Chapter4

I ran as if my life depended on it because, in many ways, it did. My lungs were on fire, each breath feeling like a jagged knife was carving its way down my throat. Branches lashed at my face, scratching my skin raw, but I barely felt it. My mind was on one overwhelming command: "run, just running".

The mere thought of Tyson finding me sent another wave of adrenaline coursing through my veins. Tyson—the Alpha, the one I had once trusted, the one who now saw me as his favorite punching bag, his easy target. I could only imagine the kind of punishment he'd come up with for me if he caught me. His pride would be wounded, his rage unbearable. Running from Tyson was not just a physical act; it was rebellion, and he wouldn’t take it lightly.

But the real horror lay not just in him. If the pack thought I’d fled because I had something to hide, they’d hound me for answers, strip me of whatever fragile peace I’d managed to carve out over the years. That nightmare kept my legs moving, driving me forward through the forest as thorns tore into my already bleeding feet.

A sharp burn in my lungs made me stagger, but I forced myself forward, my vision blurring. Then, finally, I stumbled to a halt, gulping in deep breaths as I looked up, recognizing the massive tree ahead with the pack crest etched into its bark. The pack's border—one step over, and I’d be beyond their reach.

My pulse hammered in my ears as I glanced around. Patrols. I’d seen them here countless times, but luck was on my side tonight; the forest was quiet, except for my own harshathing. The world felt like it held its breath with me as I took that first step over the border, the invisible line snapping behind me. It felt like a betrayal, an ache in my chest, but also a sliver of freedom.

With each step further, I could practically feel Tyson’s bond loosening, wearing off with every inch I put between us. He’d sense it soon enough; the severing of the mate bond was like a wound, and I knew he’d come after me for it. So I kept running, the cool night air filling my lungs even as my feet screamed in protest.

When I finally slowed, it was nightfall. The silver moon above cast shadows across the forest, a hauntingly beautiful light. But as I looked down at my bloodied feet, raw and wounded from the miles I’d covered, the beauty was lost on me. I leaned against a tree to catch my breath, the iron tang of my blooding in the air, bitter and sharp.

My muscles throbbed, a warning that I couldn’t ignore. I should’ve been more aware, shoushould’veenoteen the distinguishing mark on the tree trunk earlier, until it was too late. My heart intthehthe tthe throat. Twoimposing figures stepped from the shadows, blocking any path forward. Both wore the crest of another pack, unfamiliar yet authoritative.

I took a shaky breath, knowing flight was impossible but feeling the need to try anyway. Before I could make a move, one of them growled low, halting me with a single word.

“Stop.” The sound was like gravel, rough and demanding. I froze, my instincts screaming at me to flee, but I could already see the glint of metal spears leveled at me. My hands raised reflexively, palms up, a small plea in my posture.

Their faces held no kindness, only suspicion. They didn’t look like Tyson’s men, and that gave me a sliver of hope, but it didn’t mean they’d let me go easily. I didn’t dare reveal my identity, the words drying up in my throat as one of them asked, “Who are you?”

Silence hung heavy in the air, my voice locked away by a survival instinct telling me to say nothing. They’d hand me right back to Tyson if they knew who I was.

“Maybe she’s a rogue… or a spy,” one of them muttered, and the other’s expression darkened.

“Take her to the Alpha,” he ordered, his voice empty of any warmth.

Panic rose within me, and I managed a shaky plea. “I don’t want any trouble—please, just let me leave. I didn’t know this was your territory.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said coldly. “You crossed our border, so you’re coming with us.”

Desperation clawed at me. In a last-ditch attempt, I darted to the side, hoping to escape, but one of them grabbed my arm with bruising strength, swinging me against the tree hard enough that my vision blurred. My head struck the bark with a sickening crack, pain shooting through my skull. I tried to fight, but their grip was relentless, like steel shackles holding me in place.

It took both of them to drag me, struggling and kicking, to the pack’s holding cells. They shoved me inside, and the door slammed shut with a metallic clang that echoed through the cold, damp space. I screamed in frustration and fear, the sound tearing from my throat with a force I didn’t know I had left.

“Shut her up,” one of them snapped to the other. “Before the Alpha hears and has our heads.”

But the footsteps approaching told me it was too late. Someone was coming, and even through the haze of fear, I could feel it—the weight of authority, of raw, terrifying power drawing near. I stopped screaming, suddenly and struck silent, my heartbeat thundering as the aura reached me.

When the Alpha finally stood in front of my cell, I kept my head down, too terrified to meet his gaze. Yet something urged me to lift my head as if compelled by an invisible thread. Slowly, I looked up, and the breath hitched in my throat.

He was massive, broad-shouldered, and towe, ring, his shadow consuming every inch of light in the cell. Dark hair fell around his face, and though his features were partly blocked by the low light, there was an intensity to his gaze that held me captive, an energy I could feel as if it were pulling me closer. This wasn’t Tyson, and yet... I couldn’t ignore the pull.

“It can’t be,” I whispered to myself, horror and wonder mingling in my voice. Could this be my mate? I’d heard of rare stories where a broken mate bond could heal, but this quickly? After just days?

The Alpha’s gravelly voice cut through my thoughts, commanding the guards, “Get her out of there.”

“Alpha, we found her trespassing,” one guard said, but he barely got the words out before the Alpha’s glare silenced him.

“I don’t care where you found her.” His voice was an icy command. “Get my mate out of that cell. Now.”

My mind spun, reality slipping away as shock settled in. This Alpha—he was claiming me as his mate. My heart thundered in my chest, the bond snapping back into place, stronger and more demanding than ever.