SIX

Hunter sees the cuffs right away.

A frown clouds his face.

"What is going on?" he asks.

"She let a rogue go," Val explains.

"What?" Hunter cries.

"She let a rogue go," Val says again.

"I don't believe it," Hunter says.

"I saw it with my own eyes," Val says. She nudges me. "Tell him, Rylie."

Her voice is sharp.

I can feel my face redden.

I don't say anything.

I just bow my head.

Look down at my feet.

I don't want to look at the alpha.

I don't want to see the disappointment in his eyes.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Hunter asks me.

His voice is hard.

"I'm sorry," I say.

"Sorry?" Hunter asks. "That's it? You failed your mission! Let your pack down!"

The disappointment is too much to bear.

A lie appears in my mind.

It is flimsy but it's all I've got.

Lying to my alpha is not something I relish in doing.

But otherwise, he will punish me.

I am desperate.

"I mistook him as one of our own," I say.

"What?" Hunter says.

"It was dark," I say.

"And? Don't you have a nose? Can't you distinguish the scent of your own pack from that of the enemy?"

I'm not proud of my lie.

But it is all I have.

I can't let him know the truth.

That I found my mate.

That I fell in love at first sight.

"I don't know what else to say," I tell him. "My instincts failed me. I let him get away. It happened in a blur." I bite my lip. "I'm sorry."

Hunter is quiet for a moment.

For a brief second, I think he is going to buy my excuse.

But then his face turns to thunder.

He marches towards me, grabs my chin and yanks it up.

His eyes blaze with fury.

"I don't accept that," Hunter growls. "A wolf's instincts never fail."

His breath is hot on my face.

My legs wobble.

They feel weak and ready to collapse.

"I-I know," I stammer.

"You are lying."

"I am not!"

He looks at Val, still gripping my chin tightly in his hand. "Tell me what you saw."

Val hesitates.

I can see her weighing up her options now that she has heard my lie. It was not something I said to her before in the forest when she demanded an explanation from me. That I came up with it now when confronted by Hunter must be making her suspicious.

"I stand witness," Val says, finally. "Her instincts failed her."

I can't believe it.

She has decided to save me.

Hunter's eyes narrow as he pins Val in his flare.

"How?" he demands. "How did they fail?"

"A cloud passed the moon," she says. "The darkness disorientated us both."

Hunter looks back at me.

He is still gripping my chin.

He moves his hand upwards, so that his thumb is beneath my jaw and two fingers are on either side.

He clenches his fingers and tenses his hand, squeezing my jaw so hard it throbs.

"You swear to this, Val?" Hunter says, his eyes still locked on me.

"I do," she says.

"You swear you would not lie to you alpha."

Out the corner of my eye, I see her looking at Hunter. I can see her weighing him against me.

But finally she says, "I swear."

Val has chosen to save my life.

"Hunter, I will do anything to earn your forgiveness," I say, quickly, jumping in.

Hunter glowers at me.

This time, when he speaks, his voice has dropped to a deadly whisper.

"You are a disgrace to your pack," he says. "I should banish you."

His words are like a blow.

He may as well have slammed his fist into my cheekbone.

In fact, I am suspecting a blow will come next and brace myself.

But instead, Hunter lets go of my chin.

I stagger forward and fall to me knees. The air rushes out of me.

"Take this as a final warning, Rylie," Hunter's voice booms from above me. "If your instincts ever fail you again, you will be banished. Kill all rogues. It is the one thing you are here for. If you cannot do that, the pack has no need for you. I have no need for you. Do you understand?"

He looms over me.

I look up, one hand on my chin which smarts so much from Hunter's grip I'm surprised that I am not bleeding.

"I understand," I say.

And I do. I understand that I have failed my pack. If I cannot fulfill my duty, there is no place for me here.

I have broken pack law.

I have broken pack law for forbidden love.

Hunter's eyes bore into me. He takes a step back and crosses his arms.

"If I find out either of you is lying," he says, his eyes darting between me and Val, "I will banish you both."

His eyes bore into my soul.

And I know he is telling the truth.

I am lucky to be let off with just a warning.

There will be no next time.

He gives me one final look of disgust, then is gone.

I collapse forward.

My heart is racing.

I cannot believe I got away with it.

Val is at my side almost immediately.

She roughly uncuffs me, releasing me from the silver shackles.

I get up on my feet and face her.

I can tell she is furious.

"Thank you," I say.

She grinds her teeth. "You owe me, Rylie," she says, her eyes growing hard.

She may have saved me from banishment, but I am still not happy. Part of me still hates her for betraying me in the first place. For bringing me here in silver cuffs in front of Hunter.

It is humiliating.

She walks always, leaving me with a heavy heart and tight chest.

I have no idea what I'm going to do next.

Any thoughts of accepting Hunter's proposal have vanquished my mind.

There will be no Hunter and I.

Not now.

Not now I have looked into the eyes of my true love.

My mate is out there.

And I don't know if I will ever see him again.