Chapter 6: The Law of the Wild

Calla’s POV

In another year, I no longer felt like just a randy trying to survive.

I was leading them.

While Darius had always been a well-known combatant, his desire to rule was never strong.

I did.

I was followed by more rebels. Some feared me. Some admired me. Some individuals wanted to take revenge against the packs that deserted us, just like I did..

I would hand it over to them.'

As the fire broke out, I stood before my army and spoke the words I had been waiting to say since Raiden's departure.

"They don't see us as anything," I said, my voice steady. "Their perception is that we are weak.".

Lost. Forgotten.”.

Looking at them, I noticed the hunger in their eyes.'...

“But we aren't weak.

Our memory lives on forever.

Darius lowered his arms and looked up at the tree, with a look of disbelief.

The tip of my knife was pushed up to my palm and blood thickened.

“Standardize on this blood and I’ll take everything they stole from me.”.

A quiet silence was observed by the rogues.

They repeated the same action, severing their palms and swearing loyalty.

To me.

To The Shadow Fangs.

The werewolf kingdom would be brought down by a rogue pack.

With a heavy heart, I gazed at the moon with determination.

I was coming for them.

For Raiden.

For everyone who let me suffer.

The bleeding would be different for me this time.

The Rogue Lands were nothing like I imagined.

I had thought they would be a place of survival—harsh but structured, filled with exiled wolves like me, forging a new path in the shadows.

I was wrong.

Chaos was in charge of them.

Chaos also had its own set of rules.

My shoes fell on dry, torn ground because I got through the center of the evil country. Blood, smell, frustration and unwanted body filled the air.

A collection of improvised dwellings, some constructed from decaying wood and others made from ripped tarps supported by sticks, made up the settlement, if it could even be called that. Snarling figures watched me go by, their shadows flickering as fires burned in open pits.

In warning, some flashed their teeth.

People stared at me as if I were prey.

I stared at them without flinching.

Here, power was the only rule. Either you possessed it, or those who did ate you up.

Darius was walking next to me, his face unreadable. I had insisted on coming even though he had warned me about this place. I had to see what I was up against if I wanted to control the rogues.

I could see why he hesitated now.

A brawl erupted to my left.

A vicious battle was going on between two wolves, a male and a female. No one intervened to stop them as claws tore through flesh, spraying blood. The others just looked on, some smiling, some betting.

Darius let out a sigh. "This is the situation here."

I scowled. "No regulations?"

"Well, there are regulations." He grinned. "However, they vary according to the strongest person."

The fight's woman delivered a vicious blow that sent the man to the ground. He remained motionless.

After spitting on him, she turned and left.

The audience became disinterested.

It meant nothing to see another corpse in the Rogue Lands.

I balled my fists up. "This is insane."

Darius shrugged. "This is how you survive."

However, it was more than just survival.

It was squandering.

Petty quarrels were throwing away power. Potential warrior wolves were squabbling over scraps. There was violence for the sake of violence, no strategy, no unity.

I had trained for a year, developing my discipline and learning how to win.

But these outlaws?

They were too preoccupied with destroying one another to recognise that they could become unstoppable.

The tension in the air increased as we went farther into the settlement. The strongest outlaws resided in the middle, where their fires were brighter and their dens larger. They did more than scavenge. It was they who controlled the mayhem.

Vexon was at the very top.

The exile of a former Alpha for a crime so serious that pack wolves shuddered at the mention of his name.

He watched two wolves fight for his amusement while sitting on a throne of bones—real bones—with a sick smile on his scarred face. While they waited for their turn to spill blood, his pack sat around him, drinking and laughing.

Here, Vexon was a king.

However, he ruled over nothing.

Darius bent closer. "He won't be amenable to your attempts to make things better."

"I'm not interested."

I took a step forward.

The laughter ceased as soon as I did.

Vexon's amused yellowed teeth flashed as he turned his head.

"Well," he thought. "What are we holding here?"

I raised my chin to meet his gaze. "Make a call."

His recognition flickered in his eyes. "The traitor of Silver Moon." He smiled. "I didn't think you would stay here."

The insult went unnoticed. "I observed the rogues' way of life."

He chuckled. "You've witnessed it. What we desire, we take. For what we need, we fight. No alphas. No regulations.

I looked at the dead wolf that was still there after it had fallen. "And no future."

The camp's atmosphere changed. Some of the outlaws narrowed their eyes at me.

Vexon's head cocked. "Little wolf, you have a sharp tongue."

I took a bold step forward. It is a kingdom of scavengers rather than warriors.

The crowd echoed with murmurs.

I could see the silent agreement and the doubt in some of their eyes.

Despite Vexon's strength, it wasn't enough.

No longer.

His laughter waned. "Be careful, girl." His tone became icy. "If you challenge me, you might not like what happens."

I looked him in the eye. "Then let's investigate."

There was complete silence.

Then Vexon's face lit up slowly with a smile.

"You believe that you can take me?" He was taller than me. Years of combat had left his muscles thick, and his scars were evidence that he had lived a life under the blade.

I just said, "I think I can win."

Beside me, Darius stiffened. I sensed the warning in his posture even though he remained silent.

This was careless.

Risky.

But essential.

Vexon laughed. "I enjoy your fire. I'll have fun releasing it.

He cracked his knuckles and took a step forward. "No wolves. Don't move. Me and you only, little traitor.

From my belt, I took my knife.

"I hoped you would say that."

Eager for the carnage to begin, the crowd let out howls and cheers.

I steadied my grip and let out a slow exhale.

This was more than just a brawl.

The Rogue Lands' future was at stake in this conflict.

But, I would not lose.