Jaliyah

"Just give me two minutes. Please," Jaliyah begged the future Alpha of her pack—Alpha Zephyra of the Moonhowl Tribe. Her hand rested on his arm, but he stared down at it with a frown before lifting his eyes—those deep, dark blue eyes she used to lose herself in—and shot her a cold, disapproving glare.

They’d been lovers for a little over a year, nothing serious by his standards. But now it was over. He had found his Fated Mate, handpicked by the Moon Goddess herself, and just like that, Jaliyah wasn’t even worth a minute of his time.

She had fallen for him completely, even though she’d always known this day would come. She’d kept things light, playful, never letting him see how deep her feelings ran. He wasn’t her fated mate, and she wasn’t his. All she wanted now was to wish him well and let him know she was leaving—going back to campus to finish her law degree full-time, interning during breaks. She wouldn’t be home for at least the next two years.

She couldn’t stand the thought of watching him be happy with someone else, seeing them all over each other like she and Zephyra used to be. Watching that would destroy her. But she’d never tell him that.

As she stood there, clutching his arm and trying to force a bright smile, Soraya—his mate—walked into the room. Her eyes locked onto Jaliyah’s hand on Zephyra, and her expression turned venomous. She didn’t care that Jaliyah and Zephyra had been childhood friends for twenty years, didn’t care about the bond they had once shared.

Soraya’s wolf growled deep in her chest, and then Soraya snapped, “Get your filthy hands off my mate,” as she stormed across the room. She grabbed Jaliyah’s wrist, yanking her away from Zephyra, and with her other hand, slapped her so hard across the face that Jaliyah staggered back a step, her hand flying to her burning cheek.

Ashira, Jaliyah’s wolf, howled with fury in her mind, enraged by the attack. Before Jaliyah could stop her, Ashira surged forward, claws extending from her fingertips as she retaliated with a fierce strike of her own. Her claws raked across Soraya’s cheek, leaving three deep, bloody scratches that dripped onto her clothes.

Soraya screamed in pain, her hands flying to her face as blood poured down. Tears streamed from her eyes as she turned to her mate, seeking comfort in his arms. Jaliyah knew she’d heal—wolves always did—but it didn’t matter. The damage was done.

Zephyra’s eyes widened in shock. He pulled Soraya into his arms, holding her close, protective. Then his gaze landed on Jaliyah, blazing with fury—his wolf clearly right there with him. His roar echoed through the room.

“Get out of this pack. Don’t ever come back.”

Jaliyah froze, heart pounding, tears welling in her green eyes. She knew what it meant. Attacking the Luna—or even the future Luna—was treason. Her wolf had drawn blood. That could mean exile… or worse. She turned and fled the room, knowing if she stayed even a second longer, the consequences could be deadly.

Ashira whimpered in anguish, devastated at the thought of leaving him, their home, their family. Both of them knew—they’d never be allowed back. If Zephyra were already Alpha, he might have marked her as a rogue on the spot, stripped her of her title, and thrown her out with nothing.

Jaliyah’s pace quickened as she rushed through the front door of the packhouse. Then she was running, tears streaming down her face, sprinting toward her car. She couldn’t wait. What if Zephyra—or worse, Soraya—changed their mind and decided banishment wasn’t enough? What if they wanted her punished more severely? Beaten? Locked up? Killed?

There was no time to say goodbye. Not to her mom, her dad, or her older brother. She just ran, climbed into her car, and peeled out of the driveway as fast as she could, desperate to get off pack land before anything else happened.

She heard a voice behind her—Darian, the future Beta—calling after her. “Jaliyah, what’s going on?” There was real concern in his voice, but she didn’t stop to explain. She couldn’t.

She just drove.

At least Zephyra didn’t have the authority to officially brand her a rogue. Yet. That decision would fall to his father, Alpha Thaddeus. He’d hear their side of the story—Zephyra’s and Soraya’s—and decide her fate.

‘Why?’ Jaliyah sobbed, asking Ashira as she sped down the road, heading back to the university where she’d been studying for the past two years. Thankfully, she had a dorm waiting for her. A roof. A place to hide. She could never go back to her pack.

‘Protect pup,’ Ashira whimpered in grief.

Jaliyah’s crying intensified. Her chest ached so badly she didn’t know if she could survive it. A baby. His baby. And he’d tossed her aside like trash without even knowing. Banished her. Cut her out of his life.

She had to survive—for the pup growing inside her. Even if it shattered her. Even if it tore her and Ashira apart.