Rejected by the Alpha Marked by Fate

Chapter5

Two moons. That was how long I had been out here weak, starving, barely clinging to survival. The nights were the worst. Cold and merciless, pressing against my skin like the claws of a predator waiting for me to collapse.

My stomach twisted painfully, a reminder that I hadn’t eaten in days. The river had been my lifeline, offering water and the occasional fish I was too weak to catch. But I had wandered too far today, searching for anything edible berries, roots, anything that wouldn’t poison me.

My vision blurred as I stumbled forward, my limbs heavy, my wolf silent. She hadn't spoken to me in days. Not since my body became too weak to shift.

I needed shelter. Somewhere hidden. Somewhere safe. But safety didn’t exist for me anymore.

Then I heard it faint at first, like the whisper of the wind. But when I stopped to listen, it was unmistakable. Footsteps. Heavy. Purposeful.

I froze, my pulse hammering in my ears. Wolves

A new kind of hunger gnawed at me one I couldn’t afford to ignore. The hunger for survival.

I turned my head slowly, scanning the dense undergrowth behind me. Shadows stretched long in the fading light, but something moved between the trees. My breath caught. A pair of glowing yellow eyes locked onto mine.

My heart lurched, And i begin to Run.

The snarl ripped through the air, shattering the fragile silence.

I bolted.

Branches whipped against my arms as I tore through the forest, my breath coming in sharp gasps. My legs screamed in protest, but I pushed forward. Faster. I leaped over fallen logs, crashed through thick underbrush, and dodged jagged roots clawing at my ankles.

A growl erupted behind me, closer this time.

They were fast. Too fast.

I veered sharply to the right, hoping to lose them in the dense undergrowth. My foot caught on an exposed root, and I crashed to the ground, pain lancing through my ribs as I hit the cold earth.

I barely had time to gasp before a dark shape lunged.

I rolled aside just in time, dirt spraying as claws raked the spot where I had been. My heart thundered as I scrambled up, legs trembling. My arm stung a deep scratch, but not life-threatening. Not yet.

I clenched my teeth and forced myself to move. I couldn’t stop. Not now.

Up ahead, I spotted a thick cluster of trees. If I could just climb high enough, maybe they’d lose interest.

I pushed forward, ignoring the fire burning in my legs. The moment I reached the first tree, I jumped, fingers grasping for the lowest branch. I missed. My hands scraped against the rough bark before I hit the ground with a hard thud.

A deep growl rumbled behind me.

I twisted, just in time to see one of the wolf lunge.

I ducked at the last second, his claws slicing through the air inches from my face. He crashed into the tree instead, giving me a brief opening. I ran, ignoring the sharp sting in my side.

Another wolf cut off my path.

I skidded to a stop, chest heaving. Trapped.

"Nowhere left to run, little wolf," one of them said in human form, stepping closer. His eyes glinted with amusement.

I gritted my teeth. If I was going down, I wasn’t going down easy.

He lunged. I twisted away, his claws grazing my shoulder. I hissed at the pain but didn’t let it slow me down. I kicked out, catching him in the knee. He snarled, stumbling back, but the victory was short-lived.

Something hard slammed into my side.

Pain exploded through my ribs as I hit the ground again.

Before I could recover, rough hands grabbed me, yanking me up. I thrashed, kicking and clawing, but they were too strong.

A hit connected with my face. I gasped, the air punched from my lungs. My knees buckled.

"Feisty," one of them chuckled, gripping my hair and yanking my head back.

I glared up at him, refusing to show fear.

"Enough playing," one of them growled.

"Agreed," the first sneered.

Pain exploded across my skull as something heavy struck me. My vision blurred, the world tilting.

The last thing I saw was the rogue’s cruel smile before darkness swallowed me whole.