"A rogue is in the pack?" Kieran's voice was low and even, but his eyes blazed with anger.
The beta lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Alpha. I will make sure to have the guards patrolling punished for this."
Alpha Kieran huffed, throwing the file in his hands away and standing up. "Double their work for this week and take away half of their income. Bringing a rogue into the pack and endangering everyone in the kingdom? What were they thinking not reporting to me first?" Kieran growled, his hands clenched into tight fists. This could have gone very wrong.
"They say the rogue was harmless," Beta Sam uttered.
Kieran's eyes narrowed, scoffing in disbelief. "You know what, cut off their income. Each and every one of them involved is to work without a break for the next month, and none of them are allowed to see their families." He spat out thickly as he stood up, grabbing his coat from the hanger.
Beta Sam looked at him a little confused. "What do you want to do with her, the rogue, Alpha?"
Kieran's gaze hardened. "I'll handle the rogue myself. Where is she?"
Beta Sam hesitated. "She's in the pack hospital, Alpha. She's in pretty bad shape—starved, dehydrated, and injured. She might not survive the night."
Kieran paused, considering this. "Find out whatever you can about her. Who she is and why she's here. But if she's a threat, we'll deal with her accordingly."
Beta Sam nodded, turning to leave but hesitated. He turned to look at Kieran. The alpha quirked an eyebrow at him.
"Speak, Sam."
"Astrid is there with her. She was passing by and saw the guards bringing her in. She seemed concerned and asked that she be taken to the pack hospital. I just thought you might want to know." He rushed out, clearly trying to save his mate, then hurried out of the office.
As Kieran approached the hospital, the scent of antiseptic and the low hum of medical equipment greeted him. He pushed through the doors, his eyes scanning around. One of the nurses noticed him immediately and shot up in slight panic.
"Alpha," she stammered, bowing her head.
Kieran didn't respond, his eyes flickering around the place until they settled on her. "Where is the rogue?" He asked gruffly.
"She's in the room at the end of the hall. She's in bad shape but stable for now, Alpha."
Kieran nodded curtly and made his way down the hall, his footsteps echoing in the sterile place. He stopped at the door and pushed it open.
Astrid jolted up from the chair, her eyes wide the moment she saw him.
"Alpha Kieran," she mumbled, clearly embarrassed at being caught.
Kieran hummed nonchalantly and made his way to the woman on the bed.
"Leave," he ordered, his voice curt.
Astrid scrambled to her feet, casting a nervous glance at the rogue. Kieran's gaze followed her, then returned to the woman.
The woman lay on the hospital bed, her face bruised and pale, her features barely discernible. Her body was battered and wrapped in bandages. Her breaths were shallow, but she was alive. Kieran stepped closer, his gaze intense as he studied her. She looked fragile, different from what he had imagined. She looked so weak and fragile, it made something inside of him itch.
"Who are you?" He muttered, more to himself than to her. He reached out a hand, his fingers hovering above her cheek. Her eyebrows furrowed, and a faint whimper escaped her lips.
Kieran's expression softened, his anger momentarily forgotten. "Easy," he whispered, his voice gentler than he intended. "You're safe now."
The door creaked open, and the beta stepped in, his gaze falling on Kieran and the woman. Sam cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"I know who she is, Alpha."
Kieran's eyes narrowed as he turned to Beta Sam, his expression stoic. "Who is she?"
Sam hesitated for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "She's Katherine," he finally said, his voice low and serious. "The banished daughter of the late Alpha Williams," he let out.
Kieran's brows furrowed in surprise. "Katherine… Williams?" Recognition flickered in his eyes. "Alpha Williams from the Blood Moon Pack had a second daughter?" he asked, confused.
Alpha Williams was quite famous for sticking his nose into business that didn't concern him. It wasn't a surprise to learn that the man's pack had finally been taken over and seized, but this, though... Kieran's eyes flickered back to the woman. This was surprising.
"No one was supposed to know. Apparently, she's cursed. The new alpha that took over the pack banished her after the siege," Beta Sam continued. At this, Kieran quirked his eyebrows.
"Cursed?" he asked.
Sam's eyes shifted to the woman, the information he got still making rounds in his head. "She doesn't have a wolf. She's human."
Kieran snapped his eyes to the beta, surprise evident in his features. "She's human? How is that even possible?" he asked, bewildered.
"That, I don't know, Alpha. What I do know is that she isn't good news. At the end of the day, she's a rogue, and her background doesn't favor us."
Kieran clenched his jaw, his gaze shifting back to the woman. 'She must've suffered a lot,' he thought to himself.
Beta Sam watched carefully. "What are you going to do now, Alpha? Do I have her taken out of the pack, or do I..." he trailed off.
Kieran looked at him again, his expression stoic once more. "Let her get conscious," he replied gruffly and then walked out of the room, Sam hurrying behind him.
He didn't get far when he saw the doctor. The man's eyes widened in recognition, and he immediately bowed. "Alpha Kieran," he said, nudging the boy to his right to bow lower. Kieran's gaze shifted to the young man beside the middle-aged doctor. He's new.
The doctor seemed to notice his gaze. "He's the new doctor we just hired. I'm showing him the ropes in the building, Alpha," he clarified.
"The rogue. Take care of her and tell me the second she's conscious," he uttered.
"Y-yes, of course, Alpha." Kieran didn't wait to hear the man speak more. He walked out of the hospital.
The soft sound of beeping filled the room as Katherine slowly stirred from her unconscious state. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she blinked several times. The sterile scent of the hospital greeted her senses, and she felt a dull ache throughout her body.
She shifted slightly, and a sharp pain shot through her side, causing her to gasp. Katherine's hand instinctively went to her abdomen, feeling the bandages wrapped around her torso. Memories of the events leading to her banishment flooded back, and she winced.
Her gaze wandered around the room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. She noticed the heart monitor beside her bed, and Katherine's breath caught as she saw a figure sitting nearby, watching her.
"You're awake. That's good news," the woman said, her eyes on Katherine.
"W-where am I?" Katherine croaked out weakly. The woman stepped closer to her, eyes filled with something Katherine couldn't discern.
"First, you go unconscious in our land, and now you don't even know where you are? Do you have any idea how many people are being punished for your mistakes?" The woman's sharp tone cut through Katherine's already damaged heart.
She winced, averting her gaze instantly.
"I-I'm sorry," she muttered softly.
She heard the woman sigh, her eyes softening. "You asked where you are, right? You're in the Vaeloria Pack," Astrid replied much calmer than before.
Katherine snapped her head up, jaw dropping at the information, ignoring the pain that shot up her body. "I'm in the what now?"
Astrid's eyes narrowed, an eyebrow quirked up at the other's reaction. "Vaeloria Pack," she said again.
Katherine's mind ran back to when her father had sat her down sternly, looking so serious, she was trembling. "In whatever you do, Katherine. Stay away from the Vaeloria Pack," he had warned.
Yet… she's somehow found herself in the very same place. The Vaeloria Pack.