CHAPTER 2 BANISHMENT

POV: Niklaus

I stood at the center of what had once been home—where laughter had filled the air, where strength and unity had flourished. Now, it was nothing but ruins. The ground beneath me felt cold, as if even the earth was grieving. The scent of burnt wood and fresh blood clung to the night air. The howls of my pack members echoed faintly in the distance, and my heart clenched as I knew most of them were already gone.

It had been a massacre.

I had watched it all unfold, helpless, as the Silverclaw pack descended on us like a storm. They were ruthless. It was a strike that should never have been possible. Our Alpha, my parents, had been slaughtered in front of me—victims of a power play too large for us to understand in the moment.

But the true blow came after. The Alpha Council had seen fit to exile me.

They didn’t care that Jackson Salvador, the Alpha of Silverclaw, had died by my hand. They didn’t care about the reason. The fact that I had killed an Alpha, even in defense, made me a target. The Council had no mercy. No trial. No second chance.

I was cast out, a rogue.

I gritted my teeth as the memory of their words echoed in my mind. They told me I was a disgrace. That my act, killing Jackson Salvador, had been a betrayal of the sacred rule of our kind—that only an Alpha could kill another Alpha. They were right in a way, but they didn’t understand. They didn’t understand the rage, the instinct, the need to protect what was mine. What had been mine.

I could still hear their voices, the council members’ cold, indifferent tones. "You have no place here, Niklaus Prime Wolfe. You will leave this land, never to return. If we see you again, we will have no choice but to kill you."

It wasn’t just the Silverclaw pack that would hunt me now. The Alpha Council had made it clear: they had turned their backs on me.

I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t stay and watch my pack crumble to dust. But I couldn’t leave without a fight either. I was Niklaus Prime Wolfe. I had been born to lead the Whitelight Pack. Exiled or not, I wasn’t going to let this end in ashes.

I gathered what was left of my strength, though I was still recovering from the battle. The pain in my side throbbed, reminding me that I was far from healed, but it didn’t matter. I had no time. The Silverclaw hunters were already on their way, their scent lingering in the air like a vulture circling its prey. They were coming for me.

I took a deep breath, the weight of the world pressing down on my chest. I could feel the pressure, the burden of everything that had been lost, everything that had been stolen from me. But I couldn’t let that consume me. Not now. I had to think. I had to survive.

I turned toward the woods. The trees, tall and silent, stood as the last line of defense between me and the hunters. I knew that I would need to move quickly, find a way to escape without them catching my scent. But even as I moved, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being hunted—like I was already a ghost in my own life.

A sharp sound snapped me out of my

thoughts. The rustle of leaves. The

softest of steps. I was being followed.

Not now, I thought, my pulse quickening.

I sped up, slipping between the trees,

trying to mask my trail. But I couldn't

shake the sensatinn that they were

always one step ahead of me. I cursed

under my breath. It was only a matter of time before they caught up.

As I sprinted through the woods, I could

feel the power of the land pulsing

beneath my feet. I had grown up here, in

these woods, in these lands. This was

where my power had first manifested,

where I had learned to shift, to become

the wolf that ran through the night. But

now it was all slipping away. This land,

my home, was no longer mine.

I reached the edge of the forest,

panting. My legs were sore from the

sprint, my body battered from the battle,

but I couldn't stop. I couldn't slow down.

The Silverclaw hunters were closing in. I

had to get out.

The moon was high above, casting an

eerie light on everything. I glanced back

over my shoulder, my instincts

screaming that they were too close. I

neededa place to hide. A place to

regroup, to think.

Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead of

me. A dark silhouette against the

moonlight. I froze.

"Going somewhere?" A voice echoed

through the trees, cold and taunting.

I knew that voice. It was Marcel, my

Beta. He was supposed to be loyal to

me, to help me. But now, he was

standing in front of me like a shadow,

his eyes cold.

"Marcel.." T breathed, disbelieving. "What

are you doing here?"

He stepped forward, the moonlight

revealing his face. But there was

something different in his eyes.

Something dark. "Im sorry, Niklaus," he

said softly, though I could hear the

malice beneath his words. "But I have

my orders."

My heart sank. Betrayal. The one thing I

had never seen coming.

"Orders?" I snarled, my voice low with

anger."From who?"

"From the Alpha Council. From

Silverclaw. I'm afraid you're no longer

one of us."

Marcel's words hung in the air like a

death sentence, and I could feel the

weight of his betrayal. My body tensed,

my instincts screaming that I had to act,

but the darkness of the night seemed to

close in around me. Marcel was no

longer my Beta. And now, I was truly

alone. The Silverclaw pack was closing in around me, and to noone to turn to- the question was could I survive the wrath of my enemies?