Forbidden Territory

Alexina

“Great,” I heard Chloe mutter beside me, her voice laced with annoyance. She veered off the path, choosing to cut through the grass towards the cabin, rather than pass the guys in the clearing.

“Where are you going, ladies?” One of the guys called out, his voice carrying a hint of mischief as they began to approach us.

“Tristan, just let them go home. They don’t want any trouble,” Jayden interjected, his voice a mix of annoyance and a hint of nervousness. He fell into step beside us, heading towards the cabin.

“I don’t want any trouble either. I just wanted to welcome our new guest,” the shorter one—Tristan—replied, his grin wide and his head cocked to the side as he closed the distance between us.

For the first time, I noticed the cast on his arm. A quick realization hit me—he must be the first wolf I’d fought in the forest. From everything Chloe had told me about Tristan, he wasn’t someone I wanted to be around. He had a bad attitude and an even worse temper.

“I’m actually surprised to see you’re still alive, rogue,” he said, his voice dripping with arrogance. My wolf growled inside of me, angry at being called a rogue. Yes, technically, that’s what we were now, but she wasn’t happy to be called out on it. She was an Alpha and wanted to command respect from him, but I held her back.

“I’m full of surprises. It was nice to meet you, Tristan,” I retorted, matching his arrogance. I grabbed Chloe’s hand and started to pull her with me towards the cabin.

Tristan moved swiftly, placing his body in front of mine and his hand on my shoulder, holding me in place. “Not so fast, rogue,” he said, his hand still on my shoulder.

A growl escaped my throat as I slapped his hand away and took a few steps back. My wolf was on edge, waiting for me to give her the command to shift. This guy was really getting under my skin with the rogue thing. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself before speaking.

“My name is Zena,” I said, my words coming out through clenched teeth.

“I will call you whatever the fuck I want, rogue,” Tristan shot back, closing the gap between us again.

“Tristan, stop. This is stupid,” Chloe interjected, pushing herself between us.

“This has nothing to do with you, bitch!” He retorted, shoving her out of the way.

“Fuck you!” Chloe shouted back, her arms flailing. Jayden grabbed her before she could land a punch on Tristan’s face.

“Tristan, seriously, man. Just let them go home,” Jayden said, struggling to hold onto a furious Chloe.

“Don’t tell me what to do, Jayden. If I want to play with the fucking rogue, I will play with the fucking rogue,” Tristan said, his eyes never leaving mine.

A growl slipped out before I could stop it.

“I’m sure the Alpha told you that you can’t harm me. So why are you even wasting your time trying to pick a fight with me?” I asked, determined to end this.

“The Alpha said we can’t harm you unless you attack us. I’m thinking it won’t take too much to make that happen, will it, rogue? After all, rogues are known to fly off the handle at the drop of a pin. That’s why no one wants them. That’s why no one wants you,” Tristan taunted, his face just inches away from mine.

My wolf was about to boil over. I couldn’t hold her back anymore. Tristan had called her a rogue one too many times.

I pushed Tristan back as hard as I could. His body went flying to the ground as my wolf took over and I shifted, sending shreds of clothing and bright pink pieces of cast flying through the air.

As soon as Tristan got back to his feet, he shifted into his own wolf, his clothes and cast joining mine in pieces on the lawn. Both of our wolves crouched low to the ground, circling each other.

I could faintly hear people yelling at us to shift back, but my wolf blocked them out. Her focus was solely on Tristan.

Tristan lunged at me, his teeth bared, ready to catch any part of me he could. I easily dodged his advance and turned to face him again.

He attempted attack after attack on me. Again and again, I would squirm my way out of his reach or hit him with my paws and knock him back.

He was an okay fighter, but I had been trained to fight since I was a pup and was in strict training classes by ten. Tristan didn’t stand a chance against me.

I could have taken his wolf out a long time ago, but I was trying to hold true to my promise to Klaus not to harm his pack members.

I had been evading his attacks for a good five minutes now, inflicting as minimal damage as possible, but my wolf was getting bored with it.

She begged me to just let him have it and put him in his place, but I held her back.

I was already sure I was going to be in enough trouble just for fighting with him. If I didn’t already have a death wish, hurting him would surely be serving up my life on a silver platter to the pack.

Tristan came at me again, this time managing to knock me to the ground. I hurried back to my feet and met him face to face, teeth bared.

“STOP!” A loud, angry voice came from my left.

The command was so strong that it froze both our wolves in place. It didn’t, however, stop the growls and snarls coming from both of us.

Our faces were just inches apart, but our bodies were frozen in place, unable to move. The earth-shattering growl that came next immediately had our wolves dropping to the ground without hesitation.

When we landed on the ground, our noses were centimeters away from touching. I could feel every breath he took as it blew across my snout. It was an irritating feeling, but my wolf refused to move.

The soft patter of paws drew my attention to the left. A massive silver wolf was advancing, teeth bared, a low growl rumbling in its throat.

“No!” Chloe’s scream echoed from my right, and moments later, her warm arms were wrapped around my back.

I yearned to turn and comfort her, but my wolf was frozen, paralyzed like a statue. The silver wolf growled again, this time directing his warning at Chloe.

Her fingers dug deeper into the fur on my back, a clear sign she wasn’t backing down.

I managed a soft whine, trying to reassure her, when the silver wolf snapped his teeth at her. I didn’t want her to get hurt because of my mistake.

“She didn’t do anything, it’s all that asshole’s fault!” Chloe’s voice rang out, and I caught a glimpse of her pointing at Tristan from the corner of my eye.

Suddenly, I felt my fur being tugged as someone pulled Chloe away from me. I shifted my gaze to see Jayden, struggling to maintain his grip on a fiercely resisting Chloe.

Despite her petite size, she was putting up quite a fight. Her body began to shake uncontrollably, and Jayden released his hold, stepping back as he realized she was about to shift.

In her place, a smaller silver wolf with black markings appeared. Sequins from her shirt began to rain down around us, sparkling like diamonds in the moonlight.

Despite the dire situation, the sight of the falling sequins was breathtaking, and I found myself mesmerized as the last few pieces hit the ground.

Chloe approached my wolf, receiving a deep warning growl from Klaus in return. She growled back at him before nuzzling my head and darting off into the woods.

A painful howl echoed through the trees as she disappeared. I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever see her again.

“Shift.” Klaus’s command came from my left.

I turned to see him standing there, naked. It was hard to tear my eyes away from his muscular physique.

My wolf urged me to shift, but I resisted. I was more vulnerable in human form.

Just a few days ago, I was ready to give up on everything, ready to die. But now, I felt like I had something to live for.

I had made friends in this pack, and I hoped to continue those friendships even after I moved on.

I knew I would never be able to live with a pack again, but if I lived nearby, there was no reason why I couldn’t still hang out with Chloe outside of the territory.

Tristan had already shifted and was lounging in the grass a few feet away. My wolf was pushing me to shift, but I held her back, refusing to let her have her way.

My wolf and I had always been at odds, like two completely different people trapped in one body.

We had only communicated about twenty times in our entire lives, so I was taken aback when she spoke up.

“Shift, you idiot, or he’ll kill us!” she growled at me.

“Shut up, bitch. You’re the reason we’re in this mess in the first place,” I growled back. Now was not the time for niceties. She growled back but didn’t respond.

“Alexina, shift now!” The command was firm and authoritative.

The sound of my name on his lips distracted me momentarily, and my wolf seized the opportunity to shift. I found myself naked, curled up in the fetal position on the ground.

“Here,” Jayden’s voice came from behind me. I turned to see him removing his shirt and tossing it to me.

I quickly pulled the shirt over my body, trying to cover myself. I flashed him a quick smile of gratitude before turning my attention back to Klaus.

He was still standing there, naked and unashamed. But the anger on his face kept my focus on the situation at hand.

“Explain!” His command wasn’t directed at anyone in particular, but his gaze shifted between Tristan and me. Neither of us responded.

“I should kill you both right now for disobeying my orders,” he said through clenched teeth.

“I didn’t disobey your orders,” Tristan retorted, sounding offended.

“I ordered you not to harm her, and yet here you are, trying to rip her head off. Please explain to me how that isn’t disobeying my orders,” Klaus said, taking a few steps toward Tristan.

Tristan leaned back casually, as if it were an everyday occurrence to have an Alpha looming over him, ready to rip his heart out at any moment.

“You said we couldn’t harm her unless she posed a threat. She’s the one who pushed me and then shifted as if she were going to attack. I was merely defending myself,” Tristan said, shooting me a dirty look. I returned the favor.

“Is that what happened?” Klaus turned to me, waiting for an answer.

“Sort of,” I said, unsure of how to respond.

“What the hell does that mean?” he growled back, clearly losing patience.

“Well, I did push him, but that was for his own safety because my wolf was taking over and I was about to shift. Once I was in wolf form, he attacked me first,” I explained, pleading my case.

“I want both of you in my office at six to discuss your punishment,” Klaus said, seeming to calm down slightly as he turned to walk back to the pack house.

“Six? That’s in like three hours,” Tristan complained. Klaus spun on his heels and stomped back over to Tristan.

He grabbed Tristan by the neck, lifting him off the ground until his feet were dangling in the air.

“Do you want me to decide your fate now?” he asked Tristan, still holding him aloft.

“No,” Tristan managed to choke out through Klaus’s grip on his throat.

Klaus tossed Tristan into the yard, about five feet from where he had been sitting, and Tristan began gasping for air.

Without another word, Klaus turned and resumed his walk back to the pack house.

Jayden took hold of my arm, guiding me back to the pack house, while Tristan’s companion helped him to his feet. I still didn’t know the name of the other guy.

Tristan

The rogue girl shoved me hard in the chest, sending me sprawling backwards onto my ass.

Looking up, I saw shreds of clothing and a bright pink cast falling to the ground. In place of the girl, a white wolf stood. I sprang to my feet and shifted immediately.

I had to suppress a yelp of pain as my arm transformed into wolf form—it wasn’t fully healed yet, and I was sure it was going to sustain more damage from shifting before it was ready.

Our wolves crouched low, circling each other, while the others yelled at us to stop. But there was no way I was stopping now—I was going to rip this little bitch to shreds.

I readied my wolf and charged at her, mouth open, hoping to catch any part of her body in my teeth. She was a quick little wolf, managing to dodge all my attack attempts.

I knew rogues were said to be tough, but I never expected it from a girl like her—she was feisty. I charged at her again, this time managing to knock her off her feet for the first time.

I stood over her, waiting for her to get back to her feet. When she did, she was face to face with me.

I wasn’t going to take a cheap shot just to win the fight—I wanted to make this slow and painful for her.

“STOP!” Klaus commanded.

The command was so strong that it froze both our wolves in place. It didn’t, however, stop the growls and snarls coming from both of us.

Our faces were just inches apart, but our bodies were frozen in place, unable to move. The earth-shattering growl that came next immediately had our wolves dropping to the ground without hesitation.

“No!” Chloe screamed, rushing towards Zena’s wolf as Klaus’s wolf approached, teeth bared, ready to attack.

Klaus gave Chloe a warning growl and snapped his teeth at her, telling her to get back. Chloe refused to move and clung tighter to Zena’s white fur.

“She didn’t do anything, it’s all that asshole’s fault!” Chloe screamed, pointing at me.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes—she never forgave me for cheating on her, and I was sure killing her friend would only increase her hatred towards me.

Jayden came up behind Chloe, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her back. She kicked, pushed, and pulled, doing anything she could to get out of his grip, but he wouldn’t let her go.

He did release her when she was about to shift and took a few steps back.

Chloe shifted and ran over to nuzzle the face of Zena’s wolf. Klaus growled at her for her actions before she took off howling into the woods.

“Shift,” Klaus commanded.

I followed his command and immediately shifted back to human form, taking a seat in the grass a few feet away from Zena’s wolf. I wondered how she was still in wolf form after Klaus commanded her to shift—even though she’s a rogue, her wolf should still have to listen to him.

“Alexina, shift now!” Klaus commanded again, this time with more power in his voice as his anger was building every second she was still in wolf form.

She apparently wasn’t strong enough to resist that command because seconds later Jayden was tossing her a shirt to put on.

I couldn’t help but see if I could catch a glimpse of her naked body while she shimmied into the shirt, but she managed to slide it on without exposing anything.

Her frame was so small that Jayden’s shirt easily covered all the good parts.

“Explain!” Klaus demanded at both of us.

“I should kill you both right now for disobeying my orders,” he added through clenched teeth when neither one of us spoke up right away.

“I didn’t disobey your orders,” I said, slightly offended. Technically, I didn’t—she was the one who pushed me first.

“I ordered you not to cause harm to her and you were just out here trying to rip her head off. Please tell me how that is not disobeying my orders,” Klaus said, taking a few steps towards me.

I leaned back casually before explaining. I didn’t do anything wrong, so I didn’t need to worry about getting in trouble.

“You said that we couldn’t bring harm to her unless she was a threat to us. She is the one that pushed me then shifted like she was going to attack.

“I was just defending myself,” I said, turning to give Zena a dirty look, only to have her return one to me as well.

“Is that what happened?” Klaus turned to Zena for an answer.

“Sort of,” she said nervously.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He growled back impatiently.

“Well, I did push him back, but that was for his own safety because my wolf was taking over and I was going to shift. Once I was in wolf form, he attacked me first,” she said, pleading her case. I hoped Klaus would just rip her head off and get it over with already.

“I want both of you in my office at six and we will discuss your punishment,” Klaus said, seeming to calm down a little as he turned to walk back to the pack house.

“Six, that’s in like three hours,” I complained. That was way too fucking early. This little bitch was really starting to get on my nerves—this was all her fault.

Klaus turned on his heels and stomped back over to me. I could tell that I had pushed him too far and prepared myself for what I had coming.

He grabbed me by the neck, picking me up off the ground until my feet were dangling in the air and I was struggling to breathe through his tight grip.

“Do you want me to decide what to do with you now?” He asked, still holding me in the air.

“No,” I managed to choke out with the last of the air in my lungs.

With a swift, unceremonious motion, Klaus flung me into the yard, a mere five feet from where I’d been sitting. The moment his hands released their vice-like grip from my throat, I began to gulp in air, my lungs aching for the sweet relief of oxygen.

Without uttering another word, he pivoted on his heel and resumed his trek back to the pack house. My brother, ever the dutiful sibling, helped me to my feet. As I regained my balance, my gaze drifted over to Jayden, who was escorting Zena back to her cabin.

A low growl resonated within me, a primal warning of the storm brewing inside. I’ll deal with that little bitch tomorrow, I promised myself, my eyes narrowing at the sight of her retreating figure.