Chapter 3

No Home Left

Rowan's POV

I read the expulsion order until the words blurred. I read it again and again. The result never changed, seventy-two hours.

That was all Damon thought I deserved after three years as his mate.

Three years, was just reduced to a piece of paper. 

A knock sounded on my door. I didn't answer. A moment later, it opened anyway.

My father stepped inside and my mother followed behind him. Neither looked upset, neither looked sorry. I should have expected that.

"Have you packed yet?" my father asked. 

I laughed, not because it was funny, but because it was unbelievable. That was the first thing he said?

Not how are you?

Not are you alright?

But just, have you packed yet?

"I'll be gone before the deadline." I said and my father nodded.

"Good." The single word stabbed deeper than I expected. My mother folded her arms.

"This is probably for the best." 

I stared at her, she avoided my eyes, of course she did. 

"How is this for the best?" I asked her.

She sighed. As if I was the difficult one here.

"Things have become complicated."

"No, you made them complicated."

The room fell silent. My father frowned and said: "Watch your attitude." I almost smiled. 

Even now, even after everything. They still expected obedience? No way.

I looked at them both and realized something terrifying. That neither of them had come to say goodbye. They came to make sure I left. 

The realization hurt much more than I wanted to admit.

"Was there ever a time you chose me?" I asked.

My mother's face went pale. My father shamefully looked away. But neither answered. That was enough to answer. 

I swallowed hard.

"Get out." My father stiffened.

“Rowan—I said get out." The words came out sharper this time and neither of them moved. 

Something inside me finally snapped.

"I said get out!" He repeated again. 

My wolf growled inside my skin. The air trembled. 

For a brief second, both of them looked startled.

My father grabbed my mother's arm and said: "Come on." 

They left without another word. The door clicked shut. And just like that, I was alone again. 

Hours later, I packed everything I owned into a single duffel bag. It wasn't much, just a few clothes, some books.

A photo of me and Damon from happier times. I stared at the picture. Then threw it into the fireplace. 

The flames consumed it within seconds. Just like our bond, just like our future and just like us.

A knock came at the door that left my stomach still for a moment. I already knew who it was. The scent reached me first.

Damon. For a moment, I considered pretending I wasn't there. Instead, I opened the door. My former mate stood, looking sad outside my room.

He looked handsome and heartless. The sight of him still hurts. The broken bond still throbbed in my chest. 

"I heard you're leaving tomorrow." I laughed bitterly.

Did you just say you heard?” I laughed.

"You had me exiled. Where else would I go?" He looked confused too. For the first time, he looked uncomfortable.

Good. "Rowan." 

He wanted to say something. But I shouted. "No."

His eyes narrowed. I continued before he could speak. 

"Don't stand there and pretend you care, do you?" I asked.

"I do care." He said. And that made me laugh. The lie almost made me choke.

"If this is caring, I'd hate to see what cruelty looks like." Silence stretched between us.

And finally, Damon exhaled and said:

"This is what's best, for the two of us." 

Gush! There it was. The final knife.

What's best for us? I asked. 

Not for me, but for him. For Ryan, and for everyone except the person whose life they destroyed. I nodded.

"Then you have nothing to worry about." I said.

His face lingered on me. Almost as if he wanted to say something else. But whatever it was, he swallowed it.

Then he turned and walked away. I watched him leave.

This time, I didn't cry. I've no tears to share for him again, not anymore. There were no hard feelings left. The next morning, I left before sunrise.

There's no farewell party, no goodbyes. Just me and a bag slung over my shoulder.

The gates of the pack stood ahead of me. The same gates I had passed through thousands of times. But today felt different.

Today, they felt like the end.

A few early risers spotted me and whispers followed. Just like always. Only now, nobody bothered hiding them.

"That's him."

"The rejected Omega."

"I heard Alpha Damon and Ryan are moving into the Alpha House together."

"Good for them."

I kept walking. One step then another. The pack that had been my entire world slowly disappeared behind me. 

No one stopped me. No one called my name and no one came running after me. Not even a single person.

The truth settled heavily in my chest. I wasn't leaving home. But I had never had one. 

By midday, I reached the edge of the territory. The protective boundary stones stood in a long line before me. Crossing them meant there was no coming back, not unless I was invited.

And I knew that invitation would never come. I stepped across the border. Pain shot through my body and I stumbled.

My hand slammed against a nearby tree.

For a brief second, something flashed inside my skin.

A strange silver light appeared on my wrist and then vanished. I looked terribly afraid.

"What…?"

I looked closer, there's nothing. No mark and no light. Nothing unusual, maybe my imagination. Maybe exhaustion was finally getting to me. I shook my head and continued walking.

By sunset, my legs felt like lead. I found a small clearing deep in the forest. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. 

I sat beside an old tree and hugged my knees to my chest. The silence was unbearable.

No pack, no family, no mates and no future. But just me, alone. 

The darkness deepened and the forest grew dangerously quieter. A chill crawled down my spine.

My wolf kept stirring uneasily. I sighed and something felt very wrong. Then I heard a branch snapping somewhere behind me, very strange. 

I shot to my feet. My heart slammed against my ribs.

"Who's there?" I asked. There's no answer. Only silence. 

Then another sound, closer this time. Leaves rustling, heavy footsteps, several of them. My pulse quickened.

The shadows between the trees shifted.

And suddenly I saw a glowing eyes. One pair and then another, watching me from the darkness. 

My blood ran cold. Those weren't wolves from my former pack.

I would have recognized their scents. These wolves were strangers, and the way they looked at me made one thing terrifyingly clear. They weren't here by accident.

They are hunting me.