Chasing Freedom

I

Hylfalk Pack.

Mira held the envelope tightly, taking in the fence line, clearly meant to keep intruders out. If the height wasn't the primary indication, then the "Private Property" sign followed.

No trespassers on to their territory.

And that's exactly what she was.

There was no doubt she was being watched from above. Sentries would be stationed atop the wall, a form of protection for the pack. More would be waiting nearby to remove any threats.

She hates packs.

Packs were the reason her father hid.

Packs were the reason he was killed.

Free lands were exactly that: all could pass through. Hunters included.

Hunters, who in the night, found their cave, locating the exits. Bounty for a shifter was high. Bounty for a shifter in their animal form? That value increased tenfold.

A cougar stood no chance against guns.

The echo of her father's cries would stay with her forever. His snarls as they sliced his throat. She was alive, because of him. He knew the second that he shifted, they would forget about her in their greed. He knew the distraction would give her enough time to run. He fought the losing battle to give her time.

He was all she had, and now he was gone.

She was alone. A half-breed. A mistake. A mutt. A shifter who couldn't shift into secondary form. Even her senses, while better than a humans, were subpar to rest of her kind.

There were two ways she saw this playing out. Execution or exile. Yet, her father had sent her here, given her the map to follow, so she had to trust there was a reason. Exile, she was used to. Surviving without the protection of a pack, her father had passed down valuable lessons. She could hunt, forage for food. If her survival was on the line, she could defend herself. Against the weapons of a hunter, no, but a fellow shifter, who would not hide behind bullets? Her father had taught her one-on-one combat. With a blade, she knew where to strike and protect.

Keep fighting, were the last words he'd spoken to her. Your legacy will make us proud.

Us, he'd said. Him. Her mother, who had died during her birth. Rarely, was her mother spoken about. The memories, for her father, were just too painful. There were tidbits of information she knew. Her mother's beauty. Her hair, the same dark shade as Mira's. Her tawny eyes, which crinkled at the corners when she laughed, just like Mira's. The boundless love she held for her mate and daughter; enough to join them in their unprotected isolation. A human, their pairing a forbidden offence. On both sides she wasn't meant to exist.

Swiping a tear from her eyes, she took a breath to steady herself. Then, she walked up to the iron gate. There was an intercom to her right, and she pushed the button. "I need to see the Alpha. Please. I need his help."

Nothing happened immediately.

Then, a bird flew overhead, calling. A hawk? Certainly a shifter, sent to evaluate the threat level from the safety of above.

She clasped her bone-dry hands together, suddenly aware of how exposed she was.

From ahead, within the gates, she heard footsteps approaching. A male, and a large one. He was older, donned in black from head-to-toe. His stare was cold, his posture anything but welcoming. Inches from the gate, he stopped. The crossbow strapped to his back sent her nerves rocketing, because she knew, if need be, there would be no hesitation in using it.