Chapter 2

Seraphina POV

The damp air clung to my skin, a stark contrast to the warmth I once knew in the Alpha's quarters. Sleep refused to come, my mind too alive with questions and plans. I hadn't anticipated being thrown into a cell, but it wasn't surprising. Rogues were rarely given a chance.

My fingers traced the rough edges of the cot beneath me, my thoughts spiraling. The pack I'd once called home was now a foreign place, filled with wolves who didn't recognize me. I could feel the weight of their suspicion the moment I stepped past the gates. And Kieran... He had changed. The boy who once held my heart had been replaced by a man colder than ice, his gaze sharper than any blade.

A faint sound broke through my thoughts. Footsteps. The soft scuff of boots against stone grew louder, stopping just outside the barred door.

The guard. Or perhaps someone sent to interrogate me.

The door creaked open, and a young woman stepped in, holding a tray of food. Her hair was tied back in a simple braid, and her eyes darted nervously around the room before landing on me.

"I brought this for you," she said, setting the tray down on the small table.

I studied her carefully, noting the way her hands trembled slightly. She was young, probably new to her role. "Thank you," I said, keeping my voice neutral.

She hesitated, her gaze flickering to the door before she spoke again. "They say you're a rogue."

"I am," I replied, though the word felt bitter on my tongue.

Her brows furrowed. "You don't seem like one."

Her words stirred something in me-a fleeting sense of hope. Perhaps not everyone here would see me as a threat. "What do I seem like to you?"

Her lips parted, but she hesitated, as if unsure whether to answer. Finally, she said, "Lost."

The simplicity of her answer struck me. I smiled faintly, though it didn't reach my eyes. "Maybe I am."

She didn't linger after that, slipping out as quietly as she had come. I turned my attention to the tray, eating quickly. I needed my strength. The time to act was coming, and I wouldn't waste it sitting idly in this cell.

---

Kieran POV

The council chamber buzzed with hushed voices, the tension thick enough to choke on. My Beta, Rowan, sat to my left, his expression grim. Across the table, the elders murmured amongst themselves, their glances shifting to me now and then.

"A rogue on pack grounds is a threat," Elder Magnus said, his voice carrying the weight of his years. "We've dealt with them before. This one should be no different."

I leaned back in my chair, fighting the urge to snap. Magnus was predictable, always opting for the harshest solution. But this rogue... she was different.

"She hasn't posed a threat," I said, keeping my tone measured. "If anything, she seems more lost than dangerous."

Rowan's brow arched slightly, but he didn't comment. He had learned long ago to let me handle the elders, even when he disagreed.

"And you think that excuses her trespass?" Magnus pressed, his tone sharp.

"No," I replied firmly. "But executing her without understanding why she's here would be a mistake. If there's more to her story, I want to know it."

Another elder, Agatha, leaned forward. "What do you propose, Alpha? Keeping her here indefinitely?"

"For now, yes," I said. "She'll remain in the holding cells until we've had a chance to question her further."

Magnus huffed, clearly dissatisfied, but Agatha nodded. "Very well. But tread carefully, Kieran. A rogue's presence can stir unrest, even among the most loyal pack members."

The meeting ended shortly after, the elders filing out one by one. Rowan stayed behind, his arms crossed as he regarded me with a raised brow.

"You're taking a risk with this one," he said.

I stood, pacing to the window that overlooked the courtyard. "I know."

"She's not like the others, though."

Rowan's statement wasn't a question, and I didn't bother denying it. Something about her was off-familiar in a way that made my chest tighten. But I couldn't pinpoint what it was, and it gnawed at me like an itch I couldn't scratch.

"I need more time to figure it out," I said finally.

Rowan nodded, though his skepticism was clear. "Let's hope she doesn't make you regret it."

---

Seraphina POV

Night fell, the pack grounds quieting as most wolves retreated to their homes. My cell remained cold and unwelcoming, but it didn't matter. Tonight, I wouldn't stay here.

The guard changed shifts every few hours, and I had been watching carefully, noting their patterns. The current one, a stocky male with a tendency to doze off, was my chance.

I moved silently, slipping the thin blade I had fashioned from the cot's frame into my palm. The man outside the cell slouched in his chair, his breathing steady.

The lock clicked quietly, the sound barely audible over his light snores. I stepped out, my bare feet making no sound on the stone floor. My heart raced, but I kept my movements deliberate, my focus unshakable.

Freedom was close.

The cool night air hit me like a balm as I slipped through the outer gate, the forest stretching before me like an old friend. But I didn't plan to run far. I couldn't. Not yet.

The truth I sought was here, buried within the pack that betrayed me. And if I had to risk everything to uncover it, so be it.

---

Kieran POV

A sharp knock at my door pulled me from restless sleep. I sat up, the unease that had been gnawing at me all day surging to the forefront. Rowan stood in the doorway, his expression tight.

"She's gone," he said without preamble.

The words sent a jolt through me. "What do you mean, gone?"

"She escaped the holding cells," Rowan said, stepping inside. "No sign of a struggle. The guard is fine-just humiliated."

My wolf growled, the sound low and dangerous in my mind. "Find her," I ordered, already pulling on my boots.

Rowan nodded and disappeared down the hall, his footsteps echoing in the quiet. I didn't wait for the patrols to organize. The rogue-Astrid-had made it clear she wasn't ordinary.

The forest seemed darker than usual, the shadows deeper and more oppressive. My wolf urged me forward, his instincts sharper than mine. He could feel her, faintly, like a whisper in the wind.

When I finally caught sight of her, she was standing in a clearing, the moonlight illuminating her figure. She didn't flinch when I stepped into view, her head turning slowly to meet my gaze.

"You didn't run," I said, my voice cold.

"No," she replied, her tone calm. "I'm not here to run."

The conviction in her voice unsettled me, but I didn't let it show. "Then what are you here for?"

She hesitated, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her face. "The truth."