The Pack's Rejection
1301 Words
The rogue hit the snow in a blur of teeth and shadow.
Fiona barely had time to scream before Rufus threw himself between her and the creature. His body shifted mid-leap—bones snapping, muscles twisting, fur rippling across his skin in a rush of silver-black. He landed on all fours, massive and terrifying, a wolf the size of a small bear.
The rogue slammed into him with a snarl.
Rufus met it with a roar.
Snow exploded around them as the two wolves collided, rolling through the clearing in a frenzy of claws and rage. Fiona stumbled back, her breath fogging the air, eyes wide as Rufus pinned the rogue with crushing strength.
The rogue twisted, snapping its jaws toward her.
Rufus’s response was brutal.
He clamped his giant jaws around the rogue’s shoulder, dragging it away from her and throwing it so hard it crashed against a tree. The impact shook snow from the branches. The rogue staggered up—injured, bleeding—glared at Rufus, then vanished into the woods with a limping sprint.
Rufus shifted back instantly—n***d chest rising and falling, breath ragged, eyes still glowing with leftover fury.
He turned to Fiona.
“Are you hurt?” His voice was rough, barely human.
She shook her head, trembling. “No… but you—”
“I’m fine.” He stepped toward her. “You’re coming with me. Now.”
She swallowed. “Where?”
“To my pack,” he said. “You’re not safe alone. They need to know you’re under my protection.”
He didn’t wait for agreement. He grasped her waist—gentler than his voice—and lifted her up as if she weighed nothing, guiding her through the snow.
•••
They walked for nearly an hour.
The forest thickened, trees closing in like watchful sentinels. She could feel Rufus’s tension rise the deeper they went. His jaw tightened. His shoulders stiffened. Every few seconds, he glanced into the shadows as if expecting another attack.
Finally, buildings appeared through the trees—log cabins, torches burning, lanterns casting gold light over the snow. Wolves patrolled between the houses, some in human form, most not.
As Rufus stepped into the center of the settlement, dozens of eyes locked onto Fiona.
Whispers rose instantly.
“She’s human.”
“Why is she with him?”
“That’s the girl?”
“The cursed mate…”
“The prophecy—Moon save us.”
Fiona’s pulse spiked. She edged closer to Rufus without meaning to.
He sensed it.
His arm slid protectively in front of her, blocking their stares like a shield. “Enough.”
The voices died instantly.
A tall man stepped forward—broad shoulders, dark hair, a scar crossing his lip. His gaze landed on Fiona, and the disdain there made her stomach twist.
“She shouldn’t be here,” he said. “Humans aren’t allowed inside Blackwood territory.”
“She’s under my protection,” Rufus growled.
The man’s jaw ticked. “The pack deserves an explanation.”
Rufus’s eyes glinted dangerously. “And you’ll get one when I decide to give it.”
A ripple of discomfort passed through the wolves.
Another voice—female this time—whispered just loud enough for Fiona to hear:
“He brought the cursed one home.”
Fiona stiffened. “What does that mean?”
Rufus shot the woman a lethal glare. She dropped her gaze instantly.
He turned to Fiona, voice low. “Ignore them.”
“I heard what she said.”
“You’re tired. Injured. You’re not dealing with this right now.”
“Rufus, what curse?!”
Before he could answer, another figure emerged—an older woman with silver hair braided down her back, her presence commanding enough that even Rufus straightened.
“Alpha,” she said calmly. “Bring the girl inside. The wind carries dark omens today.”
Fiona blinked. “The girl? I have a name—”
The woman’s eyes narrowed on her. “Not yet.”
Rufus growled—not at Fiona, but at the elder. “She’s not an object. She’s—”
“A human,” the elder cut in, gaze sharp. “And your pack is terrified because they know what it means.”
Rufus stiffened.
Fiona’s stomach turned. “What does that mean?”
The elder stepped closer, studying her with unsettling intensity. “You are the mate of an alpha fated for destruction. A prophecy foretold your arrival long before you were born.”
Heat drained from Fiona’s body.
She shook her head slowly. “No… no, you’re wrong. I’m not part of any prophecy.”
Rufus moved between them, voice icy. “That’s enough.”
The elder didn’t flinch. “The pack has a right to know the danger she brings.”
“She brings nothing but what the Moon chooses,” he snapped.
“And the Moon has cursed you,” she said softly. “We all heard its warning.”
Fiona backed away. “Stop. Just stop. I didn’t ask for any of this.”
Her breath quickened. Her vision blurred. And then—suddenly—the world sharpened. Her hearing picked up voices across the camp, clear as if they whispered beside her.
“What is she?”
“She’ll doom us all.”
“He can’t protect her forever.”
“Humans break.”
Fiona clutched her head.
Rufus spun toward her instantly. “Fiona? What’s wrong?”
“I—I can hear them,” she gasped. “All of them. Even the ones way over there. How—how is that possible?”
The pack fell silent.
Rufus stepped close, hands hovering near her waist without touching. “Look at me.”
She forced her eyes open.
The world looked different—too bright, too sharp, too alive. She could smell the pine sap on the trees, the smoke on people’s clothes, the heartbeat of someone standing far behind her.
Her own pulse thudded like a drum.
“I’m human,” she whispered, terrified. “Why is this happening?”
Rufus’s face hardened—not angry, but worried in a way she’d never seen.
“The bond,” he said quietly. “It’s accelerating.”
“What does that mean?” she breathed.
“It means,” he said slowly, voice low with dread, “the Moon isn’t just tying you to me.”
He stepped closer, eyes burning gold.
“It’s changing you.”
A murmur rose through the pack—fear, warning, disbelief.
Before Fiona could respond, a horn echoed through the forest—deep, booming, urgent.
Every wolf tensed.
Rufus turned sharply toward the woods, eyes narrowing. “Rogues. More of them.”
The elder hissed a cold breath. “They followed her scent.”
Fiona’s blood chilled.
Rufus faced her, grip firm on her shoulders. “Get inside. Do not open the door for anyone but me. Do you understand?”
Fiona swallowed hard. “Rufus—”
He cupped her face—the briefest touch, a spark shooting through her skin like lightning.
“Go,” he growled, voice shaking with something that sounded too close to desperation.
She stumbled backward, heart racing.
Then a new voice echoed from the woods—dark, mocking, familiar.
“Well, well… the human mate.”
Fiona froze.
She knew that voice.
It was the rogue.
And he stepped into the clearing with more wolves behind him.
Rufus’s entire body went rigid. His eyes blazed with murderous fire.
“
Get behind me,” he snarled.
Fiona didn’t move.
Because the rogue was smiling now—teeth bared, eyes blood-red—and what he said next froze her blood solid.
“Hello, Fiona.
Long time… sister.”
- Writer
