Chapter 4 · Exiled Omega, the Miracle Healer of the Lycan King

"Get out of the pack," Caleb spat.

He scratched my name off the pack's stone tablet.

The red lines beneath the stone faded, and the territory mark on my wrist burned away, splitting my skin open and leaving a bloody scar.

Serena stood behind him, cradling the silver box that held the sacred relic.

The lid was open, and the moonbone bell inside was snapped clean in two.

She held back her tears, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear her words.

"I never should have shown Elara the moonbone bell.

"She kept saying she was the real Luna, and I thought she was merely too upset.

"I never thought she'd break the bell that stops the full moon frenzy," she said.

I stared at the shattered bell, and suddenly, I couldn't bring myself to laugh or cry.

I never even laid a finger on that thing.

"Serena, you slipped the moonbone bell into my bag and then dug it out in front of everyone.

"Aren't you tired of playing pretend?" I asked.

She held up her wrist to show a faint red mark. "The bruise you left when you grabbed me is still here."

I glanced over.

The mark was ridiculously thin, not even breaking the surface of her skin.

Caleb was already shoving me toward the boundary. "You destroyed the sacred relic, and now you want to slander Serena?"

I stumbled back half a step, my heels hitting the edge of the territory barrier.

Chaotic, raging snowstorms raged outside the line. Inside stood the pack I had called home for twenty years.

"I didn't break it," I said.

"Save your excuses for the Rogues," Caleb said, his voice icy.

James rushed forward. "Alpha, it's the full moon tonight. You can't throw an Omega out past the boundary."

"She is no longer my mate, nor is she a member of our pack.

"From this moment forward, her life and death are none of the pack's concern," Caleb said, his hand landing on my shoulder.

The last thread of the mate bond snapped with his rejection.

Pain shot from my chest to my back, and my knees almost gave out beneath me.

I lifted my blood-soaked palm and pressed it hard against the faded wolf mark on my wrist.

A tiny fragment of the brand still lingered there.

I slashed at it with a shard of stone.

Caleb's face twisted with shock. "What are you doing?"

Blood dripped from my wrist onto the snow as I wiped away the wolf symbol, bit by bit.

"You don't deserve to carry my scent," I said.

Serena shrieked, then quickly lowered her voice. "She's severing the pack bond.

"Caleb, you can't let her leave with resentment. She'll curse us."

Caleb grabbed my hand. "Stop."

I looked up at him. "You told me to leave. What are you afraid of now?"

His Adam's apple bobbed.

For a split second, I saw a flicker of panic on his face.

But Serena quickly sidled up, wrapping herself around his arm. "Caleb, I'm freezing.

"The moonbone bell's broken. Tonight, everyone will have to depend on my soothing scent to make it through."

Caleb released me and pulled her close. "Let's go."

I watched him turn away.

I'd chased after his retreating figure so many times.

From the basement, to the training grounds, to every morning after the full moon.

I always thought that if I caught up, he'd acknowledge me.

But now, I didn't have to chase after him anymore.

The blizzard outside the barrier swallowed me whole, while the familiar scent of the territory faded behind me.

The pack members turned and filed away one by one.

A young Omega stole a glance at me, only for her mother to yank her away. "Don't look at her. The Alpha will grow angry."

Serena glanced back one last time.

From the other side of the barrier, she reached out and pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders.

"If you manage to survive until tomorrow, come back and beg my forgiveness," she said.

Caleb remarked without looking back, "She won't survive the night."

I stood outside the territory line, the blood on my wrist growing cold fast.

My body grew heavier by the second, my wolf spirit curled tight inside my chest with no warmth left to offer me.

But finally, I got my healing scent fully back.

It was the only thing I could carry with me.

Tonight, the Bloodmoon Pack wouldn't get a shred of comfort.

From the direction of the pack house, the first unhinged howl ripped through the night.

Then came a second.

Caleb stopped in his tracks.

Serena grabbed his arm. "It's ordinary full moon frenzy. I can handle it."

He glanced back at the barrier.

I'd already turned and was heading deeper into the forest.

Every step sent fresh waves of rejection pain shooting through me, and my feet went numb beneath the snow.

When the drifts reached my knees, I collapsed to the ground.

I dragged myself forward on my elbows, my palms scraping against sharp, ice-covered branches.

The final thread of the mate bond linking me to Caleb snapped.

The pain vanished, leaving only an empty hollow inside my chest.

I closed my eyes, locking away the last bit of my scent deep inside.

Just then, a strange aura washed over me.

It was scorching, dominant, and sharp with cedar and wild predator blood.

The clatter of hooves stopped beside me.

Someone knelt, wrapping a cloak around my shivering frame.

Strong arms lifted me, pulling me tight against a burning, warm chest.

A man lowered his head, his lips hovering above my forehead. "If you're still conscious, hold onto me."

I couldn't open my eyes, but I heard him bark an order to his men. "Lock down every border of the Bloodmoon Pack. Do not let a single soul cross out."

Chapter 4

"Get out of the pack," Caleb spat.

He scratched my name off the pack's stone tablet.

The red lines beneath the stone faded, and the territory mark on my wrist burned away, splitting my skin open and leaving a bloody scar.

Serena stood behind him, cradling the silver box that held the sacred relic.

The lid was open, and the moonbone bell inside was snapped clean in two.

She held back her tears, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear her words.

"I never should have shown Elara the moonbone bell.

"She kept saying she was the real Luna, and I thought she was merely too upset.

"I never thought she'd break the bell that stops the full moon frenzy," she said.

I stared at the shattered bell, and suddenly, I couldn't bring myself to laugh or cry.

I never even laid a finger on that thing.

"Serena, you slipped the moonbone bell into my bag and then dug it out in front of everyone.

"Aren't you tired of playing pretend?" I asked.

She held up her wrist to show a faint red mark. "The bruise you left when you grabbed me is still here."

I glanced over.

The mark was ridiculously thin, not even breaking the surface of her skin.

Caleb was already shoving me toward the boundary. "You destroyed the sacred relic, and now you want to slander Serena?"

I stumbled back half a step, my heels hitting the edge of the territory barrier.

Chaotic, raging snowstorms raged outside the line. Inside stood the pack I had called home for twenty years.

"I didn't break it," I said.

"Save your excuses for the Rogues," Caleb said, his voice icy.

James rushed forward. "Alpha, it's the full moon tonight. You can't throw an Omega out past the boundary."

"She is no longer my mate, nor is she a member of our pack.

"From this moment forward, her life and death are none of the pack's concern," Caleb said, his hand landing on my shoulder.

The last thread of the mate bond snapped with his rejection.

Pain shot from my chest to my back, and my knees almost gave out beneath me.

I lifted my blood-soaked palm and pressed it hard against the faded wolf mark on my wrist.

A tiny fragment of the brand still lingered there.

I slashed at it with a shard of stone.

Caleb's face twisted with shock. "What are you doing?"

Blood dripped from my wrist onto the snow as I wiped away the wolf symbol, bit by bit.

"You don't deserve to carry my scent," I said.

Serena shrieked, then quickly lowered her voice. "She's severing the pack bond.

"Caleb, you can't let her leave with resentment. She'll curse us."

Caleb grabbed my hand. "Stop."

I looked up at him. "You told me to leave. What are you afraid of now?"

His Adam's apple bobbed.

For a split second, I saw a flicker of panic on his face.

But Serena quickly sidled up, wrapping herself around his arm. "Caleb, I'm freezing.

"The moonbone bell's broken. Tonight, everyone will have to depend on my soothing scent to make it through."

Caleb released me and pulled her close. "Let's go."

I watched him turn away.

I'd chased after his retreating figure so many times.

From the basement, to the training grounds, to every morning after the full moon.

I always thought that if I caught up, he'd acknowledge me.

But now, I didn't have to chase after him anymore.

The blizzard outside the barrier swallowed me whole, while the familiar scent of the territory faded behind me.

The pack members turned and filed away one by one.

A young Omega stole a glance at me, only for her mother to yank her away. "Don't look at her. The Alpha will grow angry."

Serena glanced back one last time.

From the other side of the barrier, she reached out and pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders.

"If you manage to survive until tomorrow, come back and beg my forgiveness," she said.

Caleb remarked without looking back, "She won't survive the night."

I stood outside the territory line, the blood on my wrist growing cold fast.

My body grew heavier by the second, my wolf spirit curled tight inside my chest with no warmth left to offer me.

But finally, I got my healing scent fully back.

It was the only thing I could carry with me.

Tonight, the Bloodmoon Pack wouldn't get a shred of comfort.

From the direction of the pack house, the first unhinged howl ripped through the night.

Then came a second.

Caleb stopped in his tracks.

Serena grabbed his arm. "It's ordinary full moon frenzy. I can handle it."

He glanced back at the barrier.

I'd already turned and was heading deeper into the forest.

Every step sent fresh waves of rejection pain shooting through me, and my feet went numb beneath the snow.

When the drifts reached my knees, I collapsed to the ground.

I dragged myself forward on my elbows, my palms scraping against sharp, ice-covered branches.

The final thread of the mate bond linking me to Caleb snapped.

The pain vanished, leaving only an empty hollow inside my chest.

I closed my eyes, locking away the last bit of my scent deep inside.

Just then, a strange aura washed over me.

It was scorching, dominant, and sharp with cedar and wild predator blood.

The clatter of hooves stopped beside me.

Someone knelt, wrapping a cloak around my shivering frame.

Strong arms lifted me, pulling me tight against a burning, warm chest.

A man lowered his head, his lips hovering above my forehead. "If you're still conscious, hold onto me."

I couldn't open my eyes, but I heard him bark an order to his men. "Lock down every border of the Bloodmoon Pack. Do not let a single soul cross out."