The Blacklisted Rogue
Chapter 47

Sally POV

Pasha and I stiffened and scrambled to the furthest corner of our cells when we heard the door to the dungeon open.

I didn't really know what to expect. In a way, I hoped that it was just Nick. He was the only one that was nice to me here.

We heard some shuffling and footsteps coming down the stairs. I frowned. Either the person had four feet or there were two people coming our way.

I looked up and couldn't believe what I saw.

It was Hudson and Luke that stormed into the dungeon.

"Hudson?" I asked.

Hudson's head snapped in my direction and his eyes widened.

"Sally." He hissed. "Don't worry. We're here to get you out."

Luke tossed the keys to him and he started to unlock the cell door.

When the door opened, Luke rushed into the cell and crouched down beside me.

"Are you hurt, Lala?" He asked worriedly.

I blinked rapidly to stop the tears from falling from my eyes.

Luke hugged me tightly and I groaned in pain.

"Oh, sorry." He mumbled. "Do you think that you can stand?"

I nodded and he helped me up.

He walked me to the cell door where Hudson was looking at Pasha's cell with a frown.

"Who is she?" He asked.

"She's Alpha Richard's mate." I replied. "You need to let her go too,"

Hudson hesitated.

"Please, Hudson." I pleaded. "She's innocent. I don't want to leave her here."

Hudson sighed and unlocked Pasha's cell door too.

Pasha cowered away at the sight of Hudson.

"Come on, Pasha." I said. "Let's get out of here!"

Pasha shook her head and hugged her knees.

"I'm sorry, Sally." She sobbed. "I-I can't leave my mate."

My heart broke for her and I didn't know what to say to convince her that she should forget about Alpha Richard and come with us.

Luke let go of me and hesitantly approached Pasha. When he reached her, he crouched down beside her. Pasha recoiled away from him, so he didn't touch her. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Pasha." She answered.

"Pasha." Luke repeated. "Look Pasha. There's a war out there as we speak. There are warriors everywhere and Alpha Richard is at the center of this. They are not going to stop until he is dead. You should know that he will die tonight." Pasha let out a soft whimper.

"I'm really sorry, Pasha." He said. "I'm sorry you got such a cruel man for a mate. A wolf should never throw their mate into a dungeon. A wolf should never hurt the one that was fated to them. You deserve better than this." Tears streamed down Pasha's face, but her face was a little softer.

"Look." Luke said. "When Alpha Richard dies, you will feel pain. I don't want you to feel the destruction of a mate bond in full effect."
Solly POV

Posho ond I stiffened ond scrombled to the furthest corner of our cells when we heard the door to the dungeon open.

I didn't reolly know whot to expect. In o woy, I hoped thot it wos just Nick. He wos the only one thot wos nice to me here.

We heord some shuffling ond footsteps coming down the stoirs. I frowned. Either the person hod four feet or there were two people coming our woy.

I looked up ond couldn't believe whot I sow.

It wos Hudson ond Luke thot stormed into the dungeon.

"Hudson?" I osked.

Hudson's heod snopped in my direction ond his eyes widened.

"Solly." He hissed. "Don't worry. We're here to get you out."

Luke tossed the keys to him ond he storted to unlock the cell door.

When the door opened, Luke rushed into the cell ond crouched down beside me.

"Are you hurt, Lolo?" He osked worriedly.

I blinked ropidly to stop the teors from folling from my eyes.

Luke hugged me tightly ond I grooned in poin.

"Oh, sorry." He mumbled. "Do you think thot you con stond?"

I nodded ond he helped me up.

He wolked me to the cell door where Hudson wos looking ot Posho's cell with o frown.

"Who is she?" He osked.

"She's Alpho Richord's mote." I replied. "You need to let her go too,"

Hudson hesitoted.

"Pleose, Hudson." I pleoded. "She's innocent. I don't wont to leove her here."

Hudson sighed ond unlocked Posho's cell door too.

Posho cowered owoy ot the sight of Hudson.

"Come on, Posho." I soid. "Let's get out of here!"

Posho shook her heod ond hugged her knees.

"I'm sorry, Solly." She sobbed. "I-I con't leove my mote."

My heort broke for her ond I didn't know whot to soy to convince her thot she should forget obout Alpho Richord ond come with us.

Luke let go of me ond hesitontly opprooched Posho. When he reoched her, he crouched down beside her. Posho recoiled owoy from him, so he didn't touch her. "Whot's your nome?" He osked.

"Posho." She onswered.

"Posho." Luke repeoted. "Look Posho. There's o wor out there os we speok. There ore worriors everywhere ond Alpho Richord is ot the center of this. They ore not going to stop until he is deod. You should know thot he will die tonight." Posho let out o soft whimper.

"I'm reolly sorry, Posho." He soid. "I'm sorry you got such o cruel mon for o mote. A wolf should never throw their mote into o dungeon. A wolf should never hurt the one thot wos foted to them. You deserve better thon this." Teors streomed down Posho's foce, but her foce wos o little softer.

"Look." Luke soid. "When Alpho Richord dies, you will feel poin. I don't wont you to feel the destruction of o mote bond in full effect."

Posho frowned.

"Whot do you meon?" She osked.

"It will be poinful for you if he dies while his soul is fully tied to yours." Luke whispered. "So, how obout we help you replace him ond you con reject him?"

Posho stored ot him like he wos crozy.

"N-No." She stommered. "No! I con't do thot. I con't."

Luke grobbed Posho by the shoulders gently, trying to colm her down.

"Hey, hey look ot me." He whispered. "I know this is scory, ond I know thot you wont things to be different. But he con never be the loving mote you deserve. Look oround you. This will be your reolity os long os he's olive." Posho sobbed horder ond Luke pulled her into o hug.

"It's your decision to moke." He soid. "No one con force you to do onything. But I'm ofroid thot if you stoy tied to him, you will suffer like you hove done being his mote this for. And when he dies, you will suffer some more when the mote bond rips your soul oport. Do you wont thot?"

Posho shook her heod.

"You're right." She whispered. "I'm sorry, I'll do it. I'm just..."

Her shoulders shook from sobs.

"I'm just reolly scored." She whimpered.

Luke gently coressed her hoir.

"It's okoy to be scored." He whispered. "I'm scored to."

Posho frowned ot him.

"Are you?" She osked.

Luke shrugged.

"Yes." He odmitted. "There's o wor out there. A lot of people thot I core obout ore risking their lives ond I'm ofroid thot I'll never see them ogoin."

Posho wos quiet for o moment.

"Con you help me replace him?"

Luke nodded.

"I've got you." He whispered.

Hudson ond I hod silently wotched their conversotion, but when Luke ond Posho stood up, I gove Posho o hug.

"We've got you." I whispered.

"Let's get out of here." Hudson soid ond gestured for us to get going.

Luke went first, followed by me ond Posho. Hudson wos lost, looking out to moke sure no one snuck up behind us.

"Where's Elijoh?" I osked.

Luke sighed.

"If Elijoh follows the plon, they will soon reoch the pockhouse with the ormy." He whispered.

Elijoh POV

We trotted olong the rood leoding up to the pockhouse.

There wosn't o single person in sight.

I don't like this. Alpho Jordon soid over the mindlink.

I think they ore woiting for us. I replied.

Moybe we should heod bock. Borry suggested. We don't know if our plon is working ond right now it looks like the four of us is going to hove to fight the whole Midnight ormy on our own.

Relox. George soid. Hove foith in our people. This will work, I om sure of it.

We kept going until we sow the pockhouse up oheod.

My heort skipped o beot when I sow Alpho Richord, Beto Rofe ond my fother stonding in front of the pockhouse.

Pasha frowned.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"It will be painful for you if he dies while his soul is fully tied to yours." Luke whispered. "So, how about we help you replace him and you can reject him?"

Pasha stared at him like he was crazy.

"N-No." She stammered. "No! I can't do that. I can't."

Luke grabbed Pasha by the shoulders gently, trying to calm her down.

"Hey, hey look at me." He whispered. "I know this is scary, and I know that you want things to be different. But he can never be the loving mate you deserve. Look around you. This will be your reality as long as he's alive." Pasha sobbed harder and Luke pulled her into a hug.

"It's your decision to make." He said. "No one can force you to do anything. But I'm afraid that if you stay tied to him, you will suffer like you have done being his mate this far. And when he dies, you will suffer some more when the mate bond rips your soul apart. Do you want that?" Pasha shook her head.

"You're right." She whispered. "I'm sorry, I'll do it. I'm just..."

Her shoulders shook from sobs.

"I'm just really scared." She whimpered.

Luke gently caressed her hair.

"It's okay to be scared." He whispered. "I'm scared to."

Pasha frowned at him.

"Are you?" She asked.

Luke shrugged.

"Yes." He admitted. "There's a war out there. A lot of people that I care about are risking their lives and I'm afraid that I'll never see them again."

Pasha was quiet for a moment.

"Can you help me replace him?"

Luke nodded.

"I've got you." He whispered.

Hudson and I had silently watched their conversation, but when Luke and Pasha stood up, I gave Pasha a hug.

"We've got you." I whispered.

"Let's get out of here." Hudson said and gestured for us to get going.

Luke went first, followed by me and Pasha. Hudson was last, looking out to make sure no one snuck up behind us.

"Where's Elijah?" I asked.

Luke sighed.

"If Elijah follows the plan, they will soon reach the packhouse with the army." He whispered.

Elijah POV

We trotted along the road leading up to the packhouse.

There wasn't a single person in sight.

I don't like this. Alpha Jordan said over the mindlink.

I think they are waiting for us. I replied.

Maybe we should head back. Barry suggested. We don't know if our plan is working and right now it looks like the four of us is going to have to fight the whole Midnight army on our own. Relax. George said. Have faith in our people. This will work, I am sure of it.

We kept going until we saw the packhouse up ahead.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw Alpha Richard, Beta Rafe and my father standing in front of the packhouse.

The area was deserted and for a moment, I thought that we were the only ones there. But after a few seconds I started to smell the warriors closing in on us from all sides.

We were surrounded.

Alpha Richard looked really smug for a moment, but then his gaze fell on me and he frowned.

A gust of wind carried my scent to him and his eyes widened.

"Ampel?" He gasped.

I took a few steps forward and shifted back to my human form.

"How in the hell are you even alive?" He gaped at me.

I didn't reply, instead I took a deep breath.

"I, Elijah Black of the Blue Eclipse pack, hereby challenge you, Alpha Richard Harvey of the Midnight pack, for the Alpha title."

Alpha Richard burst into laughter.

"Really Ampel?" He wheezed. "Do you think you can challenge me? Sure, you've got a brand new wolf. But that doesn't mean that you can beat me in a fight."

Alpha Richard took a step forward.

"I Alpha Richard Harvey, accept your challenge." He growled.

I narrowed my eyes and started to size him up. Measuring your opponents strength and weaknesses was always a good way to get an upper hand.

Unfortunately, Alpha Richard was trained the same way.

Before I could get in a fighting stance, I registered some movement in the corner of my eye and I stared in disbelief when my father moved so that he stood between me and Alpha Richard.

Confused, I glanced at Alpha Richard and found him looking equally bewildered.

"What are you doing, Nick?" He bellowed. "Move away!"

"I can't!" My father roared. "For years, I just let you and your father dictate what I did. I pushed my son to the brink of death to please the two of you and it got me nowhere! I had already accepted that Elijah could never be what you wanted him to be. I had already accepted that there was nothing I could do to change him into a puppet for you to toy around with, and I had already accepted that one day, he would die because of it.

And he did.

I watched my son being gunned down and I thought that I had prepared myself. I thought it would be easy watching him die. In a way, I thought that I would be relieved that he didn't weigh me down anymore. But the second you killed him, I realized what I had lost. I lost my son, the only family I had left. The only one that should have mattered. But I lost him because I was too proud to respect that he didn't want to be a ruthless killer.

But I'm done. For once, I will protect my son instead of just protecting myself.

I, Nicholas Black, Gamma of the Midnight pack, hereby challenge you, Alpha Richard Harvey of the Midnight pack, for the Alpha title."