Chapter 3 THE BROKEN BOND.

Taylor's POV

By the time I reached the pack's border, the guards stared but didn't stop me. They had heard what happened. Of course they did. News travels faster than the wind in a pack full of gossiping wolves. Their eyes said what their mouths didn't, shame, pity, and disgust.

I walked past them, head held high, pretending their stares didn't burn. But inside, I was breaking. Every step toward my family's house felt heavier than the last. My heart whispered one thing over and over again, he didn't even hesitate.

When I finally reached home, I stopped at the front door. My hands trembled as I pushed it open. The warm scent of wood smoke and my mother's cooking filled the air, but it didn't comfort me this time. It only reminded me of what I had lost belonging.

The door creaked, and immediately, my mother turned. Her eyes widened the moment she saw me with my torn dress, my swollen eyes, and the mark that never came from my supposed mate.

"Taylor..." she whispered, almost like she didn't believe it was me. "What have you done?"

I swallowed hard, trying to speak, but my throat ached.

My father entered from the sitting room; his face was hardened with the weight of leadership. He

wasn't an Alpha, but he was respected, strong, proud, loyal to the pack's laws. The kind of man who valued honour above all else.

When his eyes landed on me, they darkened.

"You've embarrassed this family," he said in a low voice.

I opened my mouth to speak, but my mother raised her hand sharply. "Don't, Taylor. Just don't."

"Mom...."

"What did we warn you?" she cut me off. Her voice trembled, not from fear, but from fury barely

contained. "We told you he would destroy you. We told you not to beg for his love. But you never listen, do you?"

"I didn't beg!" I shouted back, but my voice cracked. "I only wanted him to see me, to see that I was worth it!"

My father slammed his fist against the wall, making me flinch. "You think worth comes from chasing an Alpha who never wanted you?"

Tears filled my eyes. "I loved him!"

"Love?" He scoffed, stepping closer. "Love doesn't make you weak, Taylor. What you did was weakness. You've brought shame upon us all. The pack will talk. They already are."

I clenched my fists. "I didn't ask to be rejected! I didn't ask for this pain!"

My mother's eyes softened for a moment, but her voice stayed firm. "But you walked into it, my child. You chose him when we told you not to. You thought love would change an Alpha's heart. You thought you could rise above your rank with emotion alone. And now look."

She gestured toward me, the broken girl standing in the doorway. "You've fallen lower than you ever imagined."

I couldn't hold the tears anymore. They spilled down my cheeks as I sank to the floor. "I tried, Mom... I really tried..."

My mother's face turned away as if she couldn't bear to look at me. My father took a deep breath and said coldly, "You will not stay under this roof for now."

My head snapped up. "What?"

"You need to understand the consequences of your choices," he said. "You brought this on yourself. The pack sees you as a disgrace. Until you can prove yourself worthy again, you will live outside the main quarters. The old cabin near the southern woods. Alone."

My heart dropped. "You're... sending me away?"

"This isn't punishment," he said, though his tone was as hard as stone. "It's correction. You must learn to survive without the comfort you took for granted. You must learn what it means to be strong on your own."

My mother turned, her eyes red. "We love you, Taylor. But sometimes love means letting you face your pain."

I felt my legs weaken. "Please, don't do this. Not now. I've already lost everything..."

My father didn't answer. He just pointed toward the door.

The silence between us was louder than any words could be. I picked up a small bag from the table, one I had used for training, and walked back out.

Outside, the wind was cruel. I could still hear the faint laughter of wolves nearby, their whispers carried through the air.

"Did you hear? Alpha Lupus rejected her."

"The Omega who thought she could be Luna."

"How pathetic."

I clenched my teeth, fighting back tears. Let them talk. One day, they'll all see.

The old cabin my father mentioned was far from the main pack house, deep within the southern woods. It was cold, half-broken, and smelled of dust and old memories. I set my bag down and sat on the wooden floor, hugging my knees.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of birds and the cold wind blowing through cracks in the wall. My body ached from sleeping on the hard floor, but I refused to cry again. I was done crying.

I stepped outside. The forest looked peaceful, hiding the chaos inside me. My wolf, Lira, stirred in my mind.

We can't stay broken, she whispered softly. We must rise again.

"I know," I whispered back. "But it hurts too much."

Pain builds strength, she said. And we will need it.

I closed my eyes, letting her words settle. Lira was right. I had let Alpha Lupus break me once it wouldn't happen again.

Over the next few days, I worked quietly. I cleaned the cabin, gathered wood, hunted small animals, and trained in the clearing. I could still feel the emptiness of his rejection that invisible wound that wouldn't heal. But I also felt something new beginning to grow inside me. Determination.

By the fifth day, I was stronger. My muscles ached from training, but my heart felt lighter. I refused to let my father's words or the pack's whispers define me.

Still, part of me missed my mother. I didn't expect her. She carried a basket of food and a small blanket.

"Mom..."

She smiled sadly. "You look stronger already."

"I'm trying."

She placed the basket down and sighed. "Your father is proud, though he won't admit it. He believes this will make you wiser. You must understand, Taylor in this world, love is not enough. Power keeps you alive. Control earns respect."

I looked away. "Then I'll earn both. My way."

She smiled faintly. "That's the daughter I raised."

Before she left, she turned and said quietly, "Remember this the moon doesn't shine because it wants to. It shines because it has to. So will you."

Her words stayed with me long after she was gone.

I sensed a presence the scent was really familiar yet distant. I turned sharply, with my claws half-

formed, ready to defend myself.

"Easy, it's just me."

It was Daniel. Lupus's beta.

I froze, unsure what to feel.

"What are you doing here?" I asked coldly.

He looked tired, as if the weight of two loyalties pressed on his shoulders. "Checking on you. You've been gone for weeks."

I scoffed. "And the Alpha sent you, right?"

"No," he said. "He doesn't even know I'm here."

I turned away. "Then you shouldn't be either."

"Taylor..." His voice softened. "He hasn't been the same since that night. You might not believe me, but rejecting you shook him."

I let out a bitter laugh. "You expect me to believe that? He called me useless, Daniel. He said I wasn't worth being his Luna."

Daniel's eyes darkened. "I know. But there's more going on than you think. Things inside the pack... politics, pressure. He's not acting alone."

I frowned. "What are you saying?"

He hesitated. "Just... be careful. You're not safe here anymore. Not from everyone."

Before I could question him, he disappeared into the woods, leaving only the sound of rustling leaves behind.