Serene Falls: The Rogue

CHAPTER ONE

Serene University of the Arts, Serene Valley, The Isle Solei.

"I'll see you Monday," Jackson said, smiling down at me, sympathetically. "Seriously, Sunny, don't do this to yourself." He sighed before kissing my forehead. He walked away, shaking his head.

He was right. I knew he was right.

I sat under the tree just outside the back building of the University. This was our usual spot Friday afternoons. Friday nights were often full of excitement, at least for most of the kids here. Parties, Pack runs, mating…

Friday nights were full of things I had no interest in being a part of. Jackson, on the other hand, was more interested in Friday nights, but that never surprised me. Jackson was beautiful.

His family line is from Greece on his fathers' side and Estonia on his mothers. He was the perfect blend of both of their stunning features. His eyes were dark. So dark on some days, you would swear they were black. But they sparkled, somehow still bright. His skin was olive, and his hair was dirty blonde. He was admired by almost every girl here. For good reason. His looks weren't the only thing that made him desirable. Jackson was kind. His mother was an empath, much of which he picked up from spending his childhood at home with her. His heart was good. He loved anyone he met and would give the shirt off his back to help a stranger.

But to me, Jackson was just Jackson. My friend. My best friend.

We met the year I moved here, after the attack. His parents helped my father get into their Pack, saving both my fathers and my own life. He was immediately drawn to me, his instinct to heal taking over. He pulled me under his wing that day and has never looked back. I don't think I would be where I am today if it weren't for him.

As desired as he was, he wasn't the one I wanted.

It was him, the one I had been staring at for the last ten minutes: Sebastian.

Sebastian Myers, the boy I'd secretly had a crush on for years. It wasn't just me, though, everyone fell for him. At least those who hadn't found their mate, yet. He was gorgeous. His eyes were green with flecks of Topaz. His smile, rare as it may have been to see it, was breathtaking. His hair was somewhere between dirty blonde and chestnut brown, depending on the light he was in. His jaw was chiseled, and perfect. He was the epitome of handsome.

He wasn't unkind, but he wasn't exactly friendly. He seemed cold, and harsh, to those he didn't let in. His trust was rarely given. He kept to himself. Not out of necessity. He could spend his time with anyone he wanted. His perk of being the next Alpha, I guess, but also because he was simply mesmerizing. He could draw anyone in. His charm was dangerous. He could pull you in, then turn you away, just as quick. He kept a small circle of friends, never having an actual girlfriend. He changed his arm candy like it was a new flavor of the week. Rumors swirled throughout the pack about who he was with on any given day. The girls chased him, hoping they might be the one to break him, to make him fall… but he never did.

I realized I was staring as his lips trailed along Raven's neck, but I didn't care. I was daydreaming of that neck being mine he was grazing with his lips.

I had known Sebastian since we were young. I was six, I think. My first day of classes. My father had moved us to Serene Valley after the attack that killed my mom. Not just my mom, more than half our pack had been killed by the Rogues, the Savage Sons.

I had sat in horror as they tore through my home, sniffing out my father. His scent had drawn them to our home, but he wasn't there. He was out of town with the Alpha. My father was the Beta of our previous pack. The Savage Sons were wild, soulless. Lead by an excommunicated Alpha, their sole purpose was to take down as many Alphas as they could, taking any from the Pack Leaders they found as well. My father and the Alpha were called to the Mountain by the council.

It was three days after my father had left for the Mountain when they attacked. Every male in our pack was sought out first. They weren't the kind to take prisoners. Less than twelve hours after the first attack, the only surviving members were women and children. It wasn't long, however before they started killing our women.

My mother heard the howls, the cries, through the trees. I could hear her incantation. The whispering I had heard many times before, but this time, her voice was shaking, almost cracking. She opened the wood frame near the back door, exposing a panic room. One I didn't realize existed until that moment. She hurried me in, shushing me the entire time. I was asking too many questions. Something I was still guilty of now. A nervous habit.

She shut the frame behind her, leaving me in the dark, alone. I could still hear her whispering her spells. They weren't in English, so I never knew what she was saying.

My mother was from a small Romanian Island in the Black Sea. My mother, traditionally speaking, was a witch. It was much more than what you see on TV or read about in books. Her lineage dated back centuries. She never spoke much about her family, or her craft, but I knew it was powerful.

She stopped whispering for a moment, listening to the howling outside growing closer. She scribbled something on the wall I was locked behind and covered it with a photo. I couldn't see her, or hear her, but I could sense her. She was there, waiting.

"My little Dandelion, it's time to stay quiet, now. Raza mea de Soare, te iubesc."

"I love you, too, mama," I whispered. I knew she heard it, but I wanted to shout it. I wanted to scream for her, for her to know I loved her. Before I could say anything else, I heard it.

A growl.

My mother stepped away from the frame I quietly cowered behind. She sat herself down at our kitchen table and waited. Seconds later, the front door snapped off its hinges, falling to the floor, revealing three large shadows in the doorway.

I couldn't see anything, but still, I shut my eyes.

It got loud. Things were crashing, breaking. The men were yelling. I heard a slap and prayed to the Gods it wasn't my mother, but I knew it was. She refused to cry. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of breaking her. I could hear her body, making sounds it couldn't control; a whimper after one slapped her, a groan after another kicked.

Soon I heard them laughing. The sounds of them dragging her body made my stomach turn. I thought she was dead then. It wasn't until I was older that I had been told she was still alive at that point. Though I wish she hadn't been.

They had raped her.

She remained silent as they broke her body, taking turns taking what wasn't theirs. They laughed and cheered one another on. The leader of the trio was the last to take what he wanted. I could hear him, his voice echoed down the hall. He said one word.

Mine.

I covered my ears. I was curled into the corner of the panic room, my knees pulled up to my chest. My small hands did nothing to drown out their voices against my Wolf hearing, but I was desperate for any sort of comfort.

Then I heard it. A snap. Then nothing.

I'm not sure what the men were doing at that point, but soon I heard them tearing through the house once more. The ground shook as furniture was thrown into the wall. Glass shattered. The men growled again, sounding angry this time. The three of them spent hours destroying the house. They were searching for something.

The sound of Sebastian's phone ringing made me jump, breaking me from my daydream. I quickly looked back down to my book, hoping I hadn't been seen. I waited a few minutes before I looked back up. They were gone. I let out a small sigh of relief, and defeat, wishing he were still there.

I threw my book into my bag and stood, brushing the grass from my legs. A gust of wind swept past me. I inhaled deep.

Rain.

I could smell the rain in the air. I knew I would never make it home before it started raining.

Great. I thought to myself, pulling my sweater tighter.

I looked up at the deep gray clouds that had rolled in as I sat under the tree, staring at Sebastian. I slowly started walking into the trees, making my way home.

Moments into my walk, the howls started. Friday night was underway. I was grateful because that meant my walk home would be peaceful. No one would be in these woods, not tonight. The small patch of woods that ran between my neighborhood and the University was too small for a Pack run. There were miles and miles of woods on the outskirts of town, on the other side of the University. It was that side of the territory that most of the Pack used.

A raindrop landed on the tip of my nose, splattering into my eyes. I stopped to wipe the water from my face when I heard something. A branch? The wind? It was faint, but I heard it. I glanced all around me, looking for whatever made the noise, but there was nothing.

I kept walking, letting the rain that was now falling soak into my skin.

The hairs on the back of my neck slowly began to spike. I stopped moving. I held my breath.

Someone was watching me.

I waited to see if they would expose themselves as I paused, but I heard nothing.

Suddenly a twig snapped, and I started running. I hadn't made it far before my body slammed into a nearby tree, knocking the wind out of me. I gasped for air, knowing it was useless. My body lay there on the ground. Night had fallen. My eyes couldn't focus, leaving me unable to make out anything more than shapes.

Something behind me snarled, then let out a small chuckle, coming closer to me. I could hear them breathe in deep before exhaling loudly.

"I know that smell," he whispered, his voice dripping with disgust.

My heart stopped beating. My eyes shut as the memories of that day flooded back.

I knew that voice.

I shuddered. My head was pounding, my vision was blurred. I had yet to regain my ability to breathe. I thought I was dying until suddenly the pressure of the hard ground against my back was gone, allowing my lungs to finally take in a breath. As my vision slowly came into focus, I was met with a pair of dark blue eyes, glaring. His lips were adorned with a wicked grin. His eyes weren't looking into mine, though. They were locked on my Oarivaeda. It was a charm from my Great-Great-Grandmother's Coven. It was the sign of the Mother. The Creator. The Earth. The Universe. It was handmade by my Great-Great-Grandmother and was passed down to each daughter. It was said to represent the Life Spirit.

"Witch." He spat.

My eyes grew wide, unable to blink. Unable to look away.

"I thought I killed you?" his voice, now full of hate, filled my gut with dread.

I was stuck. My back against the tree I had been thrown into, this stranger's hand against my chest, locking me in place. He leaned down, his lips nearly grazing my cheek. His breath was hot on my skin.

"I wonder if you're as good a fuck as your mommy was," he whispered harshly into my ear.

I could feel the color drain from my face. My body shook as unheard tears collapsed from the corner of my eye. I told myself to close my eyes, but I couldn't. I stared straight ahead, watching the trees across the clearing sway in the wind.

The man let out a low growl as he threw my body to the ground, knocking the wind from my lungs once more. My eyes began rolling into the back of my head. I gasped finally, a sting spreading down my face. He slapped me. Hard. I was panting, desperate for oxygen.

"You don't get to sleep through this, Witch."

He pulled his shirt over his head. His strength was suddenly understood. His form looked like stone, perfectly chiseled. Definition between every muscle. He could break me in half if he wanted to. His eyes were wild. Pieces of Emerald danced in the deep Cobalt of his eyes. His demeanor was cold. Devoid of emotion. Empty. Soulless.

I'm going to die.

His hands tore my sweater with ease, like he was tearing a piece of paper. He grabbed the waist of my jeans, ready to tear them to shreds when he stopped, lifting his head into the air.

He could smell someone.

Both our heads turned in the direction of a low growl coming from the clearing. I couldn't see anything. The world had started spinning again. Lines were blurring. Trees were fading. My body went numb as I slipped into the darkness.

...

I was in the air, moving.

Oh, Goddess. He's taking me somewhere.

I whimpered. He stopped walking.

I waited.

He didn't move. He didn't speak. I couldn't hear him breathing.

"Please," I begged, no more than a whisper before I slipped back into the darkness.