Rejected by Her Mate, Claimed by Four Alphas

CHAPTER 7

Clara’s POV

I stumbled forward into the neutral territory, my body screaming with pain. According to wolf laws, I should have been safe once I crossed the border. The pack shouldn't follow me here. They couldn't.

But laws meant nothing when a prize was at stake.

I had only gone about a hundred yards when I heard them—branches snapping, leaves rustling, paws pounding the earth. I turned, my heart sinking. Through the trees, I could see shapes moving—wolves from the Shadowcrest Pack, following my trail of blood.

"There she is!" a voice shouted. "Don't let the traitor escape!"

They had crossed the border. The promise of reward from Jaden was stronger than their respect for pack law. I forced my battered body to move faster, pushing deeper into the unknown forest.

Each step was agony. My wounds had not stopped bleeding. Blood dripped from the gashes on my chest, my torn shoulder, my slashed side. Every movement reopened them, sending fresh waves of pain through me. But I had no choice but to keep going.

My breath came in ragged gasps. The taste of blood filled my mouth. My vision blurred, the trees around me sometimes doubling or tripling. I stumbled often, my legs threatening to give out beneath me.

"I can smell her trail!" The voice was closer now. "She's leaving blood everywhere!"

They were right. Each step left a crimson footprint, a trail a child could follow. I couldn't outrun them, not in my condition. I needed to hide, to find somewhere they couldn't track me.

Ahead, the ground sloped downward toward a small stream. Water. If I could reach it, maybe I could throw them off my scent. I pushed forward, half-running, half-falling down the slope.

My foot caught on a root, and I tumbled the rest of the way, landing hard at the bottom. Pain exploded through me as I hit the ground, injuries screaming in protest. For a moment, I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, spots dancing across my vision.

"Get up," my wolf urged. "They're coming."

I dragged myself to my feet, swaying dangerously. The stream was just ahead, the water reflecting moonlight. I waded in, gasping as the cold water hit my wounds. It stung like fire, but I welcomed the pain. It kept me conscious, kept me moving.

I followed the stream for several minutes, hoping the water would mask my scent. When I couldn't go any further, I dragged myself onto the opposite bank and into the cover of a thick patch of bushes.

I lay there, trying to quiet my breathing. The world spun around me, darkness creeping at the edges of my vision. I had lost too much blood. My body was shutting down. But I couldn't rest, not yet.

Voices drifted to me from across the stream.

"Where did she go?"

"The trail ends here."

"She must have gone into the water."

"Split up. Some go upstream, others downstream. She couldn't have gone far in her condition."

They were right. I couldn't go far. But I had to try.

I crawled from my hiding place, moving as quietly as my broken body would allow. Each movement sent fresh waves of pain through me, but I bit down on my lip to keep from making a sound.

I made it to the edge of a small clearing before my strength finally gave out. I collapsed onto my stomach, unable to go any further. My body had reached its limit.

"There she is!" a voice shouted from behind me.

I turned my head to see three warriors approaching, their faces twisted with excitement at finding their prey. They had shifted back to human form, likely to claim the credit for my kill more personally.

"Nowhere to run now, traitor," the first one said, stepping toward me.

I tried to get up, to face them on my feet, but my body wouldn't respond. I had nothing left. I was going to die here, on my stomach in the dirt, like an animal at slaughter.

"Just end it," I whispered, more to myself than to them. "Make it quick."

The warrior laughed. "Oh no. The Alpha didn't say we had to make it quick. I think we'll take our time with you, traitor."

"Yeah," another said, stepping closer. "After all the trouble you've caused, you deserve to suffer."

I closed my eyes, preparing for pain. Instead, I heard the sound of movement in the trees behind them.

The warriors must have heard it too, because they stopped. "Who's there?" one called, suddenly nervous.

No answer came, but I felt something—a presence, powerful and dangerous. The air seemed to thicken, charged with a strange energy. My wolf stirred within me, alert despite our exhaustion.

A growl cut through the night. It was low, menacing, and unlike anything I'd ever heard before. It wasn't the sound of a normal wolf. It was deeper, more primal, filled with power and threat.

The warriors froze, their faces draining of color.

Another growl, closer this time. Then a massive shape emerged from the shadows at the edge of the clearing. A wolf, but larger than any I had ever seen. His fur was as black as midnight, his eyes glowing amber in the darkness. He stood taller than a normal wolf, his shoulders broad, his stance radiating dominance and power.

This was no ordinary Alpha. This was something else entirely.

The warriors backed away, suddenly forgotten. Their faces twisted with fear, a fear so deep it overrode even their desire for Jaden's reward.

"We didn't know this was claimed territory," one of them said, his voice shaking. "We were just—"

The black wolf snarled, cutting him off. He took a step forward, and the warriors took three steps back.

"We're leaving," another warrior said. "Right now. We meant no disrespect."

But the wolf wasn't looking at them anymore. His amber eyes had found me, and they stayed fixed on me, intense and unreadable. I stared back, too exhausted to be afraid. What did it matter who killed me now?

The warriors began to back away, eager to escape while they could. The black wolf let them go, his attention still on me. He approached slowly, his movements graceful despite his size.

I should have been terrified. This creature could kill me with a single bite. But strangely, I felt no fear. Perhaps I was too far gone, too close to death for fear to matter anymore.

The wolf stopped beside me, lowering his massive head to look me in the eyes. There was intelligence in that gaze, a calculation that went beyond animal instinct. He was reading me, judging me.

I reached out a trembling hand, not sure why. Perhaps to touch something beautiful before the end.

The wolf didn't pull away. He allowed my bloodied fingers to brush against his fur. It was soft, surprisingly so for a creature that radiated such danger.

The rational part of me thought that what I was doing was insane and a crazy way to court death. But… with all that had happened today, dying this way wouldn’t be bad. At least, I wouldn’t have to die by the hands of the people I thought were my family. The pain of betrayal will be much less.

Curious to know who my executioner was, I whispered, "Who are you?"

The wolf's form began to change, shifting in that fluid way all werewolves could. But even his shift was different. It was smoother, faster, more controlled than any I had seen before. In moments, a man knelt where the wolf had been.

He was tall and powerfully built, with short dark hair and those same amber eyes. His face was handsome in a harsh way, all sharp angles and uncompromising lines. He wore no expression, but power radiated from him, an almost tangible force that made the air around him seem to vibrate.

One of the warriors, who had been retreating, stopped and turned, his eyes widening in recognition.

"Alpha Darius," he whispered, the words barely audible.