#Chapter 181 – Closed Off Heart

Lila Branches whipped at my arms as I stumbled through the underbrush, lungs burning with every ragged breath. The rogues were on me, I could hear them snarling in the dark, the thud of paws pounding against the forest floor. One darted out ahead, eyes gleaming, forcing me to veer sharply toward the riverbed. But I wasn’t fast enough. A rough hand snagged the edge of my cloak, yanking me off balance. I went down hard, knees scraping against the ground, the copper taste of blood rising in my mouth. Panic surged white-hot, and Ruby thrashed faintly inside me, too weak to break through. Then Ronan crashed into the clearing. His roar tore through the woods, menacing, and in a blur of claws and muscles he slammed into the Rogue pinning me down. They grappled in the mud, Ronan’s teeth bared, his fists striking with bone-cracking force. Another Rogue lunged from the shadows, and Ronan spun, meeting him head-on with a savage swipe that sent it reeling into the brush. “Get up