Rejected Wolf by Rae Foxx

7

“Vengeful Shadows pack,we will run together. All of us.”

My wolf was confused and hurt, but my human mind was back in control and well aware of what was going on. Hutch was my mate, my wolf wanted him, but no way in fuck I was going to let that happen. The Alpha’s son was incapable of treating me the way I should be. Hell, he was incapable of treating any female the way they should be.

I knew what this pack was capable of, they had spit on me for years, sacrificed hundreds to stupid wars made by stupid grudges. People were disposable to them and there was no way in hell I was living the rest of my life looking over my shoulder, wondering which wolf would be the one to do me in.

Through my wolf's eyes, I watched as Hutch shifted back to his human form and stomped over to me. His face was red, his pointer finger already silently accusing before he even opened his mouth. The guy was pissed. I had never seen him so angry. I had never seen him look so much like his dad.

Shit. I should’ve run while I had the chance. Stupid wolf and its stupid mating instincts.

“We can’t run!” Hutch boomed, pulling everyone's attention. “Not while we have a traitor here. She’s plotting to take us over. I knew something was going on. She watched me mate with Veronica days ago, she stood in my doorway and stared at us. She must’ve put a curse on me--she’s working with a Witch! She wants to become my mate and take over this pack.”

I scoffed, my wolf’s nostrils flaring at the ridiculousness of what he had just said.

Reaching inside myself, I called my human side to come forth. After all, I couldn’t exactly defend myself against such ridiculous accusations with a bark. I changed back into my human form, everyone else doing the same as they prepared to watch this showdown.

Hands on my hips, I stepped toward him. I wasn’t about to let him walk all over me.

“Like hell I did,” I roared, staring him down. “I want nothing to do with this pack, much less lead it. And believe me, I’m disgusted with the prospect of being your fated mate as you are!”

Everyone gasped. I guess neither of us had put a voice to what we were posturing each other about. No, they knew, and they were as pissed as Hutch and I were about it. Well, at least no one was happy about this.

The Alpha stepped forward, looking just as red-faced and furious as Hutch.

“Is this true?” He turned between Hutch and me. The poor guy looked like he was about to explode.

“Yes, father,” Hutch said between gritted teeth. “My wolf has chosen hers as his fated mate.”

More gasps, more hands flying to mouths and chests. You would think that we were watching some television paternity test with how they all were acting.

“So, it’s true. She has done something.” The Alpha turned to me, and it took everything in me to keep my eyes from rolling.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mumbled. Was it really so impossible that his wolf chose mine?

“If my son says it’s true, then it is the truth. He is the future Alpha of this pack. He would never make up such a thing. I knew you were wicked from the day you were born,” The alpha continued and that time I did roll my eyes. I guess it was too hard for them to accept. “This won’t stand. You are to be punished by your pack.”

Okay… that was not expected and judging by the tone of his voice he was not planning on just whipping my arm this time. Panic coursed through me and my wolf took control, now completely focused on self-preservation rather than mating.

My wolf ripped out of my body, fur and paws, and teeth emerging as I screamed in pain. I didn’t have time to focus on that, though, I was already running.

At least my wolf had some sense. There was no way I could fight them all, I only had one option. Thank God I already had a duffle bag ready to go.

I took off at a pace I didn’t know was possible. The chill of the night’s wind whipped through my fur and made me feel more alive than I had in my entire life.

But it wasn’t long until I heard them on my heels. Their paws pounded the ground behind me in a herd while yips and barks filled my ears. They weren’t very good at benign covert, that much was clear. No wonder the rest of us had to fill in the gaps with vegetables from the garden.

These fuckers couldn’t hunt for shit.

Still, they were fast, faster than me, and there sure were a lot of them.

I tried to weave through trees and bushes, making sure they didn’t catch up to me. The sounds that once came only from behind me now carried through the forest from the sides as well.

Their howls and yips resounded all around me like they were also in the branches of the trees and maybe buried in the ground below me. I switched directions quickly, determined to make my way to the duffle bag, no matter what. At least that way I would have some clothes to start my new beginning.

Even if I didn’t, I was getting out of here.

What I didn’t count on, was a huge protruding branch that came from an old spruce tree. My paws tripped on the damned thing and with a yelp, I went down. I rolled ass overhead and over ass again until I slammed into another tree. The collision left me dizzy and confused about where exactly I was--and where they were.

Growls surrounded me, a sea of teeth hovering above me as I blinked and tried to move. They had me trapped.

“Stupid fucking female tripped herself up,” the Alpha laughed already having moved from his wolf. “When I said you would be punished, I meant it. Hutch, you know what to do.”

There were more growls and the high-pitched ‘yips’ of wolves as they shifted back into humans, although not many of them judging by the teeth that were still there.

A human foot hammered into my abdomen. My wolf cried out and before I could make her stop, she gave in to my human form, letting me take the punishment instead. No one could blame her. If I could hide, I would.

Flipping onto my hands and knees, I protected my head and attempted to crawl away but was hit in the back of the head with a fist. Hutch wasn’t acting alone anymore. At least ten, maybe more, hands and feet, fists and knees slammed into me over and over. I passed out several times from the pain but more from the blows to the head.

By the time they finally slowed, every bone in my body was shattered and my eyes were swollen shut. The tangy, metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as my skin inflamed with pain, and bursts of agony made me cry out.

“I can’t anymore, Alpha,” Hutch gasped as two of the incessant fists that were hitting against me slowed. ‘My wolf is fighting it. He doesn't’ want to hurt his mate.”

It was the first time I’d heard Hutch anything but straight-up bastard-like.

“I don’t fucking care,” The alpha snarled, so close that I knew he was one of the ones that were beating on me. “You are in charge of your wolf. Not the other way around. You do this, you reject her and break the bond.”

Another fist landed straight in my abdomen making my ears ring and my consciousness fade. “Do you want this piece of shit to be your mate? You want her at your side to lead this pack? Is that what you want?” The Alpha was roaring, his fists and feet pounding against me with each of his questions.

Hutch stammered something I couldn’t make out through the blinding buzzing that was echoing in my head. His smell filled my bloody nose and even while he beat me, my wolf cried out for him, to make him understand, to make the one person I was made to love go against what their Alpha was ordering me.

My eyes were allowed to rest a moment as a shadow covered me from the moon’s light. I knew it was him. Hutch was standing over me, deciding my fate at that moment.

I held my breath, part of me desperately hoping that he would spare me. I had been a fool to even consider it.

“No, she’s the last person in the world I would ever mate with. This pack deserves a strong Alpha female. Not this pathetic cunt.” The last word from Hutch was followed by a foot in my groin. I gasped and fell to the ground.

“Then you know the only way to break the mating bond is for her to die. Right now. Tonight. You have to kill her. There is no other option.” The Alpha’s voice was low, meant only for Hutch and me as he stepped closer. I would know his voice anywhere.

The thing was death didn’t sound so bad. It would honor the covenant I had with myself to be free. Not exactly the way I had planned, but liberty from this pack had been my ultimate goal.

“Get it over with you fucking piece of shit,” I snapped, lifting my head to look at him. Not that I could make it out through my swollen eyes and the red lake I was looking through. “Go on. Kill me. I would rather die than to be anywhere near you.”

No longer would I wait on them to decide my fate.

Let it be done.

The Alpha chuckled as though something was funny. “See? She even wants it. At least she made one good decision before her life was forfeit.”

A blow to my head made everything fade into darkness. Soon the pain stopped, and death sucked me under.