The Royal Legacy Book 9: The Lonely Rogue
Penulis
Emily Goulden
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June Cooper is a 21 year old packless wolf who got away from her deranged father and brother as fast as she possibly could. Living with her human best friend, Viv, and working at her family’s bar, Junie is resigned to her boring life. Alpha King Caspian Storm is the grandson of Austyn-Rose and Leo Storm, the first royals in centuries and the famous werewolves who led to the destruction of the disturbed Council over four decades ago. He’s hopeless and alone, defeated after a rogue leader murdered his pregnant mate. When he stumbles into a bar one day, led by his wild Gamma, Cole, and catches sight of a beautiful girl with curly hair and hazel eyes. She’s his second chance mate and he’s determined to push her away, knowing he’s undeserving of another mate. Both wolves are clouded by darkness and content with being alone. What happens when the world tries to shove this unlikely pair together? Will the realm survive it?
Book #9 of the Royal Legacy series
Chapter 1: A Reason to Celebrate
CASPIAN
“Are you sure about this, Caspian? You have so much work to do,” Sabrina sighed as I opened the car door for her.
“Absolutely, my dear. We need to celebrate.” I spun her around in my arms before she got inside the car, pressing her close to my body. “It’s not every day I learn that I’m going to be a dad,” I purred.
I pressed my lips passionately to Sabrina’s, running my hands down to her belly. Just last night, my mate, wife, and queen luna informed me that she was eight weeks pregnant with my child.
I couldn’t be happier, and my mate deserved a relaxing vacation. We both did. I moved my hand to her face before pulling away. “I love you so much,” I whispered, and her entire face lit up.
“I love you too.”
“Come on, get in the car,” I laughed, helping her into the passenger seat. I walked around to the driver’s side of the SUV and started up the engine.
“Where are we going?” Sabrina asked, an excited smile on her face.
“To the cabin,” I replied simply.
My father had purchased the cabin after my eldest brother was born as an escape for our family, and since then, it has become my favorite place to go. Sabrina and I had met three years ago—she’d been born and raised right here in the realm—but all of my duties had kept me from being able to get away long enough to take her there.
It was about an hour’s drive from the castle, deep inside the Golden Woods.
“Without any guards?” She looked around in surprise.
“I staged a breakout.” I winked at her, and she giggled.
“That’s awfully naughty, Your Highness.” She smirked, resting her hand on my knee.
A deep growl formed in my chest, and I nearly pulled the car over right then and there to take her. “You’re playing a dangerous game, my queen,” I said, wrapping one arm behind her so I could run my hand through her blonde hair.
“I thought you liked games, my king?” She looked at me with her bright-green eyes.
I stepped on the accelerator, and she started laughing again. It was like music to my ears. In no time at all, we were moving down the driveway toward the cabin.
Suddenly, Sabrina let out a high-pitched scream.
A wolf plowed into her side of the car, nearly knocking us off the road. I jerked the steering wheel hard to the right, steadying the car back onto the driveway before slamming on the brakes.
“Stay in the car. Lock the doors,” I told her, undoing my seat belt.
There were dozens of rogues slipping out of the woods now.
“Caspian,” she cried.
I pulled her face toward me and kissed her once. “It’ll be okay, Sabrina, I promise,” I assured her before opening and closing the car door.
I heard the locks click behind me. Not that it will do much good against the rogue wolves, I thought sinisterly to myself.
“King Alpha, how gracious of you to walk right into our trap,” a man sneered, walking toward me.
“Who the hell are you?” I snarled.
“You don’t recognize me? How poetic,” the man chuckled.
I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to figure out where I knew him from. “What do you want?” I honestly didn’t care who he was. He was going to be dead soon, anyway.
“Well, if we’re exchanging Christmas lists, mine is to have your head on a pike. But, alas, that’s not on the agenda for today. So we’ll settle for your bride’s instead,” he grinned.
I turned around just in time to see several men dragging Sabrina out of the car. I let out a vicious roar and lunged forward, but I was stopped before I could shift into Jess.
Four men jumped on me, latching silver onto my ankles, wrists, and around my throat. A chain was attached to the silver collar, giving them full control over me.
The man yanked me down to my knees, and I watched helplessly as they manhandled Sabrina.
“Let her go! I swear to the Moon Goddess, I will kill every last one of you!” I roared.
“I don’t think you’ll be doing much from this position,” the man laughed. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Cohen, leader of the rogues here in the werewolf realm,” the man said.
“There are no rogues inside the werewolf realm,” I snapped, not once taking my eyes off Sabrina.
The men surrounding her had her restrained with silver bracelets wrapped around her wrists so she couldn’t shift. Not that she could shift anyway due to her condition.
She was thrashing around in their arms, desperately trying to get away. Her eyes locked with mine, and they were full of fear.
“Shows how much you know, oh great Alpha King Caspian Storm. You and your family of royal hags know nothing of what goes on right under your noses. You are not in charge here—you just don’t know it yet. But after today, I guarantee you’ll never forget my name,” Cohen said.
“Let her go!” I growled.
“Now, now. Why would I do that?” Cohen shrugged before waving one hand toward his men. “I’m going to destroy you from the inside out.” His face grew serious and dark, his eyes a void of blackness.
Before I could say or do anything, one of the men grabbed my mate by her throat, her feet dangling in the air. I screamed out, feeling pathetic and useless as I watched them terrorize her.
She clawed at her throat, gurgling as she struggled for air. The men laughed around her.
Cohen knelt down in front of my face while one of his men kept me at bay with the silver chain.
“First, I’ll make you watch as my men ravish your mate before ripping her into tiny pieces. I’ll come for your family next, starting with your precious baby sister,” Cohen whispered.
I spat in his face just as Sabrina’s screams caught my attention. I whipped around to face her, just in time to see the men ripping her clothes off and pushing her against a tree. “Don’t touch her!” I shouted.
One of the men turned around and smirked at me, winking as his disgusting hands roamed over my mate’s naked body.
“Oh, she’s a beauty, isn’t she?” Cohen said as Sabrina stood there completely bare.
I tried to attack him, but his men held me back. I wrestled with the silver restraints until my eyes met Sabrina’s again.
As the men took turns forcing themselves into my mate, her expression went blank, and her eyes turned lifeless. She dissociated from what was happening to her, refusing to look at me or anyone else; her gaze stayed fixed on the ground. I couldn’t explain it, but the fight left me as her will to live left her. I’m ashamed of myself, ashamed of how easily I gave in.
Watching them assault my mate over and over again ripped my soul from my body, taking every ounce of strength I had with it.
I tried to look away, but Cohen and his men wouldn’t let me. He grabbed my face and forced me to look, while the men behind me yanked the silver chain, pulling my head up.
“You will watch this. You will live in your uselessness and understand how you were unable to do anything to protect your precious mate,” Cohen said as the last man finished with Sabrina.
She collapsed to her knees, her body crumbling as blood poured between her thighs.
“You will pay for this,” I spoke through clenched teeth.
“I haven’t done anything…yet.” Cohen’s smirk returned.
He released my face and walked over to Sabrina like a predator stalking its prey.
“Hello, honey.” He grabbed Sabrina’s chin and forced her to look at him. “What do you have to say to your dear alpha king who couldn’t protect you?” he baited her.
Sabrina’s eyes flicked toward me, and she did the one thing I never expected: she smiled. Her eyes flashed to life for the briefest moment. “I forgive him,” she said. “And I love him.”
Cohen didn’t like that answer. He reeled back and slapped her across the face. Her head snapped to the side, and her face went expressionless again.
“NO!” I shouted with everything left in me, thrashing against the chain with all my rage. More of Cohen’s men rushed over to help restrain me. For a moment, Cohen actually looked afraid.
Then he hauled Sabrina off the ground and held her in front of him, wrapping his arm around her neck from behind. I could feel it—I was seconds away from breaking free. Before I could, Cohen jerked his hands and snapped Sabrina’s neck.
She crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
My body gave up, my werewolf strength failing as I dropped to the ground, screaming. I sobbed unapologetically, tears pooling and spilling from my eyes.
“Now you know. You are nothing, and you never will be. We are the rulers here,” Cohen sneered in an icy tone, just inches from my face, before motioning for his men to clear out.
One by one, the rogues shifted into wolves and ran off through the woods. One of the men behind me wrapped the silver chain around a tree, tying me up like a common dog. Cohen was the last to shift, taking one last look at me before laughing and running off.
I lay flat on the ground, burying my face in the gravel driveway. I didn’t care if I ever got up, or if anyone ever came and untied me. I could die here and be fine with it.
I didn’t deserve to live after I let my mate be raped and murdered in front of my eyes. I wasn’t worthy of being a man, a mate, or a king ever again.
