Liam

Can a Rogue be forgiven for his past? Can he get a second chance? Defiant but cautious Guarded but vulnerable Fierce and strong Not an Alpha but a Master Liam... The Rogue.

Breathing the fresh air of the town I had called my home for the last eight years was a relief. It was summer, but the breeze was blowing coolly, the trees from the woods creating the illusion of tranquility when I felt far from calm.

I had moved to Leland, a small town away from my past, when I turned fifteen. It had given me great memories.

I usually found myself involved in the small town. I owned most of it, and that fact made me happy. It was something that no one could take from me. Leland was the only place no one knew about, my well-kept secret. It was the place where I ran to when I couldn’t cope—it was happening more often lately.

I laughed to myself, walking down the empty streets. Life was good for me when I was in Leland.

The shops were closed and the humans were in hiding. Going for a run in the woods was appealing. My Wolf was craving a good hunt. Enjoying the little things was all I had now. Everything I’d once called mine was slowly being taken from me. My sister—or rather, the one I had adopted—was with her mate, gone. My gang—Rogues who had similar goals to mine—were in hiding due to wars spreading like the plague between packs. My family hadn’t existed in my life for so long, I preferred it that way. Things were changing, and I was struggling to adapt.

I was thinking about my next move. Life was easy for me. I had worked hard to make it that way. Watching the walls I’d created around my perfect world slowly falling apart made me angry, a feeling I despised.

An angry Wolf is a dead Wolf. I had lived by that motto ever since I turned eighteen and shifted for the first time. I was a late bloomer when it came to my Wolf, and I had heavily paid the price for it.

I had better control of my Wolf than most of the shifters I had ever met. My Wolf and I—we were one. Many made the same claim, but few felt the true connection. A connection so strong, it powered through countless of battles, fights against Wolves that should’ve been stronger than me, disappointments, solitude, and the loss of my mate.

I was walking back to my car. I had been walking for nearly two hours in the deserted town. It helped clear my thoughts. I’d come up with nothing, but at least my Wolf was no longer growling in anger, trying to claw out. We were happy in Leland.

Even Leland was going through changes. I had been away for nearly a year, and in my absence, a new ‘boss’ was trying to take over the area. I chuckled to myself at the thought of someone trying to take what was mine. I had lost too much. I wasn’t going to lose my home to a human thug of all things.

I had just climbed into my car when I heard it—her to be specific. It was a commotion nearby, unsettling my Wolf. It was past midnight. Leland had always been a safe town; I’d made sure of that. I wanted the humans happy. They made Leland normal and that was exactly what I wanted for my home—normal.

The shouts started to get louder, and my Wolf growled impatiently. I had to steady myself against my car when he pushed me ahead and tried to take control.

‘Not tonight,’ I told myself to keep my Wolf at bay. I only had to walk down the street to see what had my Wolf on edge. Some human males were pinning down a girl. Her scent was hitting me like a ton of bricks from where I stood, and I had to close my eyes to concentrate.

She was crying out for help. In spite of darkness surrounding the area, I could see them clearly. One of them had a gun. He was going to hurt her.

The human girl—she was… She was…