Natalia
I glanced at Damon, my eyebrows raised in silent question. Go after rogues with Andrei? Just the three of us? It seemed risky, but then again, we had been training for situations exactly like this.
Damon hesitated, clearly weighing the pros and cons. “How many did you say there were?”
“Six or seven,” the warrior replied. “Maybe more “?
“We can handle that,” Andrei said confidently. “Consider it a field test of our training.”
I knew what Andrei was doing. He was challenging us, daring us to back down and admit we weren’t up to the task. As much as I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself, I couldn’t deny that part of me was curious to see if all those brutal training sessions had actually paid off.
“I’m in,” I said, surprising even myself. “Damon?”
Damon gave me a long look, then nodded. “Alright. But we stick together, follow a plan. No heroics.”
Andrei’s lips twitched in what might have been the ghost of a smile if I didn’t know better. “Of course.”
Twenty minutes later, we were speeding toward the eastern border in Damon’s SUV. I had a knife strapped to my thigh and another tucked into my boot, just in case.
The farmhouse where the rogues had last been spotted came into view as we crested a small hill. The front door was hanging off one of its hinges, there was a truck overturned in the yard, and something was smoking and it wasn’t the chimney.
Damon pulled off the road about a quarter mile away, cutting the engine. We slipped out and began making our way toward the farm, keeping low and using the tall grass for cover. As we got closer, I picked up a myriad of scents–blood, fear, and the distinctive musk of rogues.
But there was something else in that mix. Something horribly familiar.
I froze. “Wait.”
Damon and Andrei stopped, looking back at me.
“I know these rogues,” I whispered. “They’re the same ones who attacked me in the forest. When I went to get the –“I cut myself off, realizing I’d almost mentioned the contraceptive. “When I went for a run a few weeks ago.”
Damon’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re sure?”
I nodded. “I’d recognize that stench anywhere.”
Andrei frowned. “You were attacked recently?”
“Yes,” I replied curtly. “Am I supposed to report everything to you?”
Andrei looked like he’d just sucked on a lemon, but didn’t argue as Damon and I took the lead. At least Damon and
I knew how those rogues fought now, even if they had brought extra friends this time.
As we neared the edge of the property, we could see the rogues clearly–seven of them, just as reported. They were ransacking the place, tearing through the house and dragging furniture outside. The family who lived here was nowhere to be seen, which I hoped meant they’d managed to escape.
“Circle around to the barn,” Damon whispered. “We’ll trap them between us.”
I nodded, breaking off to the right while Damon went left. Andrei stayed put, ready to create a distraction once we
were in position.
+25 Bonus
The plan was solid. Simple but effective. I spotted the female rogue from before rifling through something near the house, and the other male a ways off, pacing and keeping; watch. He wasn’t doing a very good job of it.
The third rogue, though, the bigger one who had nearly killed me last time, was nowhere to be found. But his scent was everywhere, so I knew he was around.
Finally, I reached the barn and signaled to Damon across the yard. He nodded, then raised a hand to Andrei, who immediately stepped out into the open.
“Looking for something?” Andrei called to the rogues.
The rogues froze, heads snapping toward him. For a moment, no one moved. Then, as if on cue, chaos erupted.
Two of the rogues shifted on the spot. Others scattered, some running for cover, others drawing weapons. The female from before shouted something that I couldn’t make out.
Andrei shifted as well, his massive black wolf form lunging forward to meet the first attacker. Damon emerged from his hiding spot, already in wolf form, fur gleaming in the afternoon sunlight as he intercepted a rogue trying to flee.
I drew my knives and darted from the shadow of the barn, aiming for the female. I reached her before she could shift and slashed across her face with one knife, then drove the other into her chest when she reeled back.
She howled in pain and crumpled to the ground, but I’d already moved on to my next target–a lanky male I didn’t recognize who was rushing toward me with a crowbar. I ducked under his wild swing, coming up on his other side to slam the hilt of my knife into his temple. He dropped like a sack of potatoes.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.

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