Chapter 3

Roisin 

Kai looked at me strangely, as if something about my presence itched at the edges of his mind. Then, with that same snake-smooth charm he always wore in public, he crouched slightly and offered his hand.

“Are you okay, little one?” He asked with that falsely gentle voice that made my stomach churn. “What are you doing out here so early?”

I flinched at his touch but forced myself not to shrink away. I couldn't afford to seem suspicious. He studied my face with far too much scrutiny, his eyes narrowing as something slowly clicked into place behind them.

His gaze darkened.

“Roisin…?” He breathed—hesitant, uncertain, but horrified realization dawning quickly.

My heart skipped. There was no time.

I yanked my hand from his grip with every ounce of strength my small body could summon and darted past him, bursting into the forest like a bullet fired from a gun.

Branches tore at my arms and legs, thorns slashed through my dress and grazed my skin. I stumbled, fell, picked myself back up and ran harder. The pain didn’t matter. I didn’t feel it. The only thing I could feel was the scream building inside me—silent and guttural, echoing in my bones:

Run. Run. Run.

Everything blurred around me—trees, shadows, the light breaking through the canopy. My vision swam with tears, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. Kai had seen me. He knew. And if he caught me, I wouldn’t live long enough to see another sunrise.

Just keep running. Don’t think. Don’t stop.

By the time I reached the Pack’s border, the guards were already in position—diligent, sharp-eyed, unmoving. The perimeter was sealed. No adult could’ve passed through unnoticed.

But I wasn’t an adult anymore.

I was small. Quick. Invisible if I needed to be. I used my size, my instincts, and the simple brilliance of a child’s mind to my advantage. I tossed a stone deep into the woods to create a diversion—just enough for the guards to look the other way.

And I ran.

I slipped through the underbrush like a whisper, ducked beneath tangled roots and dove between tree trunks until the howling in my lungs became unbearable. I didn’t stop until I was far from everything I had ever known. When I could no longer see the border, my legs gave out beneath me.

I collapsed onto the forest floor, chest heaving, my throat so dry it felt like sandpaper. Every breath scratched and burned its way out of me. My coughs came hard and fast, tearing through my ribs like shrapnel.

“You’ve done very well, Roisin,” Jaeni said softly in my mind, her presence like a warm breeze against my frantic thoughts. “But now, you must rest. You’ll need your strength for the journey ahead.”

I didn’t have the energy to answer. She was right. I was beyond spent—my limbs heavy, my heartbeat echoing in my ears like a war drum.

The sky was turning gold now, the first full rays of sunlight painting the horizon. Morning had arrived.

I spotted a patch of grass under a tree—soft, hidden, a temporary refuge. I crawled to it and curled up, my limbs folding into themselves like a child in the womb.

Sleep took me the moment my head hit the earth.

But peace did not follow.

My dreams were fractured, flashing images that made no sense—blurry shadows, whispers I couldn’t understand, voices I didn’t recognize. Flashes of Aspen’s blood. Her eyes. Her scream. Kai’s knife. My hands chained again.

Then—

A soft tap.

I jolted upright, breath caught in my throat. My eyes flew open, blinking against the light that filtered through the canopy above. For a heartbeat, I didn’t remember where I was or why I felt like crying.

Then I looked up.

A woman stood above me, gentle and radiant like sunlight wrapped in skin. Her smile was warm in a way I hadn’t seen in years. The kind of smile a mother might give—if I’d ever had one. Her eyes crinkled with kindness and concern.

“What are you doing out here, sweetie?” she asked softly. “Did you lose your way home?”

I flinched as the strange woman smiled down at me, unbothered by my reaction.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I mean no harm,” she said warmly. “You looked like you needed help.” She crouched and handed me a water bottle. I snatched it and drank so fast I nearly choked.

She laughed. “You’re adorable. And your eyes are so mesmerizing.”

I stiffened. Back home, people called me a freak for those same eyes. Only Aspen ever looked at me without judgment. The reminder stung, but I forced a smile.

“Thank you,” I muttered.

She asked if I was lost. I nodded. When she offered to take me to her companions—one of them a skilled tracker—I agreed. It was safer than wandering alone. And if I played this right, they might help me cross into another Pack unnoticed.

“You want me to carry you?”

“No, I’m okay. But thank you.”

She smiled, praising my independence as we walked. Soon, we reached her group—burly men who looked rough but kept up friendly appearances. Still, something felt…off.

“Did you find another one?” One asked, and I tensed. Another one?

The woman laughed it off. “No herbs this time. But I found this little angel scared and alone.”

The others exchanged glances. Something about the way they moved, how they watched her, was wrong. But I kept my head down. If they could get me out of Moonstone territory, I could tolerate the weird vibes.

As we walked, drowsiness crept in like a fog. I’d just slept, but my limbs felt heavy, my head cloudy.

“Jaeni, what’s happening?” I asked mentally.

“You were drugged,” she replied like an exasperated mother. “The water. It was laced with a sedative. You’re resistant, thank the goddess, or you’d be unconscious by now.”

What?! My mind raced. Jaeni was right—their dynamic was all wrong. I remembered a conversation from a week ago: Uncle Mason warning us about rising child trafficking cases, kids disappearing from Packs, never seen again. And now here I was, the newest victim.

But not for long.

“Miss, can we stop? I really have to pee,” I requested sweetly. She tried to dismiss me but gave in with a sigh and dragged me into the bushes. I crouched behind a shrub while she stared at me like a hawk.

“I’m gonna potty too… Could you get water?” I whined.

Her fake smile cracked, just a flicker, but I saw it. “Wait here. Don’t move an inch,” she snapped before walking off.

The moment she was far enough, I pulled up my panties and ran—ran like hell, legs burning, vision swimming.

I dove into a patch of tall grass and held my breath, listening. Silence.

“You lost them,” Jaeni confirmed. I exhaled in relief.

But this wasn’t over. If they worked this hard to get me, they wouldn’t stop now. I had to keep moving, even through the haze.

“Where are we going?” Jaeni asked.

“Anywhere but Moonstone Pack,” I muttered.

She reminded me I couldn’t just walk into any Pack. Not as a child. Not while wanted for murder.

Kai had seen me escape. Alpha Cayn would send my description to neighboring Packs. They’d hunt me down like prey.

“So what now? Give up?” I asked.

“No,” Jaeni replied. “We go where no one will look. The Lycan Kingdom.”

I froze. Was she insane? 

Going to the Lycan Kingdom was a direct death sentence. Lycans and werewolves had been at war for a thousand years. Werewolves were banned from stepping foot in Lycan territory. If caught, my kind would be executed on the spot and yet she was asking me to…

“Yes, I’m in my right senses,” she retorted. “But isn’t it better to be caught trespassing and killed there than executed here for something you didn’t do? You’re small. They’ll overlook you. Trust me, I have a good feeling about this.”

I hesitated, but she was right. She always was. And if I went down, she’d go with me.

“Fine,” I whispered. “The Lycan Kingdom it is.”