Hiding from the Alpha

The Engagement

Riley's POV💫

My mate continues to appear on the news. Invading more and more packs everywhere.

Usually, for a search, an Alpha would split his men to go search each pack, but as he claimed on the news, he will search everywhere and personally interview everyone in the pack. Which means, I'm royally screwed.

I turn on the tv in my home and sigh when his face pops onto the screen. With every new interview that airs on TV, he looks worse and worse. He has darker bags under his bloodshot eyes, he looks more broken and desperate. It breaks my heart to see him like this.

His face is solum and sad, his voice lost all trace of hope, and his eyes were dull, but they still held the strength and power of an alpha. He glanced at the reporter with an aggravated look before motioning for her to begin.

"How have the searches for your mystery girl been going?" She asks happily and positions the mic in front of his face.

"Horrible. She disappeared without a single trace." He says with a sigh. My heart sinks more and more with every second of watching him like this.

"Did any of the packs so far divulge any information to find her?"

"No. We only have two more packs to search, and I have lost all hope. They are just small pathetic packs, my mate would not belong there."

I growl lowly at his response. They may be a small, but this is my pack and I want to defend its honor.

"Do you have a message for your mate?" She asks with excitement in her voice.

"Yes." He says, turning directly toward the camera. "I don't know where you are or why you don't want me, but please, come to me. Whatever I had done in the past to deserve this, we can work it out. Show yourself, even if you were to reject me, I just want to see you and know you are safe. You can run, you can hide, you can reject me, but I will never stop looking for you and I will never stop protecting you."

I sniffled at his confession and wiped the tears that were pooling in my eyes. I quickly switch off the tv and get up off the couch. I run up to my room and pack a small bag and walk out the door. I sneak to edge of the woods to shift.

My emotions are on overload and I don't know what to do. Running will help me let out my emotion and allow me time to think about the situation.

I shift quickly, letting my wolf take over as I let my emotions run through my body. I dash through the woods eagerly, not knowing where I'm going. I yip as the wind whips through my fur, allowing me to relax. I've always felt electrified when I ran. It makes me feel like I'm on top of the world.

I suddenly screech to a halt when a scent hits my nose. I legs want to start moving toward it but I use everything in me to resist. His sweet, intoxicating scent fills my nose and I inhale it eagerly. I know I want him but I still haven't decided about what I want to do and I don't want a distraction.

I turn around and try to run away but his scent fills my lungs with every breath and makes me want to run to him. I hear tons of loud paws thudding on the ground in the distant and I internally curse, he knows I'm here.

I cut off my scent and shift back quickly. I change into the clothes I packed in my bag and I begin to climb the tree closest to me. I make it high enough to see hundreds of wolves tumbling full-speed through the woods. My mouth is agape as I watch the wolves pounding through the trees.

One wolf is running much faster than the others. His large muscular body, covered in black fur, barrels through the trees with so much determination, you can sense it from a mile away. He looks around desperate and haults abruptly when he reaches the bottom of the tree. Shit, I shouldn't have cut off the scent so abruptly.