UNCLAIMED MATE

CHAPTER 7– HIDING IN THE SHADOWS

••Diane••

I stood frozen in the cold night air, staring into the empty shadows of the forest. My hands were still shaking, and my skin felt hot where the stranger’s fingers had touched me.

Who was he? What did he want?

The questions crashed through my mind. One moment I was an invisible high school student, and the next, I was a fugitive accused of murder, pinned against a tree by a powerful stranger who spoke in riddles.

Mate.

The word sent a chill down my spine. I didn't know what it meant, but I knew I wasn't safe here. The woods felt alive and dangerous.

"I need to get out of here," I muttered. "Something is seriously wrong with this place."

Panic kicked in. I couldn't stay here waiting to be hunted. The city meant answers, and more importantly, it meant Selene. If she had escaped that massive blue-eyed wolf, she would head back to civilization. I had to believe she was alive.

I forced my aching legs to move under the pale moonlight. I had only taken a few steps when leaves rustled loudly behind me.

I spun around. "Who's there?"

Nothing. The bushes were completely still.

Swallowing my fear, I turned to run, but a dark figure materialized from the gloom. A strong hand grabbed my arm, pulling me against a massive pine tree. Before I could scream, a warm palm slammed over my mouth, cutting off my voice.

Oh my God, I thought, tears pricking my eyes. Not again.

I thrashed against the iron grip, but the solid chest pressed against my back didn't budge. Desperate, I looked up at my captor. The breath caught in my throat. It wasn't the terrifying stranger from before.

It was one of the triplets. Specifically, the one with the longer dark hair—the one who had carried me and looked at me with those intense, kind grey eyes.

"You," I tried to say, but it came out as a muffled hum against his palm.

"Shhhh," he whispered, placing his index finger against his lips. "Don't make a sound. Please."

His grey eyes locked onto mine. He must have read the panic on my face because his expression softened, though his shoulders remained tense.

Without letting me go, he dragged me down a steep hill through a dense thicket. We reached a hidden clearing where an old shelter stood, made entirely of dried leaves and branches. It looked like a child’s hidden fort.

He pushed me inside and stepped in behind me, checking left and right through the cracks in the walls. Once he was sure no one had followed us, he let out a breath and turned to me.

I stepped back, crossing my arms defensively.

"I'm only trying to help you," he said softly.

"Help?" I snapped, my anger flaring. "Your grandmother chased me out into the freezing night! I'm pretty sure that means your family wants me gone."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I know how it looked. Nana has her reasons, but—"

"But what?" I cut him off, stepping closer. "If she was going to throw me out, you should have left me where I collapsed! Maybe I would have found Selene by now instead of being completely lost and starving!"

Deep down, I knew I needed help. I was weak and exhausted. But my pride took over, turning my fear into anger.

The boy took my outburst without getting mad. "I sneaked out to help you," he said quietly. "But if you don't want me here... I can leave."

He watched me with steady grey eyes. The words died in my throat, and my anger evaporated, leaving me hollow. I desperately needed him, but my stubborn pride wouldn't let me beg.

We stood in silence for a long minute. He sighed, turning toward the wooden door.

Just as his hand touched the handle, a loud, violent growl echoed through the small hut.

I froze, mortified. It wasn't a wolf—it was my stomach. Oh, you ungrateful stomach! I screamed internally.

"Don't go," the words slipped out before I could stop them. My pride shattered completely. I dropped my head, looking at the dirt floor. "Please. Help me."

He stopped and turned back, a slow smirk spreading across his face. "I think your tummy needs the most help right now," he joked.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment.

Amused by my reaction, he walked to the corner of the room and pulled back a stack of dried leaves, revealing a hidden stash.

"Oh my goodness..." I breathed.

Beneath the leaves was a woven basket overflowing with fresh fruits and wild berries. He tossed a few large fruits to me, and I caught them. Right on cue, my stomach growled again.

I forgot all about manners. I sat on the dirt floor and began devouring the fruit, the sweet juice dripping down my chin.

"Are you not supposed to wash them first?" he asked, watching me in mild shock.

I didn't answer. I was too busy eating, filling the painful void that had been growing inside me for days.

••Kael••

I leaned against the wooden beam, watching her eat like a hungry lion. The fierce, angry girl who had just been screaming at me was gone, replaced by a starving, fragile soul.

A strange tightness gripped my chest. I didn't know if it was pity, but looking at her, I knew I was right to disobey Nana. I wanted to protect her.

My mind flashed back to an hour ago, right after Nana had chased her out.

"Why did you do that, Nana?" I had demanded, furious. "She's helpless!"

"Yes, Nana," Tyrel added, pacing on the floor. "She needs our help. We can't just leave her to die."

Xael just stood by the fire, giving Nana wide, anxious puppy eyes. He hated conflict and always let Tyrel and me do the talking.

"She cannot be here! It is dangerous!" Nana insisted, her hands shaking as she wiped the table.

I knew Nana must have a secret reason. She was normally the kindest soul in the valley, always taking in wounded animals. This cold behavior was entirely unlike her. But I couldn't understand what was dangerous about a lost human girl.

"Can we just help her find her way?" I pleaded.

"She doesn't even know where she is," Xael mumbled.

"If you boys won't listen, I'm out of here," Nana snapped, storming out of the house.

We watched her go, the heavy oak door slamming shut behind her.

For the next hour, I couldn't rest. Driven by a strange pull, I decided to find the girl without telling my brothers. It would only cause more trouble involving them, and Xael would have tried to stop me out of fear.

Luckily, I found her trail nearby. But the stubborn girl was heading in the wrong direction, walking straight into the deeper, dangerous side of the woods where rogue wolves roamed.

"I need some water," a soft voice broke through my thoughts.

I looked down. Diane was sitting back, wiping her mouth. I smiled slightly. One would think she'd eat the whole basket given how she started, but she was finally full.

"There, at the back of the basket," I pointed to a gourd filled with fresh spring water.

She picked it up and gulped it down desperately.

Suddenly, my ears twitched. I caught the faint crunch of boots breaking through the brush. A second later, a heavy scent flooded the cracks in the leaf walls.

Wolves. Pack guards.

Beneath their scent was something else, a dark, suffocatingly powerful odor that made my inner wolf want to submit. It was an Alpha. A highly powerful one.

I crept to the small window and peeked out. Through the trees, I saw dark uniforms and silver blades. Voices carried over the wind. As a wolf, my hearing and smell were advanced, far better than my brothers'. Nana always said I was special, and right now, my senses were the only thing keeping us alive.

Getting caught here would mean ruin for my family.

"Oh no," I gasped, my blood turning to ice.

I ran to pull Diane into the shadows behind the basket, but I startled her. She choked on the water, breaking into a harsh cough.

"Not now, please," I muttered.

Acting on instinct, I pulled her tight against my chest. I wrapped one arm around her head, pinning her close, and used my other hand to clap over her mouth, smothering the sound of her cough.

"Did you hear that?" a sharp female voice rang out just yards away from the hut.

"It came from that direction," a male guard answered, their footsteps turning straight toward us.

I held Diane tightly, feeling her heart hammering against mine as the shadows of the hunters blocked out the moonlight.

"Oh, s**t," I muttered.