Chapter 3

Lilith POV:

The mental rejection didn't break the bond completely-he had to accept it for the tie to be fully severed-but it certainly dulled the pain. It transformed the roaring fire of the Mate bond into a cold, aching bruise deep in my chest.

I stood up, fighting the Alpha Command that tried to force me back on my knees. My defiance sent a ripple of shock through the crowd. Omegas didn't resist Alpha Commands.

"Defective," someone whispered. "She's broken."

"Ungrateful wretch," Serra sneered, leaning into Kane as if seeking protection from my mere presence. "After everything you've done for her."

Kane looked at me, his eyes narrowing. He didn't like that I wasn't breaking down and begging for forgiveness. He opened his mouth to punish me further, to force me into absolute submission.

But then the wind changed.

The scent hit us all at the same time. It cut through the perfume and the wine-the stench of rotting meat and sulfur.

Rogues.

A howl pierced the night, wild and dissonant. Then they came. Shadows detaching themselves from the treeline. Massive, scarred wolves with yellow eyes and foaming mouths.

"Attack!" Kane roared, shifting mid-air. His massive black wolf landed with a heavy thud, teeth bared.

Panic erupted. The celebration turned into a slaughterhouse in seconds. Warriors shifted, tearing through their clothes. Guests screamed and ran.

I stood frozen. A Rogue, gray and missing an ear, locked eyes with me. He snarled, drool dripping from his jaws.

I had no weapon. My wolf was too weak to shift after the emotional trauma of the rejection crushed her spirit.

"Kane!" Serra screamed.

She was standing near the drinks table, looking terrified. A Rogue was merely circling her.

Kane, who was fighting two wolves near the center, heard her. He didn't hesitate. He abandoned his opponents, turning his back on the rest of the Pack-and on me.

He launched himself across the clearing, tackling the Rogue threatening Serra. He stood over her, a protective mountain of black fur, snarling at anyone who dared approach his 'Luna'.

He was safe. She was safe.

But the Rogue he had abandoned... the one he had turned his back on... locked onto the easiest target.

Me.

I turned to run, but I wasn't fast enough. The Rogue hit me from behind.

Pain exploded in my back. I felt claws tear through my shirt and rake down my spine. The force of the impact threw me into a pile of firewood.

I gasped, the air leaving my lungs in a choked sob. Warm blood soaked my shirt instantly.

The Rogue loomed over me, ready for the killing bite.

Kane! I screamed through the Mind-Link, a reflex, a last desperate plea I hated myself for making.

Kane's head snapped toward me. He saw me. He saw the Rogue about to tear my throat out.

He looked at me. Then he looked at Serra, who was cowering behind him, completely unharmed.

He stayed put.

He chose to guard her unthreatened form rather than save my dying one.

The Rogue lunged.

I closed my eyes.

A flash of grey fur slammed into the Rogue, knocking it sideways.

It was Irene. The old Healer had shifted. She was frail, her fur patchy, but she fought with the desperation of a mother protecting her cub.

Other warriors arrived, finishing off the attackers. The raid was short, a probing attack rather than a full invasion.

I lay in the dirt, my vision blurring. The pain in my back was searing, but the coldness in my chest was worse.

Irene shifted back, naked and shivering, and crawled to me. "Child... oh, child."

She pressed her hands to my back, chanting a healing spell.

Kane trotted over. He had shifted back to human form. He helped Serra up, checking her for scratches she didn't have.

Only then did he look at me.

"Is she alive?" he asked. His voice was flat.

"She needs help," Irene snapped, her voice trembling with rage. "You left her."

"I was protecting my Luna," Kane said, his jaw setting. "Priorities, Irene."

He looked down at me. Our eyes met.

"You'll live," he said dismissively. "Healers, take her to the infirmary. Serra needs to rest; the shock was too much for her."

He walked away, his arm around Serra, leaving me bleeding in the dirt.

That was the moment the last ember of hope died.

I didn't cry. I didn't scream.

"Irene," I whispered, my voice raspy.

"Don't heal it completely."

"What?" Irene looked at me, tears in her eyes.

"Save your energy," I said. "Just enough so I can walk."

Because I'm leaving tonight, I thought. And this time, even if I have to crawl, I'm not coming back.