BANISHED BY THE ALPHA, NOW THE ROGUE PACK TREASURE

Madison’s POV The auto shop always smelled of oil and burnt rubber, which was essentially a second home to me. I was the youngest member of the mechanics team and the only woman. Kaden, the newest mechanic at the shop, was under the car, banging away with his tools and trying to finish quickly. Over by him, Santo, our chief mechanic and the boss around here, had his arms crossed and smiled as he watched. Then he looked at me, interested to see what I'd do next. “Time’s up,” Santo said with a chuckle. “Sorry, pal. Looks like you’ve lost your coins.” He pointed at me. “Can you fix it?” I went over to the vehicle, a heap of rust and damage where a car had once been. Before I reached for the tools and pulled myself under the chassis, I could feel all the eyes on me. My palms itched with nerves, but I kept my breathing even, telling myself I had done it a hundred times before. Nobody said a word. I still smiled, letting their doubt grow. They had a habit of underrating me, and I enjoyed proving them wrong. Pride filled my chest, along with the annoyance that I still needed to prove myself, but I was set on doing it. It was a piece of cake. “Time’s up, princess,” Santo said, knowing how much I hated that name, and I rolled out from under the car. "Alright, boss," I said with a smile. He got into the car, turned the engine on, and it ran smoothly. The crew cheered, and someone slapped me on the back. “Give the girl the money, Kaden—you’ve lost this time. Good luck next time,” Santo said, then put the coins into my hand. “This is humiliating—losing to a girl and one of low rank,” Kaden spat. “There’s no point in making it worse,” I remarked with a chuckle. I left the shop because tonight was the mating ceremony under the full moon. As soon as I thought about it, my heart started beating faster. I had been looking forward to this night for so long, picturing how Jason would look at me and see me not as the dirty kid who worked under the hoods, but as the woman he would select for life. I glanced at my gray, oily pants and dirty blue shirt. I'm going to wear a dress for Jason, my destined mate. We are meant to be together. He would eventually become the pack's alpha. I wondered whether he would smile when he saw me that evening, take my hand, and promise me all I had hoped for. The thought nearly pushed my doubt and worry aside for a moment. I decided to visit him first and bring him a present I had made. I pulled something from my pocket and looked at the charm attached to a deer-skin strap. I didn't knock; I just went in. The sight before me looked unreal. I held my breath, and my entire body became cold. Jason lay on the pillows, and my sister’s head was between his legs. The room seemed to sway. I felt as though I had been punched, my heart pounding and blood rushing in my ears. I just stared, unable to move, as shock and betrayal surged through me. Jason finally opened his eyes, but there was no guilt, no love, nothing at all. “Madison, I was going to tell you...” I shut the door, went over to my sister, and pulled her hair. “You’re my sister—how could you do that?” “Leave her alone, you freak,” Jason said, pushing me aside and drawing her close to his chest. “She’s fragile right now,” he added, his hand moving down to her belly. I screamed so loud. “You’ll pay for this,” I said, then turned and walked to my father’s office. With every step, my anger grew. I didn’t even knock; I just opened the door. My father, Ulises, the pack's alpha, sat in his chair, his brows furrowed. "Dad, Ava, and Jason…" “I know. Stay silent; there’s no point in throwing a fit. What did you expect?” "Really? Are you supporting her? I've put in countless hours for this pack… Jason is my fated mate.” “You are weak, and you ignore Jason. He wants a woman with a strong wolf who can have pups and be a Luna. You know the rules of our pack: only those with a strong wolf spirit are seen as real contenders to become a Luna, the future alpha’s mate.” “It’s not only a matter of strength. You need enough power in your wolf form to protect the pack and have strong offspring. Even if the Moon Goddess chooses mates, people still judge the strength of the inner wolf. If a wolf is weak, the pups will be weak too, and the pack will not tolerate that—which is why Jason picked your sister.” "I can’t believe it," I said, tears stinging my eyes. For the first time in my life, I felt defeated, and nobody saw how wrong this was; no, I was blind. I looked at my father, and at that moment, he felt like a stranger. He never took my side, not once. Never appreciated my work and saw me as a stain. Without a word, I left his office and ran inside my room. I took off my clothes, went into the shower, and sobbed. Afterward, I put on jeans, a shirt, and a hoodie. When I went outside, I saw people happy as they found their partners, hugging and kissing. Jason and Ava kissed as if nothing had happened, as if I hadn't been there. Seeing me standing there, he pulled away, and Ava looked triumphant. “I, Jason Walker, reject you as my mate.” Pain hit me, and I fell to the floor. I could hear their laughter, his friends’ and pack members'. "You were right to make that choice; look at her, she's a weak freak." I got to my feet, my breath catching. "I, Madison Reed, reject you as my mate," I said, and the bond broke as he dropped to the floor. Ava looked at me, puzzled, then tried to help him up. Anger surged inside of me, and I walked to her, then slapped her hard. After that, she feigned having been pushed and fell to the ground. A person pulled my arm firmly. It was my father, Alpha Ulises. "What have you done?" Everyone nearby stopped and looked. "From now on, Madison will no longer be Reed or belong to this pack; she is to be taken by the guards to the border and expelled from the pack," he shouted for everyone to hear. "Hold on a moment," he added as he went over to the fire. He picked up the metal bar, with the letter R on one end meaning 'rejected'; I knew that because I welded it there. Two guards held me, then branded me. Even with my high pain tolerance, it hurt, and I let out a short scream. “That’s the best you can do?” Then he hit me hard, blood trickling from my mouth. Ava smiled as she pulled Jason’s arm closer. “Take her to the border and make sure she doesn’t come back.” I was walking alongside the guards; I knew them, having grown up together. “Madison,” Henry said, “go west and don’t meet the rogues. I’m sorry; we all knew that, and I thought you did too.” I let out a sarcastic laugh, holding my arm; the pain was dull now. ” I didn’t, but that’s no longer important. Thank you, Henry.” I paused. “Go look for Lana; she likes you.” "Madison..." but I had already rushed into rogue territory, disregarding his advice to keep west. At that point, my life was worth nothing, or so they believed. Perhaps the rogues would catch me, perhaps they would kill me, but I wasn't going to quit. Not now. If I was to survive, I had to keep moving and keep fighting. I had to show not only them all but myself that I was more than what they perceived. Even though I had nothing left, I still had my own strength. Who am I kidding? I’m wolfless. “All right,” I had spoken too soon when I saw them coming out from between the trees, fangs bared, and the leader circled me a few times. “I was banished from my pack,” I told him. He turned his head, then looked back at me. Did he ask me to follow them?