_Dark roses, there's something about them that always creeps me out—I mean, how can they look so beautiful on the outside and still manage to make you feel like there were a thousand secrets hidden within their petals?_

“Stop right there.” Aunt Alisha growled as soon as I stepped into her garden.

The way she looked at me with so much hate and disgust, I could already tell that getting the information I needed from her wasn't going to be an easy task.

She turned back to her roses and continued nurturing the blooms.

“I told you never to show your face in front of me again.” She said, her voice filled with spite, “But as usual, you chose to ignore my warnings."

“I know I shouldn't have come, but I really need your help, Aunt.” I admitted, “And I promise, after today, I'll disappear forever, and we won't have to cross paths ever again."

Alisha raised a brow, a hint of curiosity on her face. “Go on."

“Well, you see, recently I've been thinking a lot about my past, my family, and my bloodline too.” I cleared my throat, trying to find the right words to speak. “I'm not sure how to put this, but I've made up my mind to search for my birth mother".

As soon as I said those words, Aunt Alisha laughed so loud and hysterically that I almost started to question her sanity.

“The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?” she sneered.

“Excuse me?” I frowned, puzzled.

“You know, from the very first day your mother set foot in this pack, I knew for sure she was going to be nothing but trouble. That is why I begged my brother to get rid of her… to take her back to whatever hole she crawled out of, but he never listened,” Alisha said, slowly shaking her head.

“I've heard you and my mother never saw eye to eye… but isn't this a bit too much?” I asked.

“Your wretched mother is the reason why I had to bury my mate, the only man I've ever loved, with my own two hands… and you think mere words would be enough to comfort me?” she spat.

“But Aunt, everyone knows Uncle Felix was killed by rogues and…“

“None of it could have happened if your paranoid mother hadn't fed my brother with all her lies and insecurities,” Alisha interrupted. “He wouldn't have sent us away just to give her peace of mind, and my Felix would still be alive today”.

I paused, raising my hand slightly. “I'm sure there's more to this story than what meets the eye… I mean, what if it's all just a big misunderstanding?"

“Believe it or not, it doesn't change the fact that your parents got exactly what they deserved,” she scoffed, snapping a rose from its stem. “And you, my dear niece, are the only one left to reap the evil seeds they sowed”.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Then I guess it's pointless trying to reason with you now, since you've already made it clear how much you hate my mother".

“If you really want to find her, then, of course, I'll help you.” She smiled, offering me a bouquet of thorny dark roses.

“You're not lying to me, are you?” I hesitated before accepting it.

“Of course not," she waved a hand. "You want to follow in your mother's footsteps? Be my guest. I won't even pretend to care or try to stop you… Because I'm sure you'll suffer the same miserable fate as she did”.

Alisha picked up her basket, and glared at me before disappearing into her tent.

Noon

It started with the low and steady beating of the ceremonial drum. Elders painted their faces with ash and danced around the bonfire.

The yearlings, made up of wolves entering into adulthood and unclaimed wolves, lined up according to ranks, ready to choose a mate.

When their names were called, they stepped forward and bowed their head to one person in the crowd or walked away alone. A bow meant “I chose you." Silence meant "lack of interest or rejection."

Whoever returned to the bonfire with their partner was marked by tying red strings around their wrist.

The highlight of the ceremony was when Derrick finally announced to the whole pack that I was his chosen mate, only to reject me at the same time.

But what got me the most was the pack members' pitiful attempt at putting up a surprised act—who could gasp loudest, who could put a hand on their chest the longest, who could look the most wounded on my behalf.

_So far, they were all winning_

In the end, I accepted the rejection, and Daisy Darkwood, daughter of Gamma Reginald, was chosen as the new Luna of Dawn Runner Pack, and they couldn't be happier.

The rise of the full moon marked the beginning of a grand celebration for the Alpha and his new mate. But I knew that my time at Dawn Runner Pack had come to an end.

There really wasn't much to carry, just a few clothes, a water gourd, and some berries to eat along the way.

I stood at the pack's border, my bag casually slung over my shoulder.

One more step, and there is no turning back.

_"Samantha, are you sure you're ready for this?” I thought, taking one last look at the pack._

“You bet I am!” I laughed, throwing my fist in the air as I took off immediately.

Leaving behind the only life you've ever known isn't something that comes easy. But when you no longer feel like you belong, then that only means it's time to find a new place to call home.

I could already picture the disappointed look on my father's face, knowing that the last of his bloodline was happily running away from the pack he worked tirelessly to protect.

But he couldn't really blame me for making a new path for myself. Not after he decided to go against tradition and pass the Alpha's position to a stranger instead of his daughter.