Destiny's Tethers

Chapter 4 - Exile

It had been three months since Olwen had left the Silver Arrow Pack.

During those months, she'd mostly allowed Opal to take over-it was hard to find meat aside from the odd bird or two in this time, and her diet was predominantly berries and other non poisonous fruit.

Both Olwen and Opal could survive on plants just fine, but the familiar taste and sustenance of meat was something they missed.

Olwen had been perfectly careful in avoiding trespassing on other pack's territories-after the rogue attacks years ago, all groups in the Evergreen Wilds were definitely still on guard against any future incidents. And even when she didn't step near the pack borders, she could sense that she was being monitored by whoever was patrolling the area, and usually left before more trouble could arise.

And there was also the few encounters she'd had with other, more hostile rogues. Fortunately for her, the training she'd had under Beta Kayden had kicked in, and she was able to emerge from these fights victorious but not exactly unscathed. She'd had to find safe areas to rest, sometimes shifting back into her human form and using what know how she had to find herbs to treat her wounds.

In a way, it was a harsh wake-up call. Even when she'd been taught about these things, she had never envisioned the experience would feel this difficult.

With all the bravado and adrenaline from her final day at the pack having all but drained from her system after a few weeks, a part of Olwen wondered if she had indeed made the right decision. She would have lost her Luna position to Kylie one way or another...and at least if she was still in the pack she would be still be healthy and taken care of as an omega...

She shook her head with a sigh, shifting back into Opal, clutching her small pouch in her teeth and setting off to find a nice place to spend the night, lightly wincing from the sting of the injury in one of her back legs and a gash on her flank. They would heal in time, but at a slower rate. After all, she was an omega by nature, and not in the best shape either.

......

We must be near Moon River pack territory, Opal rumbled, as the wolf trotted over to a rushing river.

They were in a beautiful clearing, the forest around smelling fresh after the rain that had fallen a few hours ago. The silvery grey she-wolf shook what rainwater she could from her fur before surveying the place.

From what Olwen recalled, the Moon River Pack was all the way across to the other side of the Evergreen Wilds, and while she hadn't been exactly rushing to get here or even thought of coming this far, it made her fully realise just how far she had ventured from the place she had once called home.

There should be a dirt path that leads over the river. We just need to keep walking and find it.

Upon finding that path, Opal crossed it without difficulty, inhaling the fresh forest air around her. She then decided to sit down beneath a tree to rest, at least to prevent her injuries from flaring up more than they already had.

Despite not being the one in control now, Olwen's mind was still very much active, and her and Opal's feelings were similar.

Once she had established her daily pattern of survival, Olwen had finally had time to allow the events that had driven her here to fully sink in.

The day before the Olive Branch Festival, she had everything. She was making progress in her Luna training, most of the members she was meant to work with seemed to approve of her, and Aaron had gifted her that arrow necklace as a show of his love.

After she found out he'd been sleeping with Kylie, Aaron hadn't even looked her way during the Olive Branch Ceremony. The Alpha whom she'd thought she could rely on threatened to have her kicked out of the pack if she didn't accept the situation, and she was half sure he'd done all he could to ensure none of the other pack members would ask questions either. She hadn't wanted to ask Stela or her family for help, but she was sure that she would have accepted Kylie as her new Luna by now. She was supposed to be the more capable she-wolf between them both after all.