A Rogue's Choice
Author
Michelle Torlot
Reads
2,9M
Chapters
32
For nine long years Katie has been held captive by her father, a sadistic rogue alpha. Just as sheâs ready to give up on life, she manages to escape, only to be captured by the Blood Moon Pack and their alpha, Kane. Expecting to be killed or worse, Katie is shocked to discover a welcoming pack. Unfortunately, her father follows herâalong with some dark secrets from her past!
Age Rating: 18+
Blood Moon Territory
KATIE
I tugged my beanie down over my ears, hiding my fiery red hair beneath it.
I flipped up the collar of my jacket, trying to trap some warmth. My hands dove into my jeans pockets, searching for loose change.
As I stepped into the fast food place, my mind was set on one thing: a cheeseburger, and maybe a few minutes of warmth.
It was January, and even though there was no snow, the temperature had taken a nosedive.
I was relieved to see no line as I approached the counter. I looked around, grateful that no one had spotted me, except for the boy behind the counter.
He looked at me with fear in his eyes. I could smell it too, cutting through the greasy burger scent that filled the air.
âCheeseburger,â I said, keeping my tone flat.
âYou shouldnât be here!â he hissed, glancing nervously at the empty tables behind me.
âYou know youâre in Blood Moon territory,â he whispered, his voice shaking.
âI donât want any trouble!â he added quickly.
I shot him a glare. âYou wonât have any if you give me a damn cheeseburger!â I growled.
He hurriedly grabbed a burger from under the grill, topped it with a slice of cheese, and waited for it to melt. He then stuffed it into a bun and placed it in a styrofoam box.
âOnions!â I growled.
He rolled his eyes, opened the box, and quickly added some onions. He closed the box and pushed it across the counter.
I snatched it up and started to walk away.
âHey! You didnât pay!â he called out.
I turned and smirked at him. âGuess itâs not your lucky day, alpha boy?â I could smell his scent. He was definitely an alphaâs pup.
I paused for a moment, checking if he was going to make a fuss. He didnât. I knew he wouldnât, the spineless jerk.
Pack werewolves only picked fights when they had the numbers. Rogues, on the other hand, didnât take any crap.
Being Mason Ridgewayâs daughter didnât come with many perks, but scaring off cocky pack pups was one of them.
Heâd recognized me the moment I walked in. Iâd tried to hide it, just like my father always insisted. Thankfully, he was the only werewolf around.
Still, I was in trouble for two reasons. One, I wasnât supposed to leave the house we were hiding in. Two, the snotty pup would probably tell his alpha daddy.
I munched on the burger as I made my way back to the house. The streets were quiet, and I wasnât being followed. Once I finished eating, I tossed the container.
When I reached the house, I pushed the door open and walked in.
My father glared at me with his deep blue eyes. His dark brown hair was a mess. We didnât look much alike, except maybe our tempers.
âWhere the hell have you been?â he growled.
I smirked at him, âOut!â
I started toward one of the rooms, my usual sleeping spot.
But before I could even reach the door, he grabbed me, spun me around, and slapped me across the face.
The force of the blow sent me sprawling to the floor.
âI told you not to leave this house!â he growled, his eyes flashing black for a moment.
I touched my lip and wiped away the blood that had started to trickle from the cut his blow had caused.
I glared at him and hissed, âAnd I told you I was hungry!â
Iâve never been one to back down. I always had a smart comeback, and I always paid the price. Today was no different.
Before I could even blink, he grabbed me by the throat and slammed me against the wall. He yanked off my hat and tossed it to the floor.
My long red hair, which had been tucked up inside, cascaded around my shoulders.
He released my throat and grabbed my hair, yanking my head back. It felt like a thousand needles were stabbing into my skull. But I refused to cry or make a sound.
I knew better than to fight back; the more I resisted, the worse it would get.
His eyes narrowed as he stared at me. My nostrils flared in anger, and my breathing quickened.
I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. He would smell my fear, and that would only make things worse.
âYouâre just like your mother!â he hissed.
When he raised his other hand, I flinched slightly. He smirked at me. He was a sadistic bastard, even to his own daughter.
Claws sprouted from his fingers as his eyes turned completely black.
I whimpered as he dragged a claw across my throat, just enough to make me feel it but not break the skin.
Then he dragged it across my cheek, deeper this time. Pain exploded on my face, and I felt blood start to seep from the cut he had made.
âYou better watch yourself, Katie, or you might just end up like her!â he growled.
I felt bile rise in my throat, but I swallowed it back down. He smirked and let me go.
I knew exactly what he meant. I wouldnât turn into a beautiful and sensitive young woman, like my mother had been; my red hair mirrored hers, as did my hazel eyes. He meant I would end up dead.
Heâd made me watch when he killed her. Sheâd had enough of being a rogue and found a pack that would take her and me. She was running from my father.
But we didnât get far. He called it the ultimate betrayal, and the ultimate betrayal needed the ultimate punishment.
One of the other rogues had held me tight, forcing me to watch as my fatherâs clawed hands plunged into my motherâs chest and pulled out her still-beating heart.
That was three years ago; I was only fourteen then. I still sometimes had nightmares, especially when my father threatened me with the same fate.
Before he killed my mother, I had been a normal young girl. Despite never having a permanent home, my mother had tried to give me some sort of stability.
But all that changed when he killed her. I became a hardened rogue. Even when he hit me or worse, I never cried, not anymore.
The innocent girl I once was had been buried deep within me, never to see the light of day again.
Weakness was a luxury I couldnât afford. I remembered my motherâs pleas to my father, her apologies falling on deaf ears. What good had it done her?
As I made my way to the bedroom, I heard Terence, one of my fatherâs rogue buddies, snicker. âIâll teach her some manners!â He said, a smirk playing on his lips.
A chill ran down my spine. Terence was a creep. His leering gaze was enough to make my stomach churn.
âTouch my daughter and Iâll rip your heart out, just like I did her mother,â my father threatened.
I could smell Terenceâs fear as I stepped into the room, then my fatherâs voice was directed at me.
âDisappear tonight. Iâm having a meeting!â
Meetings were code for a bunch of testosterone-fueled rogues getting drunk. Not a great situation for an unmated female like me.
It also meant another killing spree was on the horizon.
I couldnât believe heâd do this here. The Blood Moon Pack was the strongest in the country.
But rogues didnât care about that; they attacked without a second thought.
Maybe I was more like my mother. Even though I was born a rogue, I couldnât understand their need for senseless killing.
It was futile. All it did was anger the other alphas. But I kept these thoughts to myself; if I voiced them, my father wouldnât hesitate to kill me.
I glanced around the makeshift bedroom. It was more of a storage room with a mattress thrown in. I didnât mind too much; it gave me some semblance of privacy.
I took off my coat, folded it up to use as a pillow, and settled down on the mattress. I gingerly touched my face.
Despite being a werewolf, I didnât heal as quickly as the others. Maybe it was because they were adults. They never seemed to scar, but I did.
That didnât stop him from being a sadistic jerk. Heâd inflict pain on me if he thought Iâd stepped out of line.
I didnât cry anymore, not even when I was alone; crying was a weakness my father wouldnât tolerate. The last time I cried was when he killed my mother.
Heâd sneered, calling me weak and pathetic, promising to toughen me up. I guess he succeeded.
My mother had told me he wasnât always like this. I wasnât sure. It seemed like all alphas were cut from the same cloth.
My father had been an alpha of a pack until another alpha decided he wanted the territory for himself.
When the alpha killed my fatherâs mate, his luna, my father escaped with a few warriors, vowing revenge. He met my mother shortly after.
He took my mother to his bed in an attempt to quell his anger. When she found out she was pregnant, she stayed with him. I often wondered how different my life would have been if she hadnât.
I knew my mother loved me. I sometimes questioned whether my father did, but then, he wouldnât have gone to such lengths to get us both back.
Iâm sure he was disappointed when he found out I was a girl. He probably would have loved me more if Iâd been a boy.
I heard boisterous laughter from the next room, my fatherâs and that of some other men. I knew sleep wouldnât come easy tonight.
I was right, but not for the reason I thought. A couple of hours after the other rogues arrived, my father opened the bedroom door.
âStay put,â he growled. âWeâll be back later.â He paused, then added, âIf you leave while Iâm gone, youâll regret it!â
I nodded, but that wasnât enough for him. He leaned over, the stench of alcohol on his breath, and grabbed my face roughly.
âDo you understand?!â he growled again.
âYes, sir,â I mumbled.
He stood up and grunted.
A little while later, I heard the front door slam shut. I cautiously opened the bedroom door and peeked out. The house was empty, but the living room looked like a war zone.
Empty pizza boxes and bottles littered the floor. Some people really were animals.
I walked into the kitchen, found a somewhat clean tea towel, and soaked it with water. I cleaned the cut on my face as best as I could.
Figuring I might as well try to get some sleep, I headed back to the makeshift bedroom and lay down on the mattress. Closing my eyes, I slowly drifted into a light sleep.
