CHAPTER 3 A Rogue
Kayla's POV
The journey to my grandmother's territory blurred into endless forests and sleepless nights. My senses were constantly on alert, my instincts heightened as I checked over my shoulder again and again, making sure I wasn't being followed. Crossing the border into the Nightshade Pack's lands, a small sliver of hope ignited within me, but I quickly shoved it aside. Hope was a luxury I could no longer afford.
Without warning, I was arrested by their warriors, gagged, and dragged through the dense woods. My heart raced as they drug me through the pack house, slamming me to the floor in front of an older woman whose commanding presence made my blood run cold. She sized me up with calculating eyes before she removed my gag.
"My name is-" I began, but she cut me off.
"I know who you are," she said flatly, her voice cold. "You're my granddaughter, Kayla."
I felt a flicker of relief, but before I could speak, her next words shattered any illusions of warmth or safety.
"You're not here for a family reunion. If you want my protection, you'll have to earn it."
"I'll do anything," I gasped, desperate for help. "I need to get back to save my parents."
Irene scoffed, her lips curling into a disapproving frown. "Not in the shape you're in now. Prepare a room for her and bring her food. Training starts tomorrow."
And just like that, I was thrown into the heart of the Nightshade Pack's brutal warrior training camp, nothing like the life of privilege I'd once known. Gone were the days of gentle guidance and family comforts. In their place was grueling pain and exhaustion, pushing my body and mind to their limits.
"Again!" Irene barked, her voice sharp as I struggled to rise to my feet, blood trickling from my split lip and busted nose. "Do you think your enemies will show mercy? Do you think they'll hesitate to strike when you're down?"
"No," I growled, wiping away the blood. "They won't."
"Then get up. You won't get any food until you get it right," she ordered.
Each day bled into the next, the exhaustion slowly erasing the young woman I once was and replacing her with the unyielding strength of a warrior. My body grew stronger, but my heart grew heavier.
What had become of my parents? My pack?
I called to them every day for six years. They should have been able to hear me through the family bond that we had but I never received a response.
In the rare moments when the pain of uncertainty became too much for me, I found comfort in the forest, where my wolf could feel the freedom of the hunt. It was there that I allowed myself to remember and cry for what I had lost.
The sun had barely crested the horizon when I was returning when I heard them- the voices of two warriors.
"...heard the news from the South?" one of them asked, his voice rough with fatigue.
"Yes, I can't believe they ever thought Kayla was responsible," the other replied. "She could barely lift a boulder when she arrived. No way she killed Aiden."
"Right," the first warrior agreed somberly. "They should be ashamed of themselves. As soon as Kayla fled, they destroyed the Grayridge Pack and killed the Alpha and Luna without a trial."
My world crashed down around me. I stumbled, gasping for air as the raw truth struck me like a physical blow. Destroyed? It couldn't be true. My parents... my pack... no, this couldn't be true.
"Who's there?" the first warrior demanded, hearing my desperate attempts to not hyperventilate.
I didn't stay to answer. Panic surged through me, and I ran, my feet flying over the forest floor, the pain in my chest drowning out everything else. I needed answers, and I needed them now.
I burst into Irene's study, the door slamming against the wall. Her eyes flicked up from the papers on her desk, silver brows furrowing at the sight of my fury.
"You lied to me," I spat, my voice trembling with the weight of the betrayal.
"And what pray did I lie to you about?" Irene asked, looking mildly inconvenienced.
"All these years, you let me believe they were alive. That there was something to go back to," I answered.
Irene rose slowly, her posture regal despite my outburst. "I did what I thought was best. You were young, traumatized. I needed to protect you."
"Protect me?" I barked, laughing bitterly. "By keeping me here? By forcing me to fight, to kill, to become something I never wanted to be?"
She flinched, just slightly, but I saw it. "The training was necessary. The world is cruel, especially for a lone wolf. You needed to be strong."
"Strong?" I echoed, hands curling into fists. "I was a child, Irene. I needed my family. I needed the truth."
Irene's expression softened, but the sorrow in her eyes only made the wound deeper. "What would you have done with the truth?" she asked softly. "Run back to the South, seeking revenge? You would have been killed, or worse."
"Maybe," I said. "But at least it would have been my choice."
"What do you plan on doing now?" Irene asked.
"I'm going back," I replied.
"If you go back and they find you, they will kill you," Irene warned.
"They won't know who I am. I will change my appearance and become a rogue," I explained and again, Irene's strong façade dropped again. This time she looked concerned and maybe even scared for me.
"You are an adult. I won't stop you," Irene said. "At least before you leave, get a warm meal and a good night's sleep first."
"Fine, but I will be leaving first thing in the morning," I said before walking out of her office.
Irene's POV
I watched from the window as Kayla spoke with a few pack members, likely saying her goodbyes. My heart ached with sorrow that I could no longer deny. I had known this day would come, but that didn't make it any easier.
I looked at the small vial in my hand- the scent blockers that would mask Kayla's true essence from the world. I had instructed an omega to slip the entire vial into her drink during dinner last night, and then again during breakfast. A few more vials were hidden in her bag.
"My Luna, why don't you just tell her?" the omega had asked.
"Because she is as stubborn as her mother. Now do what I have told you," I responded. I knew she would ignore my advice, but I had to protect her. She didn't know there was a manhunt for her, and I couldn't allow the last remaining part of her mother to die too.
The price of the scent blockers was steep, but it was necessary. While the scent blockers were in her system, she would never be able to identify her mate. It was for the best. She didn't need her mind clouded while she sought justice. She may come to hate me for this, but I would never stop protecting my granddaughter.
"Forgive me, Kayla," I whispered. "Moon Goddess, please keep her safe."
With a final glance at her empty room, I turned and made my way out of the packhouse. From the top of the stairs, I watched Kayla approach the forest. She paused for a moment, turned around.
"I, Kayla Grayridge, relinquish the pack bond with the Nightshade Pack and this forth become a rogue," Kayla called out. I felt the pack bond snap and fought to stay stoic. Kayla looked directly at me. She still looked angry but gave a small smile before waving to me. She turned and disappeared into the forest.
The path ahead would be dangerous, but I knew that Kayla would return. Stronger, wiser, and ready to claim her birthright. And when that day came, I would be waiting.