Lone Wolf (EDITING)

Avoiding Fate

Seren leaned her head back against the wall. Now that she was safe, her body felt that it was time to begin shaking. She'd been going all day with nothing to eat, and kept in a state of terror that was taxing to her body. "I cleaned the cabin, but the Wind Runners saw me and I ran behind it and kept going. I was so worried that they would take out their aggression on you if they believed you were harboring the fugitive they wanted. They took me back to their pack house-"

"Seren, did they do this to you? I cannot believe that Alpha Liam, after everything we spoke about would or could do such a thing!" Anger made his voice waver and he thrust his little old fist into his other palm.

"No. The Gray Paws did. They said that they had rights to interrogate me, but Liam said otherwise. He...he saved me from them in a way," Seren whispered, just realizing it. "He didn't hurt me. I refused to shift so that he wouldn't know my human form and didn't answer any of his questions. But...he...when we looked at each other...oh, I don't know what I'm going to do!" Seren started to cry and fell into McGreggor's arms. 

He rubbed her back. "Shhhh, there, there, what is it? You looked at each other and...? Does he know who you are?"

"N-no... He...he knows I was in the guest room the night he came and he k-knows the scent of my blood now...But...b-but...he is my mate! My mate! I never wanted this to happen!"

He didn't say anything for a moment. "Oh, Seren, honey, I'm so sorry. I bet he is so worried about you."

"I d-don't care. I will never go with him! I can't be in a pack. I don't want them to cut me and treat me like dirt. I was just minding my business. Why do they think I have to be in a pack to be allowed to live?"

McGreggor stared at her searching blue eyes, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I don't know, Pumpkin. It is their way. Now, did Alpha Liam mark you?"

She shook her head no and he visibly relaxed. "Well, then he won't be able to find you through your bond."

"But he knows that you are helping me! When that gets out, Max, or someone else will tell him that I work for you and he will piece it together," she sniffled.

"We will think of something. For now, just go upstairs and get some sleep. I put your bag up there. Pumpkin, I'm just glad you are okay. If either of the packs had to take you this morning, be glad it wasn't the Gray Paws. They are one step away from getting taken over by Liam. But I will be back here early tomorrow and I will bring my gun so that if anyone thinks you are going to go with them unwillingly, they will have to reconsider. This is my store, damn it, and I'm not getting walked over because I am human," he said defiantly.

She smiled weakly and he hugged her once more, pecking her on top of her head. 

"I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night," she croaked, watching him leave and lock up behind her. Seren sighed, glad to be safe. In the dim orange light provided by the street lights, she mosied around the store and found a few things to sate her hunger, carrying them up the narrow stairs in back. The room was actually an office, but the futon served as a tolerable bed, the only item in the room except for a desk with an aging lamp and a squeaky swivel chair, her bag sitting in the center of the floor like...

Like a curled up wolf. But the only black wolf I know just so happens to be the biggest and most terrifying wolf there is. And he is...my...my mate. The word still seemed alien and full of secrets that she never wanted to learn. What would he have expected from her if things had been different between them?

She would be a Luna. Seren shuddered. Who would ever want to be a leader of a pack, the one that represented all of the horrible things that it did? Maybe alphas didn't think it was bad, because they weren't the one being cut with a knife.