Chapter 12

SIX YEARS AGO

RHYS

The forest had more to hunt than the last town a pack had chased me out of. It was too soon to tell if the local pack would allow me to live on the outskirts of their territory. It shouldn’t have been an issue. I was on neutral ground and didn’t bother anyone. I’d been through territories with plenty of other rogue wolves living near them.

But they always took one look at me and declared I would cause problems with their Alpha. Never mind that I had only just hit twenty-one and barely come into my strength. Rogue Alphas were never really accepted anywhere. Being packless and sane was a testament to how strong we were.

But there were others just like me in the forest. I'd respected their boundaries, but I could sense them. It gave me hope that I'd finally found my place.

I caught a scent to my left and crouched lower behind the shrubs. A doe appeared in the clearing and sniffed the air. She could sense the danger but wouldn’t catch my scent—a handy gift from my