< 77 Chapter 77


    77 Chapter 77


    Valerie’s POV 13


    The rogues dragged me through the forest for what felt like hours, their ws digging into my arms whenever I stumbled on the uneven ground. My designer heels had been abandoned somewhere in the first


    mile, leaving my feet bloody and torn by roots and stones. The silk dress that had cost more than most


    people made in a month was now little more than tattered rags clinging to my shivering frame.


    But I was alive. That had to count for something.


    The camp, when we finally reached it, was exactly what I’d expected from a pack of exiled criminals-a


    collection of ramshackle shelters built from salvaged materials, scattered around a central fire pit where


    something that might once have been an animal roasted on a makeshift spit. The smell of unwashed bodies


    and rotting meat hung heavy in the air, making my stomach churn.


    Dozens of yellow eyes watched our approach from the shadows. These weren’t the civilized wolves of proper


    pack society-these were predators in the truest sense, reduced to their most basic instincts by years of exile


    and violence. Some still wore the remnants of human clothing, while others had abandoned pretense entirely,


    their bodies more beast than man.


    At the center of it all, seated on what could generously be called a throne made from welded car parts and


    animal bones, sat the Alpha.


    He was massive—easily thergest wolf I’d ever seen, with shoulders broad enough to snap a normal man in


    half. His dark hair was streaked with premature silver, and scars crisscrossed his chest and arms like a


    roadmap of violence. But it was his eyes that truly marked him as dangerous-not the t yellow of his


    subordinates, but a deep amber that held an intelligence that was somehow more terrifying than mere animal


    cunning.


    When he smiled at my approach, revealing teeth filed to sharp points, my wolf whimpered and tried to retreat deeper into my consciousness.


    “So, he rumbled, his voice carrying easily across the camp and causing conversations to die mid-sentence. “This is the little princess who ims to know the Alpha King’s secrets.”


    The scarred rogue who’d captured me shoved me forward, sending me stumbling to my knees in the dirt


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    before the throne. “Found her at the border, Boss. Says she’s got information about Nightshadow that might


    be useful.”


    I struggled to my knees, acutely aware of how pathetic I must look-hair tangled, makeup smeared, clothes torn and dirty. But I’d learned long ago that sometimes appearing weak was the key to getting what you


    wanted from men.


    “I know Damien Nightshadow,” I said, letting my voice tremble just the right amount. “I know his weaknesses.


    I can help you.”


    The rogue kingughed, a sound like steel scraping stone. “Attachments? The Alpha King cares for nothing


    but power.”


    “You’re wrong,” I said, forcing myself to meet those terrifying ck eyes. “He has a mate now. A little omega


    bitch named Seraphina Knight.”


    Something shifted in the rogue king’s expression. I saw interest flicker in those dead eyes, and my pulse


    quickened with hope.


    Now I had his full attention. He leaned back on his throne, considering me with the calcting look of a


    predator sizing up prey.


    “And what exactly do you propose to do with this… information?”


    This was it. My moment. I forced myself to stand despite the pain in my knees, and took a step closer to his throne. Several of the other rogues growled warningly, but their king held up a hand to stop them.


    “I propose we help each other,” I said, letting a sultry note creep into my voice despite my fear. “You want to bring down the Alpha King. I want revenge on the little bitch who ruined my life. We both have something the


    other needs.”


    He studied me for a long moment, then suddenly stood. The sheer size of him was overwhelming-I barely came up to his chest, and the raw power radiating from him made my wolf cower deep inside me.


    “You think you can bargain with me, little princess?” he asked, circling me slowly like a predator toying with wounded prey.


    Before I could answer, his hand shot out and gripped my throat. Not hard enough to cut off my air, but firm


    enough to make my helplessness crystal clear,


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    “Let me show you exactly where you stand in my territory.”


    What followed was the most humiliating hour of my life. He made me kneel in the dirt while he and his pack jeered at my attempts to maintain dignity. Made me beg for water like amon cur.


    Finally, when the sun had nearly set and I was shaking with exhaustion and suppressed tears, he hauled me to


    my feet.


    “Strip,” hemanded.


    My blood turned to ice water. “What?”


    “You heard me. If you want to be part of my pack, you need to prove your loyalty. And your… usefulness.”


    I stared at him in horror. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to be the one in control, using my


    feminine wiles to manipte him. But looking around at the circle of leering rogues, I realized how naive that


    n had been.


    Still, I had nowhere else to go. Damien would hunt me down if I tried to hide in civilized territory. This hellish


    ce was my only option.


    With trembling fingers, I began to unbutton my torn blouse.


    “Slower,” the rogue kingmanded, settling back on his throne with obvious anticipation. “And make it…


    entertaining.”


    It took every ounce of willpower I possessed to force my body to move seductively instead of copsing in tears. But as I shed each piece of clothing, I reminded myself why I was doing this. Seraphina Knight had


    taken everything from me-my status, my security, my future. If degrading myself was the price of revenge,


    so be it.


    When I stood naked before him, he beckoned me closer with one wed finger,


    “Now,” he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, “show me exactly how badly you want my


    protection.”


    I closed my eyes and did what I had to do.


    Hourster, as Iy bruised and trembling in the corner of his den, he spoke again.


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    “You’ve got spirit, little princess. I like that in my women.” He ran a possessive hand down my spine, making


    me shudder. “Yes, I think you’ll do very well here.”


    “Does that mean…?” I managed to whisper through split lips.


    “It means you’ve earned yourself a ce in my pack. And if your information proves useful…” His smile


    revealed teeth filed to sharp points. “Well, every king needs a queen, doesn’t he? Even a rogue king.”


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