One Night

Chapter 171

Audrey

‘Silver Wolf…”

The rogue, his eyes flashing maniacally, took a step toward me, gnarled hands outstretched. I could scent him from where I tood a few yards away-he smelled like rotten teeth and scorcheil earth.

knew instantly that he was indeed a rogue, likely from Coldclay, I could smell it all over him, see it in the wild look in his

yes,

in his unkempt hair and tattered clothes. When he smiled at me, he was missing a tooth right in the front.

My heart pounded in my chest as I took a step back, the snow crunching beneath my feet. “Stay away from me,” I warned, but my voice trembled, betraying my fear.

‘I won’t hurt you, my sweet,” he cooed, ignoring my warning. “I’ve been looking for you for so, so long. You will be my bride… Together, we will bring Coldclaw to glory. I’ll treat you so good-I promise.”

I swallowed hard, taking another step back. My back pressed against the hard bark of a tree, and I sidestepped around it, never taking my eyes off of the rogue.

“I’ll scream.” I growled. “My mate will come and kill you.”

The rogue sneered, revealing that toothless gap again. “But you strayed too far from your mate, didn’t you?”

Before I could answer, the rogue suddenly lunged forward, his dirty fingernails reaching for me. I turned and ran, my feet slipping on the icy ground. Pine branches whipped at my face as I sprinted through the forest, my breath coming in short, painful gasps. The cold air burned my lungs with each inhale.

I could hear the rogue crashing through the underbrush behind me, gaining ground quickly; despite his haggard appearance, he was fast. Faster than me.

Panic surged through me as I pushed my legs to carry me faster, My wolf lent me her strength, and suddenly the forest became a blur. But even then, the rogue never lost ground, the gap between us never widening.

“Come back, my bride!” he shouted after me in between fits of manic laughter. “I won’t bite!”

I screamed and scrabbled m**lly for Edwin along our mate bond, but the rogue had been right.

I had walked too far into the forest. Edwin couldn’t hear me or feel me.

Suddenly, more figures emerged from the trees ahead of me. My heart sank as I realized I was surrounded. There were four of them now, all with the same wild, desperate look in their eyes Their clothes were tattered, their hair matted, their eyes hungry.

“Nowhere to run, little wolf,” one of them sneered, revealing yellowed teeth.

I backed up against a tree, my mind racing. The rough bark dug into my back through my-coat. I had some basic defense training, but nothing that would help me against four full-grown werewolves. And couldn’t shift yet-my wolf was still too new, too untrained.

“Please,” I gasped, my breath forming small clouds in the frigid air, “just leave me alone. I’m not who you think I am”

They laughed, the sound harsh and grating. They closed in on me, their eyes roving shamelessly over my body. One of them reached for me, and I lunged away, only to back into a shrub as I was met with the twisted face of another.

“Oh, we know exactly who you are, Silver Wolf,” one rogue, a terrifying woman with piercing eyes and a scar on her cheek, growled. “We can smell the silver in your blood.”

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Chapter 171

“Come with us,” another hissed, grabbing at my sleeve. “No harm will come to you… You will be

Π pretty little princess.

The rogue’s dirty fingers closed around my sleeve, yanking me forward. In desperation, I did the only thing I could think of -I screamed.

The sound burst from me in a powerful wave, just like it had those two times before with Linda and the guy from the club. I could practically see the shockwave as it rippled out, so forceful that it shook the branches of nearby trees. Snow and pine needles cascaded down, pelting me in the face.

Two of the rogues stumbled back, snarling and clutching their bleeding ears in pain, But the other two-the woman and the first one-kept coming, seemingly unaffected. My heart sank as I realized that this power, whatever it was, wasn’t strong enough yet to take down so many.

“Nice trick,” the first rogue giggled. “We’ll train you up real good and put it to good use when it’s time to bring Coldclaw to glory.”

Just as I thought all hope was lost, a massive brown wolf burst from the trees. It snarled ferociously, its gleaming fangs bared. I yelped and fell to the ground, wet snow soaking through my jeans.

I thought it was another rogue, but it wasn’t, because all it took was one feral snarl from the brown wolf and suddenly the rogues were sca**ring, turning tail and running, disappearing into the forest just as quickly as they had appeared. Their howls of fear echoed through the trees as they abandoned their efforts-for now.

I scrambled backwards, trembling, as the wolf turned to face me It wasn’t Edwin, it was.. someone else.

A scent I barely recognized from that morning.

The wolf’s golden eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, he just stared at me, licking his chops, before he shifted.

“Well,” Peter said, brushing pine needles from his hair, “that was exciting. I heard a scream and came running. Good thing I did, huh?”

I stared at him, still shaking, unable to form words. Peter strode up to me and stuck his hand out to help me up, but I was too stunned to move.

Peter frowned, concern flashing across his face, “Did they hurt you?”

I shook my head, finally finding my voice. I took his hand, and he hauled me to my feet with ease. “N-no, I’m okay, Just…. scared. Thank you for saving me.”

Peter shrugged, a ***y grin replacing his momentary concern. “Don’t mention it. I wouldn’t let the Silver Star get stolen away by the **enemy now, would 12”

I didn’t respond to that, although the way that his hand was still wrapped around mine wasn’t lost on me. For a moment, I almost wondered if he would try to steal me next-if he might throw me over his shoulder and spirit me away.

But he released my hand.

“Come on. Let’s get you back to my brother before he has an aneurysm, I can smell his panic from here.”

We had barely reached the edge of the woods when I saw Edwin running toward us, his face pale, his eyes wild with worry. Snow flew up around his feet as he sprinted across the yard.

“Audrey!” he called, and I ran to him, throwing myself into his arms. He held me tightly, his hands running over me as if checking for injuries. His-touch was frantic, desperate.

“What happened?” he demanded, looking at Peter over my head His arms tightened around me protectively.

Peter explained the situation while Edwin continued to hold me. With each word his brother spoke, Edwin’s body tensed

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Chapter 171

more and more. I could feel the growl building in his chest.

When Peter finished, he fixed Edwin with a stern look. “You should really take better care of the Silver Star in your possession, brother. She should know how to fight and shift by now. If she can’t do that, then you should just keep her locked up for her own safety.”

Edwin growled, low and dangerous. The sound vibrated through me, and I felt my wolf stir in response. “That’s enough, Peter. Thank you for your help, but we can handle things from here.”

Peter held up his hands in mock surrender. “Just trying to help. Take care, little star,” he added to me with a wink before turning and disappearing back into the forest.

Once we were alone, Edwin pulled back slightly, his hands cupping my face. His eyes, wild with worry, scanned me frantically. His fingers ghosted over the scratches on my face from the pine branches.

“Are you alright? Did they hurt you? I’m so sorry, Audrey. I should have been there. I should have protected you.”

I

I shook my head, leaning into his touch. “It’s okay, I’m okay.” I was shivering now, the adrenaline wearing off. Edwin’s face crumpled with guilt, and he pulled me close again, buried my face in his chest, inhaling his familiar scent. It calmed me, grounding me in the present. My anger from earlier had evaporated, replaced by relief and exhaustion.

“I’m so sorry.” Edwin murmured into my hair. “This is all my fault. I should have told you everything from the beginning should have been there to protect you. I’ve failed you as a mate for a second time now.”

I pulled back slightly, looking up at him. “No, Edwin. I’m sorry, too, I shouldn’t have stormed off like that, shouldn’t have gone so far. I was just hurt that you didn’t tell me sooner. But I put myself in danger by not listening to you.”

Edwin kissed my forehead, then each of my cheeks. His lips were warm against my cold skin. “I promise, no more secrets, I’ll tell you everything, always.”

1 nodded, managing a small smile. “I’d like that.”

We stood there for a moment, just holding each other as the snow fell gently around us. Then, a thought occurred to me, and I pulled back slightly to look up at Edwin.

“You’re not going to lock me up, are you?” I asked, only half-joking. Peter’s words echoed in my mind, and I couldn’t help but worry.

Edwin’s brow furrowed, his eyes serious. “No,” he murmured. “But my brother was right about one thing you need to learn how to defend yourself. Come with me.”