Her (Selena)heart pounded as she stared at Kade. The weight of his words settled in her chest like a heavy stone.
"You're not who you think you are."
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Then who am I?"
Kade's golden eyes darkened. "I don't have all the answers. But I know this—if that rogue was looking for you, others will come too."
A chill ran down her spine. "Why would they come for me?"
Kade hesitated. Then, finally, he spoke. "Because you were never meant to be in this pack. You weren't born here, Selena. You were brought here."
Selena's mind spun. "That doesn't make sense. My parents—"
"Were never your real parents," Kade interrupted. "They raised you, but you don't share their blood."
Selena felt like the ground had been ripped from beneath her. She had always felt different, always felt like she didn't quite belong—but she had convinced herself it was because she was weak.
Now, she wasn't so sure.
"Then where do I come from?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kade clenched his jaw. "That rogue. He knew you. He knew your past. If we find him, we might get the truth."
Selena's stomach twisted. "You want to go after them?"
Kade nodded. "It's the only way. You can run from this, or you can face it head-on. Your choice."
Selena swallowed hard. She had spent her whole life running—from her weakness, from rejection, from the fear that she would never be strong enough.
But now, she wasn't just fighting for acceptance.
She was fighting for the truth.
And she wouldn't stop until she got it.
The moon hung high in the sky as Selena and Kade tracked the rogue's scent through the dense forest. Every step brought her closer to the truth she had spent a lifetime not knowing.
Then, she saw him.
The scarred rogue stood in a clearing, waiting. He wasn't alone—two other wolves flanked him, their eyes glowing in the moonlight.
Selena forced herself to stay steady. "You know who I am."
The rogue smirked. "I do."
"Then tell me."
He studied her for a moment before speaking. "You were born into the Midnight Claw Pack. A pack that no longer exists."
Selena frowned. "What happened to them?"
The rogue's expression darkened. "Slaughtered. Wiped out by a rival pack that wanted to erase their bloodline."
A sick feeling twisted in Selena's gut. "Then how did I survive?"
"You were taken as a baby—hidden away before the massacre. You were never meant to be found."
Selena's pulse raced. She had spent her whole life believing she was the weakest wolf, an outcast with no real place in the pack. But now, she realized—she had been meant to be hidden.
She clenched her fists. "And now you've come to take me back?"
The rogue's eyes glowed. "Not back. Forward. Your destiny isn't here."
Kade stepped beside her. "She chooses where she belongs."
Selena inhaled sharply. A choice. She had never truly chosen before—she had always just survived.
Now, she knew.
She turned to Kade. "I belong here. With the Crimson Shadow Pack."
The rogue sighed. "Then we have no choice."
In an instant, the wolves attacked.
Selena didn't hesitate. She dodged the first strike, her instincts sharper than ever. The second wolf lunged, but she countered, knocking him back with a force that surprised even her.
Kade fought beside her, swift and ruthless. But Selena wasn't just surviving—she was winning.
For the first time in her life, she wasn't the weakest wolf.
She was a warrior.
She struck the final blow, sending the scarred rogue crashing to the ground. He groaned, defeated.
"You're stronger than I expected," he admitted.
Selena wiped the blood from her lip. "I've had good training."
Kade smirked. "She's not the weakling you thought she was."
The rogue exhaled sharply. "No, she isn't." He looked at Selena one last time. "Your past will always follow you. But maybe—just maybe—you're strong enough to outrun it."
With that, he disappeared into the night.