CHAPTER TWO

I barely get a chance to say anything because a minute later, a few pack mates barge in, followed by a furious Hunter, as he roars, “What is going on here?!”

He falls silent when he sees me and he whispers my name in a shocked voice, “Sarah?”

I stare at him, shaken.

When I don’t answer, he quickly steps towards me, “Why are you here? You're supposed to be at the lake!”

I hear a sniffle and then turn my head to see Valerie crouched on the floor, holding her injured arm.”

Me, Valerie, and Hunter grew up together, the best of friends, so the shock in his eyes at seeing Valerie’s state is not surprising.

“Valerie?” He crouches down by her side. “Just what is going on here?”

Out of all three of us, Valerie was always the weaker one, the one who needed protection. Both me and Hunter were fiercely protective of her. But now as I look at her, I can’t recognize the friend I had once cherished.

Valerie leans into hunters chest, sobbing, “I didn’t know she would do this! I just wanted to be the first to congratulate her and then I saw that she didn’t transform. She went insane, Hunter! How could you try and kill me, Sarah?!”

She’s so good at playing the victim that it comes off almost flawless.

“What?” I hiss. “That's not true!”

Hunter gives me a cautious look, "So, you shifted?”

I go still and my voice is small, “No.”

When I see the disappointment in his eyes, I immediately say, "Not because I can't! Valerie poisoned me with wolfsbane because she wants you!”

“What? Why do you keep saying that? Why would I ever want to hurt you? I love you! You’re like my sister!” Valerie sobs, almost hysterically. “why are you acting this way? I was the one who is most excited about your mating to Hunter!”

Valerie stumbles to her feet, cutting quite a tragic figure and something inside me grows cold as Hunter steadies her, holding her to his chest in a protective gesture.

She leans against him, whimpering, "I was so scared. I thought she was upset at first and then she started chasing me down. She said she’d kill me before I tell anyone. I would never have betrayed you, Sarah! She tried to cut my throat. I barely manage to defend myself.”

The bleeding slash on her arm which is slowly healing is her proof.

“The glass on the floor contained wolfsbane!” I shout but I see disbelief in everyone’s eyes.

Hunter’s voice is cold, "Where would Valerie get wolfsbane? Your story is falling apart, Sarah. Wolfsbane is a banned item.”

“I know the smell of it!”

“How would you know something like that?” Hunter said, his voice suddenly turning dangerous. “Where did you find wolfsbane?”

I can't answer that so I snap my mouth shut before trying. “I read about how it smells-“

“Enough, Sarah,” Hunter says, disappointment filling his eyes

“What?” I mumble as the crowd grows larger.

I can see the animosity growing in the eyes of everyone present.

“She’s lying,” I whisper.

I take a step towards hunter, “You know me. Hunter, I would never do something like that. She really did poison me.”

“Stay where you are,” Hunter is using his Alpha voice and I go still under the weight of it, my body trembling.

His eyes are cold, as if a stranger is looking at me, and not the man who hugged me and kissed me so deeply just before the ceremony, “It's bad enough that you can't shift. Now you're trying to blame it on Valerie, after what you just tried to do?”

My knees feel weak, my heart pounding with fear, “She did it to herself! Hunter, please, you have to believe me! You're all I have. I love you.”

“Even if you hadn't done all this, you still can't shift, Hunter says, coldly. “I would never mate a wolf who can’t even shift.”

My mouth turns dry, “W-What are you saying?”

“Leave. You have till sunrise to leave the perimeter of the den or the entire pack will hunt you down.”

My hands shake, “Y-You’re going to kill me?”

“No,” He gives me a disgusted look. “I’m banishing you. But you're not a wolf and the pack law states that any non-wolf has to die to protect our pack if they are within our borders. So leave or face the consequences.”

“Hunter-“

I try to go towards him but he snarls at me and I see the protective way in which he holds Valerie.

“My parents! Let me at least see my parents!”

Two wolves hold me back by my arms, packmates who had giving me a hug just before the Luna. Their expressions are cold now, not an ounce of affection in them.

I’m being shut out.

It’s a common tactic for disowned wolves. Reject them affection. Starve them off it till they go insane.

Something breaks inside of me as I look at all the faces filled with hatred, watching me.

Even Hunter is shutting me out.

I can feel the icing is inside of me, the rejection of my Alpha slicing up my heart.

“Hunter,” I beg. “Please. Not this. Let me prove-“

I grab his leg and a second later, I feel a burning sensation on my left cheek and I stumble back in pain. I slowly look up, shock filling me at the side of his transformed hand, my blood dripping off his claws.

“Throw her out.”

***

My feet are bare as I run through the forest, my face covered with a combination of sweat and tears.

Where am I supposed to go?

I have to leave the parameters of the den before the sunrises or the pack hunter, Lucas, will hunt me down and kill me. He’s always the ne to hunt down rogues.

My pace is slowing down and the burning in my left cheek hasn’t stopped. My healing abilities were never this slow or nonexistent.

Half crawling, half walking, I see the line indicating the first mark of the parameter.

I know that I won't be able to make it. It's a two day walk to leave the den area. Did Hunter give me only half the time so that he could set the Pack Hunter on me?

The thought of Lucas, the Pack Hunter, makes me pick up my pace. I’ve never met him but I’ve seen him from a far. He’s a rogue that Hunter’s father, the previous Alpha, convince to join our pack. I’ve only ever heard terrifying things about him, stories that are the stuff of nightmares.

He’s one of the most powerful members of the pack and from what my father wants told me, he rivaled Hunter. That may be why Hunter was always so content with Lucas’s decision to not stay with pack and only come when called.

He’s a ruthless killer.

Tears drip down my face, fear almost crippling me.

Why is this happening?

When I hear the sound of twig snapping behind me, all the blood rushes out of my face.

Did they break their promise and decide to hunt me now?

I whirl around, shaking, when I see a pair of golden eyes watching me from the shrubbery.

The only person with this color of eyes is Hunter but it’s not Hunter.

There is madness in his eyes.

I know who he is.

Lucas has found me.

I half moan in terror as he emerges from the bush. His fur is a beautiful russet color that glints in the moonlight.

Stumbling back, I fall down and try to crawl away, desperate to survive, terrified out of my mind.

And then he’s on me, sinking his teeth into my shoulder, throwing me against the tree.

I scream in agony and I can feel myself withdrawing. I don’t want to face my death. I can feel hot breath on my face and my head begins to empty out, my wolf laying down, accepting what’s about to happen.

And then my eyes open, part way and I meet the golden gaze of the Pack Hunter.

And suddenly everything changes.

Something snaps within me.

There’s this warm glowing sensation inside of me and my wolf perks its ears.

The russet colored wolf in front of me freezes.

I don’t notice anything The pain and trauma, accompanied by this sudden feeling of safety, has me falling off a dark cliff, my vision submerging into the darkness.