kindness wasn't our strong suit.

"Rick was stirring up some trouble, so we fought." Mia lifted her arm, revealing deep, fresh wounds from her wrist to her elbow, still bleeding.

I hissed at the sight. "Damn, the fuck did he want?" I growled. If he tried anything with Mia again, I'd be more than ready to show him exactly what hell was like.

She shrugged. "Fuck, obviously. I wasn't in the mood." She nudged Liam with a smirk. "I'd rather have this hot piece of meat."

We laughed, and I joined them at the fire, skewering my own meat to roast—a couple of rabbits and a chicken Sam and I had nabbed on the way. Rick was nearby, laughing loudly, drawing attention as always. A known face among the rogues, Rick had strength, speed, and an ego to match. He didn't have a scratch from fighting Mia, and I had a feeling I knew why.

"Oh, look who finally joined the party." Rick's voice was close, and he threw an arm around me, his teeth grazing my neck—not playfully, but dominantly.

I slapped his arm away, glaring. "Touch Mia again, and I'll rip your throat out." I leaned in, whispering darkly in his ear. "With my teeth."

Rick whistled, and his friends laughed. "I already had this sweet piece of ass, boys," he taunted. He swung a hand back to slap me, but I dodged easily, turning to place my sticks over the fire.

"Well, your dick ain't the trouble, girls," I called out, laughing. "He ain't packing much."

The girls around him snickered, and Mia cheered loudly, "You barely feel it!"

Rick's face darkened, but I wasn't about to back down. "Something ticking you off, darling?" I asked with a smirk, placing a hand on his shoulder and trailing my finger down his chest. "Don't start something you can't finish, Rick."

"Damn red she-wolf," he muttered before lashing out. I expected it. We both shifted into wolves, and the fight began. Rick and I clashed, biting, scratching, and rolling through the mud and grass. He got a bite on my leg, making me yelp, but I seized the moment, clawing across his eye until it bled.

"Either bow in submission or die," I snarled. But Rick was a former Beta; he wouldn't bow so easily. He lunged at me, jaws snapping around my neck, but I pushed him off, finally locking my teeth onto his throat.

"Told you I'd rip it out with my teeth." With one vicious pull, I tore through his flesh, his blood staining my fur. I shifted back into my human form, breathing hard, looking around at the stunned crowd. My clothes were barely intact, shredded from the fight.

"Someone got a spare shirt for me?" I asked, glancing around. I was streaked with blood, both his and mine, but my anger had burned clean through me.

One of the women handed me a shirt, her gaze admiring. "You're so badass..." she bit her lip. "Are you free tonight?"

She was cute—small, blonde, with large breasts—but it wasn't my type. "Sorry, men only, honey." I gave her a pat on the head as I slipped into the shirt.

Liam, James, and Mia tended to me as I sat down, grumbling about the fight. "Rick was a Beta! How did you beat him so easily?" Liam asked, shaking his head.

"Fun fact, I was supposed to be a Beta one day," I said, surprising them with this rare admission.

"Really?" Mia asked. "Then why run? You weren't a bottom feeder like me."

I looked up at the stars, glad the sky had cleared. "Because I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery."

"That dangerous freedom almost gets you killed," James remarked, dabbing at my wounds.

"Don't worry," I replied, laughing. "You should see what I deal with at my shelter. Great training, really." I took another swig of beer, savoring the warmth of it, even as my injuries slowly began to heal.

We talked a bit more, catching up and laughing, while around us some wolves were drinking heavily, slurring and lounging around, others even getting frisky right in the open. I wrinkled my nose. "Ugh, get a cave," I muttered.

Mia took my hand, suggesting a walk. We wandered to the riverbank, splashing our feet in the water. After a while, she admitted softly, "I'm thinking of going back home."

I looked at her, surprised. "No? Why?"

Mia's gaze dropped. "Luci, I'm not as strong as you. I can't fight for myself all the time. Rick proved that. I'd rather deal with my old pack's crap and have food and a bed." She hesitated. "Liam and James are thinking of going back too..."

Before she could ask, I cut her off. "Nope. The only way I'll ever join a pack is if I'm forced to. Go back, Mia, if you want. I get it." I felt a sting of betrayal, knowing they were considering leaving, but pushed it aside.

She pounced on me, tackling me into the water. "I'll miss you though," she murmured, hugging me tightly.

I hugged her back, taking in her scent. "It's okay. Do what you need to."

Back at the fire, things had grown rowdier, with wolves stumbling around drunk or sprawled out. Some were play-fighting, and others were fully occupied with each other out in the open. I rolled my eyes, making my way over to Sam and his friends. I popped open a bottle of bourbon, letting the alcohol burn its way down my throat.

"If it isn't the red she-wolf of death," one of Sam's friends said with a smirk.

"Of death?" I raised an eyebrow. "When did that get added?"

Sam shrugged, and we toasted our bottles. "It's true, right? I mean, every day you kill, even Rick," she added.

"Who the fuck are you?" I asked, not in the mood for rumors. Killing every day was exaggerated—though maybe every other day wasn't far off.

She raised her hands. "Kelsey. Just thought I'd say hi."

We were all drunk and having a blast, but suddenly, shouts erupted from the west side of the gathering. At first, we assumed it was another brawl, but then the shouting turned to panic. Wolves in packs were capturing or killing rogues. I looked at Sam, my heart pounding. "Time to go!"

Everyone scattered in all directions, but there were wolves everywhere, blocking every exit. Desperation filled the air, and I heard Sam shouting. "They got me! Help!" I tried to find him, but I couldn't with all this chaos.

In that split second of distraction, two wolves tackled me to the ground. I fought hard, biting and clawing, but then human hands threw a weighted net over me, pulling it tight. I snarled, thrashing, but a woman stabbed a needle into my side, the sedative hitting hard. My vision blurred, and just before I passed out, I felt heavy cuffs snap around my paws, forcing me back into human form.