After My Alpha Marked the Rogue, I Ran Away

The weeks following my miscarriage passed in a blur of grief and growing isolation. Each day, the distance between Kian and me widened like a chasm I couldn't bridge.

"I found this in Winter's room," I said one evening, placing a small vial on Kian's desk. "It's wolfsbane extract. The same toxin that was in my tea."

Kian's expression remained impassive as he examined the vial. "Where did you get this?"

"From her bedside drawer. I was looking for my mother's earrings that went missing—"

"Searching through another wolf's private belongings?" His voice hardened. "That's beneath you, Sienna."

"I'm trying to show you what she did!" My voice cracked with desperation. "She poisoned me, Kian. She killed our pup."

Before he could respond, the door opened and Winter rushed in, her eyes wide with alarm.

"Alpha," she gasped, "I can't find my medication. The wolfsbane extract I use for my... my condition."

Kian's eyes darted between us, his jaw tightening. "Sienna found it in your room."

Winter's face crumpled. "You were in my room? Going through my things?"

"I—" I started, but Kian cut me off.

"Enough." His tone was final. "Winter needs that medication to stabilize her wolf. You had no right."

"But Kian—"

"I said enough!" His Alpha tone vibrated through the room, making me flinch.

Later that night, I discovered a folder on Kian's desk—one that hadn't been there before. Inside were photographs of me arguing with pack members, screenshots of supposedly "erratic" behavior. All carefully curated to paint me as unstable.

Winter had been busy.

---

The blizzard came suddenly, dumping two feet of snow on our territory overnight. Wind howled around the pack house, rattling windows and bringing a bone-deep chill.

"Grandfather?" I called, knocking on his door. "Are you warm enough?"

No answer.

I pushed the door open to find his room empty, the bed untouched. Panic surged through me as I raced downstairs.

"Has anyone seen my grandfather?" I shouted over the wind.

Winter appeared beside me, her expression concerned. "I saw him earlier. He mentioned wanting fresh air."

"In this storm?" I stared at her in disbelief.

"He's been confused lately," she said softly. "Maybe he forgot about the blizzard."

I rushed to the back garden, finding the gate swinging open in the wind. Fresh footprints led away from the house, disappearing into the swirling white beyond.

"Grandfather!" I screamed into the storm.

Aria howled inside me, urging me to shift and track him. I kicked off my shoes, ready to transform when Winter grabbed my arm.

"You can't go out there," she said. "The Alpha ordered everyone to stay inside."

"This is my grandfather!" I yanked away from her. "He's wandering in a blizzard!"

"We'll alert the search party," she insisted, her grip tightening. "But you need to stay here."

Something in her eyes didn't add up—a flicker of satisfaction beneath the concern.

---

I woke to shouting. The search party had returned.

"Where is he?" I demanded, racing downstairs.

Kian stood in the entrance hall, snow melting on his shoulders. His face was a mask of grief and fury.

"We found him near the northern border," he said, his voice hollow. "He was already gone."

The world tilted beneath me. "No. No, that's not possible."

"He was frozen solid," Kian continued, his eyes hardening as they met mine. "If you had locked the doors properly—"

"What?" I whispered.

"If you had done your job as Luna—as his family—he would still be alive."

Winter stepped forward, tears streaming down her face. "I told her the gate was open," she sobbed. "I begged her to check on him, but she was... distracted."

"That's not true!" I protested, but Kian's expression had already changed—his eyes cold with judgment.

"You were supposed to protect him," he said. "Instead, you left him vulnerable."

"He's my grandfather!" My voice broke. "I would never—"

"Enough excuses." Kian turned away. "You're relieved of your Luna duties until further notice."

"What?"

"Winter will handle things temporarily. At least she knows how to put the pack's needs first."

As Winter stepped forward, accepting the ceremonial Luna pendant from Kian's hands, I caught the glint of triumph in her eyes.

And in that moment, watching my world crumble around me, I realized the truth: this was no random act of cruelty. This was calculated destruction.

Winter had taken everything from me—my child, my position, and now my grandfather. And she was just getting started.