Hunted by the Alpha King

Seven

Willow panted as she cut through the trees of the forest. Fear tickled her spine. Her ears kept flicking behind her to listen for paws. But she could only hear the soft thumps of her paws.

Don’t worry Leif will help us to escape, Rana said.

How will we get away from Ronan when he has marked us? Willow asked.

He marked me, not you. We will need to do whatever we can to suppress me. It helps that Leif will not help him now.

Does he know where we are?

No, Leif took over. Since he was in his hybrid state and Leif was not the one who marked us, he couldn’t hear us. We need to find a witch and get wolfsbane as soon as possible. Rana explained.

Won’t that hurt you?

Yes, but I refuse to let that immature ass take me. He will not be my mate. Rana growled. Who does he think he is? Marking me without permission? That was Leif’s job! A host has marked me!

He is the most powerful wolf there is.

No, we are. Leif’s power comes from me.

Her footfalls slowed when her wolf said this. It made no sense. Wolves gained their power through the Moon Goddess. She was the leader of all the wolves. The mother of all wolves. She alone was the reason that humans were able to transform. Without her and her power, werewolves would cease to exist.

You are not the moon goddess, Willow responded. Rana didn’t respond as they continued to run the original course they had planned with her father. A pang shot through her heart at the thought of her parents. Hopefully, they were able to get away safely.

We need to go South, Rana said.

But we planned on going North, Willow replied. They had finally passed through the border of the pack. She could feel a tearing sensation warning her to stay within the pack borders. Even though she was technically a rogue, her mating with Ronan had caused her wolf to seek the pack. Willow could feel Rana calling toward Ronan. She was seeking him.

Her head was thrown back, and she started howling. Shift, Willow. Shift back right now. I am calling him.

Willow didn’t need any help shifting back. The fear in Rana’s voice caused her to lose all concentration. Almost effortlessly, she shifted back into human form. She continued to run, barely missing a beat. Her human ears and eyes couldn’t see or hear as far. She strained to hear if any wolves were following her, especially if Rana had been calling for them.

Go south and find a witch, only witches can get us wolfsbane, and we need to use someone Ronan hasn’t used yet.

Willow’s stomach clenched when she thought of Ronan using wolfsbane to shut his wolf up. All so he could be with other she-wolves. He didn’t regret it since there had been so many. In reality, four wasn’t a high number, but given he shouldn’t have lost her as a mate after one made it an unbearably high number.

She approached the rundown structure just outside the pack limits. The one, she and her father planned on staying in to get away from her mate. If she had stuck with her father’s plan, she would’ve been able to stay there for a couple of hours to regroup and rest before another long leg of running. But now, with Ronan so close to finding her, she had to figure out something else. He undoubtedly would search any structures close to where they had last been together. It was on the north edge of the pack limits. Should she follow Rana’s idea and head south? How would she stay safe in the South?

The dilapidated structure was barely standing upright. It was leaning to one side, and no longer had a door. She could imagine Ronan, the big bad wolf, coming over, huffing, puffing, and blowing the structure down. It was not a great hiding spot. What was her father thinking? Her mother claimed to know who her mate was going to be. They were just hoping for the best. It was a stroke of luck that she could shift without being bitten. She just hoped that if she needed to use Rana’s skills that her wolf wouldn’t instantly call to her mate.

The small backpack filled with money, some clothes, and a human passport rested against one of the termite-filled posts. She grabbed it, stopping to put on a pair of clothes before continuing on foot. Tight black jeans and a thermal black sweater would help her to blend into the wilderness better. Her pale skin was no longer illuminated by the moon. She put the black knit hat on her hat, shoving her white hair into it. Dried lavender sat in a pocket of the backpack. She figured her mother put it there in case she couldn’t fully hide her scent.

Thank you for mothers! Willow sang in her head, rubbing the lavender all over her and her pack.

I have your mother, come home, and I will set her free. A dark voice whispered in her head. Quickly, she hid behind the post, peeking out among one of the many holes in the wall. Her mismatched eyes scanned the forest next to her, looking for any signs of life. Come home, Willow. It’ll be worse if I have to find you.

Willow snorted like that’s going to make me want to come back.

You don’t want to see your parents again?

Now that she had reassured herself that no one had found her, she realized what Ronan had said. He had her parents. They had not gotten away. He would torture them. That was a fact that Willow knew. He wasn’t a wolf who would take her running away calmly. No, he wanted her. He wanted her to stay with him. Forever. He wanted them to be united as one. To be the Luna of the pack and to help him keep watch of the pack.

You are meant for more, Rana said. Run and never look back. We will wait until this sullied pup has passed before finding our mate.

Willow heard the angry howl. It tore through the forest like a category five hurricane. It willed everything to bend. It called to all the creatures around the forest, forcing them into compliance. But Willow had already renounced her claim on the pack. He could not force her to do anything. Even if it meant abandoning her parents to a horrible fate. She couldn’t manipulate Ronan into keeping her parents safe. He was too stubborn and headstrong. He didn’t respect her to follow her wishes. The forest calmed after his roar.

You are a rogue. The statement was whispered with such pain Willow felt bad for her mate. He was quickly realizing how serious she was about leaving him. And once she was able to find a witch her wolf would be subdued and he had no chance of finding her.

With renewed energy Willow placed the pack onto her back and started running South. It was dangerous, unplanned, and unknown to her. But she would figure it out. Her father had taught her how to survive. He had spent all of his life training her for this moment. Ronan would not catch her. Simply because she refused to let him.

Goodbye, Ronan. Willow said for the last time before blending in with the night.

Don’t you dare leave me! When Ronan made it to the edge of the pack borders he saw a broken-down shack. He knew Willow had been there. But he also knew that was where the last of her scent was. She was gone. His fists clenched as he smelled lavender. It hindered the wolf's sense of smell, similar to wolfsbane. A rage like nothing he had ever felt before took over him. He couldn’t control his movements. His hunters watched as he tore the shack apart. When his hands were bloodied, and sweat dripped down his temple, he said, “We will kill everyone we have to until we have my mate back.”