Chapter 1


    I ran down the stairs as screams filled my ears and terror flooded my veins. I sprinted to the front door


    of the pack house and flung it open— revealing rogues and pack members everywhere tackling, biting,


    ripping, and killing each other. My eyes squeezed shut, and my hands plugged my ears, praying that


    this was not real. After taking a few deep breaths I peeled them open again, but nothing has changed,


    and I began to panic. With only one thing on my mind, I was now determined to fight with everything I


    had.


    Sprinting across the open field, no one noticed me; they were too busy fighting, killing. I made my way


    through the endless trees searching for my siblings. I don''t understand; they should have been in the


    pack house with me. How could they have been so foolish to leave?


    Hiding behind a thick tree, I heard someoneing near. I peeked out from behind the bark; it was


    Ste''s wolf.


    "Ste!" I harshly called as I motioned for my sister.


    Her wolves eyes went wide when she saw me, filled with pure terror and regret. She shook her head


    frantically, and tears slid down her face. All of the sudden another wolf tackled her, teeth ripping into


    her throat in a sh.


    "Ste! Ste no!" I cried as her lifeless bodyid limp on the forest floor. Prying my eyes off her, I


    couldn''t make myself look for any longer. My sister, she''s gone forever.


    The wolf that attacked her turned towards me with pure evil and rage in its eyes. With no brake to even


    mourn the loss of my sibling, they started running towards me, and I waited for the impact with my eyes


    shut. I waited for my death like a weak wolf would, yet it never came.


    Taking the chance, I looked to see the wolf that killed my sister now fighting with one of the pack


    guards. I didn''t think twice and ran deeper into the woods. My sister''s cold, dead eyes fogged my brain,


    making it impossible to stay focused. What am I supposed to do? How am I expected to tell everyone?


    I could barely take the aching pain in my heart as it slowly ate at my soul, but I kept running as tears fell


    down my cheeks, staining the dirt beneath my feet.


    I came up to more rogues battling and quickly hid behind another tree. With a racing heart, I peeked


    out yet again and briefly nced at the lifeless wolves on the floor. That''s until I stopped breathing and


    became motionless. Oh, goddess. No, please.


    My Motherid on the forest floor in next to my brother, their bodies ripped to pieces, my eyes stung


    with endless salty tears. I wanted to scream; I wanted to go out there and rip every single one of those


    damn rogues to pieces. They take my sister, my brother, and my best friend; my mom—my mother!


    How dare they do this to me and get away with it! What have I done to deserve this?


    My heart jerked, and I couldn''t breathe. Why? Why couldn''t they take me instead!


    I wake up covered in a thinyer of sweat with tears rolling down my flushed cheeks. I have this dream


    almost every night. I''m used to the sweat and tears, but the memories will never fade. My brain is


    forever tattooed with the images of their dead bodies. Over the past months, I''ve tried to forget about it


    all, but I wouldn''t make it that easy for myself.


    I peel the covers off my sticky body and head to my bathroom to take a shower. Stripping off my


    pajamas, I switch the shower on and step under the downpour. I rx as the hot water streams down


    my shaken body, almost as if it''s washing away the visuals of my constant dreaming.


    I wish I could just forget about the attack, but I can''t ept that my family is gone. I found out after the


    attack that my father was also killed; his life meaning nothing to his murderer. The pack fell apart after


    the loss of their Alpha and Luna, but they will get over it, I never will.


    I turn the shower off and dry my dripping body with a white, fluffy towel from the silver rack. I wrap it


    around my chilled frame and walk back into my room, ncing at the clock resting on my bedside


    table. It is five o''clock in the morning, so I might as well just stay up.


    I trudge into my closet and sift through my clothes, scavenging for somethingfortable and warm. I


    decided on a pair of sweatpants and one of my brother''s old t-shirts that I wear constantly; it still smells


    like him in some ways.


    Heading downstairs and into the kitchen, my stomach rumbles with the desire to be fed. So, giving in, I


    open the fridge and grab three eggs from the carton. Turning back around, I have a minor heart attack


    as Frank seems to appear out of nowhere, sitting on one of the counter stools. ring at the three


    eggs now sttered onto the floor, I internally groan.


    "Jesus Frank you scared the crap out of me!"


    "You''re up early." Frank casually ignores my frustration as continues to sip on his coffee. Frank is like


    my personal guard; he lives in the pack house with me, so I am not alone. He''s been there for me since


    the attack and loss of my family, him now being the only family I have left.


    "I had a nightmare and decided not to go back to sleep," I exin while cleaning up the mess on the


    white tile floor tiredly.


    "Sorry about the eggs."


    "It''s not your fault. I just get scared easily I guess." I throw the paper towel covered in egg yolks into the


    garbage and turn back to Frank. "What''s up?" I ask, leaning on the counter.


    "Anna, the pack, is going under, people are joining new packs, even bing rouge. I don''t know how


    much longer we can go without an Alpha or Luna. There''s barely anyone left."


    I stay quiet, absorbing the non-surprising information. People are going rouge? Maybe that''s not such a


    bad idea.


    "How many are left exactly?" I question, curious.


    "Around thirty."


    "Then what''s the point, let''s just close down the pack, give up."


    "Are you crazy! Your grandparents built this pack on their own!" He shouts, taken back by my disturbing


    decision. "How can you just throw that all away?"


    "Three-fourths of our people died in the attack almost a year ago, and the ones that survived are


    leaving," I say calmly. "You said it yourself; the pack is going under."


    Frank sighs and rests his head on the counter. "Where will the thirty of us go?" He lifts his gaze to me.


    "We can join another pack nearby, don''t get me wrong it kills me to make this decision, but we don''t


    have a lot of options left."


    ~?~


    I spoke to the Alpha of the Moon Stone pack over the phone since they''re the closest pack to us. He


    said that he would be happy to let us join his pack, my father made strong allies with the Moon Stone


    Pack and I''m thankful for that. My father always knew to have more allies then enemies.


    The pack house was cleared out, and everything was ced boxes for storage. It was weird to see the


    ce I have grown up in without pictures on the walls, or any signs of my family at all.


    I''ve been thinking a lot about joining the new pack or bing rouge. At first, I figured I was crazy to


    think I could be rouge and survive alone, but now it''s all I want to do, to be free. I could travel the


    country, go to ces I never got the chance to go because of the pack. Pretending to be a human just


    sounds like my best shot at a real life.


    Of course, I didn''t tell Frank about my ns because if I did, I''d get locked in a cell so that I couldn''t


    leave him. So decided to escape when we arrive at the new pack and head south to California. Having


    a fresh start will be good for me, maybe I will forget about the gory attack that haunts me every day.


    Forget about how I lost everything.


    "We''re here." Frank nudges me as we pull up to the Moon Stone pack house, ncing out the window I


    examine the white mansion before me. It''s quite fancy, surrounded by green grass and trimmed


    bushes. Soon we get out of the car and make our way up the front steps and towards the grand looking


    doors. I pushed on the doorbell and heard the chime sound on the other side of the walls.


    It didn''t take long for someone to answer.


    It was a tall, lean guy; I sensed power radiating off him, he must be the Beta.


    "Oh, your here, I''ll take you to the Alpha and Luna." We followed him into the pack house and down a


    hallway till we came up to white double doors. He pushed them open revealing the Alpha at his desk


    and the Luna sitting on one of the couches off to the side of the room.


    "Ah, you have arrived, wee." He motioned us toe in and take a seat. Entering into the dark


    colored room, I sat down on one of the leather chairs in front of his desk as he ordered.


    "Thank you so much for letting us join your pack, especially under these conditions." Frank thanked


    while I just continued to study the room. My eyesnded on the Luna, she was pregnant, at least seven


    months. Like many people say she had a certain glow around her like joy and happiness took over her


    soul.


    "Congrattions," I say to her trying to focus on the present and not my escape n.


    "Oh thank you." She sweetly smiled. "Only two more months."


    When we finished discussing joining the pack and other details they showed us where we would be


    staying. It''s a lovely house, close to the pack house. The inside is spacious and modern, especially the


    kitchen which I adore.


    When they left to give us privacy to unpack, I went upstairs and picked out my room, well more like a


    hotel room.


    I sat down on the edge of the bed in the middle of the room, after I finished bringing my suitcases


    upstairs. Getting up, I sat on the floor in front of my bag.


    Lazily unzipping it, I lifted the top, inside was my packed duffle bag full of clothes, food, water, and


    other essentials. I pre-packed so I would be ready to go and not waste any more time.


    There was a light knock at the bedroom door, and I quickly zipped the suitcase back up and answered


    it.


    "How do you like things?" Frank asked, leaning on the door frame.


    "It''s nice," I answer abruptly and rather awkwardly.


    Giving me a funny look, Frank rolled his eyes. "Okay well, I''m going to go take a shower. Don''t destroy


    anything."


    Huffing at his stupidity, I shut the door in his face and got back to work.


    Dear Frank,


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    I appreciate the friendship andfort you provided me with throughout the years. I would like to thank


    you for taking care of me when I lost my family, you were there for me, and I''ll never forget that. I have


    decided to leave and be rogue. I need to be free and rece my bad memories with happy ones.


    I''ll never forget you.


    Thank you,


    Anna.


    I didn''t want it to sound too emotional and risk himing after me.


    Carefully cing the note on the bed''s softforter, I grabbed my duffel bag and turned to the


    window.


    It''s time to go.