The Alpha's Mate id an outcast; Return of the Rejected Wolf

who stood before her, his imposing figure half-hidden in the shadows of the trees. His presence unsettled her-not just because he was a stranger, but

curiosity rooting her in place. "You said you're an outcast, too," she said,

he sharp lines of his face. He stopped a few paces away from her, close enough for her to ca

ep and even. "I was cast out, just like you. My pack dec

her brows furrowing. "What

ugh there was no humor in it. "Nothing. That's the irony of it. Sometimes, wolves don't need a reason to turn on

e carrying the weight of her mother's mistakes, the pack's judgment hanging over her l

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do

mply. "That's all there is to it. You keep moving forward, even when it feels like the

s been a fighter, even when the odds were stacked against her. She wasn't about to give up now,

asked, her voice steady. "Where do you

ut here, there's no pack to protect you, no alpha to guide you. It's just you and the wild. But that's no

ing to fit into a world that had never truly accepted her. Maybe it was time

she had yet to learn anything about the wo

id, his voice

eting his gaze. "It's...

. But don't think this means I'm about to take you

shot back, a hint of defiance in he

expression unreadable. "Goo

hest. Part of her wanted to call out to him, to ask him to stay, but another part of her knew she needed to stand on her own. She had

that their paths would cross again. There was something about him, something sh

y throat, and then set off in the opposite direction. The forest stretched out before her, vast and unfamiliar, but she felt

she tracked small prey through the underbrush. It wasn't easy-she had never been the best hunter, always overshadowed by the

d she was gone. But deep down, she knew the answer. They had made their choice, and she couldn't let herself dwell on i

pot beneath the roots of a massive tree, its gnarled limbs stretching out like the arms of an ancient guardian

r. But as the memories played out in her mind, they twisted and morphed into something darker. She saw herself standing alone in the middle o

ded in darkness. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts, and reminded herself that she was no longer a pa

e a distant howl. *You learn to belong to yourself.* Maybe he was right. Maybe she didn't need a pack to d