She held my hand all the to her house. That’s where I dropped her off. I couldn’t let her follow me any farther. My father’s rage was mio endure, I couldn’t risk her well being and her position in the pack. The more we acted like she didn’t know, the better. I could at least keep my best friend safe. I could tell she didn’t agree with my logic, she didn’t have to say anything, I felt the way her eyes burned holes in my back. I didn’t dare look back. She could read me like a book, and she’d see how terrified I was.

  I had been lucky up to this point, the pack was busy and not hanging around my house. As I approached the three story house, I could see my mother’s outline in the window, as usual she was i, preparing me and my brother an after school snack most likely. Its what she did every day…such a normal activity. I hesitated at the door, my hand h over the door handle. What if I ran away? A self appointed exile? It would be less humiliating. Suddenly, that’s exactly what I wao do…why hadn’t I brought my bag downstairs, hidden it somewhere outside? Stupid, I had been so stupid. Would it be too hard now, to rush to my room, snatch my bag and rush down stairs again? My mother would st me but only after I mao get to my room. The food would overpower my st for a little bit at least…yes, that was the best thing to do. Run away without the public humiliation.

  Nodding to myself, my hand finally ed around the handle, but a growl behiopped me in my tracks.

  “Cheyahe voice rumbled behind me.

  Every hair on my body stood at attention, fear gripping my heart. My father was directly behind me, easily close enough to st me. It was likely he had followed my st here, even.

  “Father I-” I began, but his hand ed around the nape of my neck.

  I froze, paralyzed by his grip. Was it funny to think this robably only the fifth time he touched me in my life? Never with love, always with discipline. I had grown to fear my fathers touch, and him holding me like this caused me to start shaking. I had hesitated too long, I should have ehe house faster.

  “You have a lot of expining to do.” He'd growl. “Bry, open the door.”

  Great, my brother was here too. My mouth was dry, and my tongue darted over my lips. If I had my wolf, maybe I could have shifted and ran…could I even shift with a baby inside of me? Would it harm the development? I didn’t have a clue, no one had ever expi to me, because I didn’t have ao know. That was something you would learn ter on, sure we had sex ed, but not for the shifting part. We didn’t learn anything about shifting until we got our wolves at eighteen.

  I couldn’t even turn my head to watch my brother, but he came into view. He didn’t even look at me, didn’t even dare a gnce. He opehe door, aered. I ractically dragged in. The luna was already standing by the office door, she must have been reading iudy. Mother seemed perplexed, her greeting smile dying on her face as she saw my father and I.

  I was roughly tossed into the ter of the room, and I looked at my mother, eyes full of uainty. Was this how she felt when she learned she regnant with me? No, she was already a rogue. She had nothio lose, only something to gain.

  “Cheyanne..?” My mother’s voice was musical, even when she was hesitant and worried.

  “Shut up, bitch. Speak, Cheyanne.” My father would snap at my mother, then focus bae.

  “I-” I’d start, words hard to find.

  I had practiced what I’d say over and over on my way home, why was it suddenly so hard to remember the script I had pnned?

  “Why the fuck do you smell pregnant?” He’d growl, those eyes that I shared with him taking on a wolfish gleam.

  I swallowed down my fear, feeling myself shrink down uhat gaze.

  “Honey…” The luna would start, taking a few steps towards my father and I.

  “Don’t.” He’d growl, gaze sliding to his luna. “I took care of you, cimed you as mine and raised you as such, even with yratefulness. And *this* is how you repay me? By getting knocked up by some wolf?” He’d growl, taking a step towards me.

  His skin rippled, fur moving underh as it prepared to sprout through. While I found it mesmerizing normally, it made my ay spike. A wolf was a dangerous creature when angry.

  “I didn’t mean-” I’d start, my voice sounding pathetically quiet.

  “What? You didn’t mean *what*, Cheyanne? Didn’t mean to get knocked up? Didn’t mean to disrespect me?” He’d ugh. “I find that hard to believe. Every step of the way you have go of your way to show me disrespect. Who the fuck is the father.”

  I could barely get a word out, and I saw my mother take a hesitant step towards me. I risked her own wellbeing now, without me she had no p the pack. I needed her to stay out of this.

  “I didn’t mean to get pregnant!” I’d say, voice taking on a desperate hint. “I didn’t mean for this to happen!”

  “Stupid girl, what did you think would happen? Hm? That you’re somehow special? Exempt from the rules of nature?” He’d ask, almost sounding like he was taunting me.

  I supposed I deserved it, what had I thought would happen? No prote during a fertility holiday, of course this was likely to happen. I was silent, my gaze falling to the floor. He was right, I was stupid to think I was exempt from the ws of nature.

  “Now, I’ll ask you one more time. Who. Is. The. Father?” He pronounced each word, as if I was slow. “If you have any se all, we hide this i.”

  I didn’t dare look up at him, for fear the answer would show in my eyes.

  “Cheyanne.” He’d growl again, taking a menag step towards me.

  “I won’t tell you.” I’d say, refusing to meet his gaze.

  I heard him kneel down, his rough, calloused hand grabbing my and f me to look at him. My gaze held defiance, I couldn’t tell him. It wasn’t even my reputation I cared about now, but if the Evermaha found out, I feared what would happen to his heir. We were stupid kids but I couldn’t go crawling to an alpha heir and ruin his entire life. My life was doomed from the start, I refused to allow my pup to grow up in the hell I did.

  “Why. Not?” His grip tightened on my and I winced.

  “Dad…” Bry would speak, sounding uain.

  He had see in trouble and punished before, but not for something as major as this.

  “Bry, either stay silent o to your room.” His voice wasn’t as much of a growl towards him, but it was still sharp.

  Bry didn’t move, but he went quiet.

  “I’m not my mother.” I’d say, trying to muster my regur defiance.

  Out of the er of my eye, I saw my mother shrink back a little. That had hurt her, and I hadn’t meant to do it, but it was true. I wasn’t her. I wouldn’t go begging for help. He let go of my , and I fell back.

  “You want to be a smartass? Fine. Get out.” He’d spit, stepping to the side to make the way to the door open for me.

  “My love…she’s only seventeen.” The luna would speak up, seeming worried.

  “She’s old enough to make this choice, she’ll take the sequences.” He’d answer her.

  “ I take some things?” I’d ask, looking up at him.

  “Out of *my* pack?” He’d ask.

  He had already disowned me it seemed. I went to try and push for my things, but staring at his hateful gaze, I let the question die.

  Slowly, I stood up, fighting the tears that brimmed in my eyes. I was tougher than this, he had raised me to be tough. Raising my head up high, I made a step towards the door. Bry took off upstairs, and I assumed tears were starting to fall. He had looked up to me. Moons I was the worst sister, wasn't I? I hadn't given him the time of day, as if it was his fault my mother was nothing in the eyes of our father. It had never been his fault, but I had been so cold. So hateful.

  The door ened for me, and I walked out of the house without anowards my father or mother. What I came face to face towards was the entire pack. They had been summohrough the pack link. What I had almost hoped to be a quid silent exile turned out to be anything but. He was making it indisputable. It was easy to pick out the fming red hair of Lex, and as my gaze tered on her face, I saw the sunlight refleg off of the tear stains. Her mother held her close to her side, rubbing her arm. They were like my sed family, and I could see the tears falling down Lex's mother's face too.

  My gait faultered, but a rough shove had me moving again. My father was right behind me. I hadn't even heard him follow. I heard the others though, the soft steps of my mother and the Luna. I could feel the uainty of the pack, how they feared their Alpha's anger but disagreed with this dispy before them. Our natural instinct was to protect our young, his aggression towards me made others want to step in. I heard the whisps of silent versations going on arouhe link strong with the pack gregated.

  “What's going on? Why were we called together?”

  “What did the bastard do this time?”

  “Is it really necessary to humiliate her? She's only a child.”

  Those at the front caught my st first, their reas a mix of surprise, shock, and disapproval. Some started to look towards their sons, questions in their gaze. I could see a few of the boys shake their heads no.

  “I know there are many questions.” My father would begin, standing otle hill outside of the house. He looked down at the pack, but I felt his gaze slide to me. I lowered my head. “Most will not be answered. My i daughter here has itted the utmost disrespey name, and further sullies her owation with her stubborn pride.”

  I had to bite back a retort that jumped to my mind. Old habits die hard it seemed, and this was no different.

  “She's gotten herself pregnant, over Lupercalia if the timeline is correct. As you all know, I am a fair alpha. While she refuses to cim the father, if he steps up and cims her and this unborn pup, she will be permitted to stay and there will be no repercussions for either party. Otherwise, as a w decrees, she will be exiled from these nds.”

  Silence fell over the gathered pao one made a move. I didn't bme anyone. Until we got our wolves, we didn't know who our mates were. Who would risk never getting their mate just to keep one lonesome wolf around? After a pause of a few minutes, hundreds of eyes on me, my father tinued.

  “As no one cims this she wolf and pup, as w decrees..”

  I turned and looked at my father, those eyes locked on my back. I would face my exile, I wasn't a coward.

  “I, Alpha Casimir of the GrayCrest pack, exile Cheyenne Jacobs from the pack. From this moment forward, she is not weled on these nds. Patrols are to chase her out on sight, and if she dares to step foot or paw on these nds without explicit invitation, she will be subjected to the pack ws every rogue faces. Beta Jacks, take your fi warriors and escort her off of these nds.”