Page 70 of Rogue & Her Hunters
Mr. Baskerville chokes on the fog of pheromones, falling to his knees. He knocks his head on the bars, and his glasses crack. Drool seeps from his mouth.
He stares up at me in shock. His eyes are glassy.
He is paralyzed, as trapped as when Dr. Gill straps me onto the experimentation table.
Exultant, I snarl.
Adrenaline surges through me.
There is no going back now.
This is the escape.
Time to get out of here.
I turn hurriedly to Bird.
Please don’t let him be affected by my Rogue Power.He needs to be able to run with me.
Luckily, Bird is only staring at me in awe.
“You’re incredible.” He touches his bond mark. “I can feel your power in here.”
“Maybe the bonding is why my Rogue Power doesn’t work on you. You’re pack.”
“The Rogue Power isn’t a weapon.” Bird stares at Dr. Gill. She is huddled against the bars in terror, trying to hide underneath her clipboard. “It’s a shield.”
Something inside me settles at hearing that because it feels right.
My entire life, I have been taught to be ashamed and frightened of my own power.
Yet what if it’s something good? A way to protect your pack? To heal them? To trigger ruts or heats? But never to harm your bondeds?
Yet those who would harm the Rogue pack had better fucking watch out.
“Jump off the mattress,” I command.
As soon as Bird does, I flip the mattress, ripping open its bottom and pulling out the key that I hid ready for this escape.
Then I stand and turn to Bird. “Ready to fly to freedom?”
Bird’s breathing is ragged, but he bravely replies, “Since I was born.”
“Follow me.”
I prowl toward Mr. Baskerville. Then I crouch down in front of him.
He attempts to focus on me but can’t. It would be so easy to slash his throat.
Bird must feel my emotion through the bond because he rests his hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t,” Bird murmurs. “We’re better than them.”
I’m not.
Mr. Baskerville intends to kill us. If they live, no Rogue is safe.
I slide my hand to his throat. My hand flexes. I feel him swallow in fear.
