THE ALPHA'S WILDLESS MATE

In a pack ruled by strength, I was the Alpha's daughter with nothing but fear, scars and silence”. The Crescent Pack had always been my home, but lately it felt like a place that rejected my very presence, making me feel choked up every passing day. It didn’t matter that I was the Alpha’s daughter, or that I shared the same bloodline as two of the most powerful wolves the pack had ever seen. To most people, I was simply Scarlet “the defective heir”. The girl without a wolf. The “wildless wolf.” I hated that name more than I hated the people who said it. “I don’t think they’ll ever see me as one of them,” I whispered to my mother as we sat outside the late afternoon breeze her hands brushing the loose strands of my hair. “I was fourteen when I learned that not having a wolf was considered worse than being an enemy of the pack”. My mother placed her warm hands on mine. “Scarlet, my love, you cannot allow their ignorance to dictate your worth. “But I’m supposed to shift like everyone else mum. I’m supposed to be strong.” You are strong dear, don't worry your wolf will come when she’s ready. And even if she doesn’t arrive today or tomorrow, your family will always stand beside you. Your brothers most of all. A small smile tugged at my lips. “Asher… and Liam.” “Yes.” A bittersweet warmth softened her face. She wasn’t wrong. Asher with his unmatched power, Liam with his lightning-quick agility, and me, the quiet one always burying my nose with books. When the pack went hunting, they brought back trophies; I brought back stories, maps, and knowledge. I wasn’t fierce or fast, but I was smart. At least I had that. But the pack didn’t value knowledge. They valued claws, fangs, and dominance. Things I lacked. One evening, while I wandered into the garden to pick flowers for my mother, I heard the sharp crunch of footsteps behind me. Before I could turn, a stone struck my shoulder. “Wildless wolf!” Mark’s voice sliced through the air. “You’re useless. Can’t even shift. Why are you still here?” Mitchell, his brother, snickered. “Maybe she should leave the pack. She’s not wanted.” “Stop it,” I snapped, gripping the basket tightly. I tried to walk away, but Mark shoved me back. Where do you think you’re going? Come on, let’s see what a wolf without a wolf can do. Their taunts, their laughter, the sting of stones hitting my arms. It all blended into a mess of fear and humiliation. I cried out instinctively: “Asher! Liam! Help!” My palm brushed against a fallen stick. And without hesitation, I swung it. The wood struck Mitchell’s head. He crumpled instantly, hitting the ground with a sickening thud. I froze. I knew the rules of how pack members do not harm themselves. Yet my rage got the best of me. Did I make myself wolfless ? Why would anyone hurt me and get away with it? “What did you do?!” their mother screamed from behind, rushing toward her son. Mitchell lay still, too still. Mark pointed at me, eyes wide with false innocence. “Mother, Scarlet tried to kill him! She’s very dangerous! “No—I didn’t—” My voice cracked. But Mark was already sprinting toward the pack house to find my father. I always thought my father hated me. There was a time when we were very close to each other, always laughing and playing around. He always bought me a lot of gifts. But after we discovered I couldn't wolf. He became somewhat distant towards me. He always gave me the expression of “disappointment”. When my father arrived, his face was carved with fury. I hid in the bush. Scarlet,” he growled, “What did you do?” It wasn’t my fault, they attacked me. “And yet you struck him with a weapon.” His voice rose, booming through the yard. He called some people and they took Mitchell to the hospital. Later that day, while I was in my room, My father barged in. “Do you want to embarrass this family? Do you wish for my downfall?”If Mitchell had died, do you understand what would have happened? I would have been stripped of my title. “A shame that no leader of a pack should ever experience. He didn’t wait for me to explain further. He grabbed my arm and dragged me across the house until we reached the empty storage room at the bottom of the stairs. The place reeked of dust and mold. The darkness pressed against my chest. I hated him. I hated him so much at that moment that the word burned like poison in my throat, inflaming my heart. Hours passed or maybe minutes. I had no sense of time. All I heard was my own breathing and the frantic drum of my heart. Then suddenly… Little munchkin! I’m home! Asher’s voice. Finally, they're home, I snapped. Feeling a sense of relief. Footsteps shuffled upstairs. My mother disclosed what had occurred and where I was. Liam murmured in a low voice. It was not her fault. After all, it was done out of defense. If the child knew he was weak. He would not have messed with my sister. On hearing this, my father rushed out of his room. I heard the argument. My name. My father. The door unlocked. And then my mother’s arms were around me, guiding me out of the room, brushing dust off my clothes as she smeared healing ointment across the bruises. That night, Alpha Bolton tried to distract the pack with a feast, celebrating Asher and Liam’s successful hunt, pretending nothing had happened. But the whispers never stopped. I felt them slithering under my skin. Days turned into months. Months into years. People avoided me. Children whispered when I passed by. Parents kept their distance. Only my mother and brothers remained my constant refuge, strength and support. So when I finally made a friend, a girl named Sasha. I thought maybe things were changing. “She’s really nice,” I told my mother. “And she loves books as much as I do.” My mother smiled . “If people truly knew your heart, Scarlet, they would see how beautiful it is.” I hoped she was right. But one morning, when I ran toward Sasha at school, waving excitedly and telling her about the new book I found for us to read together, she turned her back on me. Everyone gathered around me….. Laughter erupted from every angles. Each side becomes louder than others. “There she is, the wildless wolf!” I stood there scared staring at everyone laughing at me.I felt little, useless, and so alone. Sasha smirked. “Did you actually think I’d be your friend?” Mark joined in, sneering. “Hey Scarlet, how about you bring that defective brain of yours so that you can wash it and let me reset it? Maybe then you’ll feel useful and turn into a wolf. Or maybe we should burn the book you're holding to see if you’ve got anything else worth looking at. Meanwhile, with all this things taking place Sasha walked up to me and with a small grin. You're useless she laughed at me and walked away with her other friends. Not knowing what to do I ran home to mum and told her everything. A heat spread through my chest,not the warmth of embarrassment, but the sting of betrayal. Sasha had told them everything. Every fear. Every trembling confession I had trusted her with. Something inside me closed that day. My trust. My softness. My hope. I began training myself, since I can't wolf I should do other useful things. My brothers taught me how to swim and shoot arrows they also taught me how to fight, so I could land easily on my feet. Yet during these moments he never failed to let me know that a wolf's strength is unmatched. I built walls, high and sharp. I buried myself in books. I answered questions with sarcasm. I withdrew into myself until the version of Scarlet they mocked simply ceased to show on the outside. But deep down, a quiet voice still whispered that perhaps one day, I would belong somewhere. I just didn’t know where.