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Warrior Trainee Nathan Storm’s POV

Bitterroot Mountains

August 8, 2003

Yesterday had been the second worst day of my life, paling only in comparison to the day my parents died. The Alpha’s decision about Carol Sampson pulled the rug from under our relationship before it could begin.

Hell, I hadn’t even looked into her eyes. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the (ꜰind)ɴʘvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The Alpha commands laid on our group went beyond just Carol’s punishment. The Alpha forbade us from recognizing Carol as my fated mate or letting anyone else know. In the Alpha’s eyes, she may as well be dead to me. He said as much when he sat next to me shortly after we got back on the road. “It’s a tough break for you, Nathan. We’ve had matings with rogue females before. As long as they were innocent in how they ended up packless, I can show mercy,” he said softly. “I cannot forgive the death of a Pack member. For a rogue to kill a Pack member should be instant death. I’m doing you a favor by enslaving her.”

I closed my eyes and shook my head. “This isn’t how I dreamed of finding her.”

“You marked her, but that isn’t permanent without completing the mating, and that won’t happen. The mark will fade with time, as will your connection with her. When you no longer have a connection, you can reject her without causing each other pain. Once it is behind you, you can find a choice mate, and have a happy life together.”

My wolf howled at the thought of rejecting his perfect mate. “What if I still want her?”

He snorted. “What are you going to do, become a slave yourself? It wouldn’t help. We would kill a pair that mates without permission. If you complete the mating, it’s even worse. Her lot won’t change, and you’ll feel pain through the bond as she fucks other wolves. EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT, Nathan. It will drive you mad, and we’ll have to put you down like a rabid dog.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and forced me to look into his eyes. “And don’t even think about trying to leave together. A Pack Warrior who can break command, breaks his ties with a Pack, and steals Pack property? If we catch you, it’s immediate death. If you’re lucky enough to escape us, you’re still dead. You’d be the most wanted wolf in North America, with a Council warrant and a price on your head.”

Wolves born and raised outside the Pack system were looked at differently than ones who rebelled against Alpha command. The latter couldn’t be trusted. The Council would order us to kill them on sight. “I understand, Alpha.”

“You will get past this, Nathan. When we get home, you aren’t allowed in Medical or the slave quarters without permission from a Beta or me. It’s a precaution to keep your wolf from doing something stupid. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Focus on what must be done, not on what might have been.” With that, he moved back to his seat up front.

Darrel and the other warriors did what they could to support me the rest of the way. Everyone recognized I’d gotten a raw deal, but the Alpha’s decision was just and final. With one pull of the trigger, Carol had ruined any chance of a future together.

“Stay with me, and we’ll get through this,” Darrell said as we drove onto Pack lands just after midnight.

The Bitterroot Pack was waiting for us in wolf form. After a few words from the Alpha, we began the Pack run. Chad hadn’t met his mate yet, hence the road trip with the rest of us. His parents, grandparents, older brother, and sister-in-law were up front with the Alpha and the Betas.

I stayed in the middle, behind the ranked wolves and ahead of the Omegas. I noticed that Doc wasn’t with us, which was good news. It meant he was still treating Carol, and she was still alive.

We stopped above the treeline on West Como Peak with the moon high above us. The Alpha led the howl of mourning, joined by our leadership and Chad’s family. The rest of us stayed quiet, not wanting any campers to think that a hundred wolves were on the mountain. I listened as a wild Pack answered our call from across the valley. Soon enough, we were on our way home.

Our path took us downwind of the Pack hospital. I heard growls as the scent of my mate carried our way. The Alpha had explained Chad’s death at the hands of a rogue female teen. Carol’s enslavement didn’t satisfy those who felt blood was the only atonement for her crime. The Alpha squashed that quickly. “Her every waking moment will be a punishment for her sins. Many of you will have the chance to punish her further, but the slave rules apply. No one can cause permanent damage to my property. If you kill her, you take her place.”

With the Alpha’s gag in place, none would know the woman they would rape and torture was my mate. Pack members would fill Carol’s life with pain and suffering, and I could do nothing about it.

I showered and headed to my bunk, falling into an exhausted sleep.

My Carol spent two weeks in the Pack infirmary before Doc released her to the Beta in charge of her training.

I was close to going rogue a few times when I smelled her blood or heard her cries of pain. Darrell dragged me into our room once after we returned from patrol. “You’re going to get yourself killed,” he warned me.

“You don’t understand,” I replied privately. “It’s killing me. My wolf wants to rush in there and kill him for daring to touch what is MINE.”

“You’re being watched. The Alpha ordered me to tell him if you started to break command, and you’re DAMN close right now. You don’t have a short leash, Nathan. You’ve got his fucking hand wrapped around your neck, waiting for a reason to squeeze.”

I sat on my bed and calmed myself. “What should I do? I can’t live like this.”

“You can’t be both stupid and alive.” He sat next to me. “I can’t tell you what to do. I can speak in hypotheticals, though. Let’s say I have a sixteen-year-old friend named Bob in the Donner Pack. His mate is the same age. She’s beautiful, and the Beta wants her as his second-chance mate. He’s already told her and her parents they will mate when she turns eighteen. Bob’s an Omega, so he stands no chance if the Beta fights for him. What can he do?”

“Leave the Pack with her before then,” I replied.

“Not as easy as you might think,” Darrell replied. “He has to take her from her family’s home and get her off the territory without being caught. That means a vehicle, escape route, diversion, and planning. He has to evade patrols, avoid detection, and get FAR away before the Alpha realizes he is gone. If he gets caught, he's dead. Now what?”

“Where to go,” I replied.

“Bob needs a good hiding place, and nobody can know where it is. You can bet the Alpha will command his wolves to give up anything they know, and other Packs will do the same. The Council will quickly declare the two rogue and offer a reward. Traveling will be difficult, as the Donner Pack will contact allies to send people out to catch them running away. Bob needs a hideout far enough from Donner but not too close to the others. If Bob wants to live, he’ll have the cabin prepared with food and supplies so they can stay there for months. That’s enough time for the active search to end. It’s still not over, though.”

“What do you mean?”

“The mates can hide, but eventually, you’ll run out of food and money. Bob needs new identification, transportation, and a job. He’ll probably have to relocate to the south or somewhere far from other Packs to reduce the chance of encounters with Pack wolves. That was the mistake of Carol’s parents. His job put him too close to a population center.”

“Damn, Bob has a lot to think about.”

“Well, Bob only gets one shot at this. If he isn’t willing to give her up, he better have his shit together when he makes that run. Hypothetically, of course.”

“Of course. It’s good to understand the mind of a rogue if you’re going to catch one. Thank you for the insight, Darrel.”

“Get some sleep, buddy.” He went to breakfast while I thought about our conversation.

I had a lot to prepare before I could take my mate away. As much as I hated the thought of her suffering, I needed time, money, and preparation for us to have a life together.

It might take years, but it would be worth it.

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