Dangerous Love: The Rogue Queen

Chapter 3

"You're Majesty, please hear me out--" 

A large man slammed his fist down on his throne in rage. "No! You know our laws! She trespassed on our land! There are no exceptions!" His fury was evident in his words; they were cold, holding venom. 

"She's a werewolf, Your Majesty. She meant no ill-will. We found her belongings not far from where we captured her. She's running from something." The wolf was trying his hardest to fight for Aylin, but was not well-received in his intentions. 

"Irrelevant!" the King bellowed. "Quill, you will do you duty. Execute the prisoner!" 

"Your Majesty, if I may--" the King shot the man to his left a glare. "Quill knows our laws, very well. He's our best warrior, and tracker. Perhaps there is something to this prisoner. He wouldn't arbitrarily do something like this." 

Letting out a frustrated sigh, the King roughly ran his hand through his hair. He knew that his Beta, Angus wouldn't steer him wrong. Though he knew what the laws were, Angus wouldn't put his life on the line for just anyone. "Fine. But Quill, you will pay the price if this is a waste of my time." 

Bowing, Quill started to sweat at his words. "I understand, Your Majesty."

The moment the King stood, everyone parted so he could walk in front. Fear gripped everyone, in particular, Quill, who knew his life would be over if his hunch was wrong. There was distinct tension in the air the closer they all walked to the cells. 

Right when they arrived to the main door to the cells, the King stopped dead in his tracks. Putting his nose in the air, he smelled something. A smell that made his eyes dilate, and shift to black. A haunting mix of jasmine, and roses. Pushing the door open so hard, the knob nearly got stuck into the cement wall. 

"Where is she?" the King gnarled. 

"This way, Your Majesty," Quill answered. 

The three men came upon the dark cell, seeing Aylin's darkened form. Hands chained to the wall, her eyes closed, breathing lowly. Taking a deep inhale, the King smelled the aroma coming from this prisoner. 

Fists clenched, he glowered at her. "Where was she found?"

"We found her about a quarter mile inside our eastern border. She probably didn't know where she was. Seemed lost," Quill replied. 

Angus, and Quill noticed the tension in the King. "Majesty, are you alright?" Angus inquired. 

Aylin shifted slightly, and her aroma filled the King's senses further. Every muscle in his body tensed. Seeing the sleeping wolf in his cell angered him. Not because she was locked in a dank, filthy cell, but because he knew what smelling this woman meant. The one thing in this life that he had always tried to avoid. 

"Mate," he whispered. 

Opening her eyes, Aylin saw three darkened forms standing on the other side of the bars, staring at her. Each larger than the last. A sudden aroma filled her senses. A beautiful combination of pine, musk, and cinnamon. She tensed immediately, the silver chains searing her already damaged flesh. 

'Mate?' Kaia squealed in her head.

'That's impossible,' Aylin responded. It was the first time in weeks Kaia had made an appearance since she was blocked out after she left the pack.

Quill and Angus both stared wide eyed at their king, then to Aylin. "What should we do with her then, Majesty?" Quill asked.

"Bring her!" the King bellowed.

He stormed off with Angus following closely behind him.

The clanking sound of the lock made Aylin cower as the third man came toward her. Bringing her knees to her chest, she tried to make herself as small as possible. Maybe he would go away.

"Take it easy. I'm not going to hurt you," the man told her.

Whimpering, there was no way that Aylin was going to believe a stranger who chained her to a wall. Her heart was thumping in her chest, and she started to struggle against the chains in a vain attempt to get away from her captor. "Pl--please," she begged.

Squeezing her eyes shut, the sudden clanking of the chains hitting the floor snapped her eyes open. Whipping her head up, the man was still crouched in front of her. Reaching his hand out, she took notice of how large his hand was. Hesitant, she placed her small hand in his large one. When she tried to get up, she faltered, catching herself against the wall behind her.

Taking a step forward, Quill put her arm around his shoulders, and he picked her up bridal style, seeing how weak she was. Aylin was trembling viciously in his arms. "Don't worry, little one. You'll be alright." His kind words helped her to relax a slightly, but terror was still gripping every fiber of her nerves. "You may be the answer."

Closing her eyes, she rested her head against his chest listening to the steady beat of his heart.