Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 359

Chapter 359

I decided to slip out on my own, just for a little bit. It had been a cold week, and it had even snowed a little yesterday, but it was slightly warmer and sunnier today. Small game would be abundant in this weather, creeping out of their nests and holes in search of winter berries and leaves to eat.

Without bothering to tell anyone, I grabbed my jacket and my weapons belt, then headed off into the nearby forest, just barely beyond the wall.

The forest had been cleared around the border of Moonshadow lately. Rogue sightings had dwindled considerably, at least for now. Several of our hunters had gone out on an excursion recently and came back with three large elk, and hadn’t encountered any rogues. One woman would surely go unnoticed in the quiet forest.

I took my time picking my way along the rim of the wall, keeping an eye out for any small game–rabbits, pheasants, perhaps even a few squirrels. Anything to test my skills on, and perhaps to give myself a brief thrill of the chase. I’d felt so cooped up lately that even just stretching my legs in the forest felt like a relief.

Finally, I spotted the telltale droppings of a rabbit. I carefully followed the tracks through the thin dusting of snow, picking my way over fallen trees and exposed roots. Up ahead, I spotted the rabbit in question; it was alone, nibbling at a green shrub.

I crouched low and pulled my knife out, holding it flat on my palm. I willed my emotions into it and imagined it slicing across the small clearing-

“What’s this?”

I jumped up at the sound of the male voice, whirling around to find a face mere inches from mine. Before I could scream, the rogue was on me. Rough hands gripped my throat and wrestled me to the ground, knocking the knife from my grip.

“I think this is the one!” he shouted over his shoulder. I writhed and squirmed against his grip, but the rogue was too strong, and his thumbs were digging into my windpipe. I couldn’t breathe.

Two more came running then. Their leering faces came into view. One of them, a male with several missing teeth, rubbed his hands together. “Knock her out quickly, then. But don’t kill her! We have to bring her back alive.”

“I’m trying, but the bitch is putting up a fight!”

“Here. Let me.” The toothless rogue kicked his cohort out of the way. I sputtered, gasping for air, and rolled onto my belly, reaching for the knife. But he grabbed me before I could and dragged me back, flipping me back up to face him.

I managed to get a fistful of dirt and flung it in his eyes. “Fuck!” he shouted, stumbling back. The moment of shock gave me just enough time to grab one of my knives from my belt and drive it up and into his belly.

The rogue let out a guttural yell and collapsed, blood already staining the snow around him. While the others charged at me, I leapt to my feet in one swift motion, letting a scream rip from my throat–alerting any nearby warriors.

The first rogue growled menacingly and nearly slammed into me, but I sidestepped just in time. The ruby knife was within my reach now, and without thinking, I picked it up and flung it.

The rubies glowed so bright it burned my eyes, and whipped toward the rogue with such speed and precision that all I heard was the sickening crunch of bone and flesh before it pinned him to the tree from behind.

The rogue sputtered and wriggled for a moment, then went limp. The weight of his body ripped at what remained

1/2

of the tendons still holding his neck to his head, and when his bely stumped, his head plopped clean off into the dirt, seeing eyes staring up at the sky.

I was too stumped to move. Too stumed to think

For a long moment, I could only stare at the knife, its hilt still vibrating from the impact with the tree.

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