My heart was threatening to burst out of my chest. I didn’t know where they were taking me. The rogues held me so tightly, their rough hands uncaring if my skin bruised beneath their grip. Twigs snapped under our boots. Bushes clawed at my legs, as though they wanted me to bleed for every step I took.

The road to the Outcast Pack felt endless, filled with thorns and shadows. The sky was barely visible through the thick canopy of trees. My heart thudded faster than the footsteps could ever match.

I’d heard stories—terrible ones—about the Outcast Pack. People said it was dark, savage, that they lived in a pit of filth and misery.

But they were wrong.

We reached a clearing and I stumbled out of the forest, bracing myself for doom and chaos. Instead, what I saw stole the breath from my lungs.

The Outcast Pack was heavenly. Wide stretches of lush green spread out before me, gardens woven with exotic flowers. Buildings of polished wood and stone stood proudly, carved with precision. It wasn’t just beautiful—it was regal. Warriors patrolled the grounds, dressed in black and gold. Omegas and rejected wolves, massive and elegant, roamed freely. Children ran and chased fireflies under the twilight.

It was a hidden paradise. A kingdom built from rejection and rage.

“This is the Outcast Pack?” I whispered.

One of the rogues snorted. “Surprised? Everyone is. Lord Enrizo is much more successful than you all think.”

Enrizo. Kade’s uncle. I’d heard the name before. He was supposed to lead the Crescent Pack, but betrayal from his own brother cast him out. So he built this… empire, for the rejected and the broken.

I was dragged across the courtyard like a criminal. People stared, whispering words I couldn’t hear. Some looked curious, most looked disgusted. The guards said nothing as they shoved me through a tall wooden door, down cold stone steps, and into a damp prison cell.

The air tasted bitter, thick with death and danger.

“You’re lucky we didn’t kill you on sight,” one growled. “Trespassers don’t last long here.”

“But I wasn’t—” I tried to speak, but my voice cracked.

“Save it,” another snapped. “Spies always have stories.”

The door slammed shut, and darkness wrapped around me.

I crawled to the corner, hugging my knees. Tears came hard and fast, clawing their way out of me.

Why me?

In just one week, my life had crumbled. Kade—my first love—used me, lied to me. He took everything I gave and left me bleeding inside. I thought he cared. I believed him. Fool that I am.

I was punished for fighting for my right. Then came exile. I ran from my own pack like a thief. I was lost, broken, and alone—just hoping to disappear.

And now this.

They thought I was a spy. They wanted me dead.

I curled tighter until my body ached. “I hate you, Kade,” I whispered. “I hate every smile you ever gave me. I curse the day I met you.”

There was no reply, only my sobs echoing in the silence.

After a while, I heard voices outside the cell. I pressed my ear against the cold stone wall.

“She’s dangerous.”

“She’s young, maybe clever.”

“She knows something. I don’t trust it.”

“She might be Crescent-born.”

“Of course she is. She’s clearly a spy. She dies by dawn.”

I covered my mouth to keep from screaming.

They’re going to kill me.

I slid to the floor, numb. Was this how everything ended? No revenge against Kade. No peace. Only death.

“Selene,” I whispered to the Moon Goddess, “what have I done to deserve this?”

My head burned, my body shook with sobs—until a thought struck me like lightning.

I was in the Outcast Pack. And wasn’t I an outcast too?

Maybe this could be my new home.

I knew the Crescent Pack’s secrets—their weak spots, blind gates, and hidden tunnels. I could help the Outcasts.

And maybe… they’d let me live.

The next morning, the heavy door creaked open. Guards left me behind bars. Desperation surged through me.

I scrambled to the bars and shouted, my voice cracking. “Please! I’m not a spy! I can help you! I know things about the Crescent Pack—I swear!”

A few heads turned. Some guards frowned, annoyed.

“Let me speak to someone in charge!” I begged.

“Enough noise,” one snapped.

But I didn’t stop. My life was on the line.

“I beg you!” I cried. “I’ll give you everything I know. Please don’t kill me!”

They turned away. My heart sank. They didn’t believe me.

I was going to die.

Then, someone stepped forward.

A woman, tall and old, with silver hair flowing like moonlight. Her gray eyes were sharp and wise. She carried a staff carved with strange symbols.

“Let her speak,” she said softly.

The guards hesitated. “Elder Myra, with all respect—”

“She’s desperate,” Myra interrupted. “Desperation tells the truth.”

The guards grumbled but obeyed. Myra stepped closer, her gaze piercing into my soul.

“What do you know about the Crescent Pack?” she asked.

“I grew up there. I was Alpha Kade’s friend. I’ve seen things—things even the Alphas don’t talk about. But after all my sacrifices, I was betrayed.” My voice shook, but I forced myself to meet her eyes.

“Why should we believe you?” Myra asked.

My mind went blank. I had no proof. She scoffed and turned to leave—

“Let your witches test me!” I blurted out.

She stopped, raising an eyebrow, impressed. “Hmm.”

She signaled to a guard, who soon returned with a girl my age, dressed in deep purple robes. Her glowing violet eyes were unnerving.

The ritual began. Myra and the girl’s eyes glowed as they whispered spells. The girl trembled as she touched her thumbs to my forehead. The air shimmered, warmth wrapped around me, then cold sank deep into my bones. My vision blurred.

Finally, the girl stepped back. “She’s telling the truth. Her pain is real. I can smell the thirst for revenge.”

Myra studied me for a long moment, then whispered:

“I’m taking you to Enrizo.”

I froze.

Enrizo. The Alpha of the Outcasts. Kade’s uncle. The man everyone feared and respected.

“What will he do to me?” I asked, voice trembling.

“That depends,” Myra said. “On whether he sees you as a gift… or a curse.”

Cold shivers ran down my spine