Chapter 5

Lilith POV:

Consciousness returned to me in fragments, shattered by the sound of roaring.

It wasn't the mindless baying of beasts, but the articulate, thunderous fury of two Alphas warring for dominance.

I was lying on furs. Thick, dry furs that smelled of woodsmoke and musk. I was in a cave, a small fire crackling near the entrance, casting long, dancing shadows against the stone walls.

I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my back like a hot iron. I groaned, my body seizing.

"Stay down," a voice rumbled. It was low and vibrated through the floor.

I looked toward the entrance. The massive man who had pulled me from the river was standing there, a silhouette against the grey light outside. He blocked the opening with his broad shoulders, facing outward.

Beyond him, in the clearing, stood Kane.

Kane looked furious. His clothes were sodden, clinging to his frame-he must have crossed the river to hunt me down.

"Hand her over, Logan," Kane snarled, his voice dripping with entitlement. "She is a fugitive of the Blood Moon Pack. She attacked my Luna."

Logan. That was his name.

Logan didn't move. He stood like a mountain, immovable. He crossed his massive arms over his chest. "I saw what happened, Kane. I saw you hold a wounded Omega under the water. I saw your 'Luna' stage her little fall."

"You call me a liar?" Kane stepped forward, his claws extending, gouging the earth.

"I call you a blind fool," Logan retorted, his tone icy. "This woman is your Mate, isn't she? I can smell your scent all over her."

"She is nothing!" Kane shouted, spittle flying from his lips. "She is a burden! A millstone around my neck! She has been holding me back for years!"

Hearing him say it out loud, so clearly, broke whatever fragile piece of my heart was left. It wasn't just rejection; it was erasure.

"She is my prisoner," Kane continued, his eyes manic. "Give her to me, or I will declare war on the Iron Claw Pack."

"Try it," Logan growled. His aura flared-a dark, suffocating pressure that rivaled Kane's own. "But know this: if you touch her again, I will rip your throat out."

Kane roared and lunged.

They collided with a sound like cracking thunder. Two Alphas, in human form, trading blows that would have pulverized a normal man's bones. The impact shook the ground beneath me.

"Stop!" I screamed.

I dragged myself off the furs, ignoring the agony tearing at my spine. I crawled toward the entrance, my fingernails scraping the dirt.

"Stop it!"

My voice was weak, a mere rasp, but it made Logan pause. He glanced back at me, his amber eyes softening for a fraction of a second. That moment of mercy cost him.

Kane landed a vicious punch to Logan's jaw, sending the giant stumbling back.

Kane looked past him, locking eyes with me. His gaze was cold, devoid of any warmth or recognition.

"You," he spat, pointing a shaking finger at me. "You cause trouble wherever you go. Look at you, cowering behind another Alpha."

"I'm leaving, Kane," I sobbed, the words tasting like ash. "I'm leaving the territory. I'm leaving your life. Just let me go."

"You want to go?" Kane sneered, his lip curling in disgust. "Fine. But hear this, Lilith. From this moment on, you are Rogue. You have no Pack. No name. If your foot crosses my border again, I will kill you. No hesitation."

The finality of it settled over me like a shroud.

"I accept," I whispered.

"And you," Kane turned to Logan, smoothing his wet hair. "Keep the trash. She's your problem now."

Kane turned and shifted mid-stride. Bones cracked and reshaped until a massive wolf stood in his place. He sprinted away into the woods without looking back.

The silence that followed was heavy, filled only by the crackle of the dying fire.

Logan wiped a streak of blood from his lip. He turned to me. He didn't look at me with pity. He looked at me with... respect? And a simmering anger.

"Why didn't you fight back?" he asked, his voice rough like gravel.

"I couldn't," I said, leaning against the cold cave wall for support. "He was my Alpha. And my Mate."

"Was," Logan corrected sharply. "He broke the bond when he tried to kill you."

He walked over and knelt beside me. He was terrifyingly large, filling the small space, but his hands were gentle as he checked my bandages.

"I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner," he said quietly. "I was patrolling the river border. I saw you fall."

"Thank you," I said, my voice trembling. "You saved my life. Why?"

Logan looked deep into my eyes. His irises were the color of polished amber, burning with an intensity that made me want to look away.

"Because no wolf deserves to be treated like that," he said firmly. "And because my Pack needs a Healer. I smelled the herbs on you. You know medicine?"

"I learned from Irene," I nodded.

"Then you have a choice," Logan said. "You can go Rogue, starve in the wilds alone. Or you can come to Iron Claw. Not as a prisoner. Not as a servant. But as a guest. Until you decide what you want to be."

I looked out at the moon. It was waning now, a sliver of silver in the dark sky. The Blood Moon Pack was behind me. My love, my pain, my history-all gone.

"I'll come," I said. "But I'm not Lilith the Omega anymore."

"Who are you then?" Logan asked.

I touched the spot on my chest where the bond used to be. It was empty. Silent. The constant hum of Kane's presence was gone, leaving a hollow space.

"I'm just Lilith," I said. "And I live for myself now."

Logan nodded, a slow, approving gesture. He stood up and offered me his hand.

"Let's go home, Lilith."

I took his hand. It was warm, calloused and solid.

As we walked away, leaving the cave behind, I felt a strange sensation deep in my blood. The wolf inside me, who had been silent and broken for so long, stirred.

She didn't howl. She didn't cry.

She growled. A low, steady vibration in my chest. The sound of survival.

The chapter of Kane was closed. The chapter of the Rogue began.