The Edge of Reason

EMBER

I pack my few possessions into a small backpack. Really, the only things I care about are two photographs: one of my parents, and one of me and Oliver in happier times.

It still seems unfair that I have to leave, when Noah’s the one who did something wrong. Unfair, but not surprising.

I don’t understand why Alpha Stone is sending me to the Dark Moon Pack, though.

Rumor has it that everyone there is trained to fight, even the females. Here, the females aren’t allowed to train at all. Not even for self-defense.

I’m also small—I’ve always been smaller than the average wolf, but these days, I’m skin and bone. Since Noah rejected me, I’ve barely eaten, despite my brother coaxing and cajoling me. When I wrap my arms around myself, I can feel my ribs.

Rumor has it that Alpha Damon can’t tolerate any kind of weakness. He’ll probably take one look at me and kill me on the spot.

A loud bang on the front door tells me it’s time to leave. The hour they gave me has gone by quickly.

Then there’s a much gentler tap on my bedroom door, and then Oliver gently pushes it open.

“Beta Matthews is here.” He looks at the floor. “I can’t come with you to the border. Alpha’s orders.”

This is Alpha Stone’s last cruel act. Oliver is not even allowed to wave me off. Our alpha just wants me gone and forgotten.

I’m not surprised. I just nod, and Oliver wraps his arms around me.

“Keep your head down, and do as you’re told,” he whispers.

I pray to the Moon Goddess that my brother won’t forget me.

When I open the front door, Beta Matthews is standing there impatiently. “Hurry up,” he snarls.

His large SUV is parked outside our house. I climb inside; he doesn’t say a word, and I jump when he slams the driver-side door shut.

I have no idea how far away the Dark Moon Pack is. All I know is that Beta Matthews is driving me to the edge of our pack’s territory. He seems to begrudge even that much.

We arrive at a T-junction, and the car comes to a halt. This road is just outside of Craven Moon Pack territory, in no-man’s-land.

“Get out,” he growls. “They’ll be here for you shortly.”

I swallow and open the door. As soon as I’m out of the car and the door is closed, he accelerates away, the tires kicking up dirt behind him.

I can’t believe he’s just dumped me at the side of the road.

I sit on a small tree stump to wait. I have no idea who I’m waiting for. Maybe they haven’t transferred me at all. Maybe Beta Matthews just dumped me outside the pack border to die.

I think about sneaking back home. I could tell everyone that they never collected me. But it would probably take a good few hours to walk back, and I’m sure Alpha Stone would just find another way to get rid of me.

The thought has barely formed in my mind when I hear the sound of an engine. Looking up, I see a minibus approaching. It’s completely black, and the windows are tinted, so I can’t see inside.

Is this my doom?

It pulls up close to where I’m sitting, and the door slides open. A large man with heavily tanned skin looks down at me. His hair is long, tied back in a ponytail. Dark-brown eyes scan me before a frown appears on his face.

His clothes are dark, and his T-shirt clings to him like a second skin, doing little to hide his muscles. Cargo pants tucked inside heavy boots make him look like a soldier.

“Ember? Ember James?” he questions.

I nod and stand up.

He jumps out of the bus and stands beside the door. “I’m Beta Joshua Vance. You’re our last pickup. In you get.”

He smiles as I walk past him and climb in. It surprises me, but I don’t return the smile. I don’t have much to smile about. Any plans to sneak back home are well and truly sunk.

I glance around the bus. There are five other people: three men and two women. They look happy, but I don’t know why.

The men are a similar size to my brother…my heart clenches at the thought of Oliver, so I try to push it away. The women are tall and beautiful, with curves and muscles in all the right places.

No wonder Beta Vance frowned. He was probably expecting me to look the same, but I’m nothing like them.

If these women were from Craven Moon Pack, they wouldn’t be dressed like this. They look fashionable in jeans and tight T-shirts, totally different from my simple shift dress that falls below my knees. All the females from my pack wear the same.

“My pack.” Only it’s not my pack anymore, not unless the alpha of the Dark Moon Pack sends me home, which isn’t very likely. Even if he did, I doubt Alpha Stone would have me back.

I find an empty seat at the back. As soon as I’m seated, the bus moves forward with a jerk.

I lean my head on the window, wrap my arms around my body, and watch the trees until they thin out and the forest eventually disappears, leaving a view of endless, empty fields.

I doubt I’ll ever see my home again. The lake, the waterfall. It was always my safe haven.

“Hey, my name’s Crystal. What’s yours?”

I glance around to see one of the women leaning toward me from the seat across the aisle. She’s stunning, with bright red hair and green eyes.

“Ember,” I mumble.

She reaches into a bag on the seat next to her and pulls out a pack of sandwiches. “You want some?” she questions.

I shake my head and look away, staring out the window again.

“Suit yourself,” she huffs as she tucks into the food.

Maybe she’s trying to be friendly, but I won’t be around long enough to make friends. Everyone on this bus is big and strong, even the driver. I’m small and weak. I won’t last five minutes.

Beta Vance comes to sit in the seat in front of mine and leans over. He too has a sandwich in his hand, which he offers me. “You should really eat something. It’s a long journey.”

I look at his chest, avoiding eye contact, and shake my head. “I’m not hungry,” I mumble.

It isn’t a lie. I’m not. I haven’t been hungry since the day Noah ended my life as I knew it.

***

There‘s a buzz of excitement in the pack today. Three of our young warriors are returning after spending three years away.

Every year, the king travels around the packs and chooses juvenile wolves to join his elite guard. It’s a great honor to have one person chosen from your pack, let alone three.

The whole pack is immensely proud of Noah, Eric, and Peter and eager to have them back. They left as boys, but they’ll be returning as men and as some of the best-trained warriors in the world.

I was only sixteen when they left. They were two years older than me—just at the age when they would find their mates, but it’s unlikely that they will have run into any compatible females during their time with the guard.

This means they’ll be coming home unmated, and there’s much excitement among all our she-wolves who are of age to find their mate. Everyone’s hoping that one of our three best warriors might claim them.

I usually work in the hospital, but today, I’m helping out in the kitchens to prepare the feast for the homecoming heroes. The others don’t pay me much attention, and I try to make myself as invisible as I can.

I would much prefer to be at the hospital, but as usual, I’m just following orders.

All the other girls are running around trying to make sure all the potatoes get peeled, but when we hear the cheers start up, we drop what we’re doing and run outside to join the rest of the pack in welcoming our warriors home.

As they walk toward the pack house, I catch a scent in the air, something warm and spicy. It’s so enticing I have to get closer, shoving with more urgency through the gathering crowd.

When I spot Noah, his shock of red hair hanging loosely at his shoulders, I know instantly what’s happening.

“Mate~,”~ my wolf growls inside me.

I run toward him, waiting for him to do the same. Only he doesn’t. He stops dead in his tracks.

“Mate,” I whisper.

Noah glares at me. Then he begins to laugh. “You seriously think I would want a runt like you as a mate?”

This isn’t the Noah I remember. The Noah I remember was kind and thoughtful. He always had a smile for everyone.

He takes a step toward me. “I, Noah Danson, reject you, Ember James, as my mate.”

Gasps come from the assembled crowd.

He takes a step toward me. “Accept it. Now,” he growls.

I clutch my chest and fall to my knees as pain erupts inside me. “I, Ember James, accept your rejection,” I mumble. Tears cascade down my cheeks as the mate bond severs, feeling like a knife has been plunged into my chest.

Noah grits his teeth and grimaces slightly. I know he feels it too, but a warrior is trained to deal with pain.

He glances to the left and walks toward the assembled crowd, wrapping his arm around the first she-wolf he sees. I don’t know her, but he’s making a point—that anyone would be better than me.

“You’re more my type,” he chuckles and presses his lips to hers.

She squeals in delight and wraps her arms around his neck.

The crowd surges toward them and resumes their cheers, leaving me on my knees in the dirt.

***

The beta looks at me and frowns. “Did you volunteer for this transfer?” he questions.

I should tell him yes. All transfers are supposed to be voluntary. The rule is supposed to stop the transfer of troublesome wolves an alpha doesn’t want to banish.

I should, but I don’t. If I lie, he’ll be able to tell. His wolf will be able to pick up the scent. It’s a gift that ranking wolves have.

Besides, why should I be loyal to my alpha? He’s rejected me, just like my mate rejected me. Probably the Dark Moon Pack will do the same.

I swallow nervously and shake my head.

Beta Vance stares at me and narrows his eyes. He’s probably assessing me, trying to decide if my old pack wanted to get rid of me because I was rebellious and troublesome.

I was neither of those things. I was always a good wolf. I always did as I was told. Even today, I did as I was told and didn’t put up a fight.

Beta Vance stands up and walks to the front of the bus before pulling out a phone. He glances back at me again before tapping out a message.

I’m as good as dead.