Chapter 1: The manipulated banishment

The air in the Stone Ridge pack, usually thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, was shrouded in fear and gloom. Moonlight, peeking through the canopies of oak trees, painted the assembled lycans with a silver hue. They stood still and rigid, their usually spirited eyes downcast, as a figure emerged from the shadows. It was Kaelen, their alpha.

Kaelen's voice, amplified by the innate lycan power, reverberated across the gathering;

"Tonight, we eliminate a cancer from our midst. Tonight, we witness the backlash of treachery."

Reese stood bound, his wrists grazing against the thick metallic shackles that held him in place. He could feel every gaze directed at him. Each gaze contained different emotions - shock, confusion, fear, and the dawning certainty of his guilt. A guilt he was not aware of.

"Reese," Kaelen called out in a somewhat deceptive tone. "You stand accused of the gravest sin: the slaying of Alec, a loyal member of our pack." The words dropped like a bombshell.

A collective gasp rippled through the air. Alec. Reese's own cousin. They were best friends since they were young. Reese stood still and let the words, which appeared to be like arrows, shoot through his soul and heart. It was painful. He tried to speak, to justify his innocence, but the words caught in his throat, choked by the despair and helplessness that threatened to engulf him.

Then she stepped forward.

Elena. His mate. His lover. Her blonde hair, which usually sparkled in the moonlight, seemed to glint with a cold and sinister glint at that moment. Reese's heart, which was already fractured, tore and splintered further at the sight of her. He couldn't believe he had held her in his arms a few hours earlier. He remembered the soft brush of her fingers against his cheeks, the deep secrets shared and whispered under this very moon, the earnest passion that had bound them together.

"I saw him." Elena started. "I saw Reese near Alec's den. And the two seemed to be engaged in a heated argument. He looked...agitated. Later, I found Alec...dead."

Her words pierced through Reese's heart. Chillingly sharp and cold. Reese had tasted what betrayal felt like, but this kind of betrayal hit a different spot. It was very brutal that Reese could barely breathe. His eyes found hers. He was trying to check if he could see a trace of love and tenderness they once shared. But what he found was only a cold, resolute mask.

He remembered their last conversation. She seemed nervous. The way she pressed him for details about pack movements. Well, to him, that sounded as a normal lover's concern. He had no suspicions whatsoever. How blind.

Kaelen nodded grimly after he heard of Elena's testimony. "The evidence is clear. Reese turned his back on his pack and stained his hands with blood of his own kin. Such an act can not go unpunished. By the ancient laws of our people, by the decree of this alpha, Reese is hereby banished from this territory. He is stripped of his name, his rank, and his connection to the Stone Ridge pack. Should he ever return, he will face the ultimate penalty."

Growls of agreement rumbled among the pack. Fear for their own safety, coupled with the evidence presented, sealed Reese's fate.

Reese finally found his voice, though it sounded broken.

"Elena, how could you?" That was the only thing he could ask. He really needed to understand. Was his love and loyalty to her not enough?

"The pack's safety comes first, Reese, always." Elena answered as she met his gaze with an unwavering one.

The finality in her tone tore through his last shred of humanity. He finally understood: she hadn't just lied. She had made a choice. She had chosen Kaelen, chosen power, chosen her own survival over their bond, over their love, and over the truth. The tyrannical leader had used her to bring him down. He felt so cheated. Their love, their intimacy, their bond, all that went down the drain.

Kailen raised his hand to silence the murmurs. "Take him to the farthest border. Leave him to the mercy of the wild."

Rough hands instantly seized Reese, dragging him towards the edge of the clearing. He looked back one last time, at his pack and the only home he had ever known, and finally at the woman, whose betrayal had cost him everything. The woman he had loved so deeply. He saw the grim satisfaction on her face.

As he was thrust beyond the boundary markers, the scent of his pack faded, replaced by the raw, untamed smell of the wilderness. He could smell danger from afar. He was all alone, betrayed, and branded a murderer. Defiance suddenly settled in. He was going to rise again so that he could make Elena and Kailen pay for their lies.

Only one person managed to catch the evil and triumphant smile on Kaelen's face. And the person was..