Tara

I whimpered when I felt the pack bond snap. It was like air was being pulled out of my lungs forcefully. I was running out of breath. I staggered back and fell out of balance landing on my butt as I saw five burly men take a few steps towards me.

"You have one minute to run out of my land before I let these warriors lose to catch you. And when they catch you, you're dead," my former Alpha said without any emotion.

I weakly pushed myself up not minding the burning pain from my right arm not to mention the recent loss of a pack bond.

"Run, rogue," one of the men says.

The world started to look a little hazy, but I focused on the idea that if I don't move now, I will never see tomorrow's light of day. I turned around and started running in the opposite direction of the men. The whole forest has never felt this foreign to me. The trees just pass by as a blur as I try to run as fast as I can to get out of my old pack's land.

I turned to look behind me when I heard a loud angry growl. Faster, faster, until I crossed the border!. But just as I was about to take another look behind, I plummeted down.

I was rolling down a rocky slope. I did not notice I was running towards the east side of the pack land where the border was the sudden drop of earth that was too low to be a cliff but high enough to break someone's neck.

I landed on a hard thud and immediately pulled myself to sit up thankful for my werewolf genes for the extra strength. I scanned the area and realized I am now in unclaimed land. This is where all rogues live. Rogues are werewolves that have no pack, either they left their pack on their own or were banished for a crime.

A gush of cold air passes by and I shiver not just from the wind but also from the thought that I am now a rogue.

I staggered to stand up and walked in no particular direction. I don't know how long I have been walking but my feet were killing me, and I was starting to see black dots. I leaned on the nearest tree as I heard a growl from behind me. I turned back and saw a huge wolf ready to lunge at me. It's eyes were red, signaling that it had gone wild! I gulped and started running away from it. I shifted into my wolf half leap. My bones realigned and fur sprouted from my pores. I landed softly on my paws, but I never stopped running.

My eyes water when I feel a sting on my right hindleg. I dropped on the ground and saw the rogue took a small chunk of my flesh on its mouth. It has finally caught on me. If I was going to die this way, I would not die without a fight. I tried to lunge on the rogue aiming for a bite on its neck but it quickly deflected my attack. I jumped towards it again trying to aim a little better and my teeth plunged on its soft stomach. The rogue whimpered and fell. I took that opportunity to run again.

I knew I was running very slow because of the pain radiating from the huge wound on my leg. Blood was dripping from it and I was starting to feel lightheaded. I immediately stopped when I felt the sudden change in the air around me. I stiffened. I was on a pack's land.

My eyes widened seeing three muscular men walking towards me. Must be border patrols. I tried to stand up in a fighting position but my legs gave up on me.

"How dare you enter our land, rogue," one of the men growled at me.

I only whimpered and dropped my head on the ground completely. I was going to die here. I was so sure of it.

"Shift now!"

I don't know if I can even move one muscle from all the bruises and wounds I have collected throughout the run from my pack's land through the rogue area up to here.

"I think it's wounded, Beta," another man said.

"I don't give a shit if that rogue is dying. If it doesn't shift in the next ten seconds, I will murder it myself," the first one replied.

Just my luck, I am facing a Beta, one of the highest positions in a pack. I doubt I will ever survive under his eyes. I willed myself to shift back into my human form. A strangled gasp leaves my lips as I feel immense pain from shifting. The pain from my wound even doubled as I am weaker in this form.

I remain lying on the ground on my stomach as if to hide most of my body as I am completely naked.

"It's a girl, Beta," the same person who noticed I was wounded said.

The Beta only replied with a growl. I can feel them eyeing me even though I was not looking at them. I felt someone approach me and my right arm was gripped tightly lifting me off the ground.

"Why are you here?"

I stared back at an angry face. He must be the Beta as I felt a strong aura from him. I opened my mouth to answer him but no sound came out. I saw his eyebrows strain in confusion.

He released my arm with a hard shove sending me back to the ground. The last thing I remembered before my head hit a hard object was the angry growl from the Beta.

DARKNESS was the first thing that greeted me the moment I got my consciousness back. I lay naked on the hard and cold floor. I gather all the strength I have left to lift myself up in a sitting position.

I knew I was in a cell. The stale smell and humid air weren't just an indication of that. Bars block my exit. But if this was a dungeon of some sort, why do I not feel any other living being? It was like I was the only one locked up here.

The only light that slashed through the darkness must be a single lightbulb from the left of the hallway. However faint it was, it was the only thing bringing me hope that I was still on Earth not yet dead.

I moved backwards to the wall when I heard footsteps walking towards my cell. The Beta stood just before the bars looking down at me. I hug myself as if to save modesty.

"The Alpha wants to meet you, rogue. If you misbehave in front of him, it's death you face," the Beta said stiffly.

I didn't answer and merely looked at his boots. They were dusty and worn out.