Banished to Die

Chapter 4

Nyra’s POV

Calista wanted me dead.

That truth kept ringing inside my head as the guards dragged me back to the dungeon, my body still burned from the rejection, every breath hurts, every step hurt and even standing felt impossible but they did not care.

They shoved me back into the cell, and I crashed to the floor with a cry and the door slammed shut.

I curled into myself, shaking and the pain in my chest kept rising and falling like a blade turning deeper and deeper.

I then pressed my hand over my mouth to stop my sobs, but they still came.

I did not know how long I lay there but then I heard footsteps, several voices followed, elders, guards and then him. Draven.

I knew his voice the moment he spoke.

“She cannot remain here.”

I forced myself up and crawled to the bars and then the Moonlight from the hallway fell across their faces.

Elder Varek sighed. “After tonight, the pack will never accept her.”

“She has become a stain,” another elder said.

“A rejected mate.”

“A poisoner.”

“Her presence will bring unrest.”

I gripped the bars hard enough to hurt.

“No,” I whispered and then Calista spoke, her voice trembling just enough to sound helpless.

“Draven… I am afraid.”

I then closed my eyes for one second, of course.

Of course she would do this too.

“What if she tries to hurt me again?” she asked and I looked up sharply. “You liar!”

Everyone turned to me and Draven stepped closer and his face was hard and unreadable, like I meant nothing now.

“Please,” I whispered. “Please, don’t do this.”

No one answered and then Draven said the words that ripped the ground from under me.

“Nyra Veylin is hereby banished from Shadowfang Pack.”

I froze and the world around me went silent.

“No…”

My voice came out broken.

“No, please.”

I then grabbed the bars and pushed my face between them as far as I could.

“Draven, please, you can’t.”

He said nothing and tears poured down my cheeks.

“I have nowhere to go.”

There was still nothing.

“You know I didn’t poison her!”

Calista lowered her head against his shoulder like she was frightened of me and that sight broke something ugly inside me.

“Please,” I whispered again. “Just hear me once.”

Draven did not move.

“Take her to the border,” he ordered and that was all.

Just like that, the guards unlocked the cell and I backed away, panicked. “No! Please!”

They then grabbed me anyway and I fought, but I was too weak.

The rejection had drained everything out of me and I twisted my neck, looking back at Draven as they dragged me away.

“Look at me!” I cried and he did for one second and there was nothing there, no pain, no guilt, no love, nothing and that hurt most.

……

The guards dragged me through the sleeping pack grounds like I was trash being thrown away, no one stopped them, no one asked questions and no one helped.

When we reached the pack border, they finally let go of men and I fell hard onto the dirt.

One of them removed my chains and tossed them aside.

“If you come back,” he said, “you die.”

Then they turned around and left, just like that, no bag, no food, no coat, there was nothing.

Only the dark forest ahead of me and the pack that no longer wanted me behind me.

I stayed on the ground for a few seconds, and I tried to breathe through the pain in my chest and then I slowly pushed myself up.

My legs shook so badly that I almost fell again but I kept moving because if I stayed here, I might truly die.

The deeper I went into the forest, the darker it got and the wind brushed through the trees like whispers.

My dress caught on branches, thorns scratched my arms, my feet ached and my whole body felt too heavy.

I did not even know where I was going, I just kept walking and then I heard it. A growl and I froze.

Another one followed, then another and my heart started slamming hard against my ribs.

Five wolves stepped out from the trees, rogues, they were big, dirty and hungry.

One of them shifted halfway and grinned at me.

“Well,” he said. “What do we have here?”

Another sniffed the air and laughed.

“Rejected.”

A third circled me slowly.

“Banished too.”

I stepped back, and my pulse raced.

“Stay away from me.”

That only made them laugh harder and one of them tilted his head. “Poor little wolf.”

Another sneered. “Unwanted.”

A third said, “Discarded.”

Then the biggest one smiled with all his teeth.

“Weak.”

I turned and ran and the pain tore through my legs instantly, but fear pushed me forward and branches hit my face.

My breath came out fast and broken and I heard them behind me getting closer, too close.

One of them jumped and slammed into me from behind and I screamed as I hit the ground.

The air left my lungs and before I could crawl away, one rogue flipped me onto my back and pinned me down.

His claws pressed into my shoulder and I cried out.

“Look at her,” he mocked . “The Alpha’s leftover.”

The others laughed and my eyes were filled with tears.

No, not like this, not after everything, not after all this pain.

The rogue above me raised his claws and something inside me snapped and a violent force burst through my body and I gasped.

Heat exploded through my veins and my eyes widened.

The rogue jerked back. “What the hell?”

My wolf rose, not weak, not sleeping and not small and then tears awake like something angry and ancient.

My body moved before I could think and my hand slashed across the rogue’s throat and blood sprayed over my skin and he dropped.

The others froze and then they attacked all at once but I was faster, stronger and wilder.

I then moved through them like lightning, claws tore flesh, blood spilled across the forest floor, one fell, the other, then another until the last one dropped at my feet.

Silence crashed over the forest, my chest rose and fell hard and blood dripped from my hands.

I then stared at the bodies around me in horror, my wolf had never felt like this, never.

This was not omega strength, this was something else, something terrifying and then the power left and my knees buckled.

Exhaustion crashed into me so hard my vision blurred and I fell to the ground, gasping.

The world started fading and then I heard footsteps, slow, heavy and powerful.

I forced my eyes open, a man stood over me, tall and terrifying.

His silver eyes glowed in the dark, his presence alone made the forest felt smaller and he knelt beside me and studied the blood.

The dead rogues, then me and his expression darkened.

And in a deep dangerous voice, he said.

“Who dared touch my mate?”

…..

When I woke up again, I was in a room too beautiful to be real and my eyes blinked open slowly, a fire burned nearby, silk curtains hung from tall windows.

I sat up too fast and winced.

“You should rest.”

I turned sharply, it was him, the silver-eyed man.

He stood near the bed, watching me, up close, and he looked even more dangerous.

More powerful, more unreal and he stepped closer.

“I am Cassian Dreadmoor,” he said and his gaze was locked with mine.

“Lycan King.”

My breath caught and a healer stood beside the bed suddenly grabbed my wrist and her face changed and then her hand moved to my stomach and her eyes widened.

“Your Majesty…”

Cassian turned to her.

“What is it?”

Her voice shook.

“She is pregnant.”

The room spinned. No. My hand then flew to my stomach.

Pregnant? With Draven’s child.?

Cassian’s face darkened instantly and he turned toward the south, toward Shadowfang territory.

Then he said, and his voice was low and deadly:

“Prepare my warriors.”

The healer froze, so did I and Cassian’s silver eyes flashed with fury.

“We will visit the Shadowfang Pack soon.”

Then he said the words that made my blood run cold.

“And when I arrive…”

His jaw hardened.

“Someone will die.”