Chapter 9

Luna Camilla stood by the grand fireplace in the Alpha's quarters, her sharp eyes fixed on the flames dancing before her. She had always been a woman of action, never hesitating when it came to protecting her family and her pack. And today was no different. Peter had just returned from a mission Camilla had entrusted him with, one she hoped would put an end to a potential threat.

"So, it's done?" Camilla asked, her voice low and controlled, but with an edge that suggested she wouldn't tolerate any failure.

Peter nodded, his tone equally calm. "Yes, Luna. The girl is dead. She won't be causing any more trouble."

Camilla allowed herself a small sigh of relief. She never expected the girl to have the audacity to try and reach Asher. But fate had been on her side—Asher had been away, and Camilla had swiftly dealt with the situation before it could spiral out of control.

"Good," Camilla said, turning away from the fire to face Peter fully. "I didn't expect her to be so bold. Alpha Cassius failed to keep his promise."

Peter hesitated for a moment, as if weighing his next words carefully. "I understand, Luna. But are you certain this won't come back to haunt us?"

Camilla's eyes narrowed slightly. "Olivia was a rogue. No one will question her disappearance. She was nothing, Peter. The packs know how we deal with rogues."

Before Peter could respond, the door to the room opened. Camilla's heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her composure, her expression softening as she turned to greet her son.

"Asher," she said warmly, though there was a tightness in her voice, "I didn't expect you back so soon."

Asher glanced at Peter, who quickly excused himself with a respectful nod, leaving mother and son alone in the room. As the door closed behind him, Asher turned his gaze back to Camilla, his expression thoughtful.

"Mother," he began, his voice steady but with a hint of something Camilla couldn't quite place, "what was Peter reporting about just now?"

Camilla waved a hand dismissively, her tone casual. "Oh, nothing serious. Just a rogue intruder he had to deal with. Nothing for you to worry about."

Asher's eyes lingered on his mother for a moment longer, as if trying to read between the lines. He then looked away, his expression growing distant. "I went to the Crescentmoon pack today," he said quietly.

Camilla's heart skipped a beat, her control slipping ever so slightly. "The Crescentmoon pack? Why would you go there?" Her voice was laced with frustration, though she quickly masked it with a concerned tone. "That girl was nothing to you, Asher. Why are you wasting your time?"

Asher turned back to his mother, his gaze intense but calm. "I wanted to see for myself," he said simply. "I needed to know if she was indeed my mate."

Camilla felt a surge of anger and fear rise within her. The last thing she needed was Asher getting entangled with that girl. "She was not your mate, Asher!" Camilla snapped, losing her composure. "You have a duty to this pack, to our family. That girl would have only brought ruin to everything we've built."

Asher's expression didn't change, though there was a glint of something dangerous in his eyes. "And what if she was my mate?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper but carrying a weight that made Camilla's heart clench.

Camilla shook her head, refusing to entertain the idea. "You would have rejected her, as you must, for the sake of the pack. For your future."

Asher didn't respond immediately, his gaze dropping to the floor as if lost in thought. After a long silence, he finally looked back at his mother, his expression unreadable. "I don't know if I could do that," he said softly, more to himself than to her.

Camilla felt a chill run down her spine. She had always known her son was strong-willed, but this was something she hadn't anticipated. She would have to be more careful, more vigilant. For now, she needed to steer him away from any thoughts of Olivia.

"So did you find her ?"

"She left the pack." He said softly. "With her mate."

Camilla smiled smugly. Alpha Cassius had succeeded in planting the seed of doubt in his mind about Olivia. As she reached out to touch his arm, she knew that her son would eventually see things her way.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore," Camilla said firmly, trying to bring an end to the conversation. "The Crescentmoon pack has its own problems, and we have ours. Focus on finding a suitable mate from a powerful pack, one that will strengthen our family and our pack."

Asher nodded slowly, though there was a distant look in his eyes that troubled Camilla. "I'll think about it," he said, before turning to leave the room.

As the door closed behind him, Camilla clenched her fists, feeling the tension that had been building within her. She had to be careful. Asher was too important, and she couldn't let anything jeopardise his future.

***

The night outside the motel was silent. Inside the small room, Olivia sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her reflection in the cracked mirror across from her. Heather and Emily had long since fallen asleep in the adjoining room, their soft breathing the only sound breaking the stillness. But Olivia couldn't sleep. Her mind was too full, her heart too heavy.

Unlike most wolves, who lived and died within the confines of their packs, Olivia knew all about the human world. Her mother had been a human, who had insisted that Olivia learn about the world beyond the pack. She had taught Olivia about human customs, their ways of living, and how to navigate a world. Olivia had never thought she would have to live among humans, not like this.

Now, here she was, alone in a human motel, her pack behind her and her future uncertain.

She looked down at her arms, watching as the last of her bruises faded away.

A single tear slipped down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away, frustrated with herself for showing weakness. But the pain inside her was too much to contain. Her heart felt like it was breaking all over again as she remembered the events that had led her here.

She had met Asher—hher mate. The one she was destined to be with, the one who was supposed to love her unconditionally. But after spending one night with her, he not just abandoned her. He had tried to get rid of her, as if she meant nothing to him.

As soon as she had arrived at the pack, the guards had attacked her without hesitation. They had treated her like a threat, like a rogue who had no place among them. She had tried to explain, to reach out to the one person who was supposed to understand, but it had all been in vain. Her mate had turned his back on her.

Now, as she sat in the darkness, the full weight of her situation began to sink in. She was a rogue wolf, cast out from the pack. No other pack would accept her now, not after what had happened. She was alone, a wolf without a family, without a future.

And the punishment for a rogue was death. That was the law of the packs, a rule as old as time itself. Rogues were seen as dangerous and unpredictable, a threat to the stability of the pack. Olivia knew that it was only a matter of time before someone came for her, before her fate caught up with her.

But what was she supposed to do? Where could she go? She had no one left, no place to call home. The thought of living as a rogue, always on the run, always looking over her shoulder, filled her with dread. But the alternative—returning to the pack that had rejected her or facing the death that awaited her was even worse.

She wiped away another tear, forcing herself to think clearly. She couldn't stay with Heather and Emily forever. They were kind, but they didn't understand the danger they were in just by being near her. She had to leave, to disappear into the shadows and figure out what to do next. Her phone rang—the one that AMarcus had given her. She looked at the cracked screen. His name flashed on the cracked screen. She had to stay away from him as well, to keep him safe. As much as she wanted to answer the call, she knew it was too risky. She turned off the phone and crushed it with her hands. She couldn't risk putting anyone else in danger. With a heavy heart, she made the decision to cut ties with everyone she cared about in order to protect them.