I am not Rogue

Chapter 2

I pace, furiously next to Moonstone's border as I debate what to do.

I growl quietly. What kind of cruel joke is this? I could either track around Yellowstone's territory, a three-day journey that will surely freeze me to death or go through Moonstone's territory.

Normally I'd have no problem with trespassing. I've even gained quite the reputation for trespassing, stealing goods and escaping with the pack nipping at my tail.

I've been passing through pack lands for years and I know how to stealthily get through and how to successfully escape the packs hunting troops and warriors.

But the fast gaining reputation of the Moonstone pack after getting a new Alpha has me hesitating. The rumours, full of blood, gore and no mercy. I heard that once, the Alpha snapped someone's spine in several places, stabbed silver knives in them and then threw them into a tiny cage to rot, just for speaking ill of him. You don't want to know the rumours about what he does to rogues and lone wolves.

I worry at my lip. On one hand I could die slowly, starving and freezing to death, or, on the other hand, I could be tortured and left to rot, but that's only if they catch me. Either, surely die, or possibly die in an agonising way. Both sound horrible.

I pause my pacing when the violent scent of rotting flesh and musk assaults my nose. Shouts and growling echo through the trees.

I bare my teeth, peeling my lips back, snarling. Hunching my shoulders, I face the oncoming wolf in a defensive yet threatening stance.

The wolf emerges from the unclaimed land. It's thin body, looping. It's muzzle, crusted fur, pulls back into a snarl. The werewolf limps, fur on its right leg absent around the wound. It's coat, missing in splashes across its body, exposing rotting flesh. I note that the manged werewolf is close to becoming a rogue. It's disintegrated ears flatten back and wild, gooey eyes angry. His hairless tail flicking threatening.

I growl at his threat. He snaps his jaw at me, saliva dripping. He paws at the ground and my skin pulls tight, ready for transformation if necessary.

Two males and a female emerge from the forest behind the wolf. My eyes snap to them, a group of lone wolves, though I watch the manged wolf in my peripheral vision.

The long red haired female snarls. "Who are you?" My skin prickles, her voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard. "Who are you?" I echo lowly, smirking. She snarls and stalks towards me only to be stopped by the guy with blonde hair. "Floria." Blondie warns. I smile smugly at her and raise an eyebrow. She snarls and I growl loudly back. She whimpers.

My eyes linger to the tattoo on Blondies arm. The black ink forming a circle with three lines through it. I notice the others have the same tattoo in different places and I hum thoughtfully.

 "Look, move aside. We're not going to cause you a problem. We just want our land back from Moonstone." Blue eyes steps in.  

I straighten. "You're going to fight Moonstone? Are you insane?" I cross my arms. The mange ridden wolf growls. "Do you have a death wish? You're willingly going to fight the pack who's ruthless New Alpha, in a year, has expanded the pack and pack territory five times its original size and has climbed the rank from sixth to first most powerful pack in America? A feat that hasn't been seen in 1,000 years?" I ask doubtfully.

"We don't want to cause you trouble but if you don't move, we'll make you." Blondie growls ignoring my statement. My eyes narrow at the threat. "Well, that's too bad. You see, I need to get through Moonstone's territory. And if you attack them before I pass through, they'll up security which heightens the possibility of me getting caught. So you are causing me trouble." I growl angrily.

"We're going to attack them whether you want us to or not." Blue eyes threatens as he steps forward. My fist strikes his jaw and with the power I put behind it, sends him to the ground. "Don't you dare threaten me!" I command, blood pumping through my veins.

The lone wolves cower away from me. "I'm surprised that Moonstone hasn't already appeared and ripped us all to pieces. I can smell and hear you guys from miles away. You won't get two paces into the land before they kill you."

Floria regains her posture and snarls at me. "We're attacking that pack. You can't stand between us. It's four against one." She spits.

"And six hundred against four if you go into Moonstone!" I yell. They'll damn themselves, and me too.

The mange wolf snaps his jaws at me and I notice the others getting ready for attack. My canines elongate and my nails rip into claws. I watch as the mange wolf's hide legs coil, ready to pounce.

I freeze when I hear ten pairs of thundering paws on the ground in the distance. The mange wolf throws himself at me.

Narrowly missing his foaming jaws, I dart off into the forest, out of sight. I watch from behind shrubs as the lone wolves look disoriented. "Where'd she go!" Floria shrieks. "I'll kill her."

Just as I thought would happen, Moonstone warriors emerge from their territory. Five wolves growl threats from their position around the human warriors. The male from the middle of the formation, reeking of power, steps forward.

"Why are you rogues," he spits the word, "hanging around our territory?"

"You're territory?" Floria laughs deliriously. "That land is ours!" Blondie growls.

The male Moonstone warrior closes his grey eyes, his shaggy blonde hair swaying with the shake of his head. His well-built body shakes with silent laughter. He is definitely the Beta.

"Not anymore. Back off and stay away from our territory and we'll let you leave alive." The Beta growls.

I roll my eyes at their dumbness as the lone wolves shift into wolves.

"I guess that's a no." The Beta smiles before he himself shifts into his big tan wolf. The rest of the wolves from Moonstone pack shift.

The lone wolves look small and fragile compared to the stocky, huge wolves of Moonstone.

The wolves paw at the ground, snapping and snarling at their enemy. With their ears flattened back and tails wagging threateningly, they flash their canines at each other.

The lone wolves make the first move, exploding the forest into a violent, angry fight.