Chapter 0220

His scent hung thick in the air. He was close. Julian had mentioned the Rogue favored trees.

My gaze lifted but found nothing.

“Why hide?” My voice cut through the silent woods. “Is the beast scared?”

I kept my hands empty. A knife would only make him hesitate. Timing was everything.

“I know what you are. You know what I am.” I called out again. “Stop wasting my time.”

I felt him above me but didn’t look. He wanted the element of surprise. I would play his game.

I stepped forward, eyes ahead. He was studying me, they always did. I’d climbed the fence and crossed the field in my Louboutins. A price paid for beauty and death.

The rustling above was deliberate. He’d hidden well. He wanted me to look up just as he jumped. Instead I moved deeper into the woods. A grunt of annoyance followed.

He lured others to their deaths. Two could play.

“Talk.” I snapped. “I know you can.”

“Why follow me?” He growled from the tree. I inspected my nails.

“You’re causing problems I don’t need.”

“You’re the problem.” He growled.

I rolled my eyes. “Coming down so I can kill you?”

He laughed, a choked gurgle. “You look like her but don’t smell like her.” He dropped before me. His beast towered, bloody drool on sharp teeth. “You smell weak. Delicious.”

He dragged a tongue over his teeth.

“That supposed to scare me?” I raised a brow. “I’ve handled worse than fools who play with food. I’m not weak.”

He growled, stretching taller. I stood unfazed. Size wasn’t always advantage. Being smaller meant I was quicker. I could escape tight spots. Move in unexpected ways.

His claws reached for my shoulders. I stepped back, just out of reach. Simple but effective.

“Why target those girls?”

No answer. At full height, he circled me, trying to intimidate. Predictable. I wondered how Alexander and the others struggled to kill him.

He halted before me. “You want them. Want her for yourself?”

“I can help. Get in unseen. Lycan and Lycan taking over the pathetic Wolves.”

I held up a hand, pointing at myself. “Lycan.” I turned my hand to point at him. “Rogue. Don’t confuse us.”

That deep gurgle rippled the air. “Better if I shift?”

He changed to the chestnut-haired man who’d lured the girl away. Unashamed of his naked body. A massive chunk missing from his leg. He shouldn’t be walking.

“Oh.” In one move, I pulled a knife and stabbed his stomach. Surprise filled his eyes. A cry of anger as I ripped the blade upward to his ribs.

They took too long with games. Drawing it out. With Rogues, be quick. No time for plotting. Always be unsuspecting.

His hands grabbed the knife handle. He pulled it out, spraying deep red over me.

He started healing before my eyes. I hadn’t gone deep enough.

I pulled another knife, sank it into his bad leg as he tried to knock me down. He went to pull it out. I fired the gun. The bullet vanished into his forehead, blowing out the back of his head.

“One down.”