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R E S C U E D

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By the time the boy reached the place he called home, the sun was already perched up high in the sky, sitting comfortably amongst the clouds as the birds sang their morning tunes. Cautiously, he shrugged the girl off of his back, laying her down on the grass, before his limbs contorted and he shifted back into his human form. It was much easier for him to carry her as a wolf and, not to mention, less awkward. He didn't even want to imagine what it would have been like if he had to lug an unconscious girl through the woods for over five miles, while he was donned in nothing but his birthday suit. Sure, he was confident with his body. Trust me, he's got nothing to be ashamed of. He just preferred keeping his goods hidden unless behind closed doors, of course.

As expected, his father was in the common room, passing time with another tedious game of chess. He was playing against himself, as he usually did and when he noticed his presence, thanks to the boy's distinctive scent, Gideon stopped what he was doing and looked up. His brows met at the center of his forehead and the quizzical expression painted over his face told the boy that he had a lot of explaining to do. "Kaleb, who is this?" Gideon questioned, clearly startled by the girl resting in his son's embrace. The man might be in his late forties but his memory was still impeccable. He knew of every single person residing in their land and with a mere glance he could tell that this girl in front of him was not one of his own. So... who was she?

"I found her by the stream in the northern part of the land," Kaleb informed.

"Okay," the man said, rising to his feet. "But why is she here? If she is a trespasser and not one of us, why didn't you kill her? Don't tell me you've softened up, my boy. Has her beauty bewitched you?" Gideon quirked a brow and his son sighed, trying his best to not roll his eyes at his old man's absurd claim. His father often questioned his actions, as he was doing now, yet Kaleb couldn't necessarily bring himself to blame Gideon, seeing as he did have a rather notoriously rakish reputation, especially when it came to the ladies.

It's not his fault his hormones were difficult to tame and women were such enchanting creatures. Add in his dashing good looks, along with his high status, into the equation and Kaleb Blackwell was practically irresistible. In other words, he always got what he wanted. Being the Alpha's only son, which ultimately secured his position as the Rogues' next leader, bestowed an overwhelming amount of power upon Kaleb despite him being no older than twenty. Some of the elders still considered him to be a pup, of course, but he did not even give the slightest damn about their opinions.

"Of course not," Kaleb denied. "Rogues never soften up under any circumstances. Although," he paused and examined her face again. "I must admit that her looks are not all too shabby, that is not the reason I brought her here."

"It's not?" Gideon relaxed and then nodded. There was no harm in listening to his son's explanation. It ought to be a good one. "All right. But first, let's get some clothes back on you. I don't think I will be able to conduct a serious conversation with you like that." He couldn't even tell you how many times he's seen Kaleb strut around all-natural. You'd think by now Gideon would have gotten accustomed to it but he hasn't. With a snap of his fingers, the elder summoned a maid and a guard. The girl brought in her young master's extra clothes while the guard stood tall, ready for orders. "Samuel, take the girl and put her in one of the prison cells for now."

Samuel saluted and just as he was about to retrieve Irina from Kaleb, the latter turned away. "You can't put her in a cell, father," he told him sternly.

"And why not?"

Kaleb glanced at the girl's sleeping face before he met eyes with his father yet again. "Because I believe she is King Ashton's daughter."

* * *

Now fully dressed in clothes which were actually more suited to his taste, Kaleb stared into the mirror, gazing at his own reflection. An image of Irina's stunning auburn orbs flashed into his mind and he shivered at the thought. The only other person he had seen with such a mystifying set of eyes was King Ashton when he was barely ten years old. If he remembered correctly, eye color was inherited through genes. From the way she had spoken to him back in the forest, radiating such poise and elegance, Kaleb could already that tell she was from an elite and sophisticated family. Perhaps an aristocrat's daughter or something along those lines. Never did he suspect her to be a princess.

Once Irina had been escorted to the guest room, Kaleb wasted no time and reported to his father exactly why he believed the girl was a descendant of the royal throne. Gideon was reluctant to believe him, skeptical you could even say. However, because he did not wish to take any chances and offend a man he respected, he chose to give his son and the girl the benefit of the doubt. He ordered the maids to take good care of the young princess until she woke up and that they did.

Several hours had already gone by yet there was still no news of her awakening. The boy could not help but wonder what was taking her consciousness so blasted long to return. Clearly, he was not someone who practiced patience and his most intimate companions have told him that on numerous occasions. It's just – he had so many questions he wanted to ask her but as he thought about it now, Kaleb couldn't fathom why he was so curious, so anxious, to find out more about her. "She said she was being chased," he muttered, sitting down on his bed. "Why would someone chase a princess? I thought everyone respected the royal family." Suddenly, a knock resounded, extracting the boy from his thoughts. "Come in," he permitted.

The door opened and a maid bowed to him. "Young master, your guest has risen," she announced.

Kaleb sent her a dismissive wave before he stood up and tucked his hands into his pockets. "Let's see if I was right or not," he said as he exited his room, an array of emotions whirling around inside of him. He was not positive what he was supposed to be feeling, whether he should be relieved or disappointed, and carried on toward the room.

"This is rather painful," Irina murmured meekly. One of the maids was applying medicine to the nasty wound she had received and it stung like hell. She had just finished bathing, meaning she was no longer dirty and after the nap, she felt quite refreshed. Irina was half-naked from the torso up, a wrap being the only thing she was wearing. To tend to the injury, the maids told her it was necessary and although she was shy about it since they were strangers, she complied with their orders. Sitting on the bed, Irina was feeling light-headed as they continued to treat her shoulder. Her long honey blonde hair was pushed to the opposite side, giving them an easier access to treat the wound. They had also tended to the other injuries she had and for that she was truly grateful. She had no idea where she was or who had rescued her but she did know that she was indebted to that person for as long as she lived.

"How's it going?" a masculine voice inquired. Irina glanced over to the doorway, which was now ajar, and her eyes rounded when she spotted the unfamiliar stranger. Then, she recalled her current condition and, in haste, she yanked the covers over her body. Whatever happened to manners? Was he not aware of knocking? How crass of him to barge into the place without gaining her consent first. Her cheeks were tinted a dark shade of red and she avoided Kaleb's gaze, as though he was a plague of some sort. The boy arched both of his brows and a tiny smirk sprawled across his lips. He had been standing here for quite some time now and, if he was to be honest, he found immense pleasure in what he saw.

"We have just finished treating her wound, sir," the maid said. He nodded and signaled for them to leave. They gathered the things they had brought in with them and, with one last bow, left the two alone. Flabbergasted, Irina gaped in fear as she watched them abandon her, her fingers curling tighter around the sheets. She wanted to beg them to stay but it was obvious who was in charge around here. Panic gripped her heart, nearly suffocating it, as she heard him approach. What's she to do?

"You know, I think girls are the most attractive when they're nervous,"' Kaleb purred teasingly. He noticed how her eyes seemed to triple in size and how her body stiffened at his remark. She was definitely not like the she-wolves he had been surrounded by his entire life. Don't get him wrong now. There were female Rogues blessed with goddess-like faces but they were simply too promiscuous and flirtatious for his taste. With the way they were raised, they were always too straightforward and lecherous. They were great in bed but nothing about them ever really intrigued him. It's like they wore their hearts on their sleeves. Besides, they were more of one-night stands than a committed partner. And the wolves his age were no different. They were almost all the same and it was refreshing to encounter another kind of beauty around town for once.

Kaleb had heard several rumors concerning the daughters of King Ashton. Some being good, some being bad. There were rumors stating that the girls were horrendous, resembling trolls, and the only decent quality they had going for them was their family title. Others, however, claimed the Kavalier sisters were so beautiful that no one was allowed to look at them or else they'd go blind. Kaleb never believed either of those rumors though since they were a little too extreme for his liking. In all actuality, he never cared much about them but with Irina currently half-naked before his eyes, he had to admit, she was a sight worth seeing. A few more years and he was certain she'd become one of the most beautiful women to have ever existed.

"M-my apologies, but who might you be?" she mustered the courage to ask. Slowly, her eyes found their way over to Kaleb who was now seated on top of the closest. She was definitely surprised as she blinked at him. How did he get up there so fast?

"I think that's the question I should be asking you, no?" he replied wittingly, legs swinging back and forth playfully.

"Me?" Irina pointed a finger at herself and then chewed on her bottom lip. Should I tell him or not? But what happened to that Rogue that tried attacking me earlier? Unknowingly, her eyes scoped her surroundings and Kaleb tilted his head to the side.

"Are you looking for someone?" Irina cleared her throat and shook her head.

After debating with herself, she decided to go with the honest approach. She was always taught to tell the truth as a child. "My name is Irina Kavalier and I am the youngest daughter of—"

"Ashton Kavalier, the King of Elysium. Am I correct?" Kaleb completed.

"Oh. So you were aware of my identity already?" Irina gawped. Then her brows furrowed as she pursed her lips out. "If you were already informed of my identity why did you ask me anyways?"

Kaleb leapt down, landing lightly on his feet, barely making a sound, and shrugged nonchalantly. "I just wanted to make sure. You know, you were fortunate I didn't rip your throat out as soon as I saw you." His jab at trying to make a joke out of their first encounter didn't pan out the way he was hoping it would when he noticed her blanching, the colors in her face disappearing in a matter of seconds.

Once she heard his cynical words, her brain processing every single syllable, Irina became alarmed as she realized he was the same wolf that had torn out the flesh missing from her shoulder. "You were the Rogue that I saw." She swallowed hard and hung her head low. The initial fear from earlier washed over her entire body as she recalled how he had mauled her down, the murderous look he had in his eyes causing her to shudder involuntarily.

Kaleb hummed in confirmation before he sauntered over to her. "Relax. You're alive now, aren't you?" Although that fact was very true, Irina still felt extremely uncomfortable around him. She felt like a helpless little prey while he was the predator. Licking her dry lips, a habit her mother had tried breaking a number of times yet ended up failing, she attempted to calm her nerves but to no avail. Little did Irina know her actions were arousing the young wolf who couldn't keep his eyes off of her. "Anyways," Kaleb coughed. "That was all in the past now, right? I'm sure a princess like yourself wouldn't be petty enough to hold a mistake like that against a mere Rogue like me."

"Yes. I mean, no." These types of questions always confused the girl. "I mean yes, it's all in the past now and no, I'm not that petty to bear a grudge against you," she clarified, her voice trembling a bit.

"Good. Now if you don't mind my asking, princess, how did you end up in Savage Rogue territory?"

Like a horror film, the dreadful scenes starting from the moment Nigel had woken her up to the moment she tumbled down the hill and lost consciousness played in her mind. The images were rushing in all at once, not allowing her to breathe properly as the vehement pounding returned. The throbbing was excruciating, almost unbearable. Irina clutched her head and gritted her teeth. Her body began to quake uncontrollably as the blood resurfaced and the cries of agony clawed at her ears. Everything was vivid and Irina felt like she was reliving the gruesome experience all over again. "Make it stop!" she shouted pleadingly as she thrashed her head with her fists.

Immediately the boy rushed to her side and pulled her into his arms. "Easy there. You're safe now. Just breathe," he lulled soothingly, his fingers automatically running through her golden locks. She looked so scared, so vulnerable. He didn't know what else he could do but hold her. And that was his first mistake.

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Author's Thoughts: Eeeeep Kaleb <3 What do you guys think of him? Do you find him charming or what? I have mixed feelings on him. I hope your day is going well. It's hot over here ;~;