Chapter 3


    Tree branches tore through my hair as I ran, my wolf refusing toe forward. I was in danger. The


    sound of paws thundered behind me and I pushed myself to run faster. I found myself suddenly in the


    clearing with nothing to provide cover. Not that it would have helped anyway, the wolf would sniff me


    out. My only chance was to reach the water. I tripped over a protruding root as I moved towards the


    stream. Before I could stand, the wolf was flying through the sky at me, shifting into human form as he


    sliced through the air.


    “HANNAH! COME ON, WE’RE GOING TO MISS BREAKFAST.” An irritated voice yelled through the


    door, waking me from my nightmare.


    “I’ming!” I called back, untangling myself from my sweat filled sheets.


    The previous nights encounter had rattled me. My wolf was on edge, angry that I had ran from our


    mate. I was more concerned that he had wanted to rip our throat out. We were pack-less after all, and


    that made us a rogue threat. I would have to find Barb after school today and let her know about the


    incident. I dressed quickly and after brushing my teeth and tossing my hair in a messy bun, I headed to


    the orphanages cafeteria with my backpack slung across my shoulder.


    “Hey Hannah! Saved you a seat.” Called Toby. He had been here longer than me and aged out in a


    week. We had be close friends during our time here.


    I grabbed my breakfast and sat beside him, eating quietly. The nightmare was still reying in my


    mind. Part of me wondered if I would have seen my mates human form if I hadn’t been woken up. I


    listened to Toby rattle on about a job he had found at the local movie theater and his small studio


    apartment. He couldn’t sign the lease on his own until he was eighteen, but Barb had made


    arrangements so that he would be able to move in the same day, preventing him from being homeless


    for a few days.


    I was excited for him. It was difficult for orphans to find a ce of their own in our area once they aged


    out. Most of them left the area in search of other rtive to help them out. A handful ended up in the


    local homeless shelter. None of them had the addedplication of being a werewolf with Alpha blood


    though.


    The school day flew by in a blur. We were in finals week so there wasn’t much happening other than


    test and graduation prep. I was exhausted from the run and my nightmare and spent most of the time


    napping in my sses. I knew the material like the back of my hand so there wasn’t much point in


    prepping. The counselor had called me to her office to discuss my college applications. She had given


    me a lecture on wasting my potential by not applying anywhere. I couldn’t exactly tell her that it was


    dangerous for me to go anywhere since I wasn’t a member of any pack.


    I was relieved to get back to the orphanage. Tossing my bag in my room, I went to find Barb. I found


    her in her office on the phone, a concerned look on her face. She waved me in and signaled for me to


    sit and be quiet while she wrapped up the conversation. Finally, she sighed and hung up the phone.


    ‘Alpha Tristan’ disyed on the screen before her phone went to sleep.


    “So, you had quite the adventurest night.” She said, folding her fingers together under her chin.


    I raised my eyebrow in confusion. There was no way that she already knew I ran into another wolfst


    night.


    “That was Alpha Tristan. He apparently scented a wolf in the woodsst night and followed it her.”


    “Alpha Tristan?” I stammered.


    “Yes dear. Now, would you like to tell me what happened? You’re the only wolf in this orphanage aside


    from myself, and I didn’te back here. I returned to my pack after my run.” She chuckled.


    I didn’t know where to start. I knew Alpha Tristan wasn’t her packs alpha. Her pack’s alpha was named


    Bruce. I had met him once before when I expressed interest in joining their pack. I wasn’t sure which of


    the other packs in the area belonged to the alpha she had been speaking to on the phone. I sighed and


    decided I would just start with leaving for my run.


    “I knew it!” She squealed after I finished telling her the whole story. “I knew he was hiding something.


    He wouldn’t have called me over just any wolf.”


    “But I’m still technically a rogue.” I stammered, my face flushing at her reaction.


    “Oh, sweet girl, you’re his mate.” She chided. “If it were just because of a rogue wolf he would have


    contacted Alpha Bruce from my pack. Besides, you’re only rogue for another month when the state


    finally gets out of your business and you can join the pack.”


    Her excitement was making me giddy. I had been terrified to face himst night, afraid that my rogue


    status marked me as a threat no matter how loud my wolf screamed mate. I tried to calm myself as she


    prattled on about wolves usually finding their mate much earlier than seventeen. I probably would have


    found him when my wolf first emerged if my pack hadn’t been wiped out, leaving me in a human


    orphanage.


    “Wait, isn’t he kind of old to be my mate?” I blurted out as the thought crossed my mind. “I mean aren’t


    all alpha’s old like Bruce?”


    Barb chuckled. “Oh, sweetie, Tristan is only neen. Not all alphas are as old as Bruce, who is only


    fifty-two by the way. Each pack has its own guidelines on when and how to pass the mantle to the next


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    alpha. Bruce’s son, maybe even his grandson will take over when he’s ready to retire. If I’m not


    mistaken, the Iron Hide pack passes their mantle as soon as their new Alpha turns eighteen.”


    I felt the heat rising in my face as she corrected my assumptions. I was starting to realize just how little


    I knew about being in a pack. Barb mistook my embarrassment over not knowing about thews


    governing different packs as excitement that my newly discovered mate wasn’t inappropriately older


    than me. Her assertion that it was perfectly natural to have naughty thoughts about one’s mate only


    deepening my blush. I excused myself and left her giggling at my predicament.


    “Woah! Watch it Han.” Toby grunted as I ran into him in the hall.


    Great, now I would have a second person to exin my blushing face too, except Toby was human and


    I couldn’t tell him about mates. Before I could say anything, I caught sight of a bag slung over his


    shoulder.


    “Where are you going?” I inquired.


    “Barb got everything greenlit for me to go ahead and move into my apartment. I’m taking my stuff over


    there now. Wanna help? There’s more bags in my room.”


    I nodded and quickly grabbed a trash bag full of more of his belongings. I couldn’t tell him what was up


    but getting away from Barb for awhile would bring some relief. Thest thing I wanted was more of her


    teasing me, no matter how well intended. I couldn’t flex my wolf muscles again, but I could at least


    wear out my human body enough helping Toby move that I wouldn’t have to think about anything that


    had happened sincest night.