"Who the hell is that?" Adrien whispered. His voice was barely audible over the sudden silence.
Erald’s heart pounded in her chest like war drums, every instinct in her body screaming in warning.
The Rogue King stood in the centre of the mine’s mouth, half-cloaked in shadow, golden eyes glowing like twin suns. His posture was relaxed, almost amused, as though this were a performance he’d long been waiting to enjoy.
No one spoke.
For a full minute, the four of them: Erald, Kieran, Lucien, and Adrien, simply stared at him, dumbfounded. There was sothing about his presence that seed to freeze ti itself.
Lucien stepped in front of Erald, positioning himself between her and the intruder. His tone was cautious and sharp as he spoke. "Who are you? And how did you get in here?"
The Rogue King’s smile was thin and sharp. "Let’s not be rude now."
He glanced past Lucien, directly at Erald, tilting his head as though they were alone. "Go on, tell them who I am, little wolf."
Erald’s breath hitched.
Three pairs of eyes turned to her. Adrien’s face darkened. "You know him?"
She didn’t answer.
Her mouth opened, but no sound ca out. Her lungs seized. Her throat locked. She was surrounded by her mates, all of them, and yet, in this mont, she was more afraid of what the truth would break than what The Rogue King would do.
Surely, he couldn’t attack Kieran in front of Adrien and Lucien, or can he? Will the three of them be able to ward him off if bad becos worse?
She looked at him.
That self-satisfied smirk played on his lips like he was enjoying a performance only he understood.
"Erald?" Kieran said gently.
Still no answer.
Lucien tightened his stance, clearly impatient for a response. He moved closer to The Rogue King, his aura starting to build around him."Whatever ga you’re playing, end it now. Leave."
The Rogue King didn’t flinch. "You’re brave," he said, almost admiringly. "But stupid."
Then, like a drop of ink into clear water, darkness rippled outward from him. A crushing aura filled the mine, pressing against skin, muscle, and bone like an invisible storm.
Erald gasped as she felt it surge around her. Kieran stumbled back a step. Adrien gritted his teeth, fists clenched. Lucien went still.
"What... the hell is this?" Adrien growled, struggling to breathe.
"It’s him," Erald whispered. "He’s doing this."
But while her mates struggled to hold their ground under the suffocating weight of The Rogue King’s aura, Erald remained untouched. The pressure brushed over her... and passed.
Viola’s voice echoed inside her, stunned. "You’re immune to his aura. You’re the only one. Probably because of the mate bond."
"What’s... happening?" Kieran hissed, his body trembling.
The Rogue King watched them calmly. "This is what happens when mortals play with gods."
Erald’s voice was hoarse. "Stop. You’re hurting them."
He tilted his head toward her, that maddening smile still there. "Shall I kill them all, Erald?"
"No," she snapped. "Stop. Just leave."
Kieran pushed forward, eyes locked on hers. "Erald... who is this man?"
The question hung in the air, impossible to ignore. She felt a lump in her throat as she turned to The Rogue King, who looked at her with a mix of satisfaction and mischief.
He stepped forward. "Why don’t you tell them to check for my mark?"
"Mark?" Adrien echoed, stepping up beside Lucien. "What the hell does he an?"
Kieran stared at Erald, then slowly... his gaze slid to her neck, and the realisation hit him like a blade. "No," he said softly. "You didn’t..."
"I..." Erald’s lips parted.
The Rogue King stepped beside her in an instant, too fast to follow, his hand brushing her hair aside with theatrical ease.
"There," he purred. "My mark... she belongs to ."
Kieran’s eyes widened. Adrien’s fists curled. Lucien’s mouth tightened into a thin, unreadable line.
"You... you’re mated to him?" Kieran said in a hoarse voice.
Erald looked each of them in the eye, and the words flowed out like a breath. "He’s my mate."
The Rogue King smiled, his hand brushing her hair back fully, exposing the bite more clearly. "She ans I’m her only true mate," he said softly. "The rest of you?" He looked at them with dismissive amusent. "Pretenders. Fleeting distractions."
Lucien didn’t move. His stare was cold and calculating. "And yet you waited until now to show up."
The Rogue King shrugged. "Timing is everything."
Then his eyes slid to Kieran. "But first, let’s begin with the man who dared to touch what is mine."
"Kieran," Erald warned, stepping between them instinctively.
"That’s enough," Kieran said with a low growl as he took a step forward.
The air around him grew chilly, almost like a bite against the skin. Frost began to form on the rocks beneath his feet, and the temperature dropped all at once.
Adrien blinked. "Wait... what does he an? What the hell does that an, Erald?"
She didn’t flinch. "It ans Kieran and I slept together."
A beat passed.
The Rogue King’s head snapped toward her, his smile vanishing as a growl erupted from deep in his chest. "You dare," he snarled, "let him claim what belongs to ? Don’t test my patience, Erald."
Kieran’s breath caught, Lucien blinked, and Adrien swore under his breath.
None of them spoke.
But Erald had had enough.
She turned to all of them, her voice rising. "I am not a commodity. I don’t belong to anyone. Least of all you."
The Rogue King reached for her quickly, too quickly, and wrapped one arm around her waist, the other hand sliding up to cradle her neck.
It wasn’t violent. It was worse... possessive and hungry. Her mates growled in unison, a wall of fury forming around her.
"Stand down," Erald said without looking at them.
"Erald..."
"I said, stand down."
They didn’t like it, but they didn’t move.
"Let go," she ordered, staring directly into The Rogue King’s eyes.
He stared back at her with an unreadable expression, but his eyes showed a mix of emotions: admiration, fury, maybe obsession. "You’re the only one who can speak to like that and live."
"Let go," she said again.
And he did... slowly, like he was savouring the command.
She stepped back, brushing off the front of her jacket. "You won’t be hurting anyone today."
The Rogue King smirked. "We’ll see."
"If he wants to kill ," Kieran said, stepping forward, "then he’ll have to fight ."
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