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!"

Maliyla's POV

I could feel the rogue's teeth digging deeper into my side; its growling could be heard as it bit deeper into me.

"Please help me, I don't want to die!" I screamed with tears streaming down my cheeks. As he licked his lips and lunged at my face, I saw his red eyes. My eyes filled with tears as I sat up straight on the bed.

'It was only a dream,' I thought to myself.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and a tall, dark figure ran in, revealing a man's silhouette. The tiny amount of light that filtered through the sheer curtains drew my eyes to his abs; he was wearing just a pair of black sweats; at least, I assumed they were black. He moved quickly, crossing the room instantly. His face was hidden in the shadows, but I could feel his intense gaze. I felt my heart racing, and I could feel my body trembling as he stepped closer, my breath becoming labored as I anticipated what was to come.

His voice was deep yet soothing as he asked, "Are you alright?"

Due to my inability to formulate a coherent response, I nodded in agreement.

The man stood just a few feet away; I watched as he tilted his head before speaking, "It was just a dream. Try not to move too much; you'll tear your stitches," he said before turning to leave.

Since I had no idea where I was or who he was, I called out after him, "Where, where am I?"

Taking a moment to pause, he told me, "You're safe; you were attacked. We can discuss the details later. For now, just rest," before exiting the room.

I lay in bed, my head spinning with questions and confusion. Although I was relieved to be safe, I did not know what had happened. Ultimately, I had no choice but to trust the unknown man and rest as he instructed.

The sounds of curtains being opened woke me from my sleep. I slowly opened my eyes to see a short woman hurrying around the room. Raising my head from the pillow, I noticed she had stopped in her tracks.

"I'm sorry, Miss, I didn't mean to wake you," the woman curtsied as she introduced herself as Jeanie, the housemaid. Jeanie apologized for entering the room without knocking but said she had been instructed to open the curtains and let in some light for me.

As Jeanie walked out, another woman wearing a white lab coat walked in. She was an older woman about five feet two inches tall with brownish hair. A pair of cat eyeglasses concealed her honey-brown eyes. She smiled and said, "Good morning, I'm Doctor Neal. I'm here to check on you and ensure you feel better."

With an understated nod, I sat up, wincing at the pain.

Doctor Neal looked up at me with an expression of concern on her face.

"How are you feeling aside from the pain?" she asked, walking toward the bedside and helping adjust the pillows.

I shifted on the bed, trying to find a more comfortable position. "I'm okay," I answered, my voice raspy from the pain and having just woken up, "It feels like I was run over by a truck."

Doctor Neal smiled sympathetically, "I know it hurts, but I'm here to help you through it," she said, placing her hand on my shoulder and gently squeezing, showing me she was there to help.

After taking my vitals, she checked the stitches on the wound bites, which had already begun to heal.

'At least I'll be able to get out of here soon,' I thought.

As she changed the wound dressing, it occurred to me that I still had no idea where I was. Looking up at her, I asked, "Where am I?"

A curious look crossed Doctor Neal's face, and she replied, "Crystal Blood Pack, you were brought here after you were attacked." She paused momentarily and then added, "You're lucky to be alive."

Despite feeling relieved, I was still uneasy about the situation. I watched Dr. Neal's' attention on my thigh as she finished dressing the wound.

"How long have I been here?" I muttered, wondering if she would tell me.

Dr. Neal looked up at me with a kind and concerned expression.

"You were brought here two days ago. But don't worry, you're safe here." She smiled reassuringly, "Rest now, and you'll be back on your feet in no time."

After packing up her medical bag, Dr. Neal walked out. The door closed behind her, and she left me in the room alone. As I sat on the bed, I glanced around the luxurious bedroom. The large bed and heavy velvet curtains gave the impression that it was expensively decorated. The walls were painted a deep navy blue, and a beautiful chandelier hung from the ceiling. In a way, I wondered who might have stayed in this room before me.

Suddenly, the man from last night appeared in the bedroom door. Despite his formal attire, he possessed freshly combed hair, a set of light blue eyes that were mysterious and alluring, and a pronounced jawline. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up, showing off tattooed arms, and his black slacks looked freshly ironed and creased. The scent of neroli and green tangerine filled the room as he stepped closer to the bed.

"Good morning, my dear," he said in a deep tone, never letting his gaze leave mine.

As he stepped closer, I felt shivers go through me. The closer he got, the quicker my pulse became. I knew I should be afraid, but I was strangely drawn to him for some reason. He seemed to sense this and smiled ever so slightly.

"So, what's your name, Bella?" he asked, a slight grin on his face.

My heart raced as I replied, "My name is Maliyla."

He nodded and replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Maliyla. I am Hector, Alpha of the Crystal Blood Pack."