He Banished Me to the Rogue

I was once the beloved daughter of the powerful Alpha and Luna of The Midnight Ridge Pack. I thought I had everything—a loving family, a protective brother, and a perfect fated mate—Steve Dolton, the strongest Beta of The Midnight Ridge Pack and the man I had loved for eighteen years.

But when I turned eighteen, my world shattered.

I discovered that I had been switched at birth and that Penny was the true heir of the pack.

In an instant, I became the most awkward existence within The Midnight Ridge Pack.

Though my parents promised I would always be their daughter, when Penny offended The Rogue King, they didn’t hesitate to make me take the blame and threw me into the infamous rogue den.

I endured torture from silver chains and wolfsbane, my body covered in scars, becoming the lowest slave in the rogue den.

It wasn’t until the fifth year that my brother-Alpha Joe and my former fiancé- Steve, came to the rogue den to take me back to The Midnight Ridge Pack.

I overheard the casual chatter of the servants.

"Does she seriously think she can come back?"

"She made Miss Penny suffer outside for over a decade, stole ten years of happiness from her, and now she has the audacity to return and keep taking what belongs to Miss Penny. Shameless."

"I heard that bringing her back this time is to help Miss Penny..."

My throat tightened, and my palms grew cold.

"Julia, come back home with us. We were wrong about you!"

"Steve and I will treat you twice as well. You're still our precious little princess!"

Amid their urging and apologies, I loosened my hand grip on the tattered hem of my dress.

I had already promised to marry the son of The Rogue King. Our wedding was just around the corner.

Alpha Joe stood before me, his towering presence as commanding as ever. his jaw clenched in barely suppressed anger.

“Slave?” he barked, his voice echoing through the dilapidated walls of the rogue den.

I flinched, but only a little. “Yes, that’s what I am now. A rogue slave. Isn’t that what everyone’s been calling me?”

His amber eyes flared, his wolf not far from the surface. “Julia, you’re our sister! Who told you to call yourself a slave?”

“You sent me to the Rogue Den to atone for Penny’s sins, didn’t you? Did you really think a sinner would be treated well?”

Joe’s fists curled at his sides, and for a moment, I thought he might punch me.

“You were just about to agree to come home with us—you even got into the car!” he snapped, his frustration finally breaking through. “Why did you suddenly change your mind?”

My lips curved into a bitter smile. “ Perhaps this is where I truly belong.You were the ones who sent me here, remember?"”

Beta Steve, my former fiancé, stepped forward. “Julia, don’t say such things in anger. We’ve investigated what happened five years ago. You didn’t harm Penny on purpose that day.”

I scoffed. “Wow, five years to figure that out? Must’ve been a really tough case for you.”

Steve winced but pressed on. “We wronged you, Julia. And we regret it deeply. That’s why we came all the way from the Midnight Ridge Pack to take you home from this... this rogue den.”

“This place is too desolate,” Alpha Joe cut in, his tone softer now, almost pleading. “Too broken. It’s no place for someone like you—a young lady who was raised in comfort and love for over a decade.”

Comfort and love? I nearly laughed out loud. The only love I’d felt in that house was from my wolf, and even she had grown quiet after years of being suppressed by silver chains and wolfsbane.

Steve’s gaze flicked to my hands, and I caught the flash of pity in his eyes as he saw the rough, misshapen fingers I’d earned from years of hard labor. He spoke gently, as if trying to soothe a pup. “Julia, you don’t belong here. Come back with us, and we’ll make things right.”

My vision blurred for a moment, but I forced the tears back.

Five years. Five years of endless torment, of dreaming about the day my family would come for me. And when they finally did, when I climbed into that car with my heart pounding in hope...

I heard the whispers.

“She’s just a backup for Penny. Don’t know why Alpha Joe is wasting time on her.”

“She should be grateful we’re even bringing her back. After all, rogues don’t get second chances.”

The joy that had bloomed in my chest froze into something cold and brittle. Shock gave way to disappointment, and disappointment twisted into something darker.

My heart ached, but not from longing. No, this was the sting of betrayal.

The family I had waited so long to see again wasn’t truly remorseful. They didn’t want me back because they loved me or missed me. They wanted me because Penny had screwed up—again.