"You must be so proud of yourself," Janet sneered. "Reducing me to less than nothing."
Lana frowned but didn't slow her pace as she marched Janet forward. The woman just wouldn't stop talking. Ethan had entrusted Lana with banishing Janet because he didn't trust anyone else in the pack to show restraint. For her own safety, Lana had handcuffed Janet and packed a small bag with her before sending her on her way.
"I did not have a hand in this," Lana said, her tone firm but calm. "You did this all to yourself."
Janet suddenly stopped, whirling around to face Lana, her eyes wild with fury. "If you had just let me go, if you hadn't been digging for information, my wolf would still be alive! You did this! You killed her!"
Lana's palm connected with Janet's cheek before she could think better of it. The sharp sound echoed through the quiet forest. Janet gasped at the pain. "How dare you hit me!" she shrieked, only for Lana to slap her again, this time knocking Janet a step back.
"Are you done?" Lana's voice was eerily steady but the twitching of her eye showed that her patience was at her limit. "YOU chose to betray us. YOU chose to do this all on your own. No one forced your hand. You should be thankful you weren't executed or left to rot in a dungeon."
Janet's lower lip trembled as her face twisted with grief and rage. "Why did I even think you would understand? My wolf is gone. I am empty. They are sending me to my death. Even the rogues will know what I have done. I have no future."
Lana took a deep breath before composing herself. "You're skilled, Janet. You'll figure out a way."
Janet let out a bitter laugh. "You think I can just move on from this? That I can start over?"
Lana sighed. "I think you're wasting your opportunity to think of a plan by standing here complaining instead of thinking of how to survive."
Janet glared at her but didn't argue. Lana pressed forward, forcing Janet to walk again. When they reached the edge of pack territory, Lana stopped.
"We're here," she said and uncuffed Janet. Lana reached into her pocket and tossed a small vial at Janet's feet. "It's a scent masker. It should last you a few days, as long as you stay out of the rain."
Janet stared at it but made no move to pick it up. Lana exhaled sharply. "I hope you can get past this; I really do. Leave and don't come back." She turned and began walking away.
"Don't you turn your back on me!" Janet shrieked. In a flash, she bent down and grabbed a rock, raising it to strike Lana from behind.
Before she could bring it down, a strong hand caught her wrist. Janet gasped as she was yanked backward.
Milo.
He had been following them all along, unwilling to trust Janet to leave without pulling something underhanded. Janet tried to fight against his grip as she was not used to being so weak. Milo's grip tightened on her wrist until she yelped and dropped the rock.
"I just knew you couldn't help yourself," Milo said coolly as he glared down at Janet. "You had a chance to leave with dignity. You chose otherwise."
Janet's breath came in short, panicked gasps as Milo shoved her forward. She stumbled past the invisible barrier of pack territory, landing hard on her hands and knees. A shudder ran through her as she realized she had no protection now, no allies, no home.
"You'll regret this," Janet hissed, her voice breaking.
Lana didn't look back. "No, I won't."
Milo folded his arms as he watched Janet scramble to her feet. "You have about five minutes before the rogues who caught wind of your situation come looking for you," he warned.
Janet hesitated for a moment, her face paling, before she turned and bolted into the woods.
Lana exhaled deeply as she and Milo began their walk back. The weight of what had just happened settled over them.
Milo studied her out of the corner of his eye. "You alright?"
Lana snorted, shaking her head. "I should be asking you that. Your wounds aren't fully healed."
"I'm fine," Milo said, rolling his shoulder dismissively.
They walked in silence for a moment before Lana spoke again. "But to answer your question, no. I'm not okay. But I'll be okay."
Milo let out a quiet huff. "Can't believe you let me trail you all the way out here without calling me out."
Lana stopped walking and turned to him, folding her arms. "Why did you really follow us, Milo? You know I can handle myself. There was no way Janet could have set up an ambush."
Milo's jaw clenched, his hands tightening into fists at his sides. Then, before Lana could react, he took a step closer and pulled her into a kiss.
It was firm, yet hesitant- seeking, testing the waters. The warmth of his lips against hers sent a jolt of shock through her, but she didn't pull away. When she responded, Milo deepened the kiss, his hands gripping her waist and pulling her closer. A low purr rumbled deep in his chest, sending vibrations through her.
When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against hers as he exhaled sharply. "I didn't want to wait any longer," he admitted, his voice raw with emotion. "With everything happening, I needed you to know."
Lana stared at him, her heart racing, her thoughts a tangled mess. "Milo, I- "
"I know," he cut in softly. "You thought I had feelings for your sister. I didn't. It was always you."
Lana swallowed, suddenly feeling like the ground beneath her was unstable. "This… this isn't the time to talk about this."
Milo let out a dry chuckle. "I didn't want to wait and have something happen."
Lana frowned. "Nothing is going to happen. We're going to make it out of this. We're going to save my sister, and we're going to make the Hunters pay for what they've done."
Milo held her gaze for a long moment before nodding. "Then when this is over, we'll talk."
Lana exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself. "Yes. When everything is over."