~JADE~

Levana whined softly as my thoughts reached her: 'We don't need them. We'll be fine.' My wolf grumbled, attempting to reassure me.

'They're casting us out like we never mattered. They treat us like we were never a part of this pack, as if we weren't family. How can we be fine, Lev? I am pregnant; we'll be alone in the woods with no one.' I reminded her, in case she's forgotten all about the pregnancy that I lied about.

'We will find help; we will find a new pack; the goddess knows we are innocent, and she'll never leave us stranded. She'll send help,' She replied with conviction, and I shook my head.

The goddess watched me all these years while I suffered under my aunt's brute force and did nothing. Shouldn't the goddess have predicted that my mate would discard me? Yet she still went ahead and made Hunter my mate. 'I have no faith in the goddess, Levana. I doubt if she even exists because all she ever did was watch me suffer; she never came to my aid, and I don't see her coming to my aid now.'

Levana whimpered at my response: 'Don't say such things about her; doubting her is. . .'

"Jade!" The elder's snappish voice snagged my attention away from Levana, cutting off whatever my wolf had to say.

I forced my eyes away from Hunter, ignoring the scowl on his face and the slight confusion in his gaze, and I settled my attention back on the elder. "Nothing. I have nothing to say."

"Very well, then." He nodded, briefly turning away from me. "Alpha Orion, if you would please step forward to complete the last phase of her punishment," The elder beckoned Hunter's dad.

Alpha Orion stared at the elder; his gaze slowly moved towards me, and then he turned to Hunter. "Hunter," he called his son, his voice hard and his face void of emotion. "Soon, you'll become the Head Alpha of this pack; there's no better way to fully understand what it takes to lead and protect your pack than this. The weight of casting out a pack member is as heavy as the weight of welcoming a new pack member because you can only trust your judgement that you aren't welcoming an enemy."

Alpha Orion paused; his sentence hung in the air like there was more to it. I watched Hunter's jaw tick, his hands clenched into a fist beside him, and he tried not to pull his brows together as his father continued. "Take this as one of the many lessons I've taught you about the responsibilities and duties of an Alpha who commits himself to his pack. Every decision you make as an Alpha count, either good or bad, mistake or not."

"You want me to..." Hunter's sentence dangled in the air as his voice pulled tight, and the question was clear even if he didn't complete his sentence; even the look on Alpha Orion's face showed the answer was clear.

He wanted Hunter to be the one who severed my bond with the pack; he wanted my mate to pull the final trigger and cast me out of my pack, my home.

Hunter nodded, stepping forward, and I followed mindlessly as the elder dragged me over the pack border. Like a robot, I followed his instructions as he asked me to place one foot outside the marked area of the pack border, while my other foot remained inside the pack territory.

"Give me your hand," Hunter demanded in a rough voice, and I stretched out my hand. I raised my head, and my eyes met his. He tried to bury his reaction quickly, but I caught it before he could wipe it off. I saw the way his brows bunched for a fleeting second. I saw the emotion flicker through his eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

Hunter grabbed my wrist, gripping it tighter than necessary, and I bit back a whine as his claws broke the flesh and pierced through my skin.

The man who had promised to be my shield, to be my everything, held my gaze as he tapped into the pack link, searching for the one thread that bound me to this pack.

The elder recited some words while Hunter held still. My mind frayed, and a sense of emptiness rushed through me as my link to the pack snapped. My lips wobbled as the sudden rush of loneliness gripped my heart in a vice; the pressure and weight of it wrapped my heart in a painful squeeze as the last piece of connection I had with my family fractured.

Hunter let go of my wrist with a rushed breath and marched back to his position beside his family without a backward glance. I felt the touch of a hand nudging me, but I could barely see where it came from as tears clouded my vision, and I staggered backwards. Levana howled out; her agony ripped through my mind as I took the final step out of the pack territory, and a weight I couldn't describe settled on my soul.

Void.

A gaping hole opened in my heart and mind as I stumbled a few steps away from the pack, and my knees wobbled.

I barely paid attention to the last words of the elder; he talked about killing, being a rogue, and returning. I watched with an empty soul and a gaping heart as each pack member shook their head and turned, making their way back to their homes. Hunter moved; he turned away from me and stormed off with the dispersing crowd.

I should have turned around, left, and found my way out of these woods, but I couldn't, not at this moment, as I watched everyone, I once held dear to my heart turn their backs and walk away from me.

Alone.

I had never felt so alone, not even when I was far away in the Philippines with Aunt Diwa because even then, I still had a connection to the pack despite how faint it was due to the distance; it was still a constant reminder that I belonged somewhere, but now that feeling was gone only to be replaced with the intense feeling of forlornness, the glaring truth that I had lost everything.

~JADE~

*3 months later*

Twigs snapped under my bare feet as I walked, pushing aside the oddly shaped tree branches and shrubs in my pathway. A few days after being banished, I was self-conscious about so many things; being naked and alone, I felt emptiness as I wandered the pack border for two days, looking for the perfect time to sneak back in without getting caught.

I couldn't just roam the forest wearing only my underwear, but also because it was bloodied and had already started smelling on the second day. So late at night, when I knew the guards weren't as vigilant, I snuck in and went to the tree where I usually kept a change of clothes whenever Hunter and I went on our weekly run in the woods.

Being naked wasn't a big deal among our kind, so I didn't need to keep garments in the trees for when we went for a run, but Hunter had always been so territorial and had mentioned that he didn't want anyone seeing what belonged to him.

How ironic that was, because he was the same person who took me like an animal in the presence of my sister and her boyfriend without any finesse, and then dragged me out of their apartment while I was completely naked.

But I guess his obsession with having complete control over my body helped me in a way because I was able to retrieve the nightdress I had hidden in the trees just a few days before my life, as I had known it, plummeted to hell.

Sneaking out of the pack wasn't easy. I knew I was taking a considerable risk when I decided to return for the nightdress, but I was willing to take the chance. With my bond to the pack freshly severed, I knew Alpha Orion wouldn't have sensed my presence in the pack. I was at risk of being caught if any of the pack members decided to go for a run on that side of the woods.

Somehow, by sheer luck, I made it out of the pack without getting caught out, and even though it wasn't a bag full of clothes, the nightdress had helped hide my nakedness a great deal, but I had long given up on finding slippers to wear. Over time, I've gotten used to walking barefoot and ignoring how the dried fallen tree branches, twigs, and any object pricked the soles of my feet. There are far more dangerous things to worry about when you are alone and five months pregnant in no man's land.

There was a reason we were warned as kids never to wander out of pack territory; even as adults, it is never advisable unless a pack member is going into the human town, meaning they would take the safer routes that lead out of the pack. No man's land was a neutral territory, which meant anyone who wandered out was on their own to fend off whatever threat was out there. I was alone with no pack protection, and the only thing that had got me through so far out here was Levana's quick wit and her plan that we travel closer to the territory of the werewolf packs that were out here. Being closer to a pack meant there were fewer chances of us running into rogue wolves because most rogue wolves often strayed away from pack territories.

And that has kept us safe for the past three months that I have been wandering these woods, and I'm pretty sure I'm a long way from Bloodwood Pack. I honestly doubt if I would know my way back. I have contemplated finding my way out of this forest and going into the human town, but Levana said it would be worse for us out there.

Levana said it was more dangerous for us to be out there amongst the humans; I was a lone wolf, and the further we strayed away from anything that could still link us to werewolves alike, the faster Levana would lose her grip and her connection to me, which was her human side. And if that happens, she will go feral.

No one told me that was what happened to rogue wolves, and I had always wondered why they always seemed so detached from reality and would rather hunt and kill their kin instead of looking for a pack to take them in. During my time in Manila, I never encountered rogue wolves, despite living close to a pack. Aunt Diwa never allowed me the freedom to live freely, and Levana never had the chance to connect with nature or live true to herself as a wolf. We never went on runs, and I'd missed that so much.

The underground club Aunt Diwa had me and the other girls and boys working in belonged to an Alpha. Most of the clients were werewolves, and few humans knew about our kind. It was one of the reasons they were never gentle with me; they knew what I was, that I could heal faster than an average human. They were paying a lot to have me, so they were always rough. I never knew then that the reason Levana didn't become feral was that we still shared a pack bond with the Blackwood pack, so officially, I was still a member of the Blackwood pack, and also because the hostel Aunt Diwa had us in was close to a werewolf pack in Manila, the werewolf pack whose Alpha ran the underground nightclub.

So now that we no longer had any connection to the Blackwood pack, with my mate bond to Hunter gone and my link to the pack severed, it was just a matter of time before Levana became feral, and our only saving grace right now was that we were still somehow close to pack lands. Even though we had no connection to the packs, Levana said the presence of kindred spirits and the familiarity were enough to keep her still tethered to humanity, tethered to her human side, which was me. Hence, I had written off the idea of finding my way out of these woods and into the human town.

I thought that would be a better option than roaming the woods. I didn't have any means of identification, and I knew I had no money for accommodation. Still, perhaps I could've found a job somehow, maybe an offer to help people do their laundry, just something to keep me fed and help me get by until I could afford a small unit. But then again, Levana said we would be in danger of predatory, unmated wolves who visited the human towns, and once they saw the mark on my neck, they'd know I had no protection and would probably take advantage of me. So not only would she be at risk of going feral, but I wouldn't be safe as a lone wolf.

I thought there was nothing worse than what I had experienced while living with Aunt Diwa, but this was worse. Twice, I had gotten my hopes up; twice, I had stumbled upon members of the packs within the territory I had journeyed through; twice, I had asked for their help. I asked for a place to stay and asked them to give me a chance in their pack, and both times, I was turned away and treated worse than vermin. They had taken one look at me, seen the branded mark on my neck, and shunned me without even trying to know my story.

Levana thinks we just have to keep trying, and maybe someday, perhaps before I give birth, someone will take pity on us and take us in. I am five months along already, but I honestly do not have any hope that my fate will change for the better in the next four months. That's what dreams were made of, and I have already learned that dreams aren't for me.

'I don't think I'll find any more fruits out here, but this should be enough for the next few days,' I said, checking the berries and the mangoes I had managed to pick as I wandered about.

'If it doesn't rain tonight, I'll hunt for meat; maybe pick up some dry twigs and branches to make a fire later.' She suggested, and I nodded, squatting down to set the torn-up sack on the ground so I could adequately tie it to prevent the fruits from spilling.

'Do you still think it would rain?' I asked once I had the sack tied and secure enough that my food wouldn't be spilling out for the next few days.

Levana mentally sniffed the air before saying, 'It smells like it; there's the crispy, pungent smell in the air every time the wind picks up. It might rain early tomorrow morning if it doesn't rain soon.'

'Then it would be wise to hunt for meat when we return.' I continued towards the path that led back to the temporary den Levana had made just a few days ago after we got farther up this way.

'Jade,' Levana called in a jarring voice that had me halting my steps.

'What is it?'

I could feel the tension rolling off her in waves, streaming through me. 'Let me out.' She replied, and I did without another question, giving up my control to her as she pushed to the surface.

She sniffed the air, this time able to do it properly, and a low whine rose in her throat. 'Rogues... There are a few of them,' she whined, her distress signal spiking up as did mine.

'Shift.' Without waiting for me to repeat the words, Levana dropped the sack of fruits, shifting in the process.

'Fuck, they're coming.' Levana cursed just as their threatening howls and paws hit my ears, and Levana sprinted between the trees.

'We can't go back to the den. We need to leave this area.' She growled as the sound of the rogues got dangerously close behind us, and my wolf increased her speed.

The sack of fruit was long forgotten as Levana leapt over logs and bent tree trunks as she dashed through the forest. There goes my food for the next few days.

*4 MONTHS LATER*

~HUNTER~

"You cannot know better than your parents. Hunter, come back here right this instant!"

My mother's voice carried a resounding boom along the walls of my childhood home as I stormed down the stairs.

"Hunter!" she yelled, "your father isn't done talking to you. If you take another foot off those stairs." The threat in her voice hung thick and unwavering, and I knew better than to test the theory of what would happen if I chose to ignore her.

I turned on my heel, facing back the way I had come, and Mom stood at the top of the staircase. I might be an Alpha, but despite being an Omega, my mom has always been scary. That woman will always give me a run for my money and can be pretty threatening when she wants to be.

"Go back to your father," she muttered, hands on her hips.

"Mom..." I began to say, but she waved her hand, cutting me off.

"I have no interest in what you have to say, Hunter. You'll climb back up these stairs and make your way to your father's office like a good boy. Now." She added in a commanding tone because I wasn't moving as fast as she wanted me to.

"I don't need you both controlling my life," I grumbled as I ascended the stairs.

"Then you should step up and start acting like a grown man. Start taking responsibility for your actions and be ready to face the repercussions. This whole thing became an issue because you couldn't control your temper, and that one decision in a moment of anger spiralled into an entire chain of events that we all have to suffer." My mom reprimanded me as she trailed me to Dad's office.

"How else should I have reacted? Mom, I caught her naked on top of another man." I tried to hold back the sneer in my voice.

It's been four months, and it still feels like yesterday. The pain is as fresh as that first day, and the emptiness won't disappear. I've tried to forget about her and move on, but the hollowness in my heart won't stop growing.

I've often thought back to that morning, trying to imagine what would've happened if I had reacted differently. But how was I expected to keep my cool at the sight of my mate naked on a man that wasn't me?

The need to remind her who she belonged to had clouded my mind, and I had sex with her right in that same spot. Why? It was because the sick part of me needed to prove to Darren that she was mine and remind Jade who she belonged to. But I couldn't look at her after that.

I just couldn't stomach the thought of ever touching her again. Her very existence repulsed me because it had become impossible to erase the image of her on top of Darren from my mind. Each time I tried to think that she might've been right about being drugged, my thoughts always strayed back to that morning and the possibilities of things that had happened between her and Darren overnight.

No.

She betrayed me.

She betrayed my trust and took my love for granted. Yet why do I still feel like I made the biggest mistake of my life by letting her go? I wonder if she's still alive.

I stopped before Dad's desk and cleared my throat, "I'm listening," I muttered, trying hard not to grumble.

Dad raised his head from whatever he was working on, and he dropped the pen in his hand on the desk, reclining into his seat and crossing both arms over his chest. "Are you sure you're ready to listen, or are you just here to continue acting like a petulant child?"

"I am ready to listen."

His eyes narrowed at me. "I don't need you to just listen, Hunter. Because it seems to me like you do not understand the gravity of our situation. The situation you caused." He paused, probably to take in my posture or get a read of my face.

"What happened with Jade isn't something that brought only shame upon us all and this pack. It is more than that. Your Alpha ascension was two months ago; if Jade were still here, you would be Alpha of Blackwood by now. And since that didn't happen, we've been set back a few paces."

"I know," I murmured.

Dad shook his head, "No, you don't. I don't think you understand. Power and power struggles are a constant that keeps our kind afloat. A pack like ours, with an Alpha Heir your age, should already have you as Alpha Head with the promise of an Heir. I shouldn't still be here in this seat running this pack. Not that I am too old to run things. No."

Dad sighed, shaking his head again as he continued. "That's not the problem because I can still do my job as Alpha Head. The problem is that I have an heir way past the normal age of his ascension, yet I am still in this seat like an Alpha with no Heir. You're an able-bodied Alpha, and the longer it takes for you to take a mate and take your place as Alpha Head, the more reason for our rival packs to think you're incompetent. Some of our enemies already have that thought, and do you know what it means when rival packs and the neighbouring packs start thinking I have an incompetent heir?"

"I– I think I do." My reply came out in a stutter because the look on Dad's face was all I needed to know that he wasn't just being the overbearing father that I loathed right now. No, he was dead serious, and right now, he was in his Alpha Head mode, the Alpha whose pack and reputation were more important to him than anything else.

"It means war, Hunter; soon, our enemies will start rearing their ugly heads. They will soon see us as an easy target because the fact that my heir is finding it hard to take a mate and take his seat only means that there's disruption within my household. It means there is a crack in the stronghold of this family, this pack, and the power struggle begins. It will start small, and it has already started."

He flipped through the pages of the file before him, and I realised that it must have been the reports from the patrol team. "Lately, there have been reports of strange wolf scouts loitering around the pack territory. Earlier this week, the patrol team apprehended two Delta wolves on rotation while trying to sneak into the pack. So far, we haven't gotten anything from them to know which pack they're from. But they were here to sniff around. Once these other Alphas are convinced that the crack is wide enough for them, they won't hesitate to try to shatter the wall of strength and fear we've managed to build around the name of this pack for the past centuries."

"If you refuse to do what's expected of you, surely, we will hold our own against these other packs. Undoubtedly, if they bring war to our doorstep, we will trample upon them. But it's a domino effect; if the first pack comes waging war and we defeat them, the second will come. As I said, it's a power struggle, and we Alphas are prideful beings. They won't stop coming because each Alpha wants to prove that they're the only one strong enough to subdue us, and they will keep coming. And each time they come, surely, we will lose men from each attack; we lose pack members. With time, our strength will wane, our warriors will slowly thin out, and we'll become vulnerable. Do you understand the gravity and repercussions of your decisions?" Dad asked, and I nodded mutely as the weight of his words wore me down.

"Do you understand in detail why I have been hard on you these past months?" I nodded mutely again at his question.

"Surely you understand what you must do, Hunter? You understand that you must do the right thing for this pack and the family name."

"Yes, I do, Father. I understand."

"Good, and what is that?" He asked in a steel voice that sent heavy pressure down on my entire body.

"I must take a chosen mate."

He clapped his hands with glee, yet the expression on his face was unchanging. "Great, I'm glad that we came to an understanding. You can go." And with that, he turned back to the report on his desk while I dragged myself out of his office with a huge stone sitting on my fucking chest.