Chapter Two

NOELANI POV

Day in, day out, I scavenged for food. It’s strange being raised as the Alpha’s child with fresh meat, food, and fruits daily, only to now fight over scraps. Hunting used to be a game. Now it’s survival. I’ve fought with rogues who claim they’re stronger than I. Maybe they are. They’re wild untamed in ways I’m still learning to be.

How long has it been? A year? Two? I’ve lost track of time out here in the wild. No contact, no pack, not even Lana. My wolf has been silent since the incident. I haven’t shifted once. The wild was cold in ways the body can't explain. Nights bite, and days blur. I sleep with one eye open, if I sleep at all. I've forgotten what it feels like to laugh. I used to laugh so much, especially with Lana, my wolf. She was the fire in me, fierce, proud. Now she's gone quiet, buried deep beneath pain. Some days, I wonder if she’s still there at the back of my head.

I had gotten better at moving in silence. At hiding my scent, watching the shadows. Being rogue means never trusting and never hoping too much. But most times at night, I catch myself dreaming of home and warmth.

Despite my weak senses, I detected a rogue just behind me. I looked behind me, I was wrong. Not one but three rogues snarled at me like wild beasts in hunger, without thought.

“Get away from me!” I yelled at them.

I ran like I always did, fast and desperate to stay alive. Branches tore at my arms with every sharp turn I made through the forest. Thorns bit into my soles, I didn’t care. Survival was the only thing I knew now and fighting was not the way through.

Suddenly there was silence. I skidded to a halt, looking around confused. The surrounding air changed. Heavy and pressing. The rogues who had been right behind me were gone. My breath hitched as I looked around, straining my ears, and scrutinized my surroundings. That’s when I felt it.

“Who's there?” I looked around.

No one was in sight but the aura I felt was crushing and commanding. Unmistakably an Alpha. My knees nearly gave way and my instincts screamed at me to run. Horror crept up my spine like ice. I had crossed a border, another pack’s border and their alpha was here. The one time I crossed a border since becoming a rogue, I was met with the alpha. Why is an Alpha patrolling himself?

I didn't have time to question it. I turned to run back. Run fast to run far away from here. But it was too late. His growl cracked through the trees. Deep. Feral. My heart thundered. I wondered why he was hunting me. Was it for fun? To prove a point? Or simply because he could?

I turned to catch a glimpse. He wasn't in his human form, he had transformed. His wolf was massive. Dark as shadow, its golden eyes preyed behind me. Fast as a storm, he was above me. One paw pressed hard on me, pinning me to the ground like I was nothing. I shut my eyes, using my arms to protect my face. Trembling under him, I waited for the final blow. But it didn’t come. His growl faded. I opened my eyes and through my arms I saw him just staring at me. Why is he…hesitating? Why hasn't he killed me? My breath was ragged. My mind raced. I didn’t know. Couldn’t know. I would have at least tried to mind-link with the help of my wolf, but Lana has cut me off ever since that night. I couldn’t feel her. His posture shifted, it was softer, slower, confused and that was my chance. While he turned his head—mind-linking someone, perhaps—I scooped a handful of grit. Sand. Whatever I could find and threw it into his eyes. He roared less in pain, more in shock. He backed away from me, scrambling up.

I bolted through the trees with everything I had. My lungs burned, my legs screamed. Then a growl. One so loud the earth beneath me resonated. The birds above scattered in fright. My soul flinched, beads of sweat formed on my face despite the evening chill. In a sharp, brutal flash. He’d gone for my ankle, the already weakened one. Pain ripped a scream from me, one enough to shatter a glass. A sound I didn't know I could make. I hit the ground with a broken cry. The border was just ahead. So close I could taste it. My hand reached out hoping for one last push, but my body gave out. Everything went dark.