Alpha Damon stood before me,his towering presence as commanding as ever.His jaw clenched in barely suppressed anger. “Slave?”he barked,his voice echoing through the dilapidated walls of the rogue den. I flinched,but only a little.“Yes,that’s what I am now.A rogue slave.Isn’t that what everyone’s been calling me?” His amber eyes flared,his wolf not far from the surface.“Nina,you’re our sister!Who told you to call yourself a slave?” “You sent me to the Rogue Den to atone for Audrey’s sins,didn’t you?Did you really think a sinner would be treated well?” Damon’s fists curled at his sides,and for a moment,I thought he might punch me. “You were just about to agree to come home with us—you even got into the car!”he snapped,his frustration finally breaking through.“Why did you suddenly change your mind?” My lips curved into a bitter smile.“Perhaps this is where I truly belong.You were the ones who sent me here,remember?"” Beta Egbert,my former fiancé,stepped forward.“Nina,don’t say such things in anger.We’ve investigated what happened five years ago.You didn’t harm Audrey on purpose that day.” I scoffed.“Wow,five years to figure that out?Must’ve been a really tough case for you.” Egbert winced but pressed on.“We wronged you,Nina.And we regret it deeply.That’s why we came all the way from the Blue Moon Pack to take you home from this...this rogue den.” “This place is too desolate,”Alpha Damon cut in,his tone softer now,almost pleading.“Too broken.It’s no place for someone like you—a young lady who was raised in comfort and love for over a decade.” Comfort and love?I nearly laughed out loud.The only love I’d felt in that house was from my wolf,and even she had grown quiet after years of being suppressed by silver chains and wolfsbane. Egbert’s gaze flicked to my hands,and I caught the flash of pity in his eyes as he saw the rough,misshapen fingers I’d earned from years of hard labor.He spoke gently,as if trying to soothe a pup.“Nina,you don’t belong here.Come back with us,and we’ll make things right.” My vision blurred for a moment,but I forced the tears back. Five years.Five years of endless torment,of dreaming about the day my family would come for me.And when they finally did,when I climbed into that car with my heart pounding in hope... I heard the whispers. “She’s just a backup for Audrey.Don’t know why Alpha Damon is wasting time on her.” “She should be grateful we’re even bringing her back.After all,rogues don’t get second chances.” The joy that had bloomed in my chest froze into something cold and brittle.Shock gave way to disappointment,and disappointment twisted into something darker. My heart ached,but not from longing.No,this was the sting of betrayal. The family I had waited so long to see again wasn’t truly remorseful.They didn’t want me back because they loved me or missed me.They wanted me because Audrey had screwed up—again.
I jumped out of the Bugatti’s back seat,the cold air biting through the thin fabric of my dress. My voice,no longer trembling with emotion,had settled into a dead calm.“Alpha Damon,Beta Egbert,you must have had a hard time traveling all this way.”My gaze dropped to the filthy hem of my dress,stained with the dirt of this rogue den. “Five years is a long time.I’ve gotten used to it.” “This place suits me just fine.I don’t miss home anymore.” Damon’s lips pressed into a thin line,his wolf’s energy crackling faintly in the air. “And besides,”I continued,glancing at the sleek,spotless car beside us,“I’m covered in dirt and filth.Wouldn’t want to stain your precious Bugatti.” Alpha Damon’s chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath,trying to leash his growing anger. “Nina Barrett,”he growled,his voice low and threatening,“what exactly are you trying to say?” “I think I’m saying it pretty clearly,”I replied,crossing my arms. Damon’s composure finally snapped.“Are you still blaming us?We came all this way to bring you home,and you’re still throwing a tantrum?How much longer are you going to act like this?” His wolf flared just beneath his skin,his tone harsh and unrelenting.“Yes,we made mistakes five years ago,but were you completely innocent?Audrey spent years wandering outside before finally returning to Blue Moon Pack.If you hadn’t constantly bullied her,gone against her in secret—” “Would we have ever suspected you?” A loud bang echoed as Damon slammed his fist against the car door.His voice turned icy,each word cutting like a blade. “If you don’t want to come back,then don’t!”he snapped.“I no longer thought of you as my sister.” My heart should have cracked at his words,but all I felt was a distant numbness. “I’ll tell Mom and Dad you died in the rogue den,”Damon added coldly.Without waiting for my response,he got into the car and slammed the door. The Bugatti roared to life,leaving me standing in the cold. The winter wind wasn’t nearly as frigid as Damon’s words. Even after five years of false accusations,exile,and suffering,they still couldn’t see past Audrey’s inveracious mask.It didn’t matter anymore.Five years had hardened me.My heart was little more than a calloused wound,so numb that even a blade wouldn’t cut deep enough to hurt. Beta Egbert lingered,sighing softly like a man forced to deal with an unruly child.He reached into a bag they had brought from Blue Moon Pack and pulled out an ornate gift box. “Your parents still care about you,Nina.Blood ties don’t break so easily,”he said,holding the box out to me like some peace offering. I stared at it,unimpressed. Egbert’s voice softened.“Nina,don’t be stubborn.These pastries—Luna Felicia made them for you herself.And inside this bag is a dress they picked out just for you.” A small laugh escaped me,sharp and bitter.My mate—Beta Egbert Dolton—was Blue Moon Pack’s most talented warrior,the future Beta,and,once upon a time,my fated mate. The memory of my first shift at eighteen surfaced unbidden.The strong scent of mint and pine had filled my senses,and my wolf had howled with joy in my mind.Mate. Egbert had always been the golden boy of Blue Moon Pack,a prince among wolves.And for a short,fleeting moment,I had thanked the Moon Goddess for blessing me with him as my partner. But everything changed when Audrey appeared. The day she collapsed,coughing up blood,Egbert had cradled her in his arms,glaring at me like I’d personally poisoned her.The bond we shared—the one I thought was unbreakable—frayed and snapped in that single moment. I swallowed hard,forcing the memory away as my gaze fell on the box of pastries.Inside were dainty little macarons,each molded into the shape of a kitten. Cute.Except I hated macarons.They were too sweet,too perfect.Audrey’s favorite,not mine. Then there was the dress—a soft pink monstrosity made of the finest silk.Audrey’s favorite color.Mine love was midnight blue,the color of the sky just before it gave way to the stars. Noticing my lack of gratitude,Egbert’s expression turned cold,tinged with impatience. “Nina,don’t be greedy,”he said,his tone sharper now.“Alpha Kenelm and the others have done their best to make it up to you.Audrey was their real daughter!” I stared at him,incredulous.“Greedy?I never asked you for anything."?” His jaw tightened,but he said nothing. “You have two days to think about it,”Egbert continued,his tone dismissive.“After that,Damon and I are leaving.It’s your last chance,Nina.” Chance.That was rich coming from him. As Egbert turned and walked away,I stood there in the cold,the box of unwanted pastries still in my hands. They all thought I was ungrateful.That I was insatiable.
When I returned to my drafty little shack,it felt even emptier than usual—probably because all my belongings were gone. The rogue overseeing my work leaned against the doorframe with a grin wide enough to show off his crooked fangs.“Miss Nina,no more mucking stalls for you.Fancy servants from Blue Moon Pack came by and cleared out your things.They’ve sent it all to the Allison Hotel.” “You should go stay there.” I glanced around the tiny shack one last time,taking in the broken window patched with cloth,the battered cot,and the faint stench of damp hay.This place had been my home for five long years. I whispered under my breath,“Good riddance.” As I walked through the cold,snow-covered streets of Rogue Den,memories of my life here replayed in my mind.For five years,I had woken up before dawn,shackled with silver chains like the lowest slave,braving the knife-sharp winter wind to cut grass and feed the Rogue King’s livestock.After an entire day of herding,I had to go to the mines to dig for ore. Rogue Den was nothing like Blue Moon Pack’s perpetual spring.For most of the year,it was battered by icy winds and covered in snow. These hands of mine—once soft,perfect for painting delicate strokes—were now a map of scars,callouses,and broken nails.Even my wolf,stayed quiet in the back of my mind,too weary from years of suppression to comfort me. Alpha Damon wasn’t wrong. The pampered princess of Blue Moon Pack had long since died. Not in the cold of Rogue Den,but the day Audrey was brought back. From that moment on,she took everything that had once belonged to me—my parents,my brother,the love and affection that had once been mine.Whatever she wanted,I had to give up. Because I wasn’t really their daughter. I was just the greedy maid’s child.My mother had switched us at birth,leaving Audrey to suffer in poverty for over a decade. When I finally reached the Allison Hotel,its warmth hit me like a slap in the face.The scent of lavender and vanilla incense made me wrinkle my nose.Everything about this place screamed luxury—a world I’d been forcibly ripped out of and left to dream about from the depths of Rogue Den. That’s when I saw her. Audrey. She stood at the top of the grand staircase,a vision of delicate beauty in a soft cream robe,her silky brown hair tumbling over her shoulders like some kind of goddess. My chest tightened.Not with envy—I’d been too broken for that—but with the stark reminder of how easily she’d taken everything from me. She wobbled slightly,clearly about to step down barefoot.Before I could even process what was happening,Damon shot forward,scooping her into his arms like she weighed nothing. “Are you out of your mind?”he growled,his tone soft but firm.“Why aren’t you wearing shoes?Rogue Den isn’t Blue Moon Pack—it’s freezing here.What if you catch a cold?You’re always so frail.” Beta Egbert—my ex-fiancé—appeared out of nowhere,holding plush slippers.He knelt down,gently cradling her ankle as he slipped them on. Audrey giggled,her voice light as air.“I didn’t think anyone would notice.You’re both too much.” I stood at the bottom of the staircase,watching this nauseating display unfold. My lips curled into a bitter smile. Neither Damon nor Egbert had mentioned she’d be here.Of course,they’d hidden her away,worried that the harsh winds of Rogue Den might harm her precious skin.Or worse,worried I might trouble her. My wolf stirred in the back of my mind,her growl low and dangerous.You’re better than this,Nina.Don’t let them see you crumble. I clenched my fists.“Crumble?Please.I’m practically a rock at this point.” My heart had long since gone numb,but at this moment,it was like a fishhook had pierced into my flesh,dragging out a sharp,tearing pain. My entire body trembled. The one person who owed me an apology the most—I hadn’t even had the chance to see her. Five years ago,Audrey had been found and brought back to Blue Moon Pack. That was when everyone realized the mistake. Seeing her malnourished and frail from years in the slums,my family couldn’t wait to make up for lost time,showering her with everything they had. Audrey didn’t like me. She deliberately tore her own clothes,then looked at me with hesitant,tear-filled eyes. She didn’t have to say anything. Everyone already knew what to believe. My brother forced me to yield to Audrey,claiming she was timid and pitiful. My parents silently bought her designer clothes and let her choose as she pleased. My fiancé,Beta Egbert,personally taught her combat techniques and grew closer to her. Audrey and I shared the same birthday. On that day,she suddenly said she wanted almond tea,brewed by me. But after a single sip,her face turned deathly pale,and she vomited blood. Damon,in his fury,struck me across the face. His words were the cruelest curses I had ever heard. “A bitched girl born of a bitch—just as vile!” “You switched the almonds for peach kernels,knowing she’s allergic!Did you want her dead so you could keep playing princess?” “I’m telling you now—Audrey is my real sister.If anything happens to her,you’ll pay for it with your life!” Because of that slap,I lost hearing in my left ear forever. My fiancéhad held Audrey in his arms,flustered and panicked. He didn’t say a word. But his accusing eyes cut me deeper than any blade,slicing me into a thousand pieces.
I still remember the day Audrey decided to become the poster child for ridiculous bravery.She stood before the Rogue King,her chin tilted in that defiant way that could only mean one thing—she was about to make a colossal mistake.And boy,did she deliver. She called him a"barbaric mongrel,"publicly scorning him in front of his own rogues.I swear,even the wolves watching from the shadows flinched at her audacity. The Rogue King’s golden eyes glowed with fury."If Audrey isn’t sent to Rogue Den to answer for her insolence,Blue Moon Pack will face my wrath.My wolves will raze your lands until nothing remains but ashes and regrets." That was the first time I saw Audrey lose her composure.Her face went pale,and her eyes glistened with unshed tears."I don’t afraid going,"she whispered,her voice trembling in just the right way to tug at heartstrings."But…I can’t bear to leave my brother,my father,and my mother." Cue the dramatic silence as everyone looked at me like I was the answer to all their problems. Alpha Damon,who had been standing as still as a statue,finally spoke,his tone cold and detached."Nina,you’ll go in Audrey’s place." For a moment,I couldn’t breathe. "Rogue Den is harsh and far away,"Damon continued,as though justifying the decision."Audrey’s body is too fragile to endure it.Blue Moon Pack raised you for over a decade—isn’t it time you repaid the pack?" Repay the pack?For what?Being a glorified punching bag and unpaid servant? My father and mother said nothing,their silence heavier than any words they could have spoken.My mother eventually sighed,placing a hand on my shoulder."Nina…we can’t bear to send you away,but Audrey is our real daughter." And there it was.The dagger twisted in my chest. Beta Egbert,my former fiancé,chimed in."Nina,you’ve done too much wrong.You’ve hurt Audrey time and time again.It’s only right that you go to Rogue Den and make amends." I wanted to cry,but my throat was too tight.Audrey cast me a triumphant look from behind her delicate mask of tears.She didn’t have to say a word—her victory was written all over her face. And so,I was shipped off to Rogue Den,a desolate wasteland where even the wolves looked more feral than civilized. The rogue overseers wasted no time reminding me of my new reality."You think they sent you here to teach you a lesson?Nah,sweetheart.This isn’t punishment—it’s exile.They never wanted you to begin with." He wasn’t wrong. For five years,I labored under the harshest conditions imaginable.My hands,once soft,became rough and calloused,every scar a testament to the endless work.Feeding livestock,shoveling waste,mining for ore—each task more grueling than the last. The winters in Rogue Den were unforgiving,the cold biting through even the thickest layers.My wolf,was my only companion in the long,silent nights. But now,after five years,they had the audacity to send word that it was all a mistake.That the almond tea incident had been an error.That I was innocent. They wanted me to come home. Home. The word felt foreign,like a language I no longer understood.What home did I have left?
Audrey descended the staircase,her mink-trimmed shawl bouncing with each step.Her feet were tucked into plush slippers,and the scent of something outrageously expensive perfume wafted toward me before she even reached the bottom step. When her gaze landed on me,her doe-like eyes widened in startled fear,the corners of her mouth trembling. “Big sister…”she said softly. I said nothing,my eyes trailing over her perfectly polished appearance—manicured nails,flawless skin,and the kind of Jewelry that screamed privilege. Meanwhile,my own cracked,frostbitten fingers curled into fists at my sides.The bitter cold of Rogue Den hadn’t just bitten at my skin;it had left marks that no amount of Skin care products could cover. Audrey’s eyes glistened,her nose reddening.A single crystalline tear rolled down her cheek. “Sister,”she whispered,her voice shaking just enough to sound vulnerable,“are you still angry with me?You haven’t forgiven me?” I raised an eyebrow but stayed silent. “It was my fault,”she continued,her hands clutching each other like a penitent saint.“The Rogue King…he was supposed to punish me.You suffered for five years because of me.”She paused.“We’re here to take you home.” Home?I let out a sharp laugh under my breath. Audrey approached me with a cup of tea.“If you drink this,”she said,her voice soft,“it means you’ve forgiven me.Okay?” Her hands trembled as she extended the cup toward me. Then,The tea spilled. The hot liquid splashed over my frostbitten hands,seeping into the cracks in my skin.The sting was immediate and sharp,an agony that triggered an instinctive reaction. Before I could think,I shoved Audrey back. She didn’t hit the floor. Beta Egbert—my former fiancé—was suddenly there,his arms wrapped around her like a protective cocoon.His glare burned into me as if I were some feral animal who had lost all reason. Then came my brother.His boot collided with my side before I could even brace myself,sending me sprawling to the floor.My head struck the ground with a dull thud,and warm blood trickled down my temple. “She didn’t mean to spill the tea!”Audrey cried,her voice trembling as she clung to Egbert’s arm.“She’s hurt…Please,don’t blame her!” But her words,of course,were drowned out by Alpha Damon’s thunderous voice. “Nina,after five years,you’ve learned nothing!You still dare to bully Audrey?” I bit down hard on my lip,willing myself to stay silent.What was the point of speaking?No matter what I said,I would always be the villain in their eyes. Damon’s face twisted into a mask of rage,and Beta Egbert tightened his hold on Audrey as if I might leap at her again. Slowly,I sat up,ignoring the ache in my ribs and the sticky warmth of blood on my forehead.I wiped the blood away with the back of my hand and bowed deeply toward Audrey. “I was careless,”I said,my voice calm and measured.“I apologize for pushing Miss Audrey.” Egbert’s brows furrowed,a flicker of guilt passing over his face.Audrey,looked horrified,on the verge of tears. “Sister!”she cried,her voice high and wavering.“How could you bow to me?You’re not my servant—there’s no need for this!” Alpha Damon with a cold,dismissive tone.“If she wants to act like a servant,so be it.Let her stay here and suffer.We’re leaving.” I stayed frozen in my bow as their footsteps receded,my wolf growling softly in the back of my mind.Good riddance,she snarled.They don’t deserve to call themselves your family. She was right,of course. For a moment,when I’d first seen them,I’d felt a flicker of hope—a stupid,naive hope that maybe they’d changed.That maybe they’d come to take me home because they finally cared. Good thing I overheard the servants talking. Good thing I had already given up on going back with them. Returning to Blue Moon Pack would mean returning to a place where I had no place. Returning to be mocked,humiliated. For just a moment,when I first saw them in Rogue Den,I had been happy. For just a moment,I had wanted to tell them. That I was getting married. That I wasn’t a slave anymore. That soon,the future Rogue King of Rogue Den would give me a home.
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