Chapter 1

"Take everything you can and leave what you can't! The one who returns with the greatest treasure earns a promotion."

The instant our leader's final word left his mouth there was chaos.

Hands flew to weapons, to pockets, and anything within reach.

The rogues surged forward, shoving and stumbling over one another as they raced toward Blue Crystal Pack’s treasury.

The massive vault doors stood wide open, revealing the darkness beyond. Terry had made sure of that.

Weeks earlier, he had slipped into Blue Crystal Pack disguised as a servant and stolen an extra key.

Tonight, we were finally putting his work to use.

We pushed through the entrance with a common goal, to strip the treasury bare.

Not a single wolf among us dared shift.

We stayed in our human forms.

Everyone knew that a pack of wolves charging through the corridors would expose us sooner.

I lowered my head and disappeared into the moving crowd, keeping my shoulders tucked in and my hands close to myself. Careful not to brush against anyone as we pressed deeper into the treasury.

I didn't want to spoil it today.

****

Inside the treasury, dust coated endless shelves, broken chests lay scattered beside crumbling scrolls.

Something hard grazed my fingertips beneath the overturned table.

I reached farther into the darkness and pulled it out. A tiny box rested in my palm. I opened it to find a golden mirror inside.

Its frame twisted into delicate vines, each one catching the torchlight with a soft shimmer, as though tiny golden flowers had bloomed around the glass.

I brushed the dust from its surface and slowly raised it toward my face.

A girl stared back at me.

For a moment, I forgot the chaos around me. My lips curved into a small, genuine smile.

The girl in the mirror smiled back.

But the joyous moment was short-lived as agony exploded across the back of my head.

The mirror lurched from my grip.

"You little thief."

It was Zuk.

"Give me that."

My fingers locked around the mirror firmly.

"I found it first."

He barked a laugh.

"You?"

His eyes swept over me with disgust.

"A wolfless little rat thinks she deserves treasure?"

He stepped closer.

"Hand it over before I break every fragile bone in your body."

I tightened my fingers around the mirror, refusing to let go.

Zuk’s face hardened.

Before I could react, his fist tangled in my hair and tore my head backward. Pain shot across my scalp as he dragged me forward. The room spun when he suddenly flung me aside.

My back struck the stone wall with a sickening thud. Fire spread through my ribs, stealing the breath from my lungs. I clenched my teeth, refusing to give him the scream he wanted.

For seconds, all I could see were blurred shadows.

When my vision cleared, my hands were empty. The mirror was gone.

Zuk had tucked it beneath his arm. He walked away without sparing me a glance.

“Always remember your place.”

His footsteps faded into the distance.

I raised a trembling hand to the back of my head. My fingertips came away wet with blood. I stared at them for a moment before a bitter laugh escaped my lips.

Even tonight, I had tried to stand up for myself. I had tried to be brave.

And once again, I was the one left on the floor.

It was no different with my roommates, Kalen and Seline.

Every morning, before the bruises from the previous night had even begun to fade, they would pile one chore after another onto me.

Scrubbing the floors. Cleaning their rooms. Carrying whatever they were too lazy to do themselves.

They knew I had no wolf. They knew I couldn't match their strength.

It never stopped them. Whenever they found an excuse to shove me, strike me, or remind me how weak I was, they took it.

Some nights I prayed my next breath wouldn't come.

That was why I volunteered for this raid. Perhaps bringing home something valuable would finally earn me a place.

Yet again, I had failed.

My arms trembled violently as I pushed myself up and collapsed. Still, I pushed again.

Pain split through my skull with every movement but I refused to stay down.

I couldn't return empty-handed, I didn't want to.

"Everyone! Move!" someone screamed from the entrance.

"They're coming! We've been discovered!"

The treasury exploded into chaos.

Sacks bulging with stolen treasures swung wildly as rogues fought their way toward the exit. Coins skittered across the stone floor. Jewelry scattered beneath pounding boots.

No one stopped. No one looked back. Escape was all that mattered in the moment.

I staggered with my shaking legs. The exit stretched across the room, it seemed farther than ever.

I forced myself forward. One step then another. I moved faster, almost there even.

Then my foot caught on a heavy object buried beneath the scattered treasure making me fall to the hard stony floor.

Crashing into the stones, my breath tore from my lungs. The voices of my colleagues faded as the last of my pack disappeared through the exit.

Then came a crowd of steps running towards the treasury, they sounded close.

I panicked, I knew I was in trouble.

It was difficult to stand up and run, but I had to escape.

Crawling was my only option, my palms scraped across unforgiving stone.

I was lucky to find a marble pillar a few feet away. I went for it but every effort to crawl felt like stress.

Please, I begged my dwindling stamina, just a little farther.

Finally, I dragged myself behind it and curled into the smallest shape I could manage.

My breaths thundered inside my ears.

Then the footsteps came closer, torchlight stretched across the floor.

"Someone's hiding over there!" Several pairs of boots skidded to a stop beside the pillar.

My heart froze.

"It's a girl."

A pair of strong hands seized my arms.

They yanked me from behind the pillar before I could crawl deeper into the shadows. Light flooded my eyes as their faces circled me.

One man's gaze swept over my torn clothes before stopping at the crude leather armor beneath them.

His eyes hardened as he spoke.

"She's not one of us."

He paused briefly then hollered, "she's a rogue."

His words rang deep inside me, then someone shoved me. "Walk."

I couldn't, my knees buckled, smashing into the stony floor. The group laughed at me, at my helpless state.

"Get up." Another rough-looking one commanded, driving his boot into my side.

Gasping for air, I forced myself upright trying to take a step. But my legs folded beneath me. I hit the floor again.

"Pathetic."

"Is this one of the thieves?"

"A rogue? She looks ready to die"

While they laughed, one of them pressed two fingers against his temple.

His eyes lost focus as he mindlinked.

‘We caught a thief’, I tried to guess his words. About a heartbeat later, he nodded and spoke to the others.

"The Chief Supervisor says he'll be in his office shortly." His eyes sharpened as he turned to me.

"He ordered that the rogue be brought to him."

"Move." They hauled me upright, raw pain tore through my skull. My vision tilted, my feet still refused to obey. I collapsed before managing another step.

"For a thief, you're feeble." A guard clicked his tongue.

Another snorted. "For a rogue, you're embarrassing."

He kicked my ankle. "Looks like her legs are broken."

A coil of rope landed beside me, they bound my wrists, another rope cinched around my ankles.

Nothing prepared me for the next part, they dragged me across the floor. Stone ripped through my clothes, every ridge scraped skin from my back.

Blood filled my mouth as I bit my tongue to keep myself from screaming. The bruises stung.

They stopped briefly, just when I thought I would rest a minute, the ropes jerked again.

Another stretch of stone tore beneath me before the dragging stopped. We had reached in front of a pair of massive doors.

It opened revealing a tall man who stood beside an enormous desk, removing his gloves. Clearly, he had arrived only moments earlier.

His gaze shifted from the guards to me.

"What are the details?"

"Sir, the treasury was raided. The rogues breached the vault, stole what they could, and fled."

He pointed at me. "Only this one couldn't escape."

The Chief Supervisor walked toward me, each step echoed through the office. He stopped beside my bleeding body, his eyes searching my face. Then they narrowed.

"This isn't an ordinary theft case."

His voice cut through the room, every guard straightened.

"Rogue matters are never handled here."

His eyes didn't leave mine.

"We're taking her to the Alpha.”