Rejected by Blood

Chapter 5: Warning Signs

The cabin felt different after they left.

Axel, Liam, and Keri had packed up that morning, their presence fading like the warmth from their abandoned coffee mugs and rumpled blankets. Axel had kissed my forehead on his way out, murmuring something about checking in with his pack and following up on strange whispers from Blue Moon territory. Keri’s hug lingered the longest—tight, fierce, full of a silent promise to return. But her eyes held doubt she didn’t voice.

Now it was just me. Me and the silence.

And the shadows.

The fire crackled in the hearth as I curled up on the couch, cocooned in a blanket that smelled faintly of cedarwood and pine smoke. Outside, the wind clawed at the shutters. Each creak of wood made me flinch.

The solitude that once offered peace now gnawed at my nerves.

My phone buzzed against the coffee table.

Blocked Number.

My heart gave a sharp kick as I reached for it, thumb hovering above the notification. A pit formed in my stomach as I opened the message.

Keep your head down. They're watching. The Blue Moon Pack harbors secrets darker than you know.

My breath caught. I stared at the screen, unsure whether to laugh, scream, or throw the phone across the room.

I typed back with trembling fingers.

Who is this?

Message failed to send.

The number had disappeared.

That night, sleep didn’t come easily. I tossed and turned on the couch, haunted by the text and the ghosts of memories I’d tried to bury. The bruise on my side from yesterday’s training burned—Sierra’s not-so-subtle shove still throbbing beneath my ribs.

A soft knock startled me.

I sat up fast, heart racing.

“Isla?” a voice called gently through the door.

Dakota.

I padded barefoot across the wood floor and cracked the door open.

Moonlight bathed his face, making him look older. Wearier.

“Can I come in?”

I nodded, stepping aside.

He slipped in, careful not to wake the silence. Keri’s mug still sat on the counter, her cinnamon tea long gone cold.

I returned to the couch, watching as Dakota hovered awkwardly before sitting next to me.

“I saw what happened during training,” he said, voice low. “Sierra shouldn’t have—”

“She does what she wants,” I interrupted. “No one stops her.”

He exhaled through his nose. “She’s our sister, but... she’s not right.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Took you this long to notice?”

He chuckled softly, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Dad’s no better,” I muttered. “You know that.”

“I know,” he said. “Trust me—I’ve lived under his shadow longer than I care to admit.”

A heavy silence stretched between us.

“I don’t even know how to fight back,” I admitted. “Every time I try, he finds a new way to break me.”

Dakota’s jaw clenched. “You shouldn’t have to fight alone. Not anymore.”

I turned to him. “Why now? After all this time, why care?”

His voice cracked when he answered. “Because you’re my sister. And someone has to. Sierra’s busy chasing power, and Dad… he’s lost. But I see you, Isla. I see how strong you are. And I swear—I’ll stand beside you. No matter what comes.”

I blinked hard. “You mean it?”

“I swear on my wolf.”

The alarm buzzed, a shrill reminder that life went on—bullies, secrets, and warnings be damned.

I groaned as I swung my legs over the side of the bed, the cabin floor cool beneath my feet. For a moment, I just sat there, staring into the dim morning light streaming through the curtain. My stomach twisted, not from hunger, but from the tension coiled in my chest like a wire pulled too tight.

Another day at that cursed school. Another round of whispers, stares, and Sierra’s venom.

But today, something felt different.

I rose slowly and padded toward the small mirror hanging above the dresser. My reflection stared back—pale but steady. My thick brown curls were a wild halo around my face, but somehow, they looked good today, like they had a mind of their own and finally decided to cooperate. I ran my fingers through them, teasing the shape until the curls fell just right.

I grabbed a bottle of light foundation, dabbed on a touch of concealer, and swept a bit of mascara over my lashes. I left the rest alone. No bold lip. No dramatic eyeliner. Just me—presentable, put together. Unapologetically plain. And yet... something gleamed in my eyes.

I leaned closer.

There, in my right eye, just beneath the warm brow, was a streak of gold. So faint it could be missed in the wrong light. But there it was. A shimmer. A hint. A warning, maybe.

Or a promise.

Something was waking inside me.

I didn’t know what it meant, but for the first time in a long while, I didn’t want to hide.

I pulled on a soft forest green sweater that hugged my arms and matched the glow in my eye. Black skinny jeans and combat boots completed the look—simple, but solid. Grounded. Ready.

I slung my backpack over one shoulder, took one last look in the mirror, and whispered to myself, “You’ve survived worse.”

And then I stepped out into the day. The air outside was crisp, scented with pine and the faint trace of dew on the ground. As I made my way down the gravel path toward where the pack shuttles picked us up for school, I spotted Keri already waiting near the tree line, leaning against a post with her arms crossed.

She looked up from her phone as I approached, and did a double-take.

“Damn,” she said with a low whistle. “You look… fierce.”

I blinked, unsure if she was teasing.

Keri straightened, walking a slow circle around me. “Green suits you. And your hair looks awesome—like, ‘don’t mess with me’ awesome.”

I shrugged, trying not to smile. “It just decided to cooperate this morning.”

Keri tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. “And your eyes. Isla… is that gold?”

I tensed. “You see it?”

“Barely, but yeah. It’s subtle,” she said, voice dropping as she stepped closer. “But it’s there. You’re changing. Something’s waking up.”

I looked away, the weight of the unknown pressing down again.

“Don’t overthink it,” Keri added, gently nudging my shoulder. “It’s a good thing. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. And that glow? It’s not just in your eyes—it’s in how you carry yourself. I’m telling you today? You look like someone they shouldn’t mess with.”

I smiled faintly, her words a quiet balm to the ache I tried so hard to bury.

“Thanks, Keri.”

She slung an arm around my shoulders as the shuttle rolled up the hill, dust trailing behind it.

“Let them try something,” she said with a smirk. “I’m ready to go full she-wolf today if Sierra even breathes in your direction.”

Despite everything, I laughed.

The bus doors creaked open. We stepped on together.

I didn’t feel brave.

But I didn’t feel alone, either.

The lunchroom buzzed with chatter and the clatter of trays. I sat alone near the window, picking at half a sandwich and a cup of lukewarm soup. My seat was always the same—back corner, close to the exit. Easy escape route.

Sierra spotted me the moment she walked in.

She strutted toward me, blonde hair bouncing like she lived in a shampoo commercial. Her entourage trailed behind her, giggling.

“Aww,” she cooed loud enough for half the cafeteria to hear. “Poor little Isla. Eating alone again? Did your imaginary friends cancel?”

I didn’t look up.

Sierra leaned across the table, voice syrupy sweet. “Or are you too busy whispering to the voices in your head? Maybe your fake wolf finally decided to talk back.”

One of her minions gasped. “Wait, did she even shift yet?”

Giggles broke out.

I swallowed hard, keeping my eyes on the tray.

Sierra’s smile widened. “Don’t worry, Isla. Not everyone was born to be a real wolf. Some of us… Well, we’re just nature’s mistakes.”

I clenched my jaw. My fists balled beneath the table. My wolf stirred inside me, snarling softly. But I didn’t let her out.

Not yet.

A new voice cut through the noise.

“Back off, Sierra.”

Everyone froze.

Keri.

She stepped forward, shoulders squared, eyes blazing.

“You want to pick on Isla, you’ll have to get through me first.”

Sierra scoffed, but her expression faltered.

“This doesn’t concern you, Keri.”

“It does now,” Keri snapped. “We’re done watching you tear people down for fun. Grow up.”

The crowd fell silent. For the first time, Sierra backed off. Not because she was afraid of Keri, but because she knew she was losing control.

Keri sat beside me, nudging her shoulder against mine.

“You’re not alone,” she whispered. “Not now. Not ever.”

Later That Night – Forest Clearing

Sierra’s POV

She tapped her foot against the fallen log, watching as pack members crept into the clearing.

Hidden deep in Blue Moon territory, far from prying eyes, the meeting was underway.

“Thanks for coming,” she began, scanning the faces—young warriors, rebels, even a few disillusioned betas. “Isla’s return is a threat. To me. To our future. To this pack.”

“What do you want us to do?” someone asked hesitantly.

Sierra’s lips curved into a cold smile.

“We isolate her. Undermine her. Make her doubt herself. Make everyone doubt her.”

A few murmurs of agreement followed.

“And if she doesn’t back down?” another voice asked.

Sierra's smile widened. “Then we erase her from the equation.”

On her phone, she opened the encrypted chat: Operation Eclipse. Message after message detailing their plans, their steps, their weapons.

At the top of the list: Isla May Black.

Meanwhile, Axel and Liam

In the hills beyond Blue Moon, Axel crouched beside Liam, inspecting a wooden crate hidden beneath a false floor in a storage shack.

He pried it open, revealing vials—small, glowing faintly.

Liam frowned. “These aren’t healing agents.”

“No,” Axel confirmed grimly. “They’re suppressants. For wolves. Black market grade.”

Liam cursed under his breath.

“And that’s not all,” Axel added. “I tracked a scent trail—led to a hidden holding cell. Old blood. Young wolves.”

“Trafficking?”

“Wolves and drugs,” Axel said, his tone grim. “And Donnavan’s fingerprints are all over it.”

Liam looked toward the horizon. “Isla’s still in the middle of it all. We need proof.”

Axel nodded. “And when we have it, we take them down. All of them.”

Back at the Cabin

That night, as I curled beneath the worn quilt, my thoughts churned.

The messages. The bruises. The tension is tightening around Blue Moon like a noose.

But Keri’s voice echoed in my memory.

Dakota’s vow still lingered like a flame in the dark.

And somewhere out there… maybe Jeremy wasn’t gone after all.