"How much longer till we arrive?" Genesis asked, staring at the set of cards in her hands. They'd been on the road for a good few days already, and she was starting to get bored...

Which was never a good thing when she was hungry.

"Not much longer." Liberty replied, distracting her from the fangs she could feel starting to edge downwards, her eyes tearing themselves away from the pulsating veins she could see mapped across the redhead's body. "We're in the Elder Region now, so it'll be only a few more minutes at most."

"Stonewall was built quite close to the Ishgard Border..." Damien informed them. "There used to be a few problems now and then when Ishgard was separate from the pack, so Stonewall Castle was built to keep an eye on the situation..."

"And they're hardly gonna move now that Ishgard's joined the Pack." His mate smirked, blinking in surprise when the bus skidded to a halt.

"Looks like we're here." Damien said, staring at the station they'd pulled up into. "Come on, Lib. You too, Genesis."

"I'm guessing you haven't got any luggage." Liberty watched as her mate went off to rescue their gigantic rucksacks.

"That's right."

"You know, it's a good thing we bumped into you..." She smiled. "I hate to think of what'd have happened if you hadn't..."

"You're lucky." Damien strode towards them, two bags in hand. "Even if Stonewall has one of the lowest crime rates, there are lowlifes everywhere..."

Genesis took a bag automatically, slinging it onto her back without much thought. "I hadn't thought of that..." She sighed, her shoulders sinking. "I was too preoccupied with actually getting-..." She trailed off, realising the two of them were staring at her in shock. "What's up?"

"That's my bag..." Damien mumbled.

"Oh sorry..." Genesis froze. "Do you want it back?"

"It's carrying all the heavy stuff... A lot of heavy stuff..."

"It's fine."

"That's why we're staring." Liberty mumbled. "Kids your age are normally weak as new-born kittens."

"I've been through more than most." She said, smiling faintly, pain lancing across her face.

Damien turned to his mate. "Lib, I don't know if I've said this before, but you certainly have a good eye for talent."

"Well, I have been at it for a good few hundred years..." She flipped her long hair over her shoulder. "And on that note, we really should be going... we do have places to be."

"Where are we even going?" Genesis folded her arms, not completely at ease around the two yet, but that was only to be expected.

She'd only known them for a few days, after all.

They could be plotting to murder her and bury her body in the woods they were walking towards.

But Genesis was hard to kill.

That was why she went with them without another word as they turned and told her.

"The Dark Woods."

***

The Dark Woods were aptly named.

As soon as Genesis had walked into the shade of the trees, she'd understood. Her hands adjusted the straps over her shoulder, the hairs on the back of her neck rising as her eyes adjusted to the odd dimness caused by the canopy of leaves above them.

"You OK back there, kiddo?" Liberty turned, staring back at the girl, a slight smile creeping onto her face as she watched Genesis scan the horizon. "Relax." She tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "The Dark Woods is just messing with your senses. There's no one there."

"Come and walk between us." Damien sighed, the pair of them stopping to wait for her to catch up. "It might help ease your mind..."

"Besides, we need to tell you something."

"Lib!"

"What?" The red-haired immortal scowled. "If she's coming with us, then she needs to know what she's getting herself involved in."

"Huh?!" Genesis froze. "What do you mean?"

Damien stiffened. "Fine. Tell her... but if she goes and blabs to the Elders, then you'll be the one responsible for sorting everything out."

"Why would I tell the Elders about you...?"

"We're Rogues, Genesis." Liberty sighed. "Don't worry, we aren't anything like those barbarians who come from up north. We're far more refined than them."

"Rogues...?"

"You seem to be taking this rather well..." She tilted her head, staring at her curiously. "I mean, you aren't screaming your head off or trying to run away."

Genesis smiled.

She couldn't go to the Elders and ask them for help. That was out of the question.

She couldn't really trust anyone in the Pack, either.

Not unless she wanted Alpha Finn to find her and carry her off into the bloody sunset.

And that wouldn't be fun.

Not for Genesis.

"So what?"

The Rogues were probably the only werewolves she could rely on, and she'd just happened to run into two very civilised ones.

What luck.

"Hmmm..." Damien stared at her in surprise. "I don't know what I was expecting - but it wasn't that."

"And by coming with us, if anyone spots you, you'll probably get labelled one too."

She grinned toothily, her sharp fangs gleaming in one of the few streams of sunlight that'd somehow break through the dense foliage above her. "Sounds like fun."

Liberty's smile matched hers. "I like you, kiddo."

"You'll fit in well with our group." Damien folded his arms, striding forwards slowly.

"Your group?"

"We're part of a rather well-known group of Rogues..." He said, shrugging slightly as Liberty attached a fine red eye mask over the girl's face, her purple eyes staring at him through the wide slits.

"What's with the mask?"

"It's to conceal your identity... just in case anyone sees you with us..." Liberty folded her arms. "Otherwise your face would be plastered on wanted posters alongside ours."

"Oh." She nodded. "That makes sense..."

"Any other questions?"

"Yeah, which group am I joining?" She asked, staring levelly at the woman. "It does have a name, doesn't it?"

"Libertium."

Genesis blinked. "You cannot be serious."

"I'm deadly serious."

"You mean I've just been invited to join the scariest group of Rogues of all time..."

"It certainly seems that way."

"I won't get dismembered, will I?"

"Of course not." Liberty smirked. "I only do that to enemies who really get on my nerves."

Her expression froze. "You don't mean..." She stumbled back in shock. "You can't be..."

"Figured it out yet?"

"Rogue Queen..."

"Got it in one." Liberty said, watching as a cautious smile edged onto the girl's face. "Now, Genesis..." She approached the cabin that had seemingly sprung up out of nowhere. "Are you ready?"

"I was born ready." Genesis said, her heart beating in anticipation.

She'd finally found a place where she could belong.

A place where she could relax, if only for a little while.

A place far away from the city that'd haunted her nightmares for years.

Liberty grinned. "Welcome to Libertium."

-----