Chapter 137: It’s You! (Molly and Varek)

Molly

Molly pulled back the sheer curtain of her palanquin just an inch, peering outside into the cool air with a deep frown etched across her face.

The forest trees were slowly thinning, the dense green canopy giving way to open dirt trails, which meant only one thing, they were getting closer to her doom, closer to the Rogue King.

I shouldn’t be here, Molly thought, her hand trembling against the silk curtain. I should be back at Moonside, or hidden away in some small village. How did my life turn into this? I should have ran.

She had felt a cold, sinking feeling in her gut ever since they left the capital. It had only grown worse when she stepped off the private jet, and it intensified when she landed in the south and got into her a car, the only time things seemed to settle in her stomach was when, the roads came to an end and they had to switch to palanquin, because there were not many roads, wealthy people who did not want to shift got carried around.

They could have easily taken a helicopter directly to the ex sundown pack territory, but Molly had stubbornly refused. She wasn’t about to speed up her own execution, and deep down, she was happy that not many roads were built in the south.

Walking right beside the palanquin, Trina kept her head low, her boots crunching against the dirt. "We are almost there, my princess. Just thirty more minutes and we will be inside the former Sundown Pack territory."

Molly let out a heavy, miserable groan from inside the curtains. "Don’t remind me."

What was I thinking? Molly scolded herself, burying her face in her hands as the palanquin swayed with every step. I actually had a chance to escape. I could have forced Travis, no, Aina, to marry me. I could have begged her, dragged her to the temple, done anything to bind us legally. But I let one foolish moment of pride convince me I could handle this.

Now that reckless confidence had delivered her straight to a killer’s doorstep.

She knew one thing for certain. She was not going to stay married to that monster for more than a year. She couldn’t.

It was either she would find a way to end him, her parents would launch a rescue force, or she was going to end up in a shallow grave. Looking at the terrified expressions of her own royal guards, it was obvious everyone was betting on the grave.

Thirty minutes bled away far too quickly.

The dark forest suddenly opened up, revealing the towering stone walls of what used to be the mighty Sundown Pack. The second her envoy was spotted from the watchtowers, a long, harsh horn blew through the valley. The massive iron-reinforced doors slowly creaked open, allowing the princess and her small procession to enter.

Molly leaned toward the curtain, trying to catch a glimpse of her new reality. Her heart dropped into her stomach, the moment she was what had become of the Sundown Pack.

The Sundown Pack territory looked completely ruined. It was obvious the rogues had taken absolute control, tearing the once-proud pack territory apart. Molly had visited this pack once with her fathers when she was just five years old, but it looked nothing like the glorious city from her childhood. All the towering glass buildings, the glamour, the glitz, and the beautiful blend of historical stone with modern architecture were gone.

It was all reduced to rubble, dust, and smoking ash.

Scattered across the ruined streets were hundreds of rogues. Some were dancing around wild fire pits, while others sang loud, crude songs and drank from stolen bottles. They looked vicious, untamed, like violent men and women who belonged locked in the deepest dungeons, not ruling a territory.

Other groups of rogues who might have been the original inhabitants were actively hauling away broken stone, tearing down what little remained of the old buildings under the watchful eye of armed guards.

Molly squeezed her eyes shut, pulling back from the curtain. This isn’t a pack, she thought, her pulse racing violently in her ears. This is a slaughterhouse.

After a few more agonizing minutes, the palanquin came to a complete stop.

They had reached the elevated slope where the Head Alpha’s grand estate was supposed to be. But just like the rest of the city, the mansion was gone, completely leveled to the ground. A massive construction project was taking its place, with workers hauling heavy timber and stone to lay down a new foundation.

The guards lowered the wooden palanquin to the dirt. Molly stayed seated inside, keeping her eyes closed tight as her chest heaved with shallow breaths.

Outside the thin curtain, Trina leaned in close, her voice trembling slightly. "My princess... we need to leave. You need to get out now. We are here."

"I am just gathering myself," Molly whispered back, her teeth chattering. "Give me a minute."

Trina pushed the edge of the curtain aside just enough to peer inside, her voice dropping into a desperate whisper. "My princess, you have to be strong. They are waiting for you... he is standing right here."

Hearing that he was right outside, Molly swallowed the thick lump in her throat. She took a deep, shaky breath, pushed the silk curtains open, and stepped out onto the dusty ground.

She kept her gaze fixed firmly on her boots, unwilling to look up, until she forced her chin higher.

Standing a few feet away, surrounded by armed rogues, was the Rogue King.

Molly’s breath hitched in her throat. The moment her eyes locked onto his sharp face and long dark hair, a memory flashed through her mind, a bloody, wounded man lying against a tree in the forest.

Her eyes widened in shock. "It’s you..." Varek slowly crossed his arms over his broad chest, a cold, lethal smile spreading across his face as he looked down at her.

"Indeed," Varek said smoothly, his dark eyes gleaming with quiet triumph. "Welcome home, my princess."