Chapter: one

Aylin was heartbroken. She couldn’t wrap her head around what had just happened. Tears started to stream down her face, and she began to retreat from the crowd that was celebrating.

She transformed into her auburn wolf and bolted for home. Her paws thudded against the ground, her head pounded with each stride.

“Go back to Mate!” her wolf, Kaia, urged inside her head.

“No! He doesn’t want us!” Aylin retorted, shutting her out instantly.

Her world crumbled around her. All the hope she had was sucked out of her in an instant.

The sight of the man who was supposed to love and cherish her, kissing another woman, was too much for her to bear.

Once she reached her house, she stormed through the back door, slamming it shut so hard that the glass cracked.

She dashed upstairs to her room and turned on the shower. The hot water cascaded over her aching body, but it did nothing to soothe the pain in her heart.

All she could think about was the stunning, long-legged dirty blonde who had bounded up the stairs, wrapped her arms around Daemon’s neck, and planted a kiss right on his lips.

She was perfect. With her captivating blue eyes and full bust, she was everything a man could want, including Aylin’s supposed mate.

After stepping out of the shower, she slipped into a pair of loose sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt.

She flopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering what her next move should be. Daemon hadn’t rejected her, which meant the mate bond was still intact.

Lying on her back, she stared at the white ceiling for what felt like forever before rolling onto her side. She wished this was all just a bad dream.

Maybe if she closed her eyes, she would wake up, and everything would be okay. Before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.

A knock on her front door jolted her awake. She raced to the door, hoping it was Daemon, coming to tell her that he’d rejected Ophelia and chosen her instead.

When she opened the door, her heart leapt at the sight of him.

“Alpha,” she greeted, bowing her head.

“Aylin,” he responded, his tone icy. She stepped aside, and he entered the house. “I’m sure you know why I’m here.”

Feigning ignorance, she lied to him. “No, I don’t think I do.”

“I, Daemon Morris, reject you, Aylin Turner, as my mate and luna.” His words were like a punch to the gut. She crumpled to her knees, and Daemon cast one last glance at her before leaving her there on the floor.

The sound of the front door closing was followed by a scream from Aylin that echoed throughout the house. She curled up into a ball. She could already feel the mate bond breaking.

It felt like her muscles were being torn from her bones, and her heart was ablaze in her chest.

She felt as if she was being crushed from the inside out, and her soul was being ripped apart. Her entire reason for living was ripped away from her, and she wished for death.

“I’m sorry,” Daemon murmured, hearing the howl from the house behind him. He walked back to the pack house to find his luna.

***

Hours passed before she finally mustered the strength to get up. She sprinted up the stairs to her bedroom.

She packed a bag with a few essentials, deciding she was going to leave the Dark Moon Pack. No one would notice, and no one would care.

It was official.

Aylin Turner was a rogue.

***

Three weeks had passed since Aylin had left her pack. From the moment she left, she could feel herself sinking deeper into depression. Sleep was elusive, and her money was dwindling.

When she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she didn’t recognize the person staring back at her.

The bags under her eyes were growing larger with each passing day. Her once well-kept chestnut hair was becoming stringy, and her skin was losing its glow.

No one from her old pack knew that she was gone, or if they did, they didn’t care. If they did, they would have tracked her scent and dragged her back by now.

Lying on the hard, uncomfortable motel bed, Aylin wanted to cry, but she didn’t have the energy to spare.

Staring at the bland, white ceiling, she tortured herself with thoughts of what her life could have been. The more she did that, the more she wanted to crawl under a rock and die.

Her life was now meaningless, left to her own devices.

Waking up the next morning filled her with dread. She packed her things and aimlessly left the rundown motel on the side of the desolate highway.

Without a car, her feet were her only means of transportation.

Aylin wasn’t even sure where she was. Was she still in her old pack’s territory, or had she wandered into another pack’s land? If she had, she would certainly be caught and thrown in a cell.

Even if she was, who would care? She would rot alone in a dank cell for the rest of her days. It seemed like a fitting end to her life. Aylin’s hopes and dreams were shattered.

As the day wore on, cars became scarce, although the occasional one would speed right by her, the driver not even giving her a second glance. No one stopped. No one cared.

Nightfall came, and Aylin was nowhere near a town or even another dingy motel to spend the night.

The only thing she could think of was to hunker down in the woods for the night. It was cold, but she didn’t care. Her feet were blistered, and her body was giving out. Aylin’s will to continue was gone.

Stepping off the highway, she slung her bag across her body and found a somewhat comfortable spot to sleep for the night.

She walked into the woods. Crickets were singing their song as the moon rose. Aylin found a large tree about a quarter of a mile in.

Resting her weary body against it, she hoped this would be the night that her body would give out. She hoped that her heart would just stop beating and end the torment.

Closing her eyes, she slipped into unconsciousness.

***

Howls in the distance jolted Aylin awake. She’d been found, and they were closing in on her.

She jumped to her feet and ran as fast as she could. She had blocked out her wolf weeks ago, so shifting was out of the question.

Having neglected her body the way she had, her form was already weakened. Wolves were hot on her trail, and she could feel their hot breath on her back.

The chill of the night air was nipping at her skin as Aylin sprinted, her feet thudding against the earth. Her heart was pounding, a fiery drum in her chest. It felt like she was running in place. She could sense them closing in on her.

Suddenly, her face was in the dirt. She’d stumbled over a tree root that was barely visible. The darkness of the night had made it hard to see.

Her head was spinning, her vision blurred. Warm breath brushed against her face. She saw a pair of golden eyes staring back at her.

With a small, defiant scoff at the wolf in front of her, Aylin blacked out.

***

The sound of raised voices pulled Aylin from her sleep. The moment she shifted her wrists, the cold touch of silver chains seared her skin.

Wincing in pain, she tried to focus her vision. The first thing she noticed were the damp cement walls.

Sitting up fully, she leaned her head back against the wall. Two men were arguing on the other side of the bars. Their shadows danced on the wall next to them.

A slight jingle of the chains drew their shadowy figures towards Aylin.

“You know the rules!” the one on the right barked.

“Sir—”

“The king won’t be happy about this!”

The one on the left bowed his head. “Sir, I understand it’s against our laws, but there’s something different about her,” he argued.

“Then you can explain yourself ~and~ your actions to the king,” the right one retorted.

One shadow stormed off, while the other studied Aylin in the cell. “You better be worth the trouble, little girl.”

Hearing the shadow man’s words, Aylin let out a snort. “I’m not worth anything. Just let me die.”

He stopped in his tracks and tilted his head as he moved towards the stairs. He seemed puzzled. “If that’s the case, the king will kill you.”

“Fine,” she huffed. “I’m done with this life anyway.”

His shoulders slumped as he walked away, shaking his head.

Why this wolf thought Aylin was worth it, she didn’t know. She wasn’t. In her mind, death was the only escape she had left. Maybe this king was her answer.

She was tired, weak, and undeserving.

“Whoever you are, King, I beg you, end my life.”