Page 13 of The Alpha's Chosen Fate

No, not my mate.He tried to sever the bond because he didn’t want me.

I came upon a small cave tucked beside a burbling stream.Exhausted, I ducked inside, collapsing onto the cold stone in my human skin.The damp air was chilly but I welcomed the numbness.

I blamed the sobs wracking my body on my fatigue.Reality was sinking in that I had left the only home I’d ever know.Left Caleb and Emery.Left Jemma and Eric, Emery’s parents.

I was utterly alone.

"I hate you," I whispered brokenly, as though Briggs could hear me.

But even as the venomous words left my lips, I knew they were a lie.He chose Ruby and I chose to leave.I ran without thought.

Caleb and Emery must have been so upset with me.Would they hate me?Maybe when I was in a better mental state I would reach out to them.Beg their forgiveness.

The thought only made the heartbreak worse.I curled in on myself, arms wrapped tight around my knees, and let the misery overtake me.

My wolf whined pitifully inside me, already missing the comfort and security of the pack.

I squeezed my eyes shut.I’d rest tonight.And tomorrow, I’d figure out what to do.

The next few days blended together, a monotonous cycle of hunting and hiding.Rabbits and fish barely took the edge off my wolf’s hunger.

Rieka urged me to hunt larger prey but I lacked the strength and skill to do so alone.Large prey was always taken down in groups.

Desperation drove me to lurk near human campsites, watching and waiting for scraps.The indignity of it burned but I had no choice.

One evening, I slunk close to dying embers, drawn by the scent of charred meat.A discarded chicken leg, picked nearly clean.I snatched it up, tearing off the remaining flesh.Barely a mouthful but I savored every morsel.

Rieka huffed.This is not sustainable.We need real food.

I growled low in my throat.You think I don't know that?

Then do something about it, she snapped back.Before we both starve to death.

Frustration simmered under my skin.Arguing with my wolf would solve nothing.

Little did I know everything was about to change.I awoke the next morning to find a freshly killed deer lying mere feet from my cave.Steam still rose from its torn throat, blood staining the dewy grass crimson.

Shock jolted through me.Who would leave this?And why?

Rieka surged to the forefront of my mind, on guard.A courting gift.From a rogue.

I processed the implication.A rogue wolf.One trying to win my favor with food.My gaze darted around the trees, searching for any sign of the hunter, but I saw nothing.

Unease prickled across my skin.I knew I should reject the offering, move on immediately to discourage any further advances.

My empty belly clenched.The rich aroma of fresh meat proved too tempting to resist.

Take some to go?I checked with Rieka.

She radiated wary agreement as I quickly used my claws to field dress the carcass, slicing and removing thin cuts of venison.I wrapped them in leaves, storing the bundles in my dress that I tied up like a sack.

They would feed me for days if I rationed carefully.I could easily carry the sack around my neck in wolf form so I could travel swiftly.

Once finished, I wasted no time in leaving, loping through the forest until my refuge disappeared from view.

Days became weeks.I moved from one temporary shelter to the next, never lingering long enough to draw attention from the packs whose territories I skirted.

Rieka remained vigilant, her senses attuned to the slightest hint of danger.

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