Chapter Three

Elma

The rough bark of the boundary tree scraped against my bare back as the two guards violently hurled me onto the wet, muddy ground.

"Stay on that side of the line, Elma," the taller one spat, tossing my torn shoes into the dirt beside my head. "If you cross back onto Silver Moon territory, we won't bother dragging you to the Alpha. We'll just rip your throat out right here."

I didn't answer. I couldn't. My throat was raw from screaming, and my chest felt like it had been hollowed out with a blunt knife. The severed mate bond was a constant, burning agony radiating from my heart.

The guards turned their backs, shifting into their wolves and sprinting away toward the warmth of the pack house, leaving me completely alone in the freezing dark.

I curled my knees to my chest, my teeth chattering uncontrollably as the icy rain began to fall. The reality of my situation crashed down on me. No pack. No family. No mate. Out here in the Neutral Zone, a lone wolf without a pack scent was just fresh meat.

Snap.

My head shot up. The sound of branch breaking echoed through the dense, fog-covered trees.

I pushed myself up onto my elbows, my heart is thumping so fast.

"Who's there?"

No answer. Just the low, terrifying rustle of dry leaves being crushed under massive paws.

The scent. It wasn't the familiar pine and rain scent of Silver Moon wolves. It's wild, and overwhelmingly metallic. Blood and earth. Feral wolves. No Lycans.

Three massive shadows detached themselves from the darkness of the trees. They didn't walk like normal wolves; their movements were eerily coordinated. They formed a tight half-circle around me, trapping my back against the boundary line.

"Please," I gasped, pressing my hands into the mud to drag myself backward.

"Please, I don't have anything. Just let me go."

The largest of the three stepped forward. His fur is a mix of pure white and deep brown, his sheer size easily dwarfing Liam's Alpha form. He didn't growl. He just stared down at me with piercing, intelligent gold eyes.

A smaller, sleek gray wolf broke the formation, stepping dangerously close to my legs. I stiffened, squeezing my eyes shut, waiting for the bite. Instead, I felt a cold nose press aggressively against the side of my neck, right over Liam's bleeding mark.

The gray wolf pulled back and shifted seamlessly. A tall woman with cropped black hair and a wicked scar across her lip stood over me, wiping mud from her thigh.

"She’s been marked, Damien.”

"And recently. But the bond is severed. It's practically rotting off her skin."

The massive white and brown wolf's bones cracked and reshaped. He is huge and his jaw was sharp, his expression unreadable.

"Why are you out here?" Damien asked, .

"I was banished," I choked out, wrapping my torn dress tighter around my shivering shoulders. "Just now."

The third wolf shifted, a massive, bald man cracking his knuckles as he glared down at me.

"Banished and rejected on the same night? What did you do, little wolf? Kill an elder?"

"I didn't do anything!"

"I was framed!"

"Framed?"

"You expect us to believe you? Silver Moon doesn't toss out marked females for nothing. Damien, let me snap her neck. She’s going to bring her pack's heat right to our camp."

"Allow her to speak, Zeb," Damien commanded softly. Zeb instantly shut his mouth, lowering his head in pure submission. Damien crouched down so he was eye-level with me.

"Who framed you?"

"My... my stepfather," I stammered, my vision suddenly blurring.

"And... and the Beta. They lied. They said I used potions on the Alpha."

Damien's eyes narrowed. "Did you?"

"No! He's my fated mate!"

"She's lying, Damien," the female Lycan said, crossing her arms. "Look at her. She can barely keep her eyes open. She's probably high on whatever synthetic pheromones got her kicked out."

"I'm not," I whispered, swaying slightly as I tried to keep myself upright. "I... I feel dizzy."

"I..." I tried to take a step toward him, but a sudden, violent wave of dizziness hit me. My legs gave out.

I braced myself for the hard impact of the dirt, but Damien’s hand shot out, gripping my upper arm to keep me upright. His touch was scorching hot, sending a strange, unfamiliar jolt through my freezing skin.

"Damien, someone's coming," Zeb growled, his eyes flashing to the trees.

"Elma! Oh my goddess, Elma!"

I blinked past the dark spots dancing in my vision, turning my heavy head toward the familiar voice.

It was Nadia.

"Nadia?"

"Oh my goodness, Nadia, you came."

Nadia stared at the Lycans, her eyes wide with what looked like pure terror. But she took a step forward anyway, her eyes locking onto me.

"Let her go," Nadia said, her voice trembling. "She's my best friend."

Damien didn't move. He kept his firm grip on my arm, his golden eyes analyzing Nadia with suspicion.

"She is a banished rogue. Stepping over that border makes you one, too."

"I don't care," Nadia cried, taking another step closer. "Elma, are you okay? You're bleeding."

"I'm so weak, Nadia," I whimpered, reaching my free hand out to her. "Liam rejected me. Carlos lied to everyone."

Nadia closed the distance between us. She reached out, wrapping her arms tightly around my waist, pulling me away from Damien’s grip. Damien let me go, taking a cautious step back to watch us.

"I know," Nadia whispered, burying her face into my shoulder. "I heard everything."

"You have to tell them," I sobbed, hugging her back. "You have to tell the elders the truth. You know I didn't have any potions."

Nadia pulled back slightly. The terrified, desperate look in her eyes completely vanished.

Her expression was suddenly dead. Cold. Hard.

"Nadia?" I frowned.

"What"

Nadia leaned in, her lips brushing directly against my ear.

"This is for ruining my plan," she whispered.

Before I could even process the absolute venom in her words, a sharp, piercing pain stabbed directly into the side of my neck, right below Liam's bleeding mark.

I gasped.

Nadia pulled back, a sleek, silver syringe glinting in her hand. The barrel was completely empty.

Liquid fire exploded through my veins. My knees buckled instantly, and this time, Damien wasn't there

to catch me. I hit the dirt hard, my muscles completely paralyzing.

"You bitch!" Nadia hissed.