The night was bitterly cold, and no matter how fast I ran, they would find me. "Fucking bitch." I had to wait until their fury subsided as they hurled insults at me.

Time dragged on. After nearly an hour, the last one spat at me and left.

Shivering, I curled into a ball. I tried to summon happy thoughts, but nothing came. Since my parents left me at the pack, kindness was a stranger.

The Alpha refused to let me go, no matter how many times I begged. The pack used me as a punching bag.

Even though my wolf healing abilities were strong, I believed it only fueled their hatred. Not even the Alpha could heal as quickly as I did.

I took a deep breath, feeling the heat in the air. It would end soon.

One month later

I sat with my wrists bound, the sounds of wailing filling the air. This wasn’t a miracle.

The entire pack had tried to escape the massacre.

I kept my eyes low, but I couldn't help but notice the lead attacker standing near my Alpha's fallen monument. Pathetic, my Alpha groaned on the ground.

The man with his foot on the Alpha's chest caught my attention.

I licked my dry lips, eyes tracing from his head to his torso. He wore nothing but trousers and boots, his massive chest bare, scarred, but without ink. That scent—I knew it well.

Why would he attack our pack if he was one of us?

"You," he commanded, pointing at the men.

I followed his gaze to William, who was dragged to the center where the attacker waited. They’d tried to escape, but it was futile. He wasn’t alone. Men just as imposing surrounded him, smirking. The women were roped together, the men shackled.

I hated being tied up, the restraints biting into my wrists.

My breath caught as the man—now clearly the Alpha—drew a blade and plunged it into William’s stomach, driving it up to his heart. Blood pooled, and I had to look away before it made me sick.

"You think your Alpha will save you?" He sneered, glaring at the others. "He's weak, groveling on the floor like a coward."

I dared to glance up as he pounded his fist against his chest, the sound echoing like thunder.

“You’ll pay,” he growled, scanning the crowd before signaling one of his men. They grabbed me—resistance was pointless.

My pack wouldn’t save me. But they lifted me gently, one of them supporting my back as they led me to Charley. My pulse raced as they released me. I stood, waiting for his verdict, praying for a quick death.

The ropes fell away. I stared at Charley, searching for a sign, but his expression was unreadable. His eyes, nearly black, bored into mine. Long brown hair framed a face that was both cruel and captivating.

He flicked the blade, offering me the handle. “Finish him.”

My wolf quivered in fear. “What?”

“You heard me.” He kicked the moaning Alpha, curled up like a coward.

I’d seen my Alpha beaten, but I knew he was no leader. He had ordered my own thrashings, and I had endured.

William laughed, his voice cutting through the tension. “Well, well, I’m surprised.”

Charley’s gaze never left mine. “Do you think I don’t know what this man has done?” He leaned in, his breath hot on my face. “I smell you. It’s alright, kid. I’m used to driving women wild. You’re not the first, won’t be the last.”

“I won’t kill him.”

“Why not? He’s tortured you for years. Has he broken you so much that you won’t seek revenge?”

“How do you know?”

“Why do you think I came here, Susan?” His voice was dark, persuasive. “I’ve seen it all. These monsters stood by, doing nothing, or helped in your suffering. You must avenge yourself—kill them.”

William had always been different, sharp senses setting him apart even in foster care. He could hear whispered conversations from feet away. He was always prepared for an attack.

Years of survival had hardened William. He’d learned to hunt, to adapt, to thrive. But being an Alpha? It was a burden he never wanted. Rogue wolves were dangerous, and he was their leader, whether he liked it or not.

He caught my scent, his wolf growling with a need he couldn’t ignore. Mates were powerful, binding—but he didn’t want one. He’d bedded plenty of eager women, both human and wolf, but none made him feel this way.

He noticed the mark on my neck, burned into my skin before my first shift. The Mark of the Unwanted. It was a curse, a brand that would repel other packs. Fury ignited in him. How could they do this?

William had never seen a wolf heal so quickly. What took others weeks, I managed in hours. It stunned him, and his desire flared, his body betraying his restraint.

“No,” I whispered, stepping back from the sword.

His eyebrows shot up. “No?”

“I won’t.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “You won’t kill those who made your life hell?”

“No.”

“Do you understand these monsters hurt you?”

“I’ve seen it all,” William growled, kicking the Alpha again. Hatred burned in his eyes, rare even for him.

“Stop,” I pleaded.

William seized the back of my neck, pulling me against him. His wolf craved me, the urge to claim overwhelming. As his lips brushed my neck, he struggled to control himself.

“I had to watch them hurt you,” he murmured, voice thick with desire. “Never fighting back made you a coward. I know why you didn’t stop them—the Alpha commanded you to take the beatings like a good bitch.”

“He won’t live for what he did to you.”

“I don’t want his death on my conscience.”

I stood before him, battered, branded, healing right before his eyes. My strength was undeniable.

“Please, I want to leave without hurting the pack.”

“Leave?”

“I’ve begged him to let me go, but if I kill him, I’ll be trapped here forever.”

William hoisted the Alpha, his legs shattered, unable to fight back. With a cruel grin, William gripped the man’s crotch, knowing he could rip it off with ease.

“You can leave and never return.”

For the first time, I smiled as William dropped the Alpha to the ground. “I can leave?”

“Yes,” he said. “Go. Run.”

I didn’t hesitate. I bolted.