CHAPTER 5

Aura's POV

As I stood at the edge of the pack's border, my breath shaking in my chest, the moonlight shining over the dense forest with a glittering sheen. I slung my tiny, hurriedly packed backpack over one shoulder. I had gripped the strap so hard that my fingertips were raw. It hurt every step I took away from the packhouse, but the farther I went, the more confident I got.

I can't stay.

Ryder refused to see me. Like a queen asserting her throne, Leona had made her presence known, and I was the ghost that floated through the corridors with a secret that could destroy everything.

A child.

His child.

God knows I had made every effort to get in touch with him, to inform him. However, I was turned away by the guards outside his office, and the wolves who used to look past me now didn't try to hide their sneers. To them, I was nothing. Less than nothing. The Alpha's plaything, now thrown away. It was also made apparent that I had lost my position in the pack with Leona present.

So I decided to go.

I had no plan. There was only fear and the glimmering hope that I might reach shelter far away. Or a chance to live, anyway. For me. For the life inside me.

The first few miles were the hardest. When I could, I ran, stumbling over tangled roots and undergrowth, driven only by instinct and the tiniest hint of freedom. I liked the chilly air that cut across my face. It made me feel grounded. Reminded me I was still here.

A wolf howled somewhere in the distance. Not from my pack. It was a more deadly, more savage sound.

Rogues.

I stopped behind a dense tree, my heart beating heavily. As I looked around in the dark, my heart pounded in my chest. The trees were older, and wilder, and the forest was thicker here. I was aware that there would be no rules once I entered rogue territory. No one to keep me safe. But if I stayed there, I would be completely absorbed by a world that no longer desired me.

The baby moved around a little in my womb. It wasn't a kick. Not quite yet. However, it was enough.

"I'm doing this for you," I said, clutching my middle.

With that, I ventured into the unknown.

The landscape shifted rapidly. There was more uneven ground. The smells are more intense. Ash and blood. I knew I wasn't alone because of the ancient territory markings that clung to the trees, though they were weak and long since faded. Anxiously, my inner wolf awoke.

"Shhh," I said in a low voice. "We'll be alright. We must be.”

Hours went by, or perhaps just one. Here, time meant nothing. I was on the verge of tiredness because I hadn't eaten since yesterday. But I was unable to stop. Not quite yet.

When I heard a branch snap, I scuttled along a rocky ridge.

My entire body went cold.

Another snap. Closer this time.

With my back against the chilly stone and my eyes darting among the trees, I lowered myself.

Then a voice.

"She came this way. I can smell her."

It wasn’t Ryder’s.

It wasn’t even one of his warriors.

Rogues.

My chest began to blossom with panic. Even though my wolf was telling me to change, I was unable to do it. I couldn't put the baby in danger. Not right now. Not so quickly. I clenched my jaw and ran.

Brambles tore through the thin material of my hoodie, and branches scratched at my flesh. Legs hurting and lungs screaming, I ran downhill. Behind me, the sounds became more cacophonous. cruel. Laughing

"Where are you running, little she-wolf?"

I didn't respond. I couldn't l.

My ankle started to sting when I stumbled on some wet leaves and fell hard. When my head struck a hard object, the world briefly swam.

"Get her!"

I took short breaths of air as the cold air scorched my lungs. I’d better not be caught. I would not.

A massive, moss-covered trunk of a fallen oak towered over the horizon. I used my remaining strength to scramble over it and landed awkwardly on the other side. Despite the agony in my ankle, I made myself push through it.

With loose earth giving way underfoot, I half-slid, half-ran down the steep inclination of the landscape. A tiny brook shimmered in the moonlight at the bottom. I waded in without thinking, my legs going numb from the cold water. In the hopes that the water would cover up my scent, I went upstream.

Every step was an endurance challenge as I waded through the creek, making the minutes seem like hours. I knew better than to let my guard down, yet the voices became fainter.

I pulled myself out of the water and continued, the damp fabric of my clothing sticking to me and denying me valuable warmth. It seemed as if the forest was closing in as the darkness deepened and the silence grew more profound.

I backed up behind a tree, my heart hammering into my ribs, when I heard a sudden rustle to my left. I cautiously peered and noticed a figure going parallel to me, looking through the foliage. One of the rogues

I forced myself to hold my breath in order to blend in with the tree and blend into the darkness. With a low growl rumbling from his throat, the rogue stopped and sniffed the air.

He taunted, "Come out, little wolf. We just want to talk."

He spoke in a mocking, menacing tone. Muscles screaming from the effort, I stayed motionless.

It seemed like forever until he walked on and vanished into the darkness. After waiting and keeping track of the seconds, I carefully moved away from my hiding place.

In the hush, a slip sent a stone skittering across the floor, sounding like a gunshot.

"Over here!" a voice yelled

Panic struck, and I ran away, forgetting my agony in the panic. The jungle turned into a blur, and the impediments in my way were only minor blips. However, the rogues were relentlessly pursuing them and were getting closer.

In the distance, a moonlit clearing emerged. My eyesight narrowed and my lungs burned as I ran toward it. A couple more steps—

A tall, commanding figure appeared from the other side of the clearing. A man. powerful jaw. Eye piercing. Wild hair. Not from my pack. Not from any pack I knew.

He knelt beside me, his face out of sight.

In a low, gravelly voice, he added, "You're safe now,"

I collapsed to my knees in front of the stranger as my strength failed me. Shadows framed my eyes as I fought to stay awake.

I managed to get the word out before the nothingness claimed me. "Help," I murmured.