ALPHA-ROGUE INTRO
PROLOGUE
Ten Hours Earlier
Kitee, North Karelia, Finland
The Rogue knelt down in front of its mistress. It had done something very, very bad and it knew it. It was supposed to kill the wolf, not just hurt it. He really wasn't sure if he had killed the other wolf, but the doubting in itself was crime enough. It was a big reason why he had avoided coming back here all this time.
The mistress tapped a finger on the golden chair she was sitting on, glaring down at him. "I just don't know what to say to you. A dog who will not listen is no good to me."
The Rogue winced, wishing he could speak. His mistress had put a spell on him that would not allow him to take his human form. There was time were he would not have minded this, but now that the tides had changed, things were a bit different.
"I gave you a simple order and you did not come through for me," she went on. "I need all of my dogs loyal to me. You were supposed to break them up and you failed me! They are getting so close to finding us! When they come you will be the first thing I throw at them!"
The Rogue winced as she hit him across his muzzle. It was actually hard enough that he tasted blood; he had never been hit had enough in wolf form for this to happen. He just looked up at her. She had also failed the mission. She had let Aku get away more than once.
The mistress got to her feet, smiling sweetly down at her snakes. "When you want a job right, I guess you have to send out your best soldiers."
The snakes all hissed.
The Rogue shivered. Their songs always did sent chills down his spine.
His mistress turned back to him. "Come! You may get a chance to redeem yourself."
Like the good dog he was, the Rogue slowly crept along behind his mistress.
EXTRACT FROM THE STORY
I wake up on a deserted shore unsure of where I am. The last thing I can remember is sitting down to dine with the love of my life. After that, darkness is all that there left. No matter how hard I try to remember, I cannot come up with what happened there.
The longer I sit here that more the memories keep coming back. I can remember a light and then screams. I can remember Daniel reaching for me and something wet hitting my face. After that, there is still nothing. Maybe I don't want to remember what happened after that.
Darkness still surrounds me. I know that my eyes are open, but they are unseeing. Where did my vision go?
I carefully pull myself to my feet. I don't want to move too much because I am still a bit shaky. I pull my senses out as far as I can. I can sense nothing. There is no sign of civilization. I am all that is here.
I sit down hard and buried my face into my skirts. Angry tears begin to fall. How could this have happened? Why did this have to happened to me now? I kick at the sand. This is not supposed to happen to me! I am a noble's daughter for heaven's sake!
I stand up and scream toward the sea. I say nothing that resembles any type of known language. I scream and let it out. By the time I am done, my voice is hoarse and I am numb. The nip in the air doesn't even bother me anymore.
Crossing my arms over my chest I begin to walk down the beach. There is no reason for me to stay where I am. I need to find someone to help me and give me back my vision. I walk for a few metres until I smell the blood.
Oh, yes, it is possible to smell blood. It smells raw and sticky. It's sweetness stands out over the odours of wherever it is I am. I stop and stare down at where the blood is coming from. It takes me a few minutes to remember that I can longer see.
"Are you going to stare at me or are you going to help me?" a sharp, male voice snaps from below my feet.
"If you're going to be like that, then I'm just going to leave you here," I snap back not adding that I can't see him. I am the type of girl who doesn't put up with any man's nonsense.
"Please, help me!" The voice below my feet begs. "If you don't, then I'll die."
"You really should be kinder to strangers," I say.
The voice falls silent. "Look, it's been a really rough day."
"You and me both," I mutter.
I can hear movement and groans of pain from beneath my feet. The male coughs and gasps for air. I am not sure what he is doing. For all I knew, he could be preparing to kill me. My heart picks up speed as that thought entered my mind. Yet, my feet will not move. I hate this. It is as if I am no longer in control of my body.
A few minutes later, the movement stops. Everything, even the sea behind us, falls quite. My breath catches. Is he baring a knife at me? What is he doing? I wish that I could just see what he is doing. The darkness makes me nervous. It makes me feel so weak.
The movement starts up again. This time it is closer to my face. I step back and trip over something. I prepare myself for impact as I soar toward the sand. Suddenly, I am back on my feet in the same spot that I had been just seconds before. I narrow my eyes. How had that happened?
The male snickers. "You may want to watch your step there. You are not very graceful." He is roaring with laughter now.
