Chapter 003

Sara ran like a madwoman through the thick, gnarled forest, not daring to look back. The wind roared in her ears, drowning out her own ragged breathing. Her bare feet tore against the forest floor, sharp stones and cruel twigs slicing into her skin. Blood marked her trail, but she didn’t stop.

The cold night air stung her skin, numbing her burned wrist and bruised ribs. But she couldn’t think about the pain. She had to keep going.

Branches scratched her face, shadows darted in and out of her vision, and the trees seemed to twist and whisper around her. Maybe she was hallucinating. Maybe this was what happened when a body was pushed beyond its limit.

She ran until her legs gave out. Her foot snagged on a jagged root, and she tumbled forward. Her side slammed into the ground and a scream tore from her throat, but no one was around to hear it.

The fall knocked the breath from her lungs. She tried to get up, but her arms were shaking too much. She collapsed again, her cheek pressed into the damp earth, eyes fluttering as everything spun violently.

Then everything went black.

.......

When Sara woke up, a metallic taste filled her mouth, making her gag. Her body felt heavy, her limbs stiff and useless. Something cold and rough was wrapped tightly around her wrists, holding her down. Panic surged through her as she tried to move, only to feel the crushing weight of thick chains restraining her.

Her eyes snapped open.

She was surrounded by stone walls, old and damp, covered in moss. The air was thick with the smell of earth, mold, and blood. Her heart pounded as she looked around. This wasn’t just any prison. It was old... forgotten. The kind of place built not just to hold prisoners, but to make them disappear.

She struggled against the chains, twisting and yanking until the skin around her wrists turned raw. They didn’t move. There was no way out.

A sudden chill ran down her spine.

Someone was watching her.

A shadow stepped out from the far wall. A tall figure, broad-shouldered, with dark, messy hair like he’d just gotten out of bed. His black shirt stretched over a strong body. He moved slowly, confidently, every step sending a fresh jolt of fear through her.

But it was his eyes that rooted Sara in place. Cold. Golden. Piercing. Inhuman.

She recognized him before he even said a word.

Kyle Nightbane.

Alpha of the Nightbane Pack. The terrifying leader rogues whispered about. The one who ruled the wild forests with fear and blood.

And she had just run straight into his arms.

As he stepped closer, the air felt heavier, like it was pressing down on her. His presence was overwhelming, powerful and dark.

Kyle stopped just a few feet away, his head tilting slightly to one side as he studied her like a predator examining prey.

“Who are you?” he asked. His voice was smooth but carried a quiet threat.

Sara opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Her throat was dry, and her heart was pounding.

“I asked a question,” he said again, more firmly this time. “And I don’t like repeating myself.”

Her voice trembled. “S-Sara. Sara of… Soomdale Pack.”

At the name, Kyle’s face changed. He looked disgusted.

“Soomdale,” he said like it was something dirty. “Why are you here?”

She hesitated, not knowing how to explain everything; the pain, the betrayal. How her pack had rejected her. Hurt her. Branded her. Thrown her away. How she didn’t even feel like a wolf anymore.

“I… I was exiled,” she said softly.

A tense silence followed. Then, Kyle laughed. Not out of amusement, but something darker.

“Exiled?” His eyes gleamed. “What did you do? Steal from your Alpha? Betray your Luna?”

“No,” Sara whispered. “I was rejected.”

His laughter stopped instantly.

The look in his eyes changed as he crouched down in front of her. Before she could flinch away, his hand shot out, gripping her chin tightly. His fingers were rough, calloused, and far too strong.

“Tell me,” he said in a low, dangerous voice, “why shouldn’t I kill you right now?”

Her breath caught in her throat.

He wasn’t joking.

“I… I mean no harm,” she stammered. “I just want to live.”

Kyle’s grip tightened slightly, silencing her. “Even if you meant harm, you wouldn’t last two seconds against me,” he said calmly. “Besides, you’re a rogue now.”

He said the word like it was poison.

“And on my land, rogues don’t beg for mercy. They bleed.”

Sara’s eyes stung with tears, but she held them back. She wouldn’t cry. Not here. Not gain.

“I’ll do anything,” she whispered, swallowing her pride. “Just please… let me go.”

He looked at her in silence, then gave a slow, mocking smile.

“Let you go?” he repeated with a low chuckle. “Oh, little wolf. You really don’t get it, do you?”

He released her chin only to wrap his hand around her throat, squeezing lightly, not enough to cut off her air completely, but enough to show her exactly who had the power.

“You stepped into my territory unannounced,” he said, his golden eyes glowing. “Right now, you belong to me.”

“N-No,” she rasped. “Please—”

He leaned in so close she could feel his body heat and smell the faint scent of pine and smoke on his skin.

“Runaways don’t get second chances, wolf” he murmured. “You should’ve stayed where you were.”

Sara’s heart sank. For the first time since she fled Soomdale, real fear gripped her. She had escaped a prison only to fall into another.

But this one might just be worse.

Still, something inside her refused to give up. Maybe it was her pride. Maybe it was the tiny piece of her that still had hope. Either way, she met his eyes even with his hand still around her neck.

“I didn’t come here to die,” she said quietly.

Kyle’s eyes narrowed slightly, his hand tightening for a split second before he released her completely. She slumped forward, coughing.

He stood, folding his arms across his chest.

“You’re either really brave... or really stupid,” he muttered. “Time will tell which one.”

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, the sound of his boots echoing through the room.

Sara stayed on the ground, shaking. The chains were heavy, pinning her to the cold floor.

She didn’t know what was going to happen next.

But she knew one thing for sure.

Kyle Nightbane was far more dangerous than anything she’d left behind.

And now, she was completely at his mercy.