Rejected by Alpha Mate

Dawn broke over Silverstone territory, painting the sky in shades of amber and gold. I slipped out of my small cabin at the edge of pack lands, my feet moving silently across the dewy grass. My belongings—what little I truly owned—were packed in a single duffel bag hidden beneath my bed. I wasn't ready to leave entirely, not yet, but I needed to breathe. To think. To run.

I glanced back at the pack house looming in the distance, its windows dark except for the Alpha quarters where Mason undoubtedly slept beside Victoria. The thought sent a fresh wave of pain through my chest, sharper than my still-healing ribs.

*Run,* Emma urged, her presence vibrating with restless energy. *Just run.*

I ducked behind a cluster of pines and stripped quickly, folding my clothes into a hollow log where I could retrieve them later. The shift came easier than it had in years, my wolf eager to take control. Bones cracked and reshaped, skin gave way to silver-gray fur, and suddenly I was on four paws, my senses heightened to every scent and sound of the forest.

Emma howled silently in triumph as we bounded forward, our powerful legs eating up the distance. The physical pain of my injuries faded beneath the exhilaration of freedom. Six years of restraint, of keeping Emma leashed and submissive for Mason's comfort, dissolved with every stride.

I ran without direction, letting instinct guide me through familiar paths and then beyond them, to the wilder edges of Silverstone territory. My heart pounded a steady rhythm against my ribs, each beat seeming to whisper: *I'm-still-here, I'm-still-here.*

It wasn't until I caught the scent of pine and fresh rain that I realized how far I'd gone. I slowed, panting, as Emma alerted me to the boundary markers ahead. Crescent Moon territory. Gabriel's pack.

I should have turned back. Crossing into another Alpha's territory uninvited was a serious breach of protocol. But something in that scent called to me—something calming, almost familiar.

*Further,* Emma urged, surprising me with her boldness. *Just a little further.*

Before I could decide, a massive midnight-black wolf emerged from the trees ahead, his amber eyes fixed intently on mine. I froze, hackles rising instinctively before I recognized his scent.

Gabriel.

His wolf was magnificent—larger than Mason's, with a quiet power that didn't need to be announced. He circled me slowly, his movements protective rather than threatening. When he brushed against my flank, a jolt of electricity shot through me, so different from the possessive claim I'd grown accustomed to with Mason.

Emma whined softly, leaning into the contact. *Safe,* she whispered in my mind. *He feels safe.*

The black wolf nudged me gently, then turned and trotted a few paces before looking back expectantly. An invitation. I hesitated only briefly before following him deeper into Crescent Moon territory, through a winding path that eventually opened to a small clearing.

Gabriel stopped and shifted, the transformation fluid and graceful. I averted my eyes instinctively as he reached for clothes stashed in a hollow tree similar to my own hiding spot. When I looked back, he stood before me in human form, dressed in simple jeans and a dark henley that matched his wolf's coloring.

"Charlotte," he said, his voice deep and steady. His eyes—warm amber even in human form—held mine without the dominance Mason always asserted. "I've been hoping you'd come."

I remained in wolf form, uncertain, vulnerable.

"It's okay," he continued, crouching down to my eye level. "You can stay as Emma if you're more comfortable that way. I just wanted you to know you have a place here, if you need it."

The use of my wolf's name startled me. Mason had never bothered to learn it, referring to Emma simply as "your wolf" when he acknowledged her at all.

"I have a small healing lodge at the eastern edge of our territory," Gabriel explained, his gaze never wavering. "Private. Secluded. No one would disturb you there." He paused, a flicker of something like pain crossing his features. "I've watched over your wolf for years, Charlotte. From a distance, respecting the bond you shared with Mason. But I always knew..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but Emma understood. She whined softly, stepping closer to him.

*He knew we were suffering,* she whispered. *He was waiting.*

As the morning sun filtered through the trees, illuminating Gabriel's face, I saw something there I hadn't seen in Mason's eyes for years.

Respect.