Chapter 4

LOGAN

The silence was shattered by a blood-curdling scream.

My heart stopped for a moment before adrenaline surged through my veins. That scream, it was Ava.

I sprinted toward her room, my wolf howling inside me, demanding to be unleashed. Her scent hit me like a punch: fear, desperation, and blood. The door was wide open, hanging by one hinge. Inside, chaos reigned—shards of glass littered the floor, and the curtains billowed wildly through the shattered window.

“Ava!” My voice echoed, sharp and desperate.

No response. Only the eerie rustling of leaves carried in by the wind.

Footsteps thundered behind me. Landon arrived first, his chest heaving as his gaze darted around the room. “Where is she?”

“She’s gone,” I growled, fury and fear swirling in my chest.

We didn’t wait.

Within minutes, the four of us were in the forest, the cold night air biting at our skin. Ava’s scent was faint but traceable, winding through the dense trees. Every rustle, every shadow, set my teeth on edge.

“She wouldn’t run,” Lucas muttered, his voice low.

“She didn’t have a choice,” I snapped. “Someone took her.”

Landon froze, his head tilted as he sniffed the air. “We’re not alone.”

The words barely left his mouth before they appeared—three rogues, their glowing red eyes cutting through the darkness. They were larger than any I’d seen before, their movements eerily coordinated.

Behind them, Ava struggled against her bonds, her muffled cries ripping through me.

My wolf surged forward, claws and teeth bared. The fight was instant, brutal. Snarls and growls filled the air as we clashed with the rogues, their strength unlike anything we’d encountered.

I tore through one of them, my claws slicing through its thick hide. Blood sprayed as it collapsed, but there was no time to celebrate. Another rogue lunged at me, forcing me back.

“Logan!” Liam shouted. “They’re dragging her away!”

I turned just in time to see the cloaked figure retreating into the shadows, Ava slung over its shoulder. Fury surged through me, and I shifted back into human form mid-stride, chasing after them.

“Ava!” I roared, my voice raw.

The figure stopped. Slowly, it turned, its glowing eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, everything else faded—the fight, the forest, even my own pounding heartbeat. There was something ancient in those eyes, something that didn’t belong to this world.

It tilted its head, as though studying me, before vanishing into the shadows. Ava dropped to the ground like a discarded doll.

I reached her in seconds, my hands shaking as I untied her bonds.

“Are you okay?” My voice was strained, my eyes scanning her for injuries.

She nodded, tears streaming down her face. “Logan... that thing... it wasn’t human.”

Before I could respond, a low, guttural growl rumbled through the forest.

The trees trembled as something massive stepped into the clearing. My breath caught.

It was a rogue—but not like the others. This one was enormous, its crimson eyes glowing with malevolent intelligence. Its claws were longer, sharper, glinting in the faint moonlight.

It didn’t hesitate.

With a deafening roar, it lunged, its massive body barreling toward us.

And as I braced myself for the impact, one chilling thought echoed in my mind:

This was no ordinary rogue.

It was something far worse.