Rejecting the Alpha

19 Kylie

I ran through the trails of the familiar forest, my wolf revelling in the freedom, looking for prey. I mostly lived by eating small animals in my wolf form or berries, but unfortunately berries were going out of season so I could only hunt to survive now. I understood I regretfully might have to move soon, since the prey was becoming thinner after a month of my presence.

As I trotted through the forest, the earthy scents filled my nose, but I didn't smell any fresh trails of small prey or anything else of interest.

Then the scent of rabbit caught my attention, and I turned to follow it, my wolf doing half the work as we trailed what would hopefully become our next meal. Through the underbrush I pushed, branches catching on my fur as I pushed through. I salivated at the thought of a full stomach.

So intent was I on my meal that I was caught off guard. There was an unfamiliar wolf up ahead. By his scent I knew instantly this was no animal.

My first fear was that the alpha had finally found me, but his unkempt appearance dismissed the notion. His eyes darted around a bit jumpily, marking him as a rogue whose sanity was no longer entirely intact and there was menace in his stance. My assessment was confirmed when the gamey scent of rogue met my nose.

I backed up slowly, trying to look like I could fight, but would prefer not to. His frame was larger than my own, but he was nearly skin and bones. He bared his teeth and howled.

I dashed away with the intent to get to my car. Once I was there I could drive somewhere far from this threat. My way was blocked by another pair of rogue wolves, a female and a male, and I was forced to run in the opposite direction of safety.

I tried to lose them by dodging and weaving and running through difficult terrain, but while I managed to stay ahead, I didn't gain enough distance to lose them entirely. With a curse, I realized that two more had joined the chase, and worse, I was heading directly towards Lightwood.

There was nothing else I could do, though, so with a howl I rushed through the scent of territory lines. I would probably die, but it would be better in the jaws of the pack rather than by the teeth of savage rogues.

It took only a minute for the pack to descend upon us, a handful of fighters who were presumably on patrol. I instantly crouched into a position of submission, hoping that the pack would let me go. Since I made myself look like the lesser threat, I was largely ignored as the pack warriors first faced the hostile intruders.

In a few moments the threat of the other rogues was gone, either dead or captured, and it was only me and the pack.

One of the fighters transformed into a human with soft brown eyes and a handsome sculpted face. I forced my eyes not to wander lower. "Transform so we can speak."

I didn't have much choice, so I did, kneeling on the ground, keeping myself as covered as possible, although none of them ogled me and for that I was grateful.

"Who are you?" he asked. "You smell of a pack, but not exactly. Are you newly a rogue?"

"I am."

"Why did your pack expel you?" he asked.

I inhaled. "I ran away. My former pack wasn't..." I didn't know how to explain it. "I ran, and then I've been living here in the forest for the last month, until these rogues found me and I had to flee from them. I didn't mean to trespass. I'm sorry. If you let me go, I'll leave and not come back."

He crouched down to my level, his reassuring voice washing over me. It was dangerous to feel safe in the situation I was in, but I somehow did even though I needed to stay on guard. "I think you should speak with our alpha."