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*Maddox POV*

I run harder than I have ever had to before, the howling of those hunting me closer than I want to admit to myself. Perhaps if my face would stop bleeding, or my right eye worked, I would make better ground, but my injuries slow me. That’s the point of the brand, to make it so the rogues in this land can catch and kill me. The fun life of an exile. 

They determine your fate with a simple trial and a brand you with a single letter. “X” for exile. It would look wrong for an Alpha elite school to put to death one of their trainee’s especially their top one. No, instead they claim to grant me mercy and exile me. Stripping from me everything in the process. 

Not only have I lost my dignity, my potential title and my home. I’ve lost the only chance I had with the girl I loved. 

My wolf growls in heartache, the memory of her betrayal mixing with that of the others. The lying, conniving assholes who caused this all. The same guy I thought of as a brother trusted with everything, including my confession, when I was eighteen, that I loved Lana. That I wished to make her mine. 

I know now how stupid I had been. So naïve to think that anything other than hardship and heartbreak would ever be my future. If my past was anything, it was a sad foreshadowing of what was to come. 

Dawn breaks over the horizon, and I see it. Home. The only place I have a chance of at least getting my side of the story out. Even if it is just for my father. It’s an idiotic move to go to him. It’s exactly what they will expect. The only thing working in my favor is them underestimating how fast I can move in my wolf form.

The forest surrounding home humbles the small blue house, large trees of pine and oak casting shadows on the backyard as I sneak over the pack line with ease and slink around to the side. The dirt and blood masks my scent enough that I shouldn’t need to worry too much about border patrol coming for me. Yet.

Leaves and branches crunch to my right and I drop into the small bush, peeking out to see my father looking pale and worn out, walking alongside Alpha Landon. The two men rival each other in height, but my father has broader shoulders and a slimmer waistline. He never did fully recover after mom’s murder. 

“If you see him, Michael, you know you must tell me.” Alpha Landon says in a gentle tone. There is no malice in his words directed at his friend mourning the loss of his only son. Only a hint of sadness and pity.

“I’m aware, alpha” my father says, his words choked. A silence falls over the two men, and Alpha Landon places his hand on my dad’s shoulder. 

“He is a strong young man, my friend. I am sure he will survive the rogues.” He says, trying to sound reassuring. My dad chuckles and shakes his head. 

“For his sake, I hope you are wrong.”

My heart takes a nosedive and my vision blurs with anger and betrayal. Even my father wishes me dead now? How can he possibly believe any of the lies he has been told about my sentencing? 

“You don’t mean that,” alpha Landon says with a small frown.

“I do.” He says firmly. “My son is not what they say. I know you say they have evidence, but I know better. Maddox did not do what they claim he did. You don’t have to believe that, but I know it in my soul. He will pay for a crime he didn’t do by living in a world where he has no one, will never have anyone. That’s the worst kind of torture. I’ve lived without a mate, but at least I had my son. He has nothing. His future holds nothing but sorrow and, most assuredly, insanity.”

Alpha Landon says nothing. I’m not sure how someone could follow up what my dad just said. My chest aches at the thought of my future. Lonely and desolate as it may be, I know for a fact that I will survive all of this. Just as I know, I will seek my justice by whatever means necessary.

“I need to get back to the pack house.” Alpha Landon sighs before clapping my father on the shoulder. “I am here if you need me, Micheal. Just link if you need anything. I mean it.”

“Thanks.”

I wait until Landon is far enough out of view that I can freely move without being noticed before I ease myself from the bushes and move toward the back door. I find dad sitting at the kitchen table, staring absentmindedly at the wall until I gather the courage to rap on the glass door. He jumps and turns his head, his eyes filling with anguish as he rushes over and yanks the door open, gathering me into his arms. 

It’s an awkward hug, considering he and I are basically the same size. He has often joked that hugging me is akin to hugging a mountain side. He pulls me away, looking me over. His eyes water when they land on the menacing ‘X’ over the right side of my face. 

“You shouldn’t be here.” He whispers, his voice cracking.

“I know, but I had to tell you I didn’t do what they said. I never touched–”

“I know, son. I know. You don’t have to tell me a damn thing. I believe you. Hell, I’m not sure that Landon actually believes you did it, but it’s not within our hands to do anything about it.” A small sob wracks him as he closes his eyes and shakes his head. 

“Lana…” I start, and he gives me a broken look.

“Landon swore an oath to me not to tell her the reason. She doesn’t need those lies in her head.”

I wince as I furrow my brow and dad pushes me into a seat, rushing to the bathroom and coming back with some herbs.

“It looks infected,” he murmurs.

“Yeah, well, when they shove your face in mud after they brand you, it’s likely to get infected.”

My father growls in anger, but he says nothing as he uses a warm cloth to dab at my face. After a few moments, the herbs relieve the pain and my eyelids are freed from their muddy, bloody glue and I gently ease it open for the first time in three days. 

“You can’t stay long.” Dad says as he hurriedly shoves herbs in a small bag and grabs me a large water jug, shoving it in a messenger bag suited for wolf form.

“Dad…?”

“Mmm?” He says absent-mindedly grabbing me preserved foods to take on my way. 

“H-how is Lana?” I ask gulping. He freezes and looks at me over his shoulder, his eyes gentle. 

“She is struggling. Landon believes she is heartbroken.”

I scoff, fiddling with my dirty fingers. “Well, her choice is easier now.” I mutter. “Not that there ever was a choice. We all knew it would be Kohen.” I can’t hide the malice in my voice, my hatred for my once best friend.

“We will never know now.” He sighs. “Kohen will take care of her.” He tries to reassure me, but he doesn’t know the shit I know. He doesn’t understand the truth of the predicament I am in. Kohen can’t be trusted. But without the proof I was looking for, I can’t tell anyone. 

“Dad, I need you to keep an eye on her.” He frowns at me. 

“Of course I will.”

“No, I mean… Something is up with Kohen. You need to convince Alpha Landon to not let them mate, not yet…”

“Look, Mads.” He says coming and sitting down across from me. “I know you care for her, deeply, but I—”

“Dad, I need you to trust me.” I say, standing and grabbing the things he prepared. I spin and look at him as he tries to wrap his head around what I am saying. “Just. Please. I can’t explain my reasoning. I just need you to trust me.”

He nods in agreement. “I’ll see what I can do.”

I move toward the door, looking back at him as he shrinks in his chair. The only reason for his existence is for me. He has told me this repeatedly since coming to this pack when I was a kid. A constant reminder that he is here for me and will always be here for me since the death of my mother. A death I still to this day blame myself for, though he has never once shared that blame.

“I love you, dad.” The words come out sounding broken as the inevitable truth settles in my bones. It is likely I will not survive long enough to seek the justice I deserve. We both know it.

“I love you too, Mads.” he says, using the nickname only he and Lana are allowed to call me. “If you want to survive, you need to forget your moral compass. It’s life or death out there. I need you to promise you will always choose your life. Don’t let your morals get in the way. You survive. You hear me?” he says, tears on his cheek as he stands and drags me into one more hug.

I shudder at the thought of what he is telling me to do, the gravity of what my life has become settling deep inside of me. There is no likelihood that I will survive this with clean hands. It’s an impossibility at this point. And one I will have to wrap my head around sooner rather than later. 

I rush into the woods, using the shadows of the trees to hide myself. It’s damn nice to have my second eye back in working order, even though I can still feel the searing pain every time I blink. I turn north instead of east. Making the terrible decision to see her one last time.

It could very well be the whole reason I am found and killed, but not seeing her at least one more time will be equally devastating for me. It doesn’t take long to make my way to the trees across the small creek separating her portion of the pack house from the forest where I stand. I watch as she stands on the balcony, her long wavy hair blowing in the wind and her smell of jasmine and honeysuckle wafting over to me.

My hands itch to touch it like they always have when she is around. But I stay in the darkness, watching, begging her to feel me here. I watch as she wipes her eyes and then turns her head to where I stand. Everything in my body goes still, the air ceasing in its path to my lungs and blood stops pumping as I step out and into the rising sun. She stiffens, her hands flying to the railing as she leans over.

“Maddox” floats toward me on the wind and her sweet voice breathes life and reason into me again. My anger with her slowly ebbs and I step back into the shadows as Kohen steps onto the balcony behind her. He places his hand on the small of her back and my heart hardens.

Lana does not know the monster that is at her back, no doubt feeding her lies she is easily falling for. My longing twists, morphing into something deeper, something angry as I turn on my heels, rushing through the dense woods trying to make my way to the border.

I have a renewed will to live inside of me, something sinister growing as the memory of her and Kohen together plagues my mind. Kohen may have claimed her body. But I plan to claim so much more. I just have to figure out how.