3

The dawn broke with a sullen sky, casting a gray pall over the rogue encampment. Charollet sat by the dying embers of the communal fire, her fingers stained with charcoal as she sketched absentmindedly on a scrap of parchment. The lines formed a visage stern eyes, a cruel smirk, Kade's face etched into the paper as if her hand moved of its own accord.

She crumpled the drawing, tossing it into the fire. The flames licked at the paper hungrily, consuming the image as swiftly as he had invaded her life.

Mia approached, her footsteps soft against the earth. "Couldn't sleep?"

Charollet shook her head. "Nightmares."

Mia sat beside her, offering a piece of dried meat. "He's dangerous, Charollet. You need to be careful."

"I know," she whispered, accepting the food.

The camp stirred to life slowly, the rogues emerging from their tents, eyes wary and movements sluggish. The atmosphere was tense, a palpable unease settling over the group like a shroud.

Kade stood at the center of the camp, his presence commanding attention. His gaze swept over the rogues, a predator surveying his domain.

"Gather around," he called, his voice slicing through the morning air.

The rogues assembled, forming a loose circle around him. Charollet remained seated, her heart pounding.

"We have a traitor among us," Kade announced, his eyes locking onto hers.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"Charollet," he continued, "has been deceiving us. She is no wolf. She is a human spy, sent to infiltrate our ranks."

Gasps and whispers erupted.

"That's not true!" Charollet stood, her voice trembling. "I've lived here my entire life."

Kade's smirk widened. "And yet, you've never shifted. Not once in nineteen years."

"Some wolves shift later," Mia interjected, stepping forward.

"Silence," Kade snapped. "Your judgment is clouded by sentiment."

Viktor emerged from the crowd, his expression grim. "This is madness, Kade. She's one of us."

"Is she?" Kade challenged. "Or have we been harboring a threat?"

The rogues exchanged uneasy glances.

"She rejected me," Kade continued, his tone venomous. "Spurned my claim. Disrespected the hierarchy."

Charollet's eyes widened. "This is about your ego?"

"This is about order," he retorted. "About loyalty."

He turned to the crowd. "We cannot afford weakness. She must be punished."

"What are you suggesting?" Viktor demanded.

"Exile," Kade declared. "Effective immediately."

"No!" Mia protested. "She won't survive out there alone."

"Then perhaps she should have thought of that before betraying us," Kade replied coldly.

The rogues hesitated, uncertainty flickering in their eyes.

"Do you stand with the pack," Kade challenged, "or with a traitor?"

One by one, the rogues stepped back, distancing themselves from Charollet.

Viktor's shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry, child."

Charollet's vision blurred with tears as the reality settled in. She was alone.

They bound her hands and led her to the edge of the territory, the forest looming ahead like a maw ready to consume her.

"Any last words?" Kade sneered.

Charollet met his gaze, her voice steady. "You may cast me out, but you will never break me."

He chuckled. "We'll see."

With a shove, she stumbled into the woods, the bonds cutting into her wrists as she disappeared into the shadows.

Days blurred together as Charollet wandered, hunger gnawing at her insides and exhaustion weighing her down. The forest was unforgiving, its beauty masking the dangers that lurked within.

She collapsed beside a stream, her strength waning. The sound of footsteps approached, and she looked up to see a group of men, their expressions hard.

"Well, what do we have here?" one of them drawled.

"A rogue, by the looks of it," another replied.

"Or perhaps a runaway," the first mused. "Either way, she could fetch a good price."

Charollet tried to rise, but her limbs betrayed her.

"Don't struggle," the man said, binding her hands anew. "It'll be easier that way."

The slave market was a cacophony of noise and despair. Charollet stood on the auction block, her clothes tattered and her spirit battered.

"Next up," the auctioneer announced, "a rare find. A rogue female, unshifted but with potential."

Bidders murmured, intrigued.

"Strong, resilient, and untouched," the auctioneer continued. "Who will start the bidding?"

Hands shot up, and the price climbed rapidly.

Charollet's gaze swept over the crowd, landing on a figure cloaked in shadows. Kade.

He met her eyes, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.

"Sold!" the auctioneer declared, pointing to a man in the front row.

As she was led away, Charollet's heart hardened. She had been betrayed, cast out, and sold. But she would endure. She would survive.

And one day, she would reclaim her destiny.