CHAPTER 1: WRONGFULLY ACCUSED

Emilia’s POV

I watched everyone talking in hushed voices as I hurried to finish my chores for the morning. Finishing it meant that everyone left me alone. I always get into trouble most times that they don’t but it looked like luck was not on my side this morning. I rolled my eyes as one of the Alpha’s children rushed beside me and stepped on my feet.

“Watch where you are going, idiot.” I yelled at her.

She looked at me with anger, she was only eighteen yet I could see she was a fox.

“Da…”

I hurriedly covered her mouth before she could finish what she was saying.

“Why can’t you just face this like a reasonable teenager? Must you always involve you dad in everything?”

“You always say that because you don’t have a father.”

That should have hurt but I felt nothing so I smiled.

“One word for you, Liz, pick a better line next time.”

I winked and began to walk away but I ran into some of the pack warriors. They were a little bit far away from me but the way they walked as if they had one mission and were focused on it, I knew that something was wrong but it was even weirder when they stopped in front of me.

“Traitor, grab her.”

What? What the hell was going on?

Before I could make any more moves, I was whisked away just as soon as I caught the victorious look on Liz’s face. What have I done this time?

“Get your filthy hands off me!”

“Or what?”

The men were not laughing as they used to and this was a sign that whatever it is, cannot be good. The door to the council room was thrown open and I saw that many of the major pack members were seated already. They were all looking at me accusingly. I rolled my eyes and I could hear the anger in their murmurs which was getting louder as I was dragged farther into the room to meet the face of the Alpha.

He had a calm look on his face as he folded his hands on the table and looked down at me from there.

“Emilia, do you know why you are here?”

“I don’t know but whatever it is, you did not have to ask them to drag me here in this manner.”

He scoffed, “You know this is not one of those other stunts you have pulled in the past.” My mind began to go to those other stunts and I smiled to myself, “Where is it?”

I looked from him to the person beside him, his son, Max and then I smiled.

“What?”

”Don’t play any silly games with me, young lady.”

“I am not playing any games with you and right now, I am starting to believe this whole thing is a prank or maybe I have become so important to the pack that everyone has come to watch me.”

The Alpha rolled his eyes then in a flash, he was right beside me as he grabbed my throat and raise my chin up forcefully and roughly.

“Listen up, young woman, I know you stole the symbol. We have searched your house and there was nothing there so tell us where it is before this gets even more difficult than it already is.” The symbol must really mean something to them.

“I have no idea…” Before I could say it, a loud slap landed on my right cheek.

“Don't lie to me, girl. Where is it?”

Wait, they are all being serious? I looked at their faces as I held my burning cheeks in my right palm. I know nothing of what he is talking about and I would honestly rather be spared of whatever they have going on here. My life is pretty plain so maybe some fun would be good but this is far from fun.

“You should speak up.”

Max said. He was the only one who treated me a little bit fairly out of all of them and the fact that he sat there as they all judged me made me feel a little ashamed because I could see in his eyes that he would rather not be her but he was the pack’s future leader and he had no choice.

“Whatever you think I took, I did not take it an I have no idea what it is exactly.”

”She’s lying!” Someone from the crowd said it then I shot back.

“Prove it!”

“Why would anyone bother to prove anything to you, bottom feeder.” The Alpha said and I looked deep into his eyes.

“Then I guess you have your answer.”

“You think this I all a joke but I am giving you the last chance to save yourself because once my decision about you is made then there will be no going back on my words. I hope you are clear on that.”

“What do you want from me?”

”Give back what you stole and admit you are wrong.”

“I didn’t steal anything.”

He ran a hand through his hair then turned to his men, “Give her a 100 beating then she would peak up.”

I thought he was joking until the beating actually started. I didn’t want to beg the. I have had enough humiliation in my life and not about to add that to it. The pain was too much but I took it and when they saw that I still did not speak.

“For your rebelious act, Emilia Dock, you are hereby banished from this pack.” That was the last thing I heard before I felt myself lifted off the ground.

CHAPTER 2: CASTAWAY

EMILIA’S POV

I woke up feeling pains all over my body. My eyes shot wide open as the first thing that crossed my mind was the beatings. I looked around, hoping to still see that I was on the same room but I was surrounded by thick forest and birds cawing in the sky.

I struggled to get on my feet only to see that I was right outside the pack. They had left me right at the pack’s border. My body ached as if I had been hit by something heavy. I wanted to cry ow that I think of the pain for the beating that I had endured. If they wanted to banish me, they did nit have to beat me up.

Mooncreek pack was all I knew, I grew up there and doubt that I would be able to survive elsewhere but I guess, I am on your own now.

And for the first time since this whole thing started, the thought weighed on me and I sank to the floor, letting the first tear drop. I have always been alone and I guess I may have just been waiting fir one day when my story would change in the pack but it seemed I was never going to have that happy ending eventually.

I had done nothing wrong yet they accused me of something I knew nothing about.

I thought long and hard about what to do and suddenly I decided to man up and return to them, maybe I could get a fair hearing but then, my stomach grumbled loudly, I haven’t eaten all day. It’s funny how I can even think about food right no. I made my way a little deeper into the first to find something to eat but after walking for a while and not seeing anything, I was already tired, so I sat at the foot o a tree.

I suddenly heard shuffling behind me but before I could tun around, something was thrown over my head and I felt myself lifted off the floor. I screamed but my noise was muffled for about an hour. We were moving so I knew it was a car but where were we going and who were they?

The car stopped moving and I expected that I would be lifted out if the car again but instead, I was being rolled out of the car and I hit the floor with a loud thud. I yelled in pain. I was already bruised all over.

The cloth covering my face was yanked open revealing my face to the scorching afternoon sun. My hand made to go to viver it but I ralized my hands were tied. I guess I was in too much pain to even noticed that I was tied up. I looked round to see about five men and a woman standing over me.

“Who are you?”

”Why are you asking me that kind of question? And why have you brought me here?”

They all looked at each other as if they had not been expecting me to say that.

“Let me go!” I said again as I began to struggle with my restraints. The lady amongst them moved towards me and grabbed me by my hair and began to drag me away. I cried in pain and I tried to get a hold of myself. The others just watched her. They appear merciless. What have I gotten myself into again now?

“Let me go!”

“You will learn three things here in this pack. They are respect, keep your voice down and never be heard. You are merely a captive and you should act like one, understood?”

Was that a question? I am their captive? I guess the universe has found me another hell then.

I realized she had stopped walking and was now taring at me, most likely waiting for me to answer her question.

“Do you understand?” She asked me and I realized that if I didn’t answer, this might get worse. Where exactly is this place?”

”I understand but whe…”

“No buts. At least, I won’t be answering any question from you.” She replied and walked away. My hands were still tied. As if he heard my thoughts, one of the men, he looked young, maybe younger than I am, came to untie my hands. He gave me a hand to help me get out and when I did, he smiled at me.

“Welcome to the rogue pack. Come, I’ll take you to where you will stay.”

”What? Rogues? I may have heard of something about them. They had said that my parents were attacked by rogues. Could this be the pack that attacked my parents?”

“Listen, I need to get back to my pack, I got lost and would love to just return.” That was my desperate attempt at an escape even though I new at the back o my mind that it wouldn’t work.

He heard me, I was sure of it but he dd not act as if had heard me say a word.

“Please, listen to me.” I grabbed his arms and he stopped walking. Then he turned to me slowly, his once smiley face, which had fooled me, was now expressionless.

“Let me make this clear to you. This is the rogue pack. You are here because of one thing. You are a captive and will not be leaving here any time soon.”

CHAPTER 3 :THE REJECTION

EMILIA’S POV

Reality dawned on me in the past two days, there was a hell worse than my old pack.I have been beaten, battered and humiliated more than I ever have in my life or maybe I just felt overwhelmed but I was sure it was due to the fact that I don’t just take whatever they threw at me that made life hard for me here.

I have washed, cleaned, arranged, worked my ass out. I had tried to escape thrice but each time I was caught, I was out in my place just like now, Selene stood over me with a very angry expression on her face.

“What should we do about her?” The boy who had taken me in when I arrived asked. His name was Finn.

“I don’t know. The Alpha isn’t back yet and it would be wrong to make any decision behind his back even though I want to kill her right now.”

I looked up at her and grinned, “Why don’t you kill me then?”

I knew I was pushing my luck. I want to get on her never At least, have that satisfaction if I can not carry out my plans properly but I was so close to escaping if not for my wounded body. I was slow.

I glared at Selene, “You can try to kill me if you can. I’m sure even in this state, I can win a fight with you.”

She rolled her eyes, “You think you are cute? Why I the world would I fight my prisoner?It is ridiculous.”

”But you want to try it out, isn’t it? Or you are too scared that I might actually win?”

She raised an eyebrow at me but we can all see that everyone was now very interested in the decision she would make. I understood the situation very well. I have challenged her and she would look weak if she did nit take it up. She is also scared that I might actually be capable of harming her. This is a death’s game but I am wiling to play it.

“Who are you exactly?” She asked with a look of genuine curiousity but I smiled and faced her squarely as I got up to my feet. I was weak and I knew it. My body hadn’t healed from the bruise from the beating neither from the dragging or the beatings of the past few days and I was pushing it this much all because I needed a way out of all of this. I could hold her captive and see if I can use her as my ticket out of here but since I got here, I have seen her fight, she’s good.

I cannot imagine being able to get the better of her. I did not last long as I expected and the moment my back hit the ground, she gestured that the men took me.

“Tie her up and leave her outside in the sun or the rain, she does not deserve to roam about freely.”

”You don’t get to decide that!” I screamed at her retreating back but she would not reply me again. I lost. Finn came to stand before me with a worried expression.

“Why do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Try to escape, get on her nerves? We have found out enough about you and know you were banished and have where to go.”

“Then do you want me to just be here, tortured day and night like I have been in the past few days?”

”It is your call, I believe but you really should stop fighting it. It will get you where.”He walked away immediately.

It’s not that I did not see it but I did not want to believe there really was nothing that I could do and it make me feel so angry realizing now that I am out of options. I closed my eyes tightly as I wished that I was back in my old pack, living my simple carefree life but if wishes always come true then we would all have our wishes fulfilled and there would be no point wishing again.

I know crying is not the next thing yet this time, I actually cried. Something hard hit my face and broke. I opened my eyes to see a boy of around ten throw an egg at me . I rolled my eyes before narrowing them at the boy whose parents egged him on before taking him away.

The sun began to retreat and the clouds darkened, will they really leave me here while if rains, if it dies? I guess I may have to start rethinking my survival tactics if I was going to remain in this pack.

I sniffed as something unusual filled my nose. I may be an omega with a weak wolf and not be able to shift but I have a very strong sense of smell and good sight and this was unlike any I have ever felt before. It pulled me and if I hadn’t been restrained, maybe I would be going around trying to find out whose it was.

It was coming loser, closer than I expected. It was unbearable. I wiggled against the restraint even though I knew they would not loosen.

Selene appeared from here she ahead disappeared to with two other men. One looked familiar but the one that did not, stood out. His presence called out to me and I became uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the powerful aura radiating off of him.

“MATE!”

Something inside me pushed the words out even though I had not planned to say it, They trio were now standing in front of me and when my eyes met the man’s, I head a growl as his intense look reached deep to my soul.

“MATE.”

The other two looked between each other in shock and even I, did not understand much what was going on.

“You’re my mate.” The man said simply.

“Cameron, what are you saying?” Selene asked but he ignored her and came towards me and began to untie my restraints and when it was done, he gave me a once over, probably confused about the state of my body. No, I don’t need that so I did the next reasonable thing I could do.

“I, Emilia Dock, reject you as my mate.”

CHAPTER 4:WHY?

CAMERON'S POV

The scent hit me first.

I was patrolling the border area after my beta sent me a message that a rogue was caught, and far from me are two guards dragging a captured trespasser along with them.

Normally, I don't concern myself with trespassers like this—trespassers were punished once sighted. But something about this day felt different.

And then I smelled it. A delicate, intoxicating aroma that sent a jolt straight to my core. My wolf stirred instantly, growling in recognition. Mate.

I froze mid-step, the realization crashing over me like a wave. Everywhere around me fell silent as I turned toward the direction, my eyes narrowing as my two of my men entered, escorting a disheveled figure.

She wasn't tiny or frail as I expected, but her clothes were torn and dirty. Her hair hung in wild tangles around her face, and her arms bore faint bruises with dirt on her face and hair that made my wolf bristle with fury.

Yet despite her ragged appearance, she appears strong and charming. Her grey eyes flicked up to meet mine, and I felt the bond tugging hard at me

"MATE." She muttered.

"MATE!" I whispered at almost the same time.

“You’re my mate.” I said, loudly enough for her to hear.

“Cameron, what are you saying?” Selene asked but I ignored her, moved in quick pace to the girl and untied her restrains while she subconsciously stared at me.

“I, Emilia Dock, reject you as my mate.” The words slipped out of her mouth as if that's the thing she has always wanted to say since she was born.

A low growl escaped me, my wolf clawing at the edges of my control. “You don’t have a say in this. The bond..."

“I don’t care about the bond,” she cut in, her grey eyes staring back at me nonchalantly. “I don’t want it. I don’t want you. Not now, not ever."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. No one had ever spoken to me like that before. No one dared. And yet this tiny, scrappy woman stood before me, rejecting me as if I were nothing.

“Do you have any idea who I am?” I asked, my voice dangerously low.

"No" she paused, her hands on her hips with a arrogant smirk on her face. "Why should I? Are you going to return me back to my pack or give me somewhere to live?"

"Look at this stray bitch, who the fuck do you think you are?...." Selene hissed with an angry expression.

"Shut the fuck up bitch!" The lady snapped. "I'm talking to your boss not you."

"What the..." Selene took a step forward, her first tightened but I held a hand out stopping her on her tracks.

"Yes that's more like it, listen to your boss." She said sarcastically.

Feisty uhh, I love that.

"And where the fuck am I? Why was I being captured earlier?"

“She's a trespasser,” one of the guards replied curtly, his tone high but respectful. “We caught her near the southern border, Alpha. She claims she’s just passing through, but—”

“She’s lying,” another cuts in, eyeing the girl with disdain. “She smells of another pack. She’s probably a spy.”

"I wasn't trespassing, I was dumped here." She said in her defense.

"Who would believe that?" Selene scowled.

"That's okay," I cut in before my mate can start another argument. "You can go now." The guards bowed in respect and retreated into the woods, probably in search of other rogues.

"So you mean I can go now?" She ran her hand over her almost tattered gown, brushing off imaginary dust acting as if all these talks aren't about her.

Before I could speak, the girl took off into the bush. Walking stealthily but quickly her hair flying all over the place.

"Get her back here." I said to Selene.

"But..."

"No buts, that girl mustn't leave. I kinda find her interesting coupled with the fact that she's my mate."

"I think the moon goddess must be blind by making that tattered girl your mate." Selene mumbled, taking off after the girl.

"You met your match didn't you, Alpha Cameron?"

"Shut up Charles." I snapped.

"No offense, just saying."

"She's feisty and will love going against your orders. The perfect match for a cold man like you." He teased and I gave him a side eye.

"If you don't stop talking, I'm gonna punish you right here and now in front of these guards."

"Get your fucking hands off my hair." Selene's voice yelled and my eyes darted to their direction and my jaw flew open.

There in the woods is my mate with her fingers dip into Selene's hair grabbing a handful of it and tugging at it like she wanted to rip it off her scalp.

"Oh fuck!" I cussed.

"Get your fucking hands off me." Selene yelled before trying to shift into a wolf.

"Don't!" I warned her through a mind-link.

"But..."

"Don't!" I repeated.

CHAPTER 5:HE WAS WRONG: I AM NOT HIS

EMILIA'S POV

I woke up to the soft shuffling of curtains and the faint scent of musk. The bed beneath me was far too comfortable—soft and smells good. For a moment, I let myself enjoy the feeling of this bed against my skin, my body sinking into the warm embrace of the mattress.

But reality hit like a slap to my face. This wasn’t my bed. Not like I have a bed in my previous pack. But this is just not what I've experienced.

I bolt upright, heart pounding as I scanned the unfamiliar room. The walls were painted a deep shade of black, adorned with silver and decorations that screamed wealth and luxury.

The large windows let in streams of morning light, illuminating every inch of the room that wasn’t already imposing. A fire crackled softly in the corner, its warmth doing nothing to ease the icy panic gripping my chest.

Where was I?

And then it all came rushing back with a splitting headache. The rogues, the capture, the Alpha—Cameron. My mate.

“Mate,” I scoffed, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. The word felt foreign on my tongue, a curse rather than a blessing. The thought of being tied to anyone, let alone the arrogant rogue Alpha, made my stomach churn.

He sounded arrogant to me...so.

I pushed myself to my feet, swaying unstealthily as the events of the previous day caught up with me. My body ached, but I wasn’t weak. I’d been through worse if not more than worse.

I touched my arm, feeling the bruises under it. They will be a testimony to my misery.

The door creaked open, and my head snapped toward it. He stepped in—Cameron. Tall, broad, and every bit as intimidating as I remembered. His sharp jawline and piercing eyes were enough to make any woman’s knees buckle, but not mine. No, to me, he was nothing more than a captor.

Can't he just let me go? Why should a mate bond tie us together? Not to lie, I wish I can withdraw what I said yesterday back, tell him I will love to be his mate but no.

“Good, you’re awake,” he said, his voice deep, smooth and appeared tired as if he couldn't sleep well last night. “We need to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” I snapped, my arms crossed.

He arched a brow, the corner of his mouth quirking upward in amusement. “You don’t have to speak. You just need to listen.”

The words sounded like an order and I glared at him, every muscle in my body tensing as he took a step closer. Despite myself, I couldn’t ignore the strange pull I felt toward him—the bond. The cursed bond that tied us together against my will.

“I won’t accept your rejection,” he said firmly, his eyes locking onto mine.

My heart skipped a beat, but I forced my expression to remain cold. “And why not? You don’t have a choice.”

“Oh, I have lots of choices,” he said, his tone calm. “But rejecting my mate isn’t one of them.”

I laughed bitterly. “Do you think that just because some mystical bond says we’re supposed to be together, I’ll fall into your arms like some lovesick fool? I’d rather rot in a dungeon.”

Is there a way to unsay that?

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of pain in his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

“You don’t understand what this bond means,” he said, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “It’s sacred. It’s not something you can just throw away like an unwanted item.”

“Says the man who kidnapped me,” I shot back. “Forgive me if I don’t see the meaning in that.”

Cameron exhaled sharply, running a hand through his dark hair and oh my goodness, he looks like a demigod while doing that. “I didn’t have a choice. You would have run, and I couldn’t let that happen.”

“You still can’t,” I muttered, glancing toward the window. It was large enough to climb through if I could figure out how to deal with the guards that I'm 100 percent sure if not 200 are outside waiting for me to try and scale the wall.

He followed my gaze and smirked. “Don’t bother. There are guards stationed outside your room, and more patrolling the grounds. You won’t get far.”

I knew it!

I turned back to him, my fists clenched and eyes burning with rage. “You can’t keep me here forever.”

I saw something shift in him and his brows tightened, "You will stay here like an obedient little girl and listen to me." His tone sounded like a command and not a request. And then it changed into a soft one. "I'm just trying to protect you."

“Protect me?” I repeated, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “From what? From yourself?”

“From everyone who would hurt you if they knew what you are to me,” he said, his tone serious.

I blinked, caught off guard by the intensity in his eyes. He wasn’t lying—I could feel it. But that didn’t mean I trusted him.

“Why do you care?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t even know me.”

“I don’t need to know you to care,” he replied. “The bond is enough.”

I shook my head, taking another step back. “The bond isn’t enough for me.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The tension in the room was thick, suffocating. Finally, Cameron sighed and stepped back, giving me space.

“I won't force you to trust me,” he said, his voice resigned. “But I’ll prove to you that I’m not the monster you think I am.”

I wanted to tell him that he was wasting his time, that no amount of proving himself would make me change my mind. But the words got caught up in my throat.

Instead, I turned away, my gaze fixed beyond the window once more.

“I don’t belong here,” I said softly. "I'm a free bird not the type of one locked away."

Cameron didn’t respond. When I turned back to face him, he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him.

The hours that followed were boring. I paced the room, my mind racing as I tried to come up with a plan. Escape wouldn’t be easy, but I couldn’t stay here. Not with him.

The bond was a cruel joke, a chain that restraint me to someone I didn’t want, didn’t need. I’d spent my entire life fighting to survive, to carve out even a bit of independence in a world that sought to crush me. I wasn’t about to give that up now.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I stiffened, my heart pounding as it swung open to reveal a young woman carrying a tray of food.

“I brought you dinner,” she said, her voice timid as she placed the tray on a small table near the bed.

“Thank you,” I muttered, my stomach growling.

She hesitated, glancing at me nervously. “The Alpha wanted me to remind you that if you need anything, you just have to ask.”

I bit back a sarcastic remark, forcing a tight smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

She nodded and quickly left, the door clicking shut behind her. I waited a moment before crossing to the table and lifting the tray. Beneath the plate of food, I found a small key.

My pulse quickened. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

I hid the key beneath the mattress and sat down to eat, my mind already working on a new plan. Cameron thought he could keep me here, that he could win me over with his charm.

He was wrong.

I’d spent a better part of my life fighting for my freedom, and I wasn’t about to stop now. No matter how strong the bond was, no matter how powerful he was, I would find a way to escape.

And when I did, I wouldn’t look back.