"Hey, Dom, wait up!" I hear my best friend Kyle shout to me.
Kyle and I have been best friends since we were pups; he'll be my Beta when I become Alpha. Kyle's got dirty blond hair, hazel eyes, and stands 6'1 "—same as me. We work out daily. I've got brown hair, bright green eyes, and a lighter tan. We're both nineteen and still unmated.
"Hey Kyle, what's up?" I ask as he catches up to me.
"How are you feeling about going to the Skylight pack tomorrow to find out if your mate is there?" he asks. I shrug my shoulders.
"Honestly, I'm only going so my dad will quit nagging about needing a mate to make me a stronger Alpha."He laughs, and we-race to training.
As a soon-to-be Alpha, I've been training since I was 5, so I'm in charge of teaching others. It is our law to train Alpha blood at a young age to maintain our legacy. Everyone in our pack is strong, healthy, active, and fierce wolves. Non-shifted wolves are also trained alongside those who have shifted, enabling us to be strong in all aspects of ourselves.
That's why I'm hoping to find a mate who is at least a powerful female, mentally and physically, so we can uphold this pack and make my father proud.
Kelly's POV:
The day after I turned 18, I met my wolf, Athena. She's my escape from reality, always there when my mother or the pack hurts me. Athena wants to snap and tell them all off, but I hold her back. I know it will just mean more abuse from everyone if we were to fight back. We've searched for our mate, but found no sign. Athena's upset, but I'm relieved—it means he isn't from this pack. Maybe I can finally escape. Part of me still doubts it, after years of being called ugly and worthless. Athena whines at my thoughts, which makes me frown. I don't want to see her upset, but I can't hide my feelings from myself.
"He has to be close," Athena insists.
"We've looked everywhere. He's not here. Let me finish cleaning," I say.
"Why stay? Let's run away and find our mate ourselves," she urges.
I sigh and block her out, hating to do it, but needing to focus. Alpha Joe has tasked me with cleaning and stocking the guest house for the Blood Night pack. The task isn't just about tidiness; it's about redemption and a distant chance of freedom. Each room I scrub and each shelf I dust feels like a small victory against the judgment hanging over me. I am almost done with this task, but I keep having to redo things. Why, you ask? Well, some of the pack members thought it would be fun to get me in trouble by messing up the house to make it look like I hadn't done what I was told to do. Despite their attempts, I press on, determined to ensure not a single speck of dust remains—a spotless window could mean one step closer to the life I wish for. This time, though, I have placed locks around the doors and windows so they can't get in. I double-check everything, determined not to give Alpha Joe a reason to get mad. At 4 a.m., exhausted, I head home, finish cleaning, and collapse in bed.
Today, the Blood Night pack arrives. We've spent days preparing. I finish cleaning the guest house, hoping I've done enough to avoid another beating. But Alpha still beat me before the party, slamming me into the wall and punching me. I bit back the scream that wanted to come out. I knew better than to make a sound. If I did, my beating would only last-longer. Once he finished punching every inch of my body, he threw me out the back door and said,
"Now get out of sight, you ugly, worthless bitch!" After he finished, he slammed the door shut.
Pain faded fast, thanks to Athena's healing.
"Athena, thank you for healing us and not leaving me," I said to her through our connection.
"Kelly, I will always be here for you no matter what; we are in this together. I'm sorry I couldn't heal you before when those bastards would do this to you, but I promise I'm here and will do everything in my power to protect us," she said in her sweet voice.
"I don't know what I did to deserve a wolf like you. Thank you, Athena," I reply as I silently cry.
"You were yourself, Kelly; remember that no matter the situation you find yourself in, you have a heart of gold. You are strong, beautiful, and a kind soul. We will make it out of this hell; hold on a little longer, Kel; our mate will save us, I promise," Athena said before she cut the connection and went to the back of my mind.
I went to my secret spot and waited under the tree.
Dominic's POV
We have arrived at the Skylight pack. Once the SUV stops, Ky, my dad, his Beta, and Ky's dad, Liam, get out, and we greet the Skylight pack: Alpha Joe, his Beta, Zack, Luna Lisa, and his son, Jarred.
"Thanks for having us and letting my son search for his mate," my dad says.
"My pleasure, Alpha Mark. I wish Dominic the best of luck finding his mate and hope she is from my pack."
My dad nods, and I ask, "So where will we be staying while we are here?"
"You'll stay in our guest house for privacy and to get to know your mate if you find her," Joe explains.
"Thanks, Joe. We will talk soon once we are all settled in. Do you mind if I go for a run on your lands and explore a bit? My wolf is itching to get out," I ask Joe.
"Of course, Dominic," Joe replies.
With that, I take off in a run towards the forest. Once I am in the cover of the trees, I strip down and shift into my pure black wolf with bright hazel eyes. I shake my fur out and then ask my wolf, Tex, if he wants control, and he takes control, and we are off. We dash through the forest, passing big oaks and pine trees, jumping over fallen trees until we come to an open area. Once there, my wolf, Tex, looks up to the sky as if he is sniffing for something.
That's when I smell it. I catch the most intoxicating scent—vanilla and strawberries—and race toward the lake and waterfall. As I gaze out, my wolf sniffs again, and our heads snap to the right to see a beautiful but scared-looking girl backed up against a willow tree as far as possible. She looks bruised and afraid, and I bristle with anger. We walk up to her slowly. We sniff again and nuzzle our snout in her neck to inhale her scent. Her scent instantly calms us down. I quickly go behind the tree and shift back, and once I come around, I see the girl slowly getting up. I walk up to her, look her in the eyes, and whisper,
"Mate."
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Eekk, chapter 2 is now up. What are your thoughts so far ?? Also, if you are enjoying this story, please vote and comment.
Much love
Luna dreamer ❤️
YOU ARE READING
The Beaten Path.
WerewolfKelly isn't your average seventeen-year-old-she's part wolf, bearing secrets only her kind can imagine. Ever since the tragic loss of her father and sister, her once-bright world has become a daily fight for survival. Sweet at heart but hardened by...
