Chapter 2 Exiled

• In a chamber dimly bathed soft luminescence, suffused with the redolence of pine and cedar, Elsie found herself ensconced. Her senses, awash in the aromatic embrace, seemed to drift beyond the physical realm until the weight of a man's firm grasp upon her brought her sharply back to reality.
• "Release me!" she implored, her struggles against his unyielding hold proving futile.
• The contours of his countenance eluded her sight, obscured amidst the fragrant haze that enveloped them. "Who are you?" the stranger demanded.
• With an unwavering grip, the man subdued her, his breath warm against her ear. Through the fabric that separated them, the palpable strength of his sinewy form and the heat emanating from his proximity left an indelible impression upon her.
• "I'm Els—" Her voice trailed off, interrupted by the urgency of his actions as he tore apart the fabric of her garments. In the ensuing moment, a cascade of fervent kisses descended upon her exposed skin.
• Her initial protests faltered, supplanted by a bewildering surge of acquiescence. Surrendering to an inexplicable compulsion, Elsie found herself reciprocating his ardour, yielding to his advances with a fervour that defied her own understanding.
• Throughout the night, their ardour kindled an unrestrained conflagration of passion. Despite her intermittent protests and rasping cries, his ardour remained undaunted, each tender caress an unyielding testament to their burgeoning intimacy.
• Upon the dawn's arrival, memories of the night's revelry swirled amidst her consciousness. Her trembling limbs sheathed in garments once more, Elsie embarked upon a quest to confront the elusive gentleman who had claimed her innocence. Yet, her search yielded naught but a solitary silver cross earring, adrift upon the rumpled bed.
• Could this token, perhaps, be his?
• Tucking the memento away, Elsie poised to depart, only to be accosted by the abrupt intrusion of her father, Tom, his visage contorted by a maelstrom of ire. Juliet, her sibling, stood by his side, her countenance a mirror of familial disapproval.
• "Dad ... " Elsie stammered, a pallor of astonishment shading her features.
• Tom's accusatory finger jabbed towards her. "Elsie, how dare you defy my commands and forsake Mr. Queens? We can never align with the Snow Moon pack now!"
• Juliet's rebuke was no less scathing. "Elsie your recklessness has sown discord throughout our pack. Do you grasp the gravity of your actions?"
• Elsie shook her head in earnest denial. "I ... I sensed my mate's presence and followed it to this chamber ... "
• "Your mate?" Juliet's voice dripped with disdain. "You, who possess no wolf within, how can you profess to claim a mate?"
• "I know I have no wolf, yet there are werewolves like that who have managed to find their mates."
• Elsie sought to elucidate her plight, yet Tom's wrathful interjection shattered her attempt. "Elsie, cease your falsehoods! A sorceress foretold your destiny at birth! You are the bane of our pack, destined never to find a mate in this mortal coil!"
• Elsie's eyes widened in disbelief. "No ... it cannot be! How can it be that I have no mate ... "
• Her thoughts, like a sunken vessel in the depths of despair, found no solace, reminiscent of the desolation she felt upon discovering, in her eighteenth year, her lack of a lupine counterpart.
• "Had I foreseen this day, I would have exiled you from our pack long hence! Now we face peril with Mr. Queens, all due to your folly!" Tom's anger, tinged with remorse, erupted vehemently.
• "What? Father, you mean to cast me out?" Elsie's shocked gaze met Tom's stern countenance.
• "Elsie, you are henceforth banished. From this hour forth, you are no more kin to the Blue Moon pack."
• Abruptly, a profound disconnect gripped Elsie, severing ties with her father and her pack, drowning her in a suffocating solitude.
• In that instant, she became naught but a Rogue.
• Tom regarded her coldly. "Gather your belongings and quit our pack with all haste!"
• With those words, he departed, accompanied by Juliet.
• As Elsie watched their retreating forms, anguish gripped her heart ...
• She had never wished to be bartered to Mr. Queens. All she desired was life itself, yet now, banished by her father and bereft of the prospect of a mate, she plummeted into a chasm of despair, tears cascading uncontrollably.
• Lost in sorrow, she did not know how she exited the chamber or where her path now led. Unconsciously, she found herself returning to the Dark Moon Forest of the prior night.
• There, beneath the boughs of a towering oak, she slumped, tears staining her cheeks.
• Time became nebulous amidst her weeping, until, on the brink of collapse, she felt a presence intruding upon her consciousness, much as it had the night before.
• Faint yet tender, a voice murmured, "Elsie, don't cry. I'll always be here for you ... "