He Banished Me to the Rogue

I jumped out of the Bugatti’s back seat, the cold air biting through the thin fabric of my dress.

My voice, no longer trembling with emotion, had settled into a dead calm. “Alpha Joe, Beta Steve, you must have had a hard time traveling all this way.” My gaze dropped to the filthy hem of my dress, stained with the dirt of this rogue den.

“Five years is a long time. I’ve gotten used to it.”

“This place suits me just fine. I don’t miss home anymore.”

Joe’s lips pressed into a thin line, his wolf’s energy crackling faintly in the air.

“And besides,” I continued, glancing at the sleek, spotless car beside us, “I’m covered in dirt and filth. Wouldn’t want to stain your precious Bugatti.”

Alpha Joe’s chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath, trying to leash his growing anger.

“Julia Barrett,” he growled, his voice low and threatening, “what exactly are you trying to say?”

“I think I’m saying it pretty clearly,” I replied, crossing my arms.

Joe’s composure finally snapped. “Are you still blaming us? We came all this way to bring you home, and you’re still throwing a tantrum? How much longer are you going to act like this?”

His wolf flared just beneath his skin, his tone harsh and unrelenting. “Yes, we made mistakes five years ago, but were you completely innocent? Penny spent years wandering outside before finally returning to Midnight Ridge Pack. If you hadn’t constantly bullied her, gone against her in secret—”

“Would we have ever suspected you?”

A loud bang echoed as Joe slammed his fist against the car door. His voice turned icy, each word cutting like a blade.

“If you don’t want to come back, then don’t!” he snapped. “I no longer thought of you as my sister.”

My heart should have cracked at his words, but all I felt was a distant numbness.

“I’ll tell Mom and Dad you died in the rogue den,” Joe added coldly. Without waiting for my response, he got into the car and slammed the door.

The Bugatti roared to life, leaving me standing in the cold.

The winter wind wasn’t nearly as frigid as Joe’s words.

Even after five years of false accusations, exile, and suffering, they still couldn’t see past Penny’s inveracious mask. It didn’t matter anymore. Five years had hardened me. My heart was little more than a calloused wound, so numb that even a blade wouldn’t cut deep enough to hurt.

Beta Steve lingered, sighing softly like a man forced to deal with an unruly child. He reached into a bag they had brought from Midnight Ridge Pack and pulled out an ornate gift box.

“Your parents still care about you, Julia. Blood ties don’t break so easily,” he said, holding the box out to me like some peace offering.

I stared at it, unimpressed.

Steve’s voice softened. “Julia, don’t be stubborn. These pastries—Luna Felicia made them for you herself. And inside this bag is a dress they picked out just for you.”

A small laugh escaped me, sharp and bitter. My mate—Beta Steve Dolton—was Midnight Ridge Pack’s most talented warrior, the future Beta, and, once upon a time, my fated mate.

The memory of my first shift at eighteen surfaced unbidden. The strong scent of mint and pine had filled my senses, and my wolf had howled with joy in my mind. Mate.

Steve had always been the golden boy of Midnight Ridge Pack, a prince among wolves. And for a short, fleeting moment, I had thanked the Moon Goddess for blessing me with him as my partner.

But everything changed when Penny appeared.

The day she collapsed, coughing up blood, Steve had cradled her in his arms, glaring at me like I’d personally poisoned her. The bond we shared—the one I thought was unbreakable—frayed and snapped in that single moment.

I swallowed hard, forcing the memory away as my gaze fell on the box of pastries. Inside were dainty little macarons, each molded into the shape of a kitten.

Cute. Except I hated macarons. They were too sweet, too perfect. Penny’s favorite, not mine.

Then there was the dress—a soft pink monstrosity made of the finest silk. Penny’s favorite color. Mine love was midnight blue, the color of the sky just before it gave way to the stars.

Noticing my lack of gratitude, Steve’s expression turned cold, tinged with impatience.

“Julia, don’t be greedy,” he said, his tone sharper now. “Alpha Kenelm and the others have done their best to make it up to you. Penny was their real daughter!”

I stared at him, incredulous. “Greedy? I never asked you for anything."?”

His jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

“You have two days to think about it,” Steve continued, his tone dismissive. “After that, Joe and I are leaving. It’s your last chance, Julia.”

Chance. That was rich coming from him.

As Steve turned and walked away, I stood there in the cold, the box of unwanted pastries still in my hands.

They all thought I was ungrateful. That I was insatiable.