The Rogue Queen (BOOK ONE OF QUEEN SERIES)

Four.

Ni's POV

We had to take a week long detour which leaves us with a week to get to the capital. These damn guards didn't scout ahead to see if the road was clear before we set off. Kolm's men were waiting for us down the original path. If I didn't tell Anna and Devin to scout ahead, we would've been walking straight into a trap. Fortunately, they were another rod but it would take a bit longer to get there. This path leads straight through two towns, which are surrounded by trees on both sides. These town are closer to the Palace so they can be considered as the home of 'nobles' and 'high class commoners', as they like to be called.

Devin pulled to a stop as one of the guards stood in the middle of the fucking road in wolf form suddenly. I quickly got out while the wolf shifted back, this is the seventh or eighth time that he's stopped us in the last hour along. I'm irritated to the point of just killing this idiot. "Like what you see?"  I smile at him. "'Yeah, it's good enough to rip off.' Is what she said." Devin said while grabbing my hand to stop me from killing the little bastard." The guard sees my claws out and swallowed his spit before clearing his throat.

"Asha. Now is not the time to kill the mutt." I retracted my claws and stepped back, "I'm hungry and tried. How long until we reach the town?" Linus was still in wolf form and stood at the edge of the woods while watching me. His killing intent was oozing out, as if it would frighten me. Clearly, they are trying to play a game with me. They want me to get annoyed or angry and attack one of them so that they can have the chance to put me in chains and take me to the King. As if that foolish King could do something to me. These guards really don't know what's really good for them. I could kill them all silently if I wish to. It's really ridiculous.

Jax got out the car walked towards me. "Mom wants me to go with her into the forest, Uncle. We'll meet you and the others in the town over." Devin glances at me and I nod. "You sure?" He grabs my shoulder and looks into my eyes. I touch his hand. He nods once again, "Okay. Anna will go with you." Devin looks at Anna for a moment before we turn to leave the roads. I pass by Linus, "Follow us and I'll kill your entire family. Even the grass will be burnt when I'm finished." Linus looks at Jax in surprise and Jax smiles at him. "That's what Mother says and if I were you, I would listen to her. She's an Rogue Alpha Queen for a reason." Jax waves at him and we teleported into the woods. Jax looked around the area, he's a vampire and werewolf hybrid. Luckily Kolm's men didn't realize this or he would've tried to break this boy to do whatever his prevented mind could come up with.

Jax. This forest seems to have an abundance of game. Do you know why I decided to take you with me instead of coming alone?

His bright blue eyes shifted to mine. Jax reminds me of myself. He isn't much of a talker but we've developed a deep connection. It's as if I gave birth to him myself instead of adopting. I've taken many younger ones under my wing before but it was never to the extent of Jax, so I can't be compensating for the loss of my daughter. Besides, my child died with her father all those years ago, I personally buried them. The dead can't come back to life so it's better to let things be. "Do you want to see if I'm ready for the family training?" At least he knew what we came in the forest to do. A pre- training stage for him to get used to what was to comoe. It was something we spoke about a few months ago. Since he is a part of the family then it's obvious that he will go through the traing Devin and I endured.

It's good that you know this much. Look around and see what you can kill to eat and use to survive. Do you have your prey in sight?

He gave a slight nod, as if afraid that he would frighten off his prey. He glanced at me and then took off. Anna disappeeared from sight, she was properly monitering Jax. I wasn't the only one who established a connection with him. He warmed up to me first as he was curious about my scars and why I covered them up but everyone quickly became fond of him. The pack even acknowledges him as my heir, since they know that I won't be having any children. Just as I finished making a fire, I felt eyes on me. I could feel the path of the eyes as if the person was touching me softly with their hands. I look up and see his face across from me with a small smile but an intense gaze. The bracket on my hand became extremely hot the more I looked at him.

I reach out, over the fire to touch my but he moved away from me, that intense look turning into one of worry. His eyes zeroed in on my throat where the rose tattoo was. Subconsciously, I touched it to hide it from his gaze. I close my eyes as water clouded my vision. This isn't real. There's no way it is. He died, I felt it. Opening my eyes, he was gone but the bracelet was still hot. I touch the bracelet. Something like this wouldn't confuse real life with an illusion. It was real, what I just saw was real. Jax returning brought me out of my thoughts. He brought back a deer.

You did good.

He smiled at my approval, Anna dropped from the tree with a knife in hand. Taking it from her , Jax started to gut the deer while I tended to the fire. Anna found a stream nearby and washed off the deer skin muttering something about it being a nice coat. Jax grilled the meat and began eating happily. I had this training almost ten years ago, living out in the wild for a while. It was survival at it's finest. Dimitri thought it would've been a good idea to drug me while I slept and drop me in another state. I was out in the forest for weeks before they picked me up. Jax was suppose to do this around this time, but the Royal Guards appearence made me push it back a bit. "Mom, when do we find our mates? " I looked at him, finding him asking the question a bit surprising. He's never asked anything of the sort before.

Why? Do you think Anastasia is yours?

He grunted and tore off piece of the meat with his teeth. "She says we're too young to know what mates are and that she already has a boyfriend and that she likes me. That idiot wanted to challenge me, so I punched him in the face and ended the fight quickly. It was quite annoying. I feel as though she's just trying to play a game with me and is roping people into it when she doesn't get her way. Uncle Devin said, women and girls like that are the worst. They are shameless." Anna chuckled, clearly amused with his way of thinking. Meanwhile, I'm thinking of having a few words to my brother about what exactly he's saying to his nephew about women. Although it's true, I would like to know what else he's said to my son. "Is that why Nathan was missing a couple teeth and had three broken ribs? You call that a punch in the face? I say, you are playing right into her ploy since you didn't walk away." Anna spoke to Jax with a  mocking tone. I chuckled as Jax just ate his food without replying.