Chapter 3

The world swayed and tilted as they dragged me from the pack hospital. My vision blurred, dark spots dancing across my field of view. The silver shards inside me tore at my flesh with every movement, sending waves of agony through my body.

"Get her in the car," Vincent ordered, his voice sounding distant despite his proximity. "We don't want to leave evidence."

Rough hands shoved me into the backseat of an SUV. I collapsed against the leather, feeling warm blood seep through my torn clothes. The wolfsbane in my system made my limbs heavy, my thoughts sluggish.

"Where are we going?" I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Vincent slid into the driver's seat, adjusting the rearview mirror so he could see my face. His eyes were cold, devoid of any emotion I might have once mistaken for care.

"Somewhere you can think about what you've done," he replied, starting the engine. "Somewhere far from my pack."

The car lurched forward, sending a fresh wave of pain through my abdomen. I bit my lip until I tasted blood, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream.

As we drove, Vincent's voice filled the cabin, a constant stream of accusations and gaslighting.

"You brought this on yourself, Keyla. If you had just done your job properly..."

"If you hadn't been so jealous of Kara..."

"If you had known your place..."

I closed my eyes, trying to block out his words. The silver burned inside me, moving slightly with each bump in the road. My wolf was gone—completely silent now—leaving me vulnerable in a way I'd never experienced before.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Vincent snapped, his Alpha tone making my head snap up involuntarily.

"Sorry," I whispered, the apology automatic after years of conditioning.

We drove for what felt like hours, though it might have been only thirty minutes. The pack territory gave way to dense forest, then to something wilder—untamed land that even werewolves avoided.

"No Man's Land," Vincent muttered as we crossed an invisible boundary. "The edge of the Rogue Lands."

My heart raced. Everyone knew what happened to wolves abandoned in rogue territory. Especially ones weakened by silver and wolfsbane.

"Vincent, please," I begged, finding what little strength I had left. "You can't leave me here."

He parked the car in a small clearing and came around to open my door. The sudden movement sent me tumbling onto the dirt, fresh blood staining the ground beneath me.

"Can't?" He laughed, the sound chilling in its cruelty. "Watch me."

From the trunk, he retrieved a tripod and a camera. My stomach twisted as I realized what he was doing. He set up the equipment with practiced efficiency, aiming the lens at me as I lay bleeding on the ground.

"What are you doing?" I asked, though I already knew.

"Making sure no pack will ever take you in," he replied, connecting the camera to a laptop. "The Alpha Network will be very interested in seeing what happens to healers who betray their Alphas."

He turned the screen so I could see it—a live feed connecting to what looked like a dark web chat room for wolf leaders. Names I recognized flashed across the screen: Alpha Marcus from the Northern Pack, Alpha Selena from the Moonstone Pack.

"Look into the camera," Vincent commanded, kneeling beside me. "Apologize to Kara. Tell them all how you deliberately botched the healing out of jealousy."

I felt the silver shards shift inside me, sending fresh agony through my body. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the clearing.

"I..." My voice cracked. I looked up at the camera, seeing my own pale face reflected in the lens. "I healed her perfectly."

Vincent's face contorted with rage. "What did you say?"

"I healed her perfectly," I repeated, each word stronger than the last. "The silver was out. She was lying."

His hand struck my face with such force that I tasted blood. Then he grabbed my hair, yanking my head back to face the camera.

"Tell them the truth!" he snarled.

I looked into the lens one last time, ignoring the pain radiating through my body. "I did nothing wrong."

Vincent's roar of rage echoed through the clearing as he kicked me hard in the ribs. I flew backward, landing in a puddle of mud and blood.

"You're nothing without me," he spat, packing up his equipment. "No one will come for you. No one will even know you're here."

He got into the SUV and started the engine. As he drove away, the setting sun cast his vehicle in silhouette against the darkening sky.

I lay there, broken and bleeding, as night began to fall over the Rogue Lands.