The sawmill stood high on a rocky outcrop overlooking the West Wood. It was a run-down timber building that had been a prosperous business until rumours of man-eating wolves caused the workers, and eventually the owners, to abandon it.

Laying low in the bracken, I watched the building for any sign of life. Worryingly, there hadn't been a sniff of a single rogue. If the rogues had moved on and taken the medallion with them, then there would be no way for me to undo my sister's mistake.

I crept forward, straining my ears, praying that I would hear something—anything.

From inside the building, the faint sound of rock music seeped through the weathered timber walls.

I breathed a sigh of relief. The rogues were still there—so there was still a chance of retrieving the medallion.

I wondered how many rogues were inside. Amber never mentioned how big the pack was—only that Devon was their leader.

I moved softly through the dead bracken, inching closer to the old sawmill. My stomach churned and the hairs on the back of my neck prickled. Something was off about this place.

Crouching low behind a clump of brambles, I studied the old dilapidated building, looking for any signs of life. The building appeared to be one bad storm away from collapse. Most of its windows were broken, and half the roof was missing.

A shiver shot down my spine. I could hear the sound of muffled footsteps against creeping floorboards coming from within.

I lowered my body to the ground, holding my breath, and strained my eyes to see if I could glimpse anything through the broken windows.

Straining my ears, I listened to the creaking footsteps, until finally, a small side door to the left of the building swung open and a shirtless rogue stepped out.

I kept still. Rogues were only dangerous if they caught you. If I stayed hidden, then I'd be okay.

The young male rogue yawned loudly and stretched out his arms. He was young, about my age, with dusty brown hair and bright amber fox-like eyes.

He lit a cigarette and took in a long drag, holding the cigarette smoke in his lungs for a good ten seconds before blowing it out into the freezing air.

I watched him, noting an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. That was something about this guy that felt wrong.

A sleepy feminine voice from inside the building called, "Come back to bed, Devon."

The rogue glanced over his shoulder and called back, "Give me a moment, darling. I'm just taking a breath of fresh air."

My lip curled in irritation.

So this was the bastard who had blackmailed my sister.

Devon ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair and cast a quick glance over his shoulder back at his female companion, hidden from view. "Just taking a breath of fresh air."

He slid his hand under the waistband of his jeans and took another drag. Looking at him, I couldn't fathom what my sister had seen in him. He was scruffy, unkempt, and stank of cheap beer and cigarettes.

He was the complete opposite of Sebastian, who effortlessly oozed charm and sophistication in both his appearance and outward demeanour.

Watching him, my stomach roiled as he slid his hand further into his jeans and, to my horror, pulled out Selene's Crescent Moon Medallion.

My mouth dropped open.

The dirty devil had the pack's sacred relic squirrelled down his pants.

He lifted the shining silver medallion to his nose and took a sniff of it.

"God damn," he said, quickly pulling the medallion away from his nose, and tucking it back inside his jeans.

"I'm coming back for seconds, baby," he yelled, wiping his hands on his jeans, before disappearing back to his female companion inside the sawmill.

I should have been happy I'd located the medallion, but how on earth was I supposed to steal it back when he was smuggling it down there?

For a few moments, I entertained unpleasant visions of attempting to steal the medallion back from Devon while he was in the shower. But then it hit me – Devon was a rogue wolf. He had to shift, most likely during the night, and I highly doubted he would dash through the woods in a pair of tiny wolf jeans.

While he was in wolf form the medallion would be left unattended.

A smile illuminated my face as the next step of my plan formulated in my mind.

Tonight, I would return to this spot and wait for the rogues to leave the sawmill for their hunt.

Then I can sneak through the door and reclaim the medallion and be on the next flight home by tomorrow morning.

The plan was so simple—it was fool proof.

Retracing my steps through the West Wood, I followed the familiar path back to the cowshed.

As my trailer came into view, so did Lachlan and Sebastian. The two men appeared to be engaged in a heated discussion. Sebastian paced restlessly back and forth, while Lachlan appeared to try and placate him.

I couldn't hear what was being said, but I imagined Sebastian was yelling something along the lines of, "I told you not to let her out of your sight".

As I drew closer, Lachlan spotted me and smiled, "Moonbeam, there you are. I thought you were coming straight back to the trailer. Where were you?"

Thinking on my feet, I replied casually, "I took a detour by the creek. I wanted to see if the old tire swing Amber and I used to play on was still there."

Ignoring the weight of Sebastian's dark stare, I attempted to play down the few hours I had been missing.

"I hope you weren't worried about me," I said smoothly. "It was such a lovely morning. It seemed a shame for me to sit inside all cooped up."

Sebastian wasn't buying any of it.

His eyes darkened when he spotted a dead piece of bracken clinging to my sweater. He strode over to me and swiftly plucked the bracken from my sleeve and growled, "You were told to stay away from the West Wood."

I smiled serenely and countered, "I did stay away from the West Wood, once Lachlan informed me of the rogues camping near the old sawmill."

Sebastian brought the bracken to his nose and inhaled its scent. He was uncertain whether to believe me or not. His intense blue eyes bore into me, searching for the truth. Defiantly, I tilted my chin up and held his gaze, attempting to mask any trace of guilt that might betray me.

As moments stretched between us, the anger and suspicion in Sebastian's eyes gradually faded into exhaustion. Lifting his hand, he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, "You gave me a heart attack, Mabel."

My chest tightened in response and I felt compelled to go to him, to soothe him, to reassure him that I was okay. But I stayed still, refusing to give into my mate bond. I closed my eyes and reminded myself painfully that this was for the best. Getting close to Sebastian would only cause more pain for the both of us when it came time to part ways.

"Mabel," Sebastian's voice called to me, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Are you sure you are okay?"

"Of course," I said, taking a step back. "Although, I think it might be time for a nap. All this fresh air has got to my head."

Sebastian nodded. "Sure, if you need anything, or change your mind about the guest suite—just let me know."

I retreated back into the damp cold trailer and closed the door firmly. Dropping down on my bed, I pressed a hand against my heart, feeling strangely bereft of Sebastian's company.

"It's just the mating bond," I reminded myself, "It's not real."

For the rest of the day, I remained in the trailer, biding my time until the evening when I could sneak out.

When the sun had sunk behind the mountains, I ventured out into the snowy night. I took nothing with me, except my phone and plastic bag to put the medallion in.

Rogues tended to hunt at night, so I hoped that by the time I arrived at the old sawmill, the group would have left in search of dinner.

Crossing the frozen fields, I snuck into the West Wood, and crossed the west boundary into no man's land.

The sawmill came into view and so did the distant sounds of rock music and the pungent aroma of cigarettes, alcohol, and rotting animal flesh.

I crouched low in the dead bracken and crept slowly along an old rabbit trail until I reached the east wall of the sawmill.

Taking cover behind a broken window, I cautiously raised my head for a glimpse inside.

Three shirtless men lay scattered asleep on the floor. One lay face down next to a radio, while the other two were sprawled out next to the carcass of a freshly killed deer.

I bit back a curse. They had already hunted and eaten for the night, which meant I had missed an opportunity to steal the medallion back from Devon.

I sank behind the window and pressed a hand to my temple. If I wasn't able to steal back the medallion tonight, then I would have to stay another night on the ranch. That meant having to spend another day trying to avoid Sebastian and our mating bond.

I chewed on my lower lip, recalling our earlier run in. Sebastian had been frantic when he realised I had wandered into the West Wood by myself. He was starting to display an overprotective streak towards me that was typical of a wolf defending its mate.

The longer I stayed on the ranch, the more our feelings would develop for one another.

I couldn't risk that.

I couldn't return to the pack that had thrown me out onto the streets and left me with nothing.

Standing up, I peeked through the broken window again. The men were still on the floor asleep, having gorged themselves on meat.

However, I spotted something that I had missed earlier. It was Devon, sitting with his back towards me at a makeshift table.

He leaned over a pile of opened leather-bound books, quietly taking notes. Next to him, on the table, I caught a flash of silver. It was Selene's medallion.

Devon picked the medallion up and examined it between his thumb and forefinger.

My muscles tensed. It was so close, yet so far away.

One of the men, next to the radio, suddenly lifted his head, and mumbled, "Is Sammi coming this evening?"

Devon put the medallion down and tilted his head towards the man.

"I don't know, Red," he said.

I wondered if Sammi had been the same woman who I had heard earlier. Perhaps she was another rogue.

"I miss Amber, she was way cooler. I still don't know why she chose to marry that asshole instead of joining us," Red said sadly, scratching his chest.

Devon's eyes blackened at the mention of my sister's name.

"She made her choice—although she did help us by bringing us Selene's medallion. We just need Artemis' dagger, then we have all three relics," he said.

My eyebrows furrowed. There were only two relics, yet Devon had mentioned three.

"Aren't you worried that Amber will rat on us?" Red enquired.

"Perhaps," Devon said, shrugging his shoulders. "But it would be suicide if she did. By exposing us, she exposes herself. I wouldn't hesitate to tell Sebastian that she was the one who stole the medallion for us."

Devon confirmed what I already suspected. If Sebastian got to Devon first, Amber's betrayal would be discovered. However, if I managed to retrieve the medallion from Devon first, then Amber would be saved.

I stared at the silver medallion lying on the table, wishing that there was a way for me to swipe it away from them.

Suddenly, the sound of a creaking door interrupted my thoughts.

Devon stood up, slipping the medallion back into his pants.

A young girl with bright brown eyes gingerly entered the room. She looked painfully young, no more than fifteen or sixteen years old.

Her eyes widened with excitement when she saw Devon.

"Devon, I've got the money you asked for from my parents," she exclaimed, pulling out a wad of notes from her purse.

Devon glanced back at her, noting the wad of cash she was waving in front of him and he flashed her a bright charming smile.

"You're a good girl, Sammi," he said.

Sammi blushed a deep pink as he took the money and countered it in front of her.

"I remember what you told me," she said, watching him with adoring eyes. "I was careful that no one saw me come here. You know, Sebastian is getting a bit antsy about security. They don't really seem to like you guys."

"Nobody likes the misunderstood," Devon said wistfully, stuffing her parents' money into his jacket. "Deep down, all rogues want to be like you. We want a pack, a family, a luna to cherish."

He flashed her a smile and Sammi's cheeks flushed beet red.

My stomach coiled in cold revulsion.

This girl was half his age.

Sammy giggled, completely unaware that she stood in front of a predator, and oblivious to the fact that she was the prey. She smiled up at him, completely taken in by his charm.

As I watched her, I caught a glimpse of a dark spot hovering over her shoulder.

My blood ran cold.

The dark spot resembled the faint outline of a Death Shade.

Devon suddenly paused and took a deep breath. "Do you smell that?"

For a second, I panicked and thought he smelt me, but Devon quickly turned on Sammy, violently grabbing her shoulders.

"I know that smell, it's your little friend. She's followed you here, hasn't she?" He yelled at her.

Sammi winced and replied, "I was careful not to be followed by security, but you know what Claudia is like."

"You know I don't approve of her nosing around my business. If you're going to let her follow you here, then I'd rather you not come at all," he said

Sammi paled, her eyes widening at the thought of Devon being angry with her.

"Please, I didn't mean to. She's one of the best stalkers in the pack. No one can track her,"

Sammi pleaded.

"That's not the point," Devon growled, grabbing her arm. "She's the alpha's sister. If she found out what we're really doing here, she could ruin everything."

Sammi's frightened cry echoed through the room as Devon's fingernails dug into her skin. Fur sprouted from the edge of his knuckles as he struggled to maintain control over his wolf.

The ominous outline of the Death Shade grew bolder, indicating that Devon was teetering on the edge of losing control and ending Sammi's life.

Frantically, I searched for a stone or any object to throw. I couldn't stand idly by and allow Sammi to be murdered by Devon.

A sudden loud bang reverberated through the building as the door was kicked off its hinges. A young woman with shoulder-length black hair and the same bright blue eyes as Sebastian entered the old sawmill, stepping over the broken remnants of the door.

Devon released Sammi, and the outline of the Death Shade began to fade.

Claudia glared at Devon, who calmly folded his arms across his chest.

"Should I invoice your brother for the broken door?" he inquired softly.

"Invoice this," Claudia retorted, raising her middle finger at Devon.

A smile crossed my face. I liked this girl

Turning her attention to Sammi, Claudia said, "Come on, let's get out of here."

Surprisingly, Sammi, instead of being grateful for Claudia's help, screamed at her, "Why can't you leave us alone? Why do you have to ruin everything?"

Claudia winced at her friend's reaction, visibly hurt by her words.

"Leave now, or I'm calling my brother," Claudia warned.

Sammi, threatened by a phone to the alpha, burst into tears and hastily ran out the door.

Claudia scowled at Devon and rushed after her friend, pleading with her to stop.

Devon rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Fucking women."

Suddenly, a hand clamped over my mouth, and I felt myself being pulled backward away from the building.

I initially fought against the hold but ceased when Lachlan's voice chided from behind me, "You're in big trouble, moonbeam. Sebastian is not going to be happy with you."