Elena "By my authority as Alpha of the Crest, I, Kieran Smith, break your bonds. Elena Pearl, you are banished. You no longer bear our mark, nor our protection."The words sliced through the air like iron through flesh. Instantly, a violent, tearing agony ripped through my chest. It felt as though a warm thread inside my soul was being pulled and snapped by raw force. My knees gave out, hitting the slick stone floor of the council chamber. The invisible tether connecting me to every heart in the pack disintegrated, leaving behind a cold, hollow abyss.I was a rogue. Cast out. Unowned.Rain lashed through the open archways as I lifted my tear-blinded eyes toward the dais. My stepsister, Patricia, stood beside him, her fingers laced through his, wearing a crown of white orchids. Tradition was an unforgiving beast in the Crest pack: when an Alpha claims his mate, every other female from the mate's line must be exiled to prevent competing bloodlines."Kieran, please!" My voice cracked as
Last Updated : 2026-09-24 Read more