Emily’s POV: My breath hitched as Liam’s words sank in. The weight of them felt like a boulder crashing onto my chest. “Everett…” I whispered, my voice trembling. “No…” I had never met him, but Mia had told me enough. Everett had been loyal to Cassandra, a part of her schemes. He wasn’t innocent, but still… I killed him. I stared down at my hands again, my fingers trembling. How could something that came from me, something that I couldn’t control, take someone’s life? I felt Rollins step closer, his warmth trying to soothe me, but it wasn’t enough to chase away the dread growing inside me. "Emily," Liam's voice was soft, but there was something uneasy in his tone. "He wasn't one of us. Everett's betrayal... he deserved what came to him. But still, this power you have..." I swallowed hard, blinking away the tears forming in my eyes. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to kill anyone.” Rollins took my hand, his grip firm but gentle. “You didn’t know, Emily. You were trying to
Marcus’s words lingered long after he walked away. “There are things you don’t understand yet.” What could he possibly know about my powers or my heritage that I didn’t? It gnawed at me as I paced back and forth in the clearing, the cool evening air doing little to calm the storm inside. Rollins had left to handle pack business, leaving me alone with my thoughts—a dangerous thing, given the weight of what had just transpired. I couldn’t get Marcus out of my head. His offer to train me, the intensity in his eyes, and his cryptic words—it all pointed to something more. Something he was holding back. And I hated that. I hated the feeling of not being in control, of not knowing the full picture. I needed answers. Now. The night air was cool as I stepped into Shadowcrest territory, my heart pounding in my chest. The memories of rejection and humiliation haunted every step I took. Bu
They say your first shift is supposed to be magical, a moment when you finally connect with the wolf inside you. I still remember the sting of his words, the way Alpha Marcus looked at me like I was nothing. “I, Alpha Marcus, reject you, Emily Ravens, as my mate.” His voice was cold, detached, as if he were simply brushing off a speck of dirt from his shoulder. The rest of the pack watched, their eyes filled with a mix of pity and disgust. How could I, an orphan with no family, no name to honor, even think I was worthy of an alpha? The air around us felt thick, suffocating, as though it was pressing down on me, urging me to crumble under the weight of his rejection. But I refused to break. Not in front of them. Not in front of him. “I understand,” I replied, my voice steady, even as a storm of emotions raged inside me. Anger, humiliation, sadness—they swirled together, forming a knot in my chest that threatened to choke me. But I swallowed it down, every bitter drop, and forced m
I didn’t have all the answers, but I had a glimmer of hope, and that would have to be enough. I took one last look at the trees around me, the silent witnesses to my pain, before turning back toward the pack’s territory. I walked slowly, each step measured, trying to hold onto that tiny spark of resilience. By the time I reached the outskirts of the village, the first light of dawn was breaking through the horizon, casting a soft, pink hue over everything. I hadn’t been missed. No one had come looking for me, but that wasn’t surprising. It wasn’t the first time I had wandered off, and everyone knew that the “wolfless warrior,” as they mockingly called me, wasn’t exactly a threat to herself or anyone else. I was just the sad girl with no wolf, the one they pitied more than they respected. I slipped into the small, rundown cabin I called home, hoping to catch a few hours of sleep before the day officially started. My bed creaked as I lay down, the mattress lumpy and uncomfortable, b
When the dishes were finally clean, I moved on to the next task—sweeping the floors, cleaning the windows, hauling sacks of flour from the storage shed to the kitchen. Each job was physically demanding, but I pushed through the fatigue, determined to finish before the midday meal. The other pack members passed by occasionally, some of them nodding in acknowledgment, others ignoring me entirely. They were used to seeing me like this, dirty and tired, doing the work that no one else wanted to do. To them, I was just a fixture in the background, someone who existed to make their lives easier. By the time the sun was high in the sky, I had finished my chores in the kitchen and moved on to the next part of my daily routine: cleaning the training grounds. The area was deserted now that the warriors had gone off to patrol, leaving behind a mess of discarded weapons, sweat-soaked towels, and the remnants of their morning workout. I gathered up the equipment, my muscles aching from the con
The finality in his words crushed the last bit of hope I had been clinging to. He wasn’t just rejecting me; he was casting me out, declaring that I had no place in the pack until I could prove otherwise. I felt the stares of the other pack members, some sympathetic, others indifferent, but none of them spoke up in my defense. No one ever did. Marcus turned away from me, addressing the pack with a commanding voice. "This is what happens when we tolerate weakness," he announced. "We cannot afford to carry dead weight. This pack is only as strong as its weakest member, and we will not be dragged down by those who cannot keep up." The crowd murmured in agreement, the mood shifting from excitement to a cold, hard determination. They were warriors, all of them, and I was just a reminder of what they couldn’t afford to be—weak, powerless, useless. As Marcus walked away, the crowd began to disperse, leaving me alone in the center of the hall, surrounded by the remnants of the ritual. Th
The early morning light filtered softly through the canvas walls of the tent, casting a warm, golden glow over everything. The fire had died down to embers, leaving a comforting warmth in the air. As I lay there, still wrapped in the blanket Mia had draped over me, I could feel the soreness in my body beginning to ease. But that sense of peace was short-lived when the flap of the tent rustled, and two figures stepped inside. My heart leapt into my throat as I recognized them instantly—Alpha Rollins and his Beta, Liam. I've heard about them of their bravery and handsomeness. Alpha Rollins was a tall, imposing man, his presence commanding the space as soon as he entered. His dark hair was cut short, accentuating the sharp lines of his face. His eyes, a piercing shade of icy blue, seemed to hold an intensity that could freeze you in place with just one look. He was dressed in a dark, tailored shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders, and a pair of black pants that emphasized his
For a moment, there was silence again, broken only by the faint crackle of the remaining embers in the fire. Then Alpha Rollins straightened, his expression hardening slightly. “Your situation is... complicated,” he said finally. “But you’re in our territory now, and that makes you our responsibility, at least for the time being. We’ll discuss what to do next, but for now, you need to rest and recover.” I blinked, surprised by his words. I had expected to be sent away, or worse, to face punishment for trespassing. But instead, he was offering me... safety? It was more than I had hoped for, and I could hardly believe it. “Thank you,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. Alpha Rollins gave a curt nod. “Liam will check in on you later. If you need anything, tell him.” Liam nodded as well, his expression a little softer now. “Get some rest, Emily. We’ll take care of things for now” as they walked out of the tent. (Author's POV) The tent was quiet now, the only sound the s