The Alpha's Rejected Mate

Chapter 13: The Hunt Begins

Midnight. Dark. Cold.

We stood at the edge of the woods. Me. Ryder. Twelve warriors. No torches. No light. Just the moon. Half hidden. Like it didn't wanna watch what was coming.

Everyone was quiet. Scared. But not running. That's something.

"You all know why we're here," I said. My voice was low. Didn't need to be loud. "Seven girls. Our girls. Sold like meat by the Alpha you used to follow."

No one moved. No one spoke.

"I'm not your Alpha. I didn't ask for this. But I'm the one taking you tonight. If you wanna leave... leave now. No shame. No punishment."

No one moved.

"Good. Then we walk. Fast. Quiet. We reach Shadow Fang before dawn. We find the camp. We take the girls. We leave."

"And if they fight?" one of the warriors asked. Young guy. Scared but trying not to show.

I looked at him.

"Then they die."

We walked.

Two hours. Maybe three. The woods were thick. Dark. Every sound made someone flinch. A branch breaking. An owl screaming. A rabbit running.

Ryder walked next to me. His hand on his knife.

"You think they know we're coming?" he whispered.

"Doesn't matter."

"Why?"

"Cause even if they know... they're not ready for me."

He didn't say nothing after that.

We stopped at the edge of a hill. Below us... lights. Small fires. Tents. Shadow Fang's camp.

I counted. Seven tents. Maybe twenty warriors. Maybe more.

"The girls?" Ryder asked.

"I don't see them."

"Maybe they're inside the tents."

"Maybe."

I looked at the camp. Looked at the fires. Looked at the men walking around. Laughing. Drinking. Like they didn't have seven girls locked up somewhere. Like they didn't steal daughters from their families.

My chest got hot. The fire. The voice.

"Kill them," it whispered. "Kill them all."

"Not yet," I whispered back.

"Why wait?"

"Cause the girls first. Then blood."

I turned to the warriors.

"Spread out. Circle the camp. Don't move till you hear me."

They nodded. Disappeared into the dark. One by one.

Ryder stayed.

"What's the plan?" he asked.

"I go in. Find the girls. Get them out."

"Alone?"

"Alone."

"That's stupid."

"Maybe. But it's my stupid."

He grabbed my arm. Not hard. Just... there.

"Lila. If you don't come back..."

"I'll come back."

"You don't know that."

I looked at him. His eyes were wet. Not crying. Close.

"Yeah," I said. "I know."

I pulled my arm away. Walked down the hill.

The camp was louder now. Closer. I could hear them talking. Laughing. One of them was singing. Bad voice. Drunk.

I stayed in the shadows. Moved slow. Quiet.

First tent. Empty. Just blankets and bottles.

Second tent. Empty.

Third tent...

I heard crying.

Quiet. Muffled. Like someone with a cloth over their mouth.

I pulled the tent flap. Looked inside.

Three girls. Young. Tied up. Mouths covered. Their eyes were wide. Scared. Hopeless.

I put my finger to my lips. Shhh.

One of them started crying harder. I crawled inside. Cut their ropes with my claws. Fast.

"Outside," I whispered. "Run to the hill. Don't look back."

They didn't move. Scared frozen.

"Run."

They ran.

Fourth tent. Two more girls.

Fifth tent. One more.

Sixth tent. Empty.

Seventh tent...

I heard laughing. Men. Inside.

I pulled the flap.

Four men. Drinking. Playing cards. And in the corner... the last girl. Seventh. She wasn't tied. She wasn't crying. She was just... staring. Empty. Like she wasn't there anymore.

One of the men saw me. Stopped laughing.

"Who the hell—"

I didn't let him finish.

I don't remember much after that. Just blood. Screaming. Bones breaking.

When I stopped... four men on the ground. Not moving. Not breathing.

The girl in the corner looked at me. Still empty. Still gone.

"Can you walk?" I asked.

She didn't answer.

"Can. You. Walk?"

She nodded. Slow.

"Then walk."

She stood up. Walked out. Didn't look at the bodies. Didn't look at me.

Outside, the camp was awake. Warriors running. Grabbing weapons. Shouting.

But my warriors were there too. Twelve against twenty. Bad odds. But they fought. Hard.

I joined them.

Didn't count how many I killed. Didn't care.

When the sun started to rise... the camp was quiet. Bodies on the ground. Blood in the dirt.

And seven girls. Standing at the top of the hill. Free.