It had been six months since the Wolf's Moon Gala, and I couldn't escape that humiliation. Now, my parents acted like I was a terrible daughter. I thought I had it all under control - the fancy dress, the makeup, the whole look. But I didn't know I would be the laughingstock of the entire pack, not to mention that Erick had left me there alone. The pain I felt was indescribable. After Erick left me and while putting my dress back on, I heard cheers and clapping in the distance. Zipping up my dress, I ran out of the pool house to find Gisselle in the middle of the garden with Erick. A group of people surrounded them, all of them laughing and celebrating. Erick's arm was around Gisselle as they shared a passionate kiss; a lump formed in my throat when I realized what had happened.

Erick rejected me for my best friend. I couldn't stop the tears streaming down my face as I turned away. I felt betrayed and hurt. It was clear that Gisselle and I would never be friends again, and I was right. Shortly after they announced they were mates, they moved my parents and me from the pack house into a small cottage. It was then that my parents started acting differently towards me. My mother became distant, and my father became a shell. Losing his beta title was difficult for him, and he blamed me.

I tried to move on from that night, but everywhere I turned, they snickered and called me names. Although no one said anything to my face, they still said things loud enough for me to hear. It stung that they thought so little of me, yet I knew I had to stay strong and not let their words break me. On this particular day, I was sitting in my room reading "The Wolves Among Us" by one of my favorite authors, J.R. Smith. She was such a talented author, and I fell in love with her entire Wolf Series, that I spent all my savings buying her books. I was in the middle of one of the steamy chapters when Alpha Erick's voice came through the mind link. "Maliyla, I need you to come to the pack house now," he said, his tone flat with no emotion.

Standing up from my bed, I rolled my eyes. "On my way, Alpha Erick," I replied. He was the last person I wanted to see, especially after what he had put me through. As usual, my father was sprawled out on the couch, drunk, when I made my way downstairs.

"I'll be back," I yelled at my mom, who was in the kitchen. I didn't wait to hear if she responded. Walking down the driveway, I gazed up at the sky and smiled. The light pink and purple colors of the evening sky were stunning.

As I walked through town, I was grateful that hardly anyone was around. At least this way, I wouldn't have to hear their sly remarks. As I approached the pack house, I suddenly felt that something terrible was about to happen. Just as I was about to knock on the door, Alice, the housekeeper, opened it. Her facial expression showed hate and disgust for me. I did not know why, since she was so pleasant when I lived here. Putting all that aside, I smiled at her.

"Alpha Erick requested my presence," I said with a smile. Alice stepped aside, letting me in. As I walked past her, I could feel her glaring at my back as I walked through the hallway. The reason for her change of attitude towards me was beyond my comprehension. As I reached the staircase, I walked up to Erick's office on the second floor. I heard his voice through the cracked door as I was about to knock.

"Are you planning to come in or just stand there?" Erick growled. When I entered the room, I saw Erick seated at his desk with Gisselle on his lap, a smug grin on her face. I could only imagine what they were doing before I walked in. Deciding to push the thoughts out of my mind, I made my way to the desk and stood before them.

"You asked to see me, Alpha?" I asked casually.

Erick barely looked at me when he responded. "Yes, I need you to sign these papers, and then you need to leave the pack, preferably tonight," he said. His request surprised me. I tried to keep my voice steady as I asked, "So you want me to just leave? With no explanation?"

Erick nodded, "Yes, that's what I need you to do," he replied, still refusing to look at me.

"WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO GO?" I yelled at him. I watched as Erick pushed Gisselle off his lap before standing up from his seat and glaring at me.

"You will remember who you are speaking to," Erick yelled, "You are no longer a member of this pack, so I don't care where you end up. Just sign the fucken papers, pack your shit, and leave!" his jaw clenched as he stared at me, his face contorted with anger. I could see he was done talking, and nothing was left to say. Slowly, I grabbed the documents and signed them. My heart was heavy with sadness and fear as I turned to leave the office.

Just as I reached the door, Erick yelled, "You are to leave tonight."

I walked out of the office, tears filling my eyes as I closed the door. This pack had been my home for so long, and now I was forced to leave. Running out of the pack house, the tears I held fell down my face, I ran home and to my room. As I closed my bedroom door, I heard his voice again.

"You have thirty minutes to pack your shit and formally renounce the pack. Do I make myself clear?" Erick taunted.

"Yes," I replied, trying to sound like I didn't care, although deep down, I was terrified. My failure to comply would have dire consequences, and I knew it. I had no choice but to obey the command, so I quickly packed my belongings and prepared to leave. Once I finished packing, I went downstairs to find my parents at the kitchen table, both refusing to look up at me, their faces full of disappointment. Not knowing when we would meet again, I said a silent goodbye before leaving the house. As I walked down the driveway, I stopped in my tracks to turn and look at the house one last time before making my way to the pack border. Once I reached the edge of the pack, I recited the words as I closed my eyes.

"I, Maliyla Giuliano, renounce all ties to the Blood Rose Pack," tears fell from my eyes as I stepped over the border and into the unknown.

Maliyla's POV

With a heavy heart, I walked away from the pack border. The only comfort I got was the fact that I no longer had to deal with all the dirty looks or nasty words they said about me. I was free from the emotional and mental burden that I had been carrying. Yet, I was still alone and out in the open without protection from wind, rain, and even more dangerous rogues. The situation left me trying to figure out where to go and what to do. I felt lost and scared, but I knew I had to keep moving. Safety was my top priority as I searched for a place to spend the night. The nearest pack was a few miles away, and walking all night was not an option.

It would have been easier and faster if I could shift, but since Erick rejected me, my wolf disappeared. Taking a breath, I started walking toward the neighboring pack, feeling increasingly desperate with every step. I was sure I'd be able to find a place to rest for the night, but I was running out of time. Erick making me leave at night was the cherry on top of everything. I knew Erick knew the dangers I would face out here. We had previously encountered rogues at Blood Rose Pack, mangy animals killing for sport. Even more painful was the fact that my parents didn't say a word to me.

As I made my way through the forest, I looked for any form of shelter. After some time, I found a small stream. I was so grateful because I was thirsty. Pulling out a canister, I took the top off and dipped it into the stream, filling it to the top. Once it was full, I lifted the canister to my lips and drank. The cool water running down my throat felt energizing as it was a warm evening. When I lowered the container, I noticed a cave entrance just across the stream. I hadn't seen it before because the entrance was covered in vines. After quickly refilling the canister, I crossed the stream. Making sure to avoid making a lot of noise, as I would rather not draw attention to anything that might be lurking. I was on high alert as I walked through the water, constantly looking around for signs of danger.

My heart raced as I heard a twig snap to my left, but it turned out to be nothing more than a small animal. I breathed a sigh of relief and continued my way up the bank. Reaching the entrance, I put my bags down and parted the vines. Once I cleared a small gap, I quickly gathered my things and went inside. I was grateful I brought my cell phone. Initially, I considered leaving my phone because I figured no one would call me. No one had even texted me to check if I was alive, but the light it emitted meant I didn't have to stumble around in the dark. As I walked through the cave, going to the back seemed the safest, as no one would come all the way back there, or so I thought.

I slowly made my way to the back and eventually noticed a faint light coming from a corner. Cautiously, I approached it and saw another entrance leading to the outside. The cave had two entrances, which I figured would be positive and negative, as it made for a fast exit if I needed to run. However, it also meant anything could enter through there as well. I decided not to think about the latter and get some rest. Glancing at my phone, I saw it was just past midnight. "I guess this will do for a night," I said aloud as I dropped my bags and curled up in a ball. Despite my exhaustion, I couldn't help but worry about what lurked in the shadows. Placing my phone back in my backpack, I tried to push the thought away and eventually drifted off to sleep.

After a few hours, a loud growl awakened me. Quickly, I grabbed my phone and jumped up. Two glowing eyes caught my attention in the darkness, and I knew I was not alone. Using my flashlight, I shone the light toward the growl, revealing a large, menacing wolf. Quickly, I grabbed my backpack and ran toward the other cave entrance. Even though the hole was small and narrow, I pushed through, scraping my forehead and shoulder. I could hear the wolf growling and howling in the cave. Since rogues don't communicate like we do, they become feral after being alone for a while, even though they were once part of a pack like me.

After getting out of the hole, I ventured back into the woods. I could hear other rogues howling in the distance. Rushing, I adjusted my backpack and dashed forward. The woods were dark; all I could see was moonlight peeking through the trees. I ran as fast as I could and eventually found a small clearing. After catching my breath, I looked around, trying to figure out where I was.

When suddenly I was shoved down hard from behind, I felt a pair of teeth sink into my leg, and I screamed in pain. Blood oozed from my thigh as I reached for whatever I could find. When I felt a rock hidden in the leaves, I turned and hit the wolf in the head with it. The wolf yelped and backed away as I tried to stand, my leg throbbing. I winced in pain as I took one step, only for another wolf to jump on me and sink his teeth into my shoulder. I screamed in agony. The wolf was too fast as I scrambled for the rock; his claws sank into my back as he pinned me. At that moment, I was helpless. Just as I was about to accept my fate, I heard the roar of the rogues' cries, and all of a sudden, they were gone. Standing far in the distance, I saw a WOLF silhouette. As it approached, my vision faded, leaving me with only a vision of a blue-eyed man.

Hector's POV

"Alpha," Jonathan's voice came through the mind link.

"Yes, Jonathan," I answered.

"This year's Wolf's Moon Gala is held at the Dark Moon Pack. Are we going to RSVP?" Jonathan asked.

My least favorite tradition was the Wolf's Moon Gala, where we met neighboring packs Alphas, Luna's, and Betas. Almost all of them were snobbish and thought that they were better than others. At twenty-four years old, I was the youngest Alpha among them and the most successful at pack finances and protection management. Naturally, I would get many offers from the other packs to build alliances, which I always turned down. That was something my father frowned upon, even in his last days as Alpha of the Crystal Blood Pack.

"You know what to do, Jonathan," I replied, cutting off the link between us. Many disliked when I refused to attend the Wolf's Moon Gala, saying I was breaking tradition. A tradition that was created many centuries ago by people none of us had ever met, and a tradition I cared nothing about.

--

6 MONTHS LATER

It was the end of the month, and I was sitting in my office looking at the financial expenses of the month. One of the main focal points is the outer part of the southern border, which was rebuilt, as it was the weakest access point in the pack. My eyes were closed briefly; when I heard howls in the distance, it could only mean one thing: ROGUES. Rogues were filthy creatures, wastes of fur and skin that were banished from their pack for whatever reason. A wolf could only go so long without its pack before becoming feral. Formerly, these wolves had human counterparts, but now they were killing machines.

"Alpha," Jonathan called through the mind link.

"Johnathan, what's going on?" I asked as I stood from my seat.

"Rogues at the southern border," Jonathan replied. I could tell he was running from his voice.

Making my way out of the pack house, I asked, "How many?"

"We aren't sure, but it sounds like an entire pack," Jonathan answered.

"Fuck, get out of there as fast as you can," I replied as I cut off the mind link and shifted into my wolf form; black fur began to cover my entire body. Jasper, my wolf, was a ruthless monster; most would say he killed for sport.

As Jasper took complete control, I drifted into the depths of my mind. I knew from what Jonathan said we had to hurry; if the rogues were traveling in packs, our chances of success were slim, and the longer it took to get to them, the more significant the danger. I had to trust my wolf's instincts and move as fast as possible.

My senses were heightened as I watched Jasper speed through the forest. As we approached the pack's southern entrance, I heard howls. This side of the border had a small stream. Indeed, there would be one or two rogues, but the cries I heard sounded like there were more. As I came upon a clearing on the official borderline, I caught a whiff of jasmine and honeysuckle.

"Mate," Jasper yelled and raced toward it. In the dense forest, there was a hidden cave with a strong scent of jasmine and honeysuckle that I found very appealing.

"Alpha, where are you?" Johnathan's voice echoed through the mind link.

"In a cave, there was someone here," I told him as I followed the scent towards a small corner with a small entrance leading to the outside, too narrow for a wolf. I quickly turned to head out of the cave as fast as I could. As I emerged from the cave, I encountered two rogues'; I let Jasper go and stepped back, allowing him to attack them with full force. He ran towards the rogues, growling and snarling. The rogues were no match for Jasper's ferocity and strength, and they ran off.

My biggest fear was that they would enter through the weak southern border. Despite the lack of pack members, some were still in that area. A few minutes later, Jonathan arrived with some pack warriors. I told a few to chase after the two rogues, and the others to follow me in the opposite direction. As we traveled through the forest, the growls became more and more furious when I heard someone yell out in pain.

"Alpha, there's someone out there," one of the warriors said through the mind link. "Spread out," I commanded as Jasper let out a loud, menacing howl.

When I heard another scream, "HELP ME, SOMEBODY, PLEASE HELP ME."

We all charged forward, and I saw one of the rogues pin someone to the ground. I could hear the growls of the other rogues and my warriors as they fought, but my interest was in who they were chasing. Jasper fought off another rogue before tackling the one, pinning the person down. He grabbed the rogue by the tail and threw him against the tree. The rogue lunged at him, but Jasper quickly jumped to the right. As the rogue turned around, Jasper moved fast and bit down on his leg before twisting it and removing it from his body. The rogue screamed in agony and fell to the ground. Jasper stepped back, and the rogue lay motionless.

Johnathan came over and dropped a bag he had picked up from behind a tree that contained a pair of sweatpants. I quickly shifted back and threw them on. Turning back to the human lying on the ground, I saw she was unconscious. The scent became stronger as I approached her. When I looked down, her heavily bleeding leg shocked me. The rogue had bitten a large area of her thigh, and her shoulder was also bleeding, which suggested that she had suffered a significant injury. "Johnathan, get Dr. Neal; she's injured terribly."

I yelled out to him as I bent down to pick her up. Jasper pushed forward as I heard him say, "MATE!"