Unclaimed Fate

The Connection

ASHER’S POV

"When will I meet my mate?" My friend, Sandra, asks me while we keep walking in the woods, far from our homes so no one can hear our talk.

"You're asking me like I'm the Goddess of Wolves. I don’t know when you’ll meet your mate," I reply. I look up at the starry night sky.

"Don’t you want to find your mate?" she asks.

"I do, but I’m not rushing," I answer with a smile. I believe I’ll find my mate in the right place and at the right time.

"Who do you think your mate will be? A Beta?"

"Just because I’m a Beta doesn’t mean my mate will be a Beta too. He could be a wolf without a rank."

I’m the Beta of my pack, The Blue Moon. My father was the Beta of this pack, but when he was killed in a fight, I had to take over because there wasn’t a male in our family to take the role.

Many people wanted the Beta job. They didn’t like the idea of me becoming the Beta of the pack. They said the pack would look weak if a girl became the Beta. But Mr. Drey really believed in me. When I doubted myself, he was the one who told me I’d be a great Beta for the pack.

To show everyone I deserved to be the Beta, I started training hard. Mr. Drey, the former Alpha, trained me. With his help, I showed everyone that I’m not just a weak female wolf. I proved to be much stronger than them.

I’m proud of myself and what I’ve done. Sandra and I stop at the edge of our pack’s land. If we go any further, we would be in another state and in the territory of the strongest werewolf pack in the world, The Sunrise Ark. They say if a werewolf who doesn’t belong to their pack steps into their land, they kill them right away.

I watch Sandra looking at their land. "Do you think my mate might be in the Sunrise Ark Pack?" she asks.

"It could be possible," I say.

"Ash, I want to go there," she says, using my nickname.

"If you want to go there, you'll need to ask Alpha Mark to tell the Alpha of the Sunrise Ark Pack that you want to look for your mate in their pack."

"Can we talk to Alpha Mark about it tomorrow morning?"

"So excited," I tease her while tapping her elbow. She just pushes me away as I see her cheeks turning red. I can’t help but laugh at her. My laugh bounces around the forest.

We turn around and head back to our homes. I'm still laughing while Sandra tries to make me quiet.

“Can you stop laughing? Someone will hear us and scold us for being near the boundary at this hour,” she says, covering my mouth with her hand. I swat it away.

I gesture to the desolate forest around us. “Sandra, there’s no one here to listen. We’re not even close to the pack houses.”

I want to continue, but a sudden sharp pain strikes the back of my head, like something hit me. I hear Sandra scream my name as I collapse to the ground, my vision fading.

I manage to focus on Sandra, who rushes to my side, shaking me desperately to keep me awake. Then, a figure enters my blurry line of sight. He grins down at me malevolently, and that grin seems familiar.

As I concentrate on his face, I recognize him—Kay. I once defeated him when he tried to force himself on Sandra. I glance at the thick branch in his hand. The pain flares in my skull. That jerk hit me with it! I’m going to destroy him!

I try to rise, but my body feels too heavy. Sandra attempts to assist me, but Kay grabs her, dragging her away. I see her struggling in his grasp, my fury growing at the sight of his filthy hands on my friend.

He tosses the branch aside and begins pulling Sandra toward the boundary. As my consciousness slips, I see them crossing over into enemy territory.

I slowly regain awareness, lying on the forest floor. I cough, inhaling the dust around me, and manage to sit up. My head is throbbing, though the pain is dulling. Rubbing the back of my head, I notice a branch nearby, blood smeared on it—my blood.

My hand, however, shows no signs of injury. I must have healed already. Suddenly, I feel fine, as though nothing happened.

A gust of wind carries Sandra’s scent to me. If I can still catch her scent, it means I wasn’t unconscious for long. I can still track her.

Along with her scent, I detect Kay’s stench. It disgusts me, but I focus on following Sandra’s trail.

I spring to my feet and begin running toward her scent, which leads straight into The Sunrise Ark Pack’s territory.

I briefly consider shifting into my werewolf form for speed but decide against it since I wouldn’t have any clothes if I shifted back. Instead, I rely on my speed as the second-fastest runner in my pack, after Alpha Mark.

I race toward Sandra’s scent, but my pace halts when I spot five men emerging from the trees. They must have picked up on my scent.

These men are built like warriors, reminding me that I am no longer on my own land. They have the power to kill me here. The men are dressed only in shorts, their muscles intimidating, but as a Beta, I have my own strength and power. I’m not afraid.

“Stay where you are,” the man in the center commands. His aura exudes authority. As he approaches, I realize he must be their Beta. I comply, and the other four encircle me.

“I’m Beta Asher Lawrence of The Blue Moon, your neighboring pack,” I begin, trying to stay calm. “A rogue named Kay dragged my friend Sandra into your territory. He intends to forcefully mate with her. I need to rescue her.” My voice is steady, but inside, I’m terrified for Sandra. I pray she’s unharmed.

Recognition flashes across the Beta’s face—does he know Kay?

A powerful gust of wind suddenly whips through the air, so strong that I feel like I might be swept away. The wind stirs up dirt and dry leaves, and I shield my eyes.

When the wind dies down, I lower my hand and notice a figure approaching us. Though still distant, I can feel the energy emanating from him. I instantly recognize that he is the Alpha.

As he nears, my heart begins to race. His brown hair is tousled by the wind, and I can see his muscles ripple as he walks toward me. He stops directly in front of me, his expression blank as he stares down at me.

But when I meet his blue eyes, I feel his wolf reaching out to mine. That’s when I realize—he’s my mate.