er

e, destined to live and die alone. I can consider myself a rogue now, except I am wolfless.

fense at an early age, but I never needed to us

fur, and bones, its mud-matted brown fur clung to its body like a second skin. Hunger gleamed in its eyes, seeing me as its f

ce, locking eyes with me as I stood. Taking a defensive stance, I was ready to fight the rogue as it crouched again, anger oozing from its eyes for missing me

ppeared out of nowhere, tackling the rogue down. They grappled to the ground in a flurry of fur, sn

s with the gray wolf. Recogni

i

ifted to its human form. My best friend smiled, r

blood dripping from her mouth. She spat the rogue's blood an

" My tone was anyt

r saving me, Lia!" Sarca

n skin. She skirted past me towards the tree a few feet from where I was hid

"Were you fo

rogue's body with disgust. "These woods are

're alone, when she's trying t

d to walk past me. "What are you doing here, Lia? You're no

Saving your stubborn ass, that's what I am doing. If

ed him instead, turning me into a murderer my pack despised. My husband exiled me from my

d stomped in the direction of the

ou, Serena," Lia murmured. Her acc

d no mind to those rumors. I was too blind to see how she'd always taken his side, how she'd follow him everywhere like

do that," I said, a

Her lack of credence shouldn't surprise me anymore. "You killed Alpha Oliver, Declan'

r doing something I don't regret! Why

er lower lip. "You know. You know Oliver tried to kill me..." My last sentence was barely a

rsed h

ows. Lightheaded, I backed up to the nearest tre

" I a

uth border. Oliver sent one of his men to fetch me from the mansion. Although I detes

my father was. Everything was going smoothly. I almost fell for his friendly facade until he mentioned thi

cions that Oliver was behind my father's acc

ed me, but I was so mad after learning how he staged my father's accident.

blood in my hands, and Oliver's

. He tortured Oliver's men until one of them confessed to O

t he still sentenced me to exile after he learned

d for Declan. Oliver was a well-loved Alpha. His people would've tried to kill

he truth only pushed the dagger lodged in my throat deeper. "Embercrest is min

ren

ears, rising

?" Lia nodded. "What

new life." My mind was in a muddled state. I struggle to understand what Declan had in mind that would be better than giving m

mation overload. How the fuck did I end up in this situation? A chuckle fell from my

s though I lost a

shaking my head. "He thought I would just bow down to his

connections outside Embercrest. This

ving me. I had nothing left. They took everything from m

t. Of all people, she understood how it feels to be orphan

a turmoil swirling in them. "I will be there with you.

too late. I don't nee

don't be

want you!" I cut her off. She staggered back, burned by the searing gaze I

r eyes, but sh

old chain where my wedding ring hung like a pendant. I

Tell him the rogues got

L

d dirt-covered jeans. Her hair lost its shine, tangled and caked with dirt. She was the

d, but this was for the better. She would never b

from his hiding spot, lighting a cigarette as he stood beside m

et glued to the spot. I wanted to go after Serena

ald finds out you didn't kill Serena, he will have your head on a stake. And when Decla

ing down the bile that

at the eyes of a werewolf hunter whose hands we