I woke up to the sound of crackling fire and the low murmur of voices. My body felt like it had been through a shredder; it was sore, stiff, and weak. But surprisingly, I felt much better than I did in that cave, or even the Sanatorium.
There was a grassy taste in my mouth, like I had been spoonfed herbs while I was knocked out. I felt more clearheaded than I'd been in days.
Blinking, I squinted against the dim light floating in my line of vision, trying to piece together where I was. My thoughts were a mess of confusion.
Faces hovered around me. Unfamiliar, wary faces. They were all watching me, like a pack of wolves circling prey. The rogues, I guessed. I remembered the cave, the black-eyed man, the woman with the buzz cut, the twins.
And now… I was here. In what I assumed was their camp.
I blinked and tried to push myself up, but my arms trembled under me. The effort left me breathless, and I collapsed back down, gasping.
"She's awake," a gruff voice announced. I flinched at the sound, my eyes flitting toward the source.
He stood just outside the firelight, arms crossed, his frame towering inches above the others. He had the look of a true rogue. He was scarred and rugged, his dark hair matted and wild, and his eyes were a hard, piercing green.
His muscles were buff and defined, earned through brutal survival. A deep, scary-looking gash ran from his temple down his cheek. He looked like someone who had clawed his way through hell and lived to tell the tale.
"Name's Raze," he introduced, stepping closer. "Leader of these misfits. And you..." He crouched down, sniffing the air around me as if testing for a lie. "You don't belong here."
I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. "I'm not with them. I escaped."
Raze's lips curled into a bitter smile. "From the Conclave? That's what you're going with?" He straightened, looking down at me like I was a puzzle he had no intention of solving. "We know exactly who you are, Lena Cross. Daughter of the almighty Alpha Cain Cross. The Conclave's enforcer. You really expect us to believe you're nothing like him?"
I winced at the mention of my father. His reputation preceded me everywhere. Alpha Cain, the ruthless leader who crushed anyone who stood in his way. But I wasn't him. I wasn't anything like him.
"I'm not my father," I muttered, pushing myself up to sit. A relentless headache was rooted in my skull, but I forced myself to meet Raze's eyes. "I escaped from him, from the Conclave. I'm just trying to survive."
Laughter rippled through the group. The woman with the buzz cut snorted. "Yeah, right. We've all heard that one before."
One of the twins pointed at me. "She could be a spy. Sent to find us and lead the Conclave right here."
The second twin, looking no less hostile, added, "We should kill her. End the risk now."
I gasped and scrambled backwards, but there was no escaping the hatred in their stares. I needed to make them believe me. But I could see it in their eyes—years of mistrust, of betrayal by the packs, by the Conclave. They wouldn't trust me easily.
"She's got Conclave blood, Raze." the woman noted, stepping forward and crouching beside Raze. "She's dangerous. You all know what they're capable of."
"I'm not like them!" I snapped. "I don't want anything to do with the Conclave. Hell, they locked me up in the Sanatorium and fed me drugs for days. They killed my mate, I'm sure of it! I'm trying to get away from them, just like you!"
A murmur of protest started amongst the rogues. Raze raised a hand, silencing the others. Then he turned back to me. "You say that now, but we've heard promises before. The Conclave doesn't let people go without a reason."
He paused, studying me closely, suspiciously. "Why would they let you escape?"
"They didn't!" I insisted. "I... I fought my way out. They were experimenting on me, trying to—"
"Enough." Raze's voice shut me up. He stepped closer, then wrapped his large hand around my hand and yanked me up. "We're going for a walk."