Quad Alphas' Silenced Omega

3 Finding My Own Way

POV Ophelia

The woods never felt so cold and isolated in all my life. Normally, they were my safe haven. A place where my silence is not judged or ridiculed. A place where I can just be…me.

However, the pain of the rejection made it impossible for my wolf to take the reigns. It left me exposed and uneasy as every rustle of the trees and snapping of the branches made my heartrate accelerate. Huh. I guess this is how humans feel.

I was stuck dragging my feet through the territory all on my own. Sighing heavily, I finally felt the shift from the border of the pack to no man’s land. I turned back to the silent forest behind me and realized I really wasn’t going to turn back. Not this time. Not ever. The pain from my wolf was a testament to what’s important in life. Me. And only me.

I took a deep breath and opened the link to my pack one last time. “I, Ophelia Hawthorne, sever all ties to the Diablo Pack from this day forward. I have volunteered to become a rogue under the moon goddess’s guidance. No longer struck with the responsibilities of the Diablo Pack and my position therein.”

I heard a deafening howl from the alpha before I turned and disappeared into the night air. He deserves all the pain he’ll endure from losing a pack member. If he didn’t want to suffer, he should have helped me like any good alpha would have done instead of joining in on the torment his gamma started all those years ago. However…that wasn’t the case. I heard losing a wolf is almost as bad as breaking the mate bond. Good. At least someone else will feel my pain tonight.

I stepped toward the open field between me and freedom before I sighed, realizing I’ll need my wolf for this. The expanse between our woods and the one in my sights is too far. I won’t make it without being seen. “Come on. I know this is hard for you, but if we don’t get out of here right now, we will be caught and dragged to the dungeons for abandoning our pack.” I growled to my wolf.

“You’ve only completed a shift once before. It will be painful. Not to mention the fact that we are already weakened by the horrors of rejection. I still cannot believe someone would be so cruel to defy the goddess!”

“You’ve lived with these people as long as I have. All they know how to do is cruelty towards others. Nothing surprises me anymore. It’s time to go. No more stalling.”

I could hear her sigh heavily and I stripped off my clothes to make sure I didn’t have to worry about going through my rations so quickly. I might be out here for a while. I shoved them in my bag and took a final look around as I started to hear more howls. Great, they were catching on. “Here goes nothing. Try to stay quiet or this will be a waste.” She growled at me.

“I’ll do my best.” I heaved as my bones began to break and mold into a large burly mammal resting on four paws. I bit my tongue to refrain from screaming and focused on the trail of ants rushing from their nest and back again.

“Almost there!” My wolf heaved. I know she was weak but even in her weakened state, she was stronger than I ever could be.

Finally, I felt my paws land on the ground, and I curled my back to stretch out for the second time as a wolf. I looked up as my eyesight, sense of smell, and hearing were heightened exponentially. “Let’s get the hell out of here. And make sure we don’t leave our scent behind.” I growled, and she howled in agreement.

Gently grabbing the duffle between her teeth, we were off, bolting through the trees faster than I thought possible. As the moments shifted to hours then days, I could feel my wolf healing with every mile separated from the torture we had endured that day.

Eating raw meat and drinking from rivers. Focusing on staying in my wolf form was the safest option I had, especially with the way rogues are to their own people. We are not a pack out here. We are swarmed with the ideology of survival of the fittest. My survival was completely specific to staying one step ahead of the older wolves and learning how to protect myself if the problem ever occurred.

Before I knew it, all four seasons had gone by in a blur, and I was unaware of what it was like to be on my two feet. I’ve been in wolf form for almost three months this time around. The winters here were harsh, and I didn’t want to even think about getting frostbite. I pushed my nose into my bag to see what was left of my rations. Lucky for me, I had at least twenty dollars still left. That means I can get something sweet for my birthday. I know there is a city nearby. I can always slip in there undetected and slip right out. No one will know.

I took a deep breath and shoved my things back in my bag before wrapping my jaws around the worn fabric and bolting to the nearest sound of human life. When I finally made it to the edge of the tree line, I thought it was safer to walk around on foot. If anyone asked, I could say I was a lost camper or something. “Are you sure about this Lia. We haven’t eaten in days. We could just hunt for your birthday instead. Sweets will make you ill.”

“Thanks for looking out for us, but this is the first time I will celebrate my birthday. I’m not going to go back on my decision now.” I pulled some pants and a T-shirt out of my bag and yanked the clothes over my body before throwing my long black hair into a bun on the top of my head. Finally, I pulled on my sneakers and jogged towards the city edge.

After an hour of running, I finally found a street and not a moment too soon. I could tell I wasn’t going to hold out for much longer. My stomach was louder than some of the cars that passed by me unaware of my presence between the trees.

Then, I smelled it. The delicious smell of meat. I drooled as my legs continued to push me forward to a large garage with cars lifted in the air. A repair shop, huh? Interesting. I looked around for the smell again and found a giant sandwich resting on a chair on top of a paper plate. I have made it a point not to steal, but I’m so hungry. I think I’ll have to give up just this once.

I rose up to the balls of my feet and snuck in behind a large truck, getting closer and closer to my prize. From what I could hear, no one was around. My nose was useless. Everything smelled like oil, but that sandwich. When I made it to the chair, I felt a tear escape my eyes as I reached down to take my prize.

The first bite was like heaven. I completely forgot to pace myself. Before I knew it, all that was left were some crumbs. “Wow. I’m glad you liked the sandwich. The way you ate it, I’d think I should add it to my list of specialties.” I jumped up to what felt like six feet in the air when a voice came out of nowhere. Stepping backwards, I missed a bowl on the ground and fell right back on my bum.

“Hey! Don’t scare the poor girl.” An older man appeared behind the younger one and I could tell they were related almost immediately. Not to mention the older one was riddled with scars. Scars like those look familiar. I may have not be considered family to those people, but being around a gamma my entire childhood was enough for me to know what those scars meant. He was a warrior. This wasn’t a human city.

This was another pack.

Oh no…what do I do now?

“Relax. We won’t hurt you. You seemed like you really needed that sandwich. Would you like something to wash it down with?” I stared at the old man while he smiled down at me and held out a bottle of soda. I hesitated before slowly reaching out for the bottle and taking it in my hand. “See? That wasn’t so bad. Drink up. My wife is looking for something you could wear. However, I’m surprised a rogue found her way into our territory without being seen. Where are you from, little one?”

I know he was trying to be nice, and I really appreciated it but I’m not stupid. There’s always a catch. Finishing off the soda I rubbed my lips and darted my eyes over to the younger man. He grinned happily and held out his hand. “My name is Jeremy. Nice to meet you. You seem too little to be a rogue. How old are you?” He asked me.

I hesitated before taking the kind gesture. He easily helped me to my feet and I barely came up to his shoulder. Stepping back to make sure he wasn’t too close to hurt me, I looked between the two men. Shaking my head, I rested two fingers over my lips before shaking my head once more. I can mind link them, if I was in their pack, but I’m not. So, here we are. “Poor thing! She can’t speak. Oh! I know just the thing. I’ll go get you a pen and paper to write with and we will get down to the bottom of this.” A female voice echoed through the walls, and I turned to see her bright face riddled with worry before she bolted back into the door she’d come out of.

The older man chuckled before ushering me towards the same door. “No use objecting. My mate can be quite persuasive. Come this way, little one.”

He’s right. If I run now, there’s no telling what could happen next. As a warrior, he would have to pursue me and I might actually be in danger if he does. I’m only seventeen. It would be stupid for me to have a target on my back from two packs. For now, I’ll bide my time. Then, I’ll think of a plan.