Chapter 158

Dylan POV

God, my head was absolutely killing me by the time I managed to stir from my unconscious state.

I looked around and squinted at the ache in my head, I couldn't believe I got yet another bump to add to my collection. How I wasn't completely comatose was beyond me.

I quickly stood up only to yelp out in pain at the agony in my ankle. Well shit, I had actually forgotten all about that, what else had happened? I frowned quickly remembering how me and Oliver fled from the previous district, only to get completely cornered by some wolves. Maybe that's where we were now. Being held prisoner until the king arrives to come and collect me.

I sighed, knowing I needed to go and check on the royal beta, and so with a pain filled limp, I hobbled out of whatever I was in. Upon exiting I realized it was a little grass tent, which had many more scattered around the small clearing area. It wasn't a pack, hell I'd probably say it wasn't even a district.

I allowed my head to dart around, seeing a large fire pit which was currently being built with more twigs by a couple of people who instantly began murmuring about me as I walked around. The funny thing was though, was that no seemed to try and stop me in my movements, they mustn't have thought me too much of a flight risk, their mistake of course.

Also, I never would have thought I'd be thinking this, but In that moment, really hoped Oliver was ok. He had done what he could to get me out of that situation.

I will admit, My worry was actually short lived though as Oliver quickly bounded up to me, only a pair of shorts resting low on his waist and a concerned look took over his features.

"Dylan..." He stopped directly in front of me before looking down at my ankle, I finally glanced at it too only to discover it was twice the size that it usually was. "How are you?" I ignored his questioning, and simply returned it with a query of my own.

"Alpha Shawn's wolves, did they?..." He shook his head quickly and grabbed my upper arm, bringing his lips to my ear in order to whisper into it.

"They didn't follow us, we were actually found, by a group of rogues." Rogues? As in rogue wolves? Weren't they considered dangerous? Isn't that why being a rogue was abolished when the new world came into fruition. “It's strange, non of them have a detectable scent, I couldn't tell who or where they were at the time of the ambush."

"We're currently in a rogue camp?" I asked shock evident in my words. I couldn't believe it. I never would have thought I would ever even see a rogue never mind be held up with one.

“Yeah, its kind of crazy isn’t it? We’re actually really lucky they found us when they did, you were in pretty bad shape, that head wound was pretty bad.” I rolled my eyes and sighed, already knowing the moon goddess probably once again healed my head, just wish she could have given me the curtesy of helping my ankle too.

“How long have I been out?” I really didn’t want to know the answer, but I suppose it was a question that needed asking, I had absolutely no concept of time.

“You’ve only been out for 4 hours.” He stated, I couldn’t help but allow surprise to cloud me, that was too bad at all, I was expecting him to say four days. No wonder I was still sore.

“Ok. That’s not set us back too much. If we make tracks tonight we can still remain on schedule.” I felt his eyes staring at me in disbelief and surprise. To me, what had happened was inevitable, but I guess it had shaken him up slightly.

“Are you out if you’re mind?! We were almost in serious trouble back there, hell, if it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead, and your eager to continue on our way?” He shook his head at me, grabbing hold of my arm gently. “Let’s at least rest for the night, and decide what we are going to do tomorrow… besides, if something bad really does happen then Lewis is going to genuinely kill me.” I raised my eyebrows comically at his last muttered comment and smiled, I could just imagine Lewis threatening him with my safety.

“Why? What did Lewis say to you?” A teasing tone evident in my words, but the guy was saved when my attention was grabbed by someone else’s words.

"Oh, you're up already?" I heard a woman's voice from behind me and spun around, almost falling over at the pressure I had placed on my bad ankle. The woman grimaced slightly at the sight of my swollen limb, before meeting my eyes again. "Im not going to lie, I didn't think you'd be able to walk on that foot much, if at all. You're going to need medical attention, maybe for you're head too, it was quite the bump you had." The woman who I vaguely remembered stopping us from running earlier, was now stood in front of me, still very much naked, and completely unashamed of that fact.

"I'm fine, nothing that won't heal." I stated with a small grimace and my hand moved to my head slightly, the ache very prominent in it. “What is this place?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me as I looked around.

"We call it no man's land. A place in which no one owns, we're we lone wolves can roam freely, unshackled by the notion of a pack." She spoke, her grey eyes blurring with a playful rebellious intensity, so, she really was a rogue Lycan .

"I thought being a rogue was made illegal..." the woman nodded and smirked at me wickedly. Her movements were very animalistic, and she was very dirty, her salt and pepper hair was wild and untamed, thick mats lay within the tresses, but I will admit, she looked happy.

"What the king doesn't know won't hurt him. We don't care for the new world. We just want our old life back." She shrugged there really were places, that refused to conform to the kings wishes. "Before, when the realm was under king Reginald's rule, we rogues were free to be just that, to roam unbothered by rules and regulations. We also used to be welcomed by packs of all kinds as travelers, of course some greeted us with hostility, but wolves were meant to be wild, we are just nomads who embrace that nature, now though, we can't even go near a pack or district without being either, forced to join or killed.”

"How many of you are there here?" I again asked my questions and was grateful when they were answered with a small smile and accurate information

"There's 18 of us here, including me of course. We look out for each other, but we're all free to move on as and when we wish." The last five years have been so cut and dry for anyone residing in a district over seen by an alpha, and yet, there were people that had simply been living their life, regardless of what the rest of the world are doing. I had no idea how many people, both humans and lycans actually disagreed with the new orders.”

"Hang on a minute… if you wanted to stay hidden then Why did you go out of your way to track us down?" I asked suddenly wondering why they went to such lengths to corner me and Oliver the way the did.

"We may be rogues but we are still lycans, and we knew exactly who you were as soon as we saw you... we've actually been following you both for about four days." How come Oliver hadn't noticed? Was it because his mind was active on other things? Or was it due to the fact that he simply didn't care. "The truth is, we want to join your fight." My mouth fell open quickly and I looked to Oliver who's eyes held nothing but suspicion.

"I didn't even notice you were following us!" He declared slightly bitter about the fact that they got the jump on him. "How come you have no scent?"

“It was just a little gift from the goddess Luna, Mateus, my brother, was captured and killed for being a rogue when the new world came into being, so me and a few others prayed to the moon goddess for safe keeping, the result was concealing our scent. It allows us to travel unnoticed. Well, it did as soon as we mastered the art of stealth.” Wow, so they too have spoken to the moon goddess, or at the very least been blessed by her in some way, although her gift to them was actually beneficial, whereas the offer of mine felt like a punch in the face on top of everything else.

“Wait… you guys just prayed to her and she answered your call?” The woman nodded at Oliver’s question and looked up. Although it was still fairly early in the evening, the moon could vaguely be seen in the bright sky, guess even rogue worshiped that idiot goddess.

“She has the wolves best interest at heart, which is why, we welcome you here… Dylan, the one chosen by the moon.” I awkwardly glanced at Oliver and cringed slightly at the lane title that had given to me. I mean what was I supposed to say to that. “You were our second gift from the goddess herself.”

“Me?! You think I’m a goddess given gift?” I’d been called blessed by her, and I had been named as the chosen ruler, but actually being called a gift was taking things a little too far.

“Of course, our deity wouldn’t have made her decision lightly, she chose you to lead us to salvation.” Oh great, yet another complex I would have to overcome. “And as her subordinates, we must accept you as our precious gift. Which is why we hope you will in turn accept our aid.” Nah, this was getting strange, I mean, if they wanted to help with the fight, then that was great, but her loyalty to me was unquestionably creepy, I didn’t even know the woman’s name.

“Honestly the more people willing to help, the better. Right Your grace?” Oliver was urging me to agree, but it all just felt surreal… the only thing going through my mind was the moon goddess, and what she was ultimately planning. So instead of accepting the aid of the rogues straight away, I disregarded their offer altogether, thinking about how that goddess had granted them an ability purely for the preservation of their way of life.

“Where exactly did you go to pray to the moon goddess?” My mind was definitely working overtime, faster than anyone else’s because they were still hung up on the previous conversation. “When she gave you the ability to hide your scent, where did you go to ask her for help?”

The woman glanced at Oliver, who looked as equally as baffled as she was.

“That old oak tree.” She pointed to a large majestic tree, that sat directly at the edge of the clearing, we walked over to it and noticed a pattern carved deeply into the bark… “it’s the lunar cycle.”

“The Luna oak!” Oliver quickly dropped to his knees in front of the tree out of respect. “I’ve only ever seen pictures… It’s said that the original lycans planted it, in respect of the goddess herself.” It was the perfect place for me to attempt to make contact again.

“Well, then… I think it’s time my own prayers were answered!” In fact, I think that was long over due.