Chapter 5
The pack borders loomed ahead, marked by ancient oak trees that had stood guard for generations. Today, they would witness something I never thought I'd see—the arrival of Rogue King Joziah West.
I stood beside my father, my damaged right hand flexing nervously at my side. Alpha Frederick's face remained impassive, but I could sense his tension through our blood bond.
"They're here," he announced unnecessarily as three black SUVs rolled through the gate.
The vehicles stopped, and my stomach twisted as men in tactical gear emerged. They moved with the fluid grace of predators—wolves without packs, without rules.
Then he appeared.
Joziah West stepped from the middle vehicle, and the air itself seemed to thicken. His aura crashed against me like a physical force—violent, chaotic, suffocating. I gasped, stumbling slightly as my wolf cowered inside me.
"Alpha Frederick," Joziah's voice was like gravel and smoke. "So good of you to welcome us."
My father extended his hand. "Rogue King. We're honored by your presence."
Lies. We both knew this was no honor.
Joziah's gaze swept over the gathered pack members before landing on me. His eyes—a flat, dead gray—widened fractionally.
"And this must be my bride-to-be," he said, his lips curling into what might have been a smile on anyone else.
Before I could react, he closed the distance between us. His hand shot out, gripping my face with bruising force. His thumb brushed roughly across my cheekbone.
"Pretty enough," he murmured, "though I prefer them with a bit more fire."
I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened. "You'll learn to enjoy it," he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. "I break all my toys eventually."
My father cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should discuss the treaty details indoors?"
Joziah released me with a chuckle. "Of course. Business first, pleasure later."
---
I didn't remember making the decision to go to Alec's quarters. One moment I was standing in the garden, shaking with fear and rage; the next, I was outside his door, my hand raised to knock.
The door swung open before my knuckles made contact.
"Keira." Alec's voice was cold, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
I pushed past him into the room. "We need to talk."
He closed the door, leaning against it. "This isn't a good time."
"When would be a good time?" I demanded, my voice breaking. "After I'm mated to that monster? After he breaks me like he promised?"
Something flickered in Alec's eyes—concern? Anger? But it vanished so quickly I couldn't be sure.
"You know what I am to you," I continued, stepping closer. "You've always known. Your fated mate."
"Keira—"
"I felt it the moment my wolf awakened," I pressed on. "That scent—it's you. Only you. The Moon Goddess chose us for each other."
Alec's jaw tightened. "And what would you have me do about it?"
"Claim me," I whispered, desperation clawing at my throat. "Save me from him."
For a moment—just a moment—something vulnerable crossed his face. Then his expression hardened.
"I can't."
"You won't," I corrected, tears burning my eyes. "Why not? Because of Brooke?"
Alec pushed away from the door, pacing to the window. "It's not that simple."
"It is," I insisted. "Either you claim me as your mate, or you let my father give me to a monster."
He turned slowly, his eyes meeting mine with terrible clarity. "I've been using you, Keira."
The words hit me like physical blows.
"Every session, every touch—it was all practice." His voice was clinical, detached. "I needed to learn how to control my wolf, how to be gentle. How to be what Brooke needs."
I stared at him, uncomprehending. "Practice?"
"I'm too feral for her," he explained, as if discussing the weather. "Too dominant. You helped me learn control."
A laugh escaped me—sharp and brittle. "So I was your... what? A practice dummy?"
Something like regret flashed across his face, but it was gone in an instant. "You were useful."
Useful. The word echoed in my mind as my world collapsed around me.
"I thought..." My voice faltered. "I thought what we had was real."
"What we had was therapy," he corrected coldly. "Nothing more."
I backed away, my vision blurring with tears. "And now?"
"Now you'll fulfill your purpose for the pack," he said simply. "The treaty with Joziah will secure our northern border."
Something broke inside me then—something fundamental. In that moment, I felt the last threads of my attachment to this pack, to him, snap cleanly.
"I see," I whispered, a strange calm settling over me.
I turned and walked to the door, pausing with my hand on the knob. "You'll regret this, Alec."
His only response was silence.
---
Back in my quarters, I moved mechanically, pulling out my medical bag and filling it with supplies. My hands no longer trembled. My mind no longer raced with desperate plans.
Instead, a cold clarity had settled over me. I was done—done with this pack, done with my father's schemes, done with Alec's betrayal.
"You deserve better," Angelo's words echoed in my mind.
For the first time, I truly believed them.
I added a small photo of my mother to my bag—the only thing I couldn't bear to leave behind. Then I zipped it closed and set it by the door.
Tomorrow, I would find Angelo. Tonight, I would sleep for the first time in months.
As I climbed into bed, my wolf stirred within me—not howling in pain as she had for so long, but quiet. Resigned.
We were leaving. And we were never coming back.
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