Unmated and Unloved

What Lies Ahead

Dalia turned her face away as her mother cried into her father's shoulder, and she listened to them as he told her what her punishment was. She turned her head back and looked at the wall on the other side of the room; for some reason, that wall was very interesting right now.

"What are we going to do, Dalia? We're being forced from our home?" She gave a small sigh as she heard her wolf speak up. Dalia didn't know what they were going to do or where they were going to go. She started to go into her own little world as she thought about what to do; she could find another pack or live as a loner. She looked up again, but this time she met the face of her father. He looked at her for a moment before sighing, "Dalia, I don't want you to go rogue. There's a nearby pack that may take you in." She stared at him for a second. "I'm not joining another pack. I'm not going to let the same thing happen again."

Dalia had made up her mind; she wouldn't join another pack. She couldn't, not after she had attacked the alpha for a simple remark she made.

That night, she packed her clothes after everyone had gone to bed. She already knew the guards were waiting to chase her off, so why not do it in the night? That way, her parents didn't have to see it. She grabbed her bag and climbed out of her open window, then jumped down. Below, she shifted into her wolf and picked up the bag in her jaws, taking off running. She had to run into the patrol for tonight for this to work.

About 45 minutes into her run, she found the patrol and made her way towards them. They had already been ordered to run her out if they saw her, so she knew this wouldn't take too long. As soon as the four scouts saw her, the air filled with loud growls and the sound of gnashing teeth as they came for her. When they neared her, she turned as fast as she could and bolted toward the south border.

The pack's border seemed further away than she had thought; her legs were already burning by the time she got there. Her wolf kept pushing forward as they fought against the ties that bound them to the pack. Once they crossed the pack border, it felt as if someone had taken a dagger and stabbed her in the heart, ripping all ties from them at once. Her wolf collapsed and whined in pain and slight agony. She knew she was now an outcast as the pain began to subside.

Her life as she knew it was over. She could never see her parents or her friends again. The very ground she was born and raised on had to become a memory. She knew her wolf could feel her sadness; she was the only one that understood anything that had been happening with her lately.

Her voice resonated to her wolf, Come on; we must keep going. The further we are, the less pain we'll be in.

Dalia continued to run through the night, putting as much distance between herself and her former pack. The weight of her decision pressed on her like a heavy cloak, and her heart ached with the realization that she might never see her family or friends again. But she couldn't go back, not after what she had done to the alpha.

As the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon, Dalia found herself in a dense forest, far away from the territory she had known all her life. Her wolf was still in pain from the severing of their connection to the pack, but they had to keep moving. She needed to find a place to rest and plan her next steps.

Dalia shifted back into her human form and set her bag down, taking a moment to catch her breath. The forest was eerily quiet, and the solitude weighed heavily on her. She couldn't stay here for long; it wasn't safe for a lone wolf, especially one with her recent history.

With a sigh, Dalia began to gather some sticks and dry leaves to start a small fire. She needed warmth and a hot meal to regain her strength. As she worked on building the fire, her thoughts drifted back to her family, and tears welled up in her eyes. She missed them already, but she couldn't let herself be consumed by grief.