Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Morning light filtered through the cabin windows, illuminating dust motes that danced in the golden beams. I had finally managed to sleep for a few hours after my confession to Edward, though my dreams had been haunted by images of Kieran and the other wolf, twisted together in our bed.

I found Edward in the small kitchen, preparing a simple breakfast from the supplies he'd gathered. His mother sat at the table, looking better than she had the day before—some color had returned to her cheeks, and she seemed more present, less haunted.

"I've been thinking," Edward said as he placed a plate of food in front of me. "If you're worried about Alpha Kieran tracking you down, this cabin might not be secure enough. It's remote, but it's still within his territory's extended reach."

I pushed the food around on my plate. The thought of Kieran searching for me brought conflicting emotions—part of me wanted him to suffer, to worry about where I'd gone, while another part dreaded the confrontation that would inevitably occur if he found me.

"Do you have somewhere else in mind?" I asked.

Edward nodded, taking a seat across from me. "Have you ever heard of the Neutral Zone?"

I frowned, trying to recall if Kieran or anyone in the pack had ever mentioned such a place. "No, I don't think so."

"It's about a hundred miles northeast of here," Edward explained. "It's a territory that isn't claimed by any pack. There's a community there—werewolves who live outside the traditional pack structure."

"Rogues?" I asked, immediately wary.

"No, not rogues," he said quickly. "They're nothing like my father or his followers. They're just... independent. They call themselves the Unbound."

Edward's mother spoke up, her voice soft but clear. "They're peaceful. They've created their own community—werewolves who, for whatever reason, don't fit into traditional pack life. Some were born into packs but left. Others were lone wolves who found each other. They live alongside humans, integrated into society, without the rigid hierarchy of pack structure."

"No Alphas? No Lunas?" The concept was almost foreign to me. I'd been born into a pack, raised with the certainty of hierarchy and structure. The idea of werewolves living without those fundamental elements of our society was difficult to grasp.

"They have leaders," Edward said, "but not in the way packs do. No one rules by dominance or birthright. They make decisions collectively, help each other, protect each other. But they stay out of pack politics and territorial disputes."

"And they just... accept newcomers?" I asked skeptically.

"Not everyone," Edward admitted. "They're cautious about who they allow into their community. But they have a tradition of offering sanctuary to those who need it—especially those fleeing abusive situations."

I considered this. A place where I could disappear, where Kieran wouldn't think to look for me. A place where I could heal, figure out these strange new powers, and decide what I wanted to do next.

"It sounds perfect," I said finally. "How soon can we leave?"

Edward seemed relieved by my response. "We can go today. The truck should still be where we left it, and I know the route."

We spent the morning preparing for the journey. Edward found an old duffel bag in which I could pack the clothes he'd given me. His mother seemed reinvigorated by the prospect of going to the Neutral Zone, moving with more energy than she had shown since I'd met her.

As we were about to leave the cabin, I paused, suddenly concerned. "Should we leave a note or something for your family? For anyone who might be worried about you?"

Edward shook his head firmly. "Better not to leave any trail. If Alpha Kieran comes looking for you, he might pressure my relatives for information. The less they know, the safer everyone will be."

He was right, of course. The last thing I wanted was to bring Kieran's wrath down on innocent people if he traced me to this cabin. And I certainly didn't want any conflict between his pack and Edward's family.

"What about your pack members?" Edward asked gently. "Is there anyone you want to contact? To let them know you're safe?"

I thought about Maya, my closest friend in the pack, and Damon, Kieran's Beta who had always been kind to me. They would be worried, perhaps organizing search parties even now. But contacting them would risk revealing my location.

"No," I said with a sigh. "It's better this way. Clean break."

The journey to the Neutral Zone took most of the day. We abandoned the truck in another small town and continued by bus, then on foot for the final stretch. As we traveled, I found myself growing quieter, lost in thought about what this new chapter of my life might hold.

Perhaps someday, when the pain had dulled and I had mastered my strange new abilities, I would return to Silver Creek. Not as a suppliant Luna begging forgiveness for running away, but as someone new—someone stronger. I would make Kieran regret his betrayal. I would make him pay for throwing away what we had.

And not just Kieran. My mind turned to the darker elements of pack society that I had always tried to ignore—the way some male wolves took mates by force, the ancient "traditions" that normalized such behavior. As Luna, I had worked to change these practices within our pack, but I had been constrained by my position, by the politics of pack leadership.

Maybe outside the pack structure, I could find a new way to fight those injustices. Maybe in the Neutral Zone, I could become something more than just Alpha Kieran's betrayed mate.

We should kill him, my wolf growled suddenly in my mind, her presence fierce and hungry for vengeance. We should return and tear his throat out. Drink his blood for what he did to us.

My wolf had been unusually quiet since the incident at Harry's compound, perhaps as disturbed as I was by the strange fire powers we had manifested. Now she returned with a vengeance, her bloodlust a hot coal in my chest.

"We have other things to do first," I murmured under my breath.

What could be more important than making our mate pay for his betrayal? my wolf demanded, curiosity tempering her rage.