A FEW DAYS LATER
ISABELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:
I was helping the villagers move some supplies when I felt a tug on my sleeve. Looking down, I saw a small girl with wide, familiar eyes staring up at me.
"You saved me." She said in a tiny voice.
Wait… I blinked, trying to place her. Then it hit me—the injured wolf cub I'd helped in town.
Before I could say anything, a deep chuckle echoed through the air.
"Looks like my little sister has taken a liking to you." A smooth, rich voice spoke.
I turned and froze. Standing there, smirking like he owned the place, was a tall, dark-haired man with striking golden eyes. He looked effortlessly handsome in his dark coat, his presence commanding yet oddly inviting. Adrian. Shadow village's alpha.
"I had to come thank the beautiful woman who saved my sister." He said, stepping closer. His smile was lazy, confident, and entirely too charming.
The girl clung to my side like I was her new favorite person.
"Big brother, can we stay a little longer? Isabella is nice." Little girl said.
Adrian's eyes flickered with amusement. "Well, if Isabella doesn't mind my company..." Adrian said.
I opened my mouth, unsure how to respond, when I caught movement from the corner of my eye. Xavier. His posture was stiff, his gaze locked on Adrian with something dangerously close to a glare. Oh. He was jealous. Adrian clearly noticed Xavier too, but if anything, it only made his smirk deepen. He turned back to me, his golden eyes gleaming with mischief.
"It's rare to see a rogue so admired, especially by such a sweet little sister of mine." Adrian said.
The girl clung to my hand, beaming.
"She's the best! She even gave me medicine and helped my paw uh, my foot!" Little girl said.
I chuckled, ruffling her hair.
"You were brave for handling the pain so well." I said.
Xavier finally stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
"Shadow Village doesn't usually make casual visits. What are you really doing here, Adrian?" Xavier asked.
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"Checking on my sister's savior. Can't a man show gratitude?" He asked.
The tension between them was obvious. Xavier's jaw clenched. Adrian, on the other hand, looked perfectly at ease, like he was enjoying the whole thing.
"Besides." Adrian added smoothly, his attention returning to me. "I'd love to get to know Isabella better. It's rare to find someone so capable."
My cheeks warmed at his tone. Was he flirting? Xavier's eyes darkened.
"She's part of Moon's chosen village. Not someone you can just claim." Xavier growled.
Adrian laughed, tilting his head.
"Claim? My, my, possessive, aren't we?" He then turned to me, offering a hand. "So, Isabella, how about a proper introduction? Wouldn't want your Alpha friend here speaking for you, would we?"
Xavier tensed, but I hesitated. Adrian was undeniably charming, but he was also dangerous in his own way. And Xavier… Xavier was acting way too protective for someone who had barely acknowledged me before.
Adrian chuckled, tilting his head as if he found Xavier's reaction amusing. "Her people, huh? Funny, because from what I hear, rogues aren't really 'her people,' yet she still leads them." He turned his gaze back to me, eyes glinting with curiosity. "That's rare. And impressive."
I didn't like the way he was looking at me like I was some sort of puzzle he wanted to solve. I also didn't like the way Xavier was practically radiating jealousy beside me.
"I did what I thought was right." I said simply, avoiding both their gazes. "And now that the cub is safe, there's nothing more to discuss."
Adrian hummed thoughtfully, then bent down slightly to ruffle his little sister's hair. The girl Nina, if I remembered correctly looked up at me with wide, adoring eyes.
"Thank you, Isabella." She said softly.
Then, to my complete shock, she reached into a small pouch tied around her waist and pulled out a tiny silver charm in the shape of a wolf.
"For you." She said, pressing it into my palm.
I stared down at the delicate charm, momentarily speechless. It was… well, it was adorable. And oddly sentimental for a rogue cub to give me something like this. Adrian smirked at my hesitation.
"That means she likes you. Not many earn her favor."Adrian explained.
I exhaled slowly, curling my fingers around the charm.
"Thank you, Nina." I murmured, offering her a small smile despite the strange tension in the air.
Xavier, however, wasn't smiling. In fact, he looked like he wanted to rip Adrian's head off.
"That's enough for today." He said sharply. "Isabella has work to do."
Adrian's grin widened.
"Possessive, aren't you, Alpha?"Adrian asked.
"I'm protecting what's mine." Xavier said annoyed.
"Excuse me?" I asked.
Adrian outright laughed.
"Interesting." He mused, before gently nudging Nina toward me. "Come on, little one. Let's not keep Isabella from her oh so important duties." Adrian said.
Nina gave me one last bright smile before hurrying back to Adrian's side. The Alpha gave me a slow, lingering look before turning away.
"See you around, Isabella."Adrian said.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair as they finally disappeared into the distance. Only then did I turn to Xavier, my irritation bubbling up.
"What the hell was that?" I asked.
Xavier exhaled, his hands still clenched into fists.
"You don't need to get involved with him." Xavier said.
I arched a brow.
"Oh? And who exactly are you to tell me that?" I asked and grinned.
His eyes darkened, but he didn't answer. Istead, he turned on his heel and stalked off, leaving me standing there, still holding the little silver wolf charm in my hand.
A week had passed since Adrian's visit, and things had settled back into routine—at least, until today. I was returning from the fields when I heard a commotion near the village entrance. Curious, I made my way over, only to stop short at the sight of a massive dark brown wolf standing in the middle of the clearing.
The rogues around me instantly tensed, but not in fear more like stunned recognition.
"That's the Rogue King's messenger." Someone whispered.
My stomach twisted. Before I could react, the wolf shifted, revealing a tall man with sharp amber eyes. Without hesitation, he strode toward me and extended a sealed letter.
"For Isabella." He announced.
I hesitated but took it. The second I broke the seal, my breath caught. The handwriting was elegant, the words carefully chosen yet the meaning behind them was impossible to ignore.
To Isabella,
You continue to surprise me. A woman who leads rogues yet bows to no one how rare. How fascinating.
I wonder… do you know how dangerous that makes you? Not to them, but to me? You occupy my thoughts more than I care to admit.
A leader like you deserves admiration. Deserves devotion. And perhaps, deserves something more. I hope you'll wear the dress. But if not, I'll simply have to send another. And another. After all, I am a patient man.
Michael.
I stared at the letter, heat creeping up my neck. The rogue oing, the man the game described as ruthless and cold was sending me courting letters?
The rogues around me were already whispering excitedly. Some smirked, others looked outright awed.
"Well?" The messenger asked, watching me closely.
I folded the letter, forcing my face to stay neutral.
"Tell him…" I paused, then sighed. " Tell him I got the message."
The messenger chuckled.
"Oh, he'll like that." Messenger said.
And with that, he shifted back into his wolf form and sprinted away, leaving me standing there, heart pounding, as the whispers grew louder around me. The moment the messenger disappeared into the trees, the village erupted into murmurs.
"He's really courting her…" One of them said.
"The rogue king? Seriously?"Another asked.
"Didn't think he was the type." Third one said.
I rubbed my temples. Great. Just what I needed.
"Hey, Isabella!" One of the rogues, a woman named Mara, smirked. "So? Gonna accept his offer?"
I shot her a look.
"It's a letter, not a marriage proposal." I said.
"Not yet." She said.
I groaned, turning on my heel and walking toward my house. I needed a moment just one damn moment of peace. But of course, the universe wasn't about to grant me that.
"New task. An invitation in silk. Objective. Wear the dress Michael sent and attend the upcoming gathering in town.Reward: Increased reputation with the rogue king." System said.
I froze midstep.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."I muttered.
I glared up at the sky like I could strangle the system itself.
"Are you serious?" I whispered.
No response. Of course. My fingers twitched as I reread the task. Attend a gathering? In his gift? That sounded suspiciously like a setup. Before I could process it further, a familiar presence appeared in the corner of my vision. Xavier. It seems he saw letter. What am I going to do now?