The Pack Where She Belongs

"Astrid! Run!" I didnt look back, I grabbed the frame of the window and lifted myself up, pulling myself up onto the grass from the basement window. my body hurt so badly, I had a faint ringing in my ears and I felt like I was going to throw up. "we have to go, you have to get up. we have to get somewhere safe" My wolf Harper warned me. I just nodded my head and pushed myself up onto my feet and grabbed my back pack from the ground before taking off, pushing myself as hard as I could to reach the pack border. I could hear the growling and howls of the warriors as they followed after me. "let me out, I'll carry us there. four legs are better than two" she told me and reluctantly I stopped and let her forward, letting her take control and lead us to freedom. "we're so close.. just a little further" I thought as we got closer and closer to the pack border. I knew our body couldnt go much further at this pace but we had to keep going, the warriors were getting closer. The moment we crossed it was like cool air rushed over us despite the summer heat. only then did Harper stop and look back at the snarling faces of the pack, Alpha Garrent the one standing at front. He bared his teeth at us before Harper turned and continued on, still running but not hard as before. "I cant.. keep.. going" was the last thing I heard from her before the world went dark and silent. Was this the end for us? ------Earlier that day----- --Astrid "ugh.. I'm still so sore from yesterday" I thought as I laid there on my small bed in the basement of the pack house. It was the only room I where I had free reign for the most part, along with the laundry and storage areas. my room was four concrete walls in the very back, tucked away behind everything with a small pathway back to it among all the junk down here. I didnt have a door on the room, just and old quilt over the hole where the door should be. Alpha Garrett had broken it down years ago and I had never been given a new one. I was an outsider among this pack since I didnt belong to them. I was found as a small child, left with no family, no trace of who I was other than I smelled of werewolf. The Alpha and Luna of the Mountain pack didnt want to take me in but the elders had forced their hands, which ultimately made my life hell for twenty-four years. I had planned to leave when I turned eighteen but with no family and no luck finding my mate, I was screwed. I heard my phone buzz on the floor and I rolled over "fuck.." I mumbled as I saw who it was from. I had to communicate by phone since I couldnt mind-link with the pack, the message was the alpha giving me a list of chores I had to get done if I wanted to eat that day. my stomach rumbled in protest of potentially not eating again. I got up and walked over to the cracked mirror on the wall and looked over my face. The bags under my dark blue eyes were obvious, the scar across the corner of the left side of my lips was starting to become less and less obvious but still clearly there. My jet waist long jet black hair was a mess from sleeping. I quickly took my brush through my hair before braiding down my back then getting dressed in my jeans that were full of holes and a black shirt. I then pulled on my old boots and headed upstairs to the main floor of the pack house. i was instantly welcomed by the scent of food which instantly made my stomach ache with need. "Chores first.. food later" I thought before making my way to the door that lead outside but not before the high pitched voice of Heather, the Alphas daughter, came from behind me. "where do you think you're going, b***h?" she asked while eyeing me over with disgust. "the locker rooms down by the training grounds, they need to be cleaned. though I dont know why that's any of your business" I answered her with a shrug before heading outside as she proceeded to yell at me for talking to her the way I had. I made my way down to the training grounds were the warriors currently were still training. I walked into the locker room and instantly gagged, I hated being here but I wanted the food more than my hatred of the smell here. I walked to the supply closet and got to cleaning. I was about half way done before I felt someone behind me. before I could move I was pushed up against it, the person behind me. I frowned the moment I noticed the scent, Heather's current boy toy, James. "Astrid.. we really do have to stop meeting like this.." James cooed in my ear, making me almost vomit. "when are you going to let me enjoy this sweet body of yours? huh?" he added as he grabbed my ass. "never, now get off of me" I growled and pushed back against him but he pressed himself against me harder, my face against the locker in front of me. "never say never, love.. you should be so lucky that I want to enjoy you" he growled the last part into my ear just before I slammed my head back against his, causing him to recoil and let me go. "b***h!" he growled but before he could attack me the others came inside, laughing and having a good time. he glared at me and I knew this wouldnt be the end of this. I finished up cleaning the locker room when everyone else cleared out. I sat on the bench and sighed, lost in my own thoughts for a moment. I knew I was strong and fast like the others, hell if not stronger but I kept that to myself with my late night runs and excercises. I didnt want the others to know I wasnt as weak as they made me out to be. "I just wish I belonged somewhere.." I thought before getting up and going about the rest of my chores which would last be until after dinner time. no one was in the kitchen at this point so I snuck in and grabbed some jerky and apples and went to hurry off to my room but was stopped by Alpha Garrent and his son, Chris. "did you get that s**t done like I told you?" Garrent growled as he saw the food in my hands. I could see chris sigh but he didnt make it overly obvious to his father. Chris was the only one who wasnt a total ass to me, he mostly just ignored my existence. "yes sir, everything on your list is done. I had Gamma check me after I finished" I answered him, my voice blank of any emotion. Since I wasnt technically a part of the pack he had no real control over me other than knowing he could kill me any time he wanted. he stared at me a moment before grumpily gesturing to the basement door, telling me to get out of sight without saying it. I happily moved out of their way and headed down the crappy basement steps then to my small room. I flopped down on the bed and got right into eating what I had grabbed, my stomach finally happy to have some relief. after eating I just laid back on the mattress on the floor, looking up at the ceiling before hearing the shrilling voice of Heather as she came down the stairs. "you w***e!! how dare you come onto James! you just cant keep your filthy hands off of the men I'm with can you?!" she screeched as she tore down the quilt. before I could say anything she jumped ontop of me and began scratching at my face and arms as I tried to protect my eyes "get off of me! I want nothing to do with him!" I yelled back and did my best to control my temper as she wailed on me. I wasnt quick to anger but the more she hit my face the angrier I got. with one more punch, this one hitting my jaw I lost it. I growled loudly and shifted my legs, putting my feet under her and I launched her across the small room. she hit the wall with a thud, her head hitting the wall. I sat up quickly and saw blood, I knew I was f****d. I had hurt the alpha's princess and I was going to pay hard for this. I saw Heather open her eyed and instantly they glazed over, I knew she was mind-linking her father. double dead. "we have to go, now" Harper said into my mind and I knew she was right. I quickly hurried out and grabbed a backpack hiding among the junk, a bag I had kept for this reason, leaving. as heather was finding her legs again I heard the boom of the basement door fly open and hit the wall. "Astrid! you have f****d up for the last time!" Alpha Garrent yelled down. I ran for the small basement window i always snuck out at night and pried it open before tossing the bag out onto the grass. I hopped up and went to pull myself up and out but I felt a hand on my ankle before being dragged back in, landing on my face and chest. I heard ringing in my ears and I saw spots in my vision, I definitely had a concussion. I lifted my head and saw blood, "fantastic.." I thought before being kicked in the ribs, hard. I coughed and threw up what little food I had in my stomach. "How f*****g dare you?! What makes you think you have the right to harm my little girl?!" Garrent barked as he kicked me again, I heard something crack and I threw up again. "little girl? you're kidding right? shes eighteen and hops from c**k to c**k every week or so, sounds like your little w***e to me.." I grumbled before I felt another kick causing me to cry out. me and my big mouth. Just before the next blow landed I heard a loud crash. I lifted my head and looked over to see Chris holding back his father. "Astrid! Run!" was all he said and I didnt hesitate despite the pain. I was up and scrambling out the window and into the hot summer night, running to freedom. ------Alex--- I stopped dead in my tracks as I smelled the most intoxicating mix of lavender and vanilla out here in the middle of the woods while running with my beta William and Gamma Zack. "do you two smell that?" I asked as they stopped a little ahead of me with confused looks. "seriously, do you? we dont have lavender bushes on the grounds.. but I smell it.." I commented and looked around, the scent was faint but it was there. they continued to look at me like I lost my mind. "just help me look instead of looking at me like that" I grumbled before walking away. they spread out from me and helped me find where that amazing scent was coming from. "Alpha, I might not smell what you're smelling but I smell blood, this way" William informs me before heading the direction the scent was coming from. As we got closer and I realized the blood and the other scent were coming from the same place I felt my wolf, River become angry and I wasnt sure why but he was. he kept pacing in the back of my mind and growling. "she dosen't look too good.. shes not one of ours but she doesn't smell rogue.." William commented as he looked down at something, well someone who I couldn't see just yet. "well.. shes still breathing but she need to be seen by someone, those bruises dont look good" Zack commented as well. With every comment, River got angrier and angrier. "what is your issue man?" I asked him but before I could get a response from him I saw the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on and the cuts and bruises on her body made me want to kill someone. her face was scratched up, blood in her hair and hair line, her ribs and stomach had dark nasty looking bruises and she had a hand print around her ankle where someone had grabbed her. "mate!!!" was all River yelled into my mind and I growled loudly, the sight of her caused me so much rage I almost lost it there and then, River wasnt helping as he tried to surface. I pushed him back down and pulled my shirt off before carefully lifting her torso and sliding my shirt over her naked form to shield her from William and Zack who had looked away the moment I growled. "I dont know who you are or where you came from.. but i will never let anyone hurt you like this again.. i swear it.." I said as I picked her up in my arms and cradled her limp body against my chest. "we need to get back to the pack house, now" I told the others and we hurried there so this beautiful woman in my arms could be seen by the pack doctors. I knew she was in rough shape but I wasnt about to let her go, not after waiting for my mate this long