REJECTED BY MY ALPHA MATE

Chapter Five: The First Hunt

The first thing I noticed was the cold.

The fire had burned down to ashes, leaving only a faint glow. My blanket clung to me, but the chill of dawn seeped in. I rubbed my arms, shivering, before realizing the clearing was empty. Kael was gone.

Panic jolted through me. My eyes darted to the tree line, searching for golden eyes in the dark. What if the rogues had come back? What if he had left me alone?

Then I caught movement, he emerged from the shadows, silent as a predator, carrying a hare by the neck. Blood dripped from the limp animal, trailing across his forearm. His golden eyes met mine, and for a moment I forgot how to breathe.

“You’re awake” His voice was steady, as if he had known I would panic.

You… My voice cracked. I cleared my throat, trying again. “You left.”

“I hunted.” He tossed the hare onto the ground near the fire, as if it were nothing. You need to eat.

I pulled the blanket tighter. Hunger clawed at me, sharp and humiliating. He had carried me through the night, saved me from death, and now… now he was feeding me. My pride flinched, but my body ached too much to protest.

Do you always just disappear without saying anything? I muttered, unable to stop myself.

He crouched near the fire, striking flint against stone. Sparks danced, smoke curling upward as flames caught again. His scarred hands worked with effortless precision.

I don’t waste words, he said. The bluntness stung, but I pressed my lips together. I had no right to expect kindness. Still, I couldn’t shake the twist in my chest.

Minutes passed in silence until the smell of roasted meat filled the clearing. My stomach growled, loud enough for him to notice. Kael didn’t smile, but his eyes flickered in faint amusement as he handed me a portion. I hesitated before taking it. His gaze lingered until I finally took a bite. The flavor was wild and raw, but it filled me in a way I hadn’t realized I needed.

Better, he said simply, watching me eat. I avoided his gaze. Why are you helping me?Kael didn’t answer right away. He leaned back against the tree, arms folded, eyes sharp. Because you won’t survive otherwise.

The words were cold, practical but beneath them, something flickered. A weight I couldn’t name.

Before I could ask more, his head lifted suddenly. His nostrils flared. My breath caught.

What is it? I whispered. “Quiet.”

The single word silenced me instantly. His eyes glowed faintly in the dim light as he rose to his feet, moving like a shadow. The forest seemed to shift with him, the birds falling silent, the air thick with tension, and then I heard it. The faint crunch of leaves. The low growl of something moving closer.

My heart hammered as fear gripped me. Rogues? Kael didn’t answer. He moved in front of me, his body tense, his stance ready. The air smelled of wet fur and rot, the same stench I remembered from last night. My stomach dropped. They had found us again.

From the trees, three wolves emerged larger than the ones before, their eyes burning with hunger. I stumbled back, clutching the blanket like a shield. “There’s more of them”“Stay behind me.” His voice was a command, sharp and unyielding.

Kael shifted before my eyes, the transformation smooth and terrifying. His wolf was massive, scarred, his fur dark as midnight. He moved with a deadly grace, golden eyes locking onto the rogues.The fight was brutal.

Kael met the first rogue head-on, slamming into it with such force that bones cracked. He tore through the second with ruthless precision, his jaws snapping down on its throat. Blood sprayed, the metallic tang filling the air. But the third rogue broke past him, lunging for me.

I screamed, stumbling back. My wolf stirred weakly inside me, but she was too broken, too silent to rise.The rogue’s claws grazed my arm before Kael’s wolf tackled it, snarling viciously as he pinned it to the ground. He ripped it apart, leaving nothing but silence in the clearing. I collapsed to my knees, shaking, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

Kael shifted back, his chest heaving, his body streaked with blood that wasn’t his own. His golden eyes found me, hard and searching.“You froze,” he said flatly. Anger flared in my chest, mixing with shame. What was I supposed to do? I can’t… My voice broke. I don’t have anything left.

His expression didn’t soften. Then you’ll learn. I blinked, stunned. “Learn?”

You think hiding behind blankets and fear will keep you alive? His tone cut deep, merciless. Out here, weakness is death. You’ll train. You’ll fight. Or the next time, I won’t save you.

The words stung worse than claws. Tears burned my eyes, but beneath the pain, something else stirred. A spark. Anger, not just at him but at myself. At Damian. At every moment I had been made to feel powerless.

“I…” My voice trembled, but I forced the words out. I don’t know if I can. Kael crouched, his golden eyes inches from mine. You can. Or you’ll die. The choice is yours.

The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating. My hands clenched into fists. For the first time since Damian’s rejection, I felt something stronger than despair.

“I’ll try,” I whispered. Kael studied me for a long moment, then finally stood. Good. He turned away, but his words lingered in the air like a challenge.

As he began to clean the blood from his hands, he added, almost too low for me to hear:

“The rogues weren’t hunting you by chance. They were sent.”

The ground tilted beneath me. Sent? My breath caught as dread flooded my chest. By who? I whispered.

Kael’s golden eyes glowed in the firelight, sharp and unreadable. “That,” he said, his voice low and dangerous, is what we’ll find out.