Dangerous Love: The Rogue Queen

Chapter 2

It's been three weeks since Aylin left her pack. From the moment she left, she could feel herself falling further into depression. Sleep was hard to come by, and she was running out of money. When she looked at her reflection in the mirror, the person staring back was unrecognizable. The bags under her eyes growing larger with each passing day. Her once well groomed chestnut hair was becoming stringy, and her skin losing it's glow. 

 No one from her old pack knew that she was gone, nor did they care. If they did, they would have tracked her scent, and dragged her back by now. 

Laying on the hard, uncomfortable motel bed, Aylin wanted to cry, but she didn't have the energy to exert anymore. Staring at the bland, white ceiling, she tortured herself with thoughts of what her life could have been. The more she did that, the more she wanted to just crawl under a rock and die. 

Her life was meaningless now; left to her own devices. 

Waking up the next morning filled her with dread. Packing her things, she aimlessly left the shabby motel on the side of the nothing highway. Not having a car, her feet were her only means of transportation. 

Aylin wasn't even sure where she was. Was she still in her old packs land, or was she in another packs land? If she was, then she would certainly be caught, and thrown in a cell. Even if she was, who would care? She would rot alone, in a dank cell for the rest of her days. Seemed to be a fitting end to her life. Aylin's hopes and dreams 

As the day wore on, cars were becoming scarce. Even still, they would speed right by her and not even bat an eye. No one stopped. No one cared. 

Nightfall came, and Aylin was no where near a town, or even near another moldy crappy motel to spend the night. The only thing she could think of was to hunker down in the woods for the night. It was cold, but she didn't care. Her feet were blistered, and her body was giving out.  Aylin's will to continue was gone. 

Stepping off the highway, she slung her bag cross body, and found a somewhat comfortable spot to sleep for the night. Walking into the woods, crickets were singing their song as the moon rose. Finding a place about a quarter of a mile in, Aylin found a large tree. Resting her weary body against it, she hoped this would be the night that her body would fail. She hoped that her heart would just stop beating and end the torment. 

Closing her eyes, she slipped into blackness. 

Howls in the distance startle Aylin out of her sleep. She's been found, and they're closing in on her. 

Leaping to her feet, she took off as fast as she could. Blocking out her wolf weeks ago, her shift became impossible. Having not taken care of her body the way she should, her form was already weakened. Wolves are hot on her heels, she felt their hot breath across her back. 

The cold air was biting her skin as she ran, her feet pounding into the dirt. Aylin's heart was racing, and on fire. It felt like she wasn't making any headway. She knew they were gaining on her.

Before she knew it, her face hit the dirt hard. She tripped over a tree root that was barely poking out. Being nighttime, her vision was slightly obscured. 

Her head was spinning, and her vision clouded. Warm breath fanned her face. What she could see, golden eyes staring back at her. 

Letting out a small scoff at the wolf in her face, Aylin passed  out. 

****

Shouting rousted Aylin out of her slumber. The clanking of silver chains burned her skin the moment she moved her wrists. Hissing in pain, she focused her eyes as much as she could. Dank cement walls were the second thing she noticed. Sitting up completely, she rested the back of her head against the wall. There were two men arguing on the other on the other side of the bars. Their shadows were dancing against the wall beside them. 

A slight clank of the chains whipped their shadowed forms at Aylin. 

"You know the rules!" the one on the right growled.

"Sir--"

"The king will not be pleased with this!" 

The one on the left bowed, "Sir, I realize it's our law, but there is something different about her," the left one reasoned.

"Then you can explain yourself, and your actions to the king," the right one snapped back.

One shadow stalked off, and the other was just observing Aylin in the cell. "You better be worth the trouble, little girl." 

Hearing the shadow mans words, Aylin released wheezing snickers. He stopped dead in his tracks as he walked towards the stairs. "I'm not worth anything. Just let me die." 

Cocking his head to the side, clearly he was confused. "If that's the case, the king will kill you." 

"Fine," she huffed, "I'm done with this life anyway."

Dropping his shoulders, he walked away, shaking his head. 

Why this wolf decided that Aylin was worth it, she didn't know. She wasn't. In her mind, death was the only release that she would have. Maybe this King was her answer. She was tired, weak, and unworthy.

"Whoever you are, King. I beg you, end my life."