Chapter 9

Iris's POV

I turned off my phone and removed the SIM card. I stared at it for a second before tossing it into the trash. I had no one I wanted to hear from. There was no one that I wanted to speak to.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, I got to the border of the pack.

The two patrol guards on duty looked surprised when they spotted me approaching. They glanced at the bag on my shoulder.

“Luna?” one of them asked cautiously. “Are you… are you going somewhere?”

I stopped just in front of the boundary line and gave them a small smile. “Yes.”

“Alone?” His voice dropped. “It’s dangerous out there. At least let someone escort you.”

“No,” I said flatly. “I don’t need help.”

They exchanged hesitant looks.

“It’s dangerous outside the border,” the second one said. “Especially for someone without an escort. The last rogue activity wasn’t far from this side.”

“I’ll be fine,” I said simply.

“Luna, please,” the first one spoke again, sounding panicked and worried. “If something happens to you, we will be held responsible. The Alpha—”

“The Alpha won’t care,” I interrupted.

They fell silent. But, they didn’t move. They stood there, blocking my path with fear written all over their faces.

“Just let us call him,” one of them pleaded. “We can at least tell him you’re here, so it doesn’t look like we just let you walk out.”

I could see it in their eyes. They were scared for their position, not for me.

They had nothing to worry about. Eric wanted me out of his life, he would be happy to hear that I was leaving.

I nodded. “Fine. Call him.”

One quickly brought out a phone and pressed the call button, turning on the loudspeaker.

It rang twice, before he picked up.

The background was loud, and I immediately recognized the voices.

I could hear Zara’s laugh, and Tiffany shouting about something with excitement in the background.

I clenched my jaw. He had probably forgotten that today was Evie's birthday.

The guard cleared his throat. “Alpha Eric, the Luna is here and she—”

“Don’t call me about that woman again!” Eric snapped over the phone. “Do not disturb me for anything concerning her! I have better things to think about!”

Click.

The call ended.

The guards froze. One of them swallowed hard and slowly lowered the phone.

I didn’t react, neither did I feel sad. I was used to it.

“Sorry, Luna,” one of them said awkwardly. “We… uh… we didn’t know—”

“It’s fine,” I cut in. “You’re just doing your job.”

The taller of the two stepped aside hesitantly. “You can go… if that’s what you want.”

I nodded and walked past them.

Just like that, I stepped over the border of the Crescent Moon Pack, leaving my past behind me.

~

I kept walking. I had snagged a map from Eric’s old things. I used the map to guide me through the forest. I was aiming for a small human town that I had seen on the map.

I lost track of how long I walked. My legs started to ache. I was hungry, tired, and a little dizzy. But I didn’t stop to eat or rest, because I knew it was too dangerous.

Suddenly, there was a shift in the air, and a foul scent crossed my nose. My spine went stiff.

I stopped walking. The forest around me had gone completely still.

A branch snapped behind me.

I froze, praying that it was just a random animal.

There was another crack, and this one sounded closer this time.

Then I heard the sound of low growling from behind me.

I turned slowly.

My heart shot to my throat as I saw huge, matted and dirty wolves. Their eyes shone red with cruelty, and they were foaming at the mouth.

Rogues.

My stomach dropped.

There were three of them, they were in full wolf form. There was no reasoning or bargaining with rogues like these.

They growled louder, and threateningly.

I took a slow step back, trying to keep my breathing steady. My heart thudded in my chest, loud enough I was sure they could hear it.

I called for my wolf.

Silence.

I reached deeper, but there was nothing.

She wasn’t answering. I hadn’t felt my wolf for days, since Evie died.

But she had started fading long before that. Every time Eric rejected and insulted us, every time he looked at us like we disgusted him, she had retreated more and more. And when he abandoned us and Evie died in my arms, that was the final blow.

Now, she was just gone, hiding deep inside, refusing to come forward.

I was completely alone. I had no wolf, and no help. Just me… and three bloodthirsty rogues.