Alphas' Proud Mate novel Chapter 19

walk–one step at a time–away from Blood Fang territory.

It feels unreal.

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I expected resistance–warriors blocking my path, Jack’s men dragging me back, or worse, him hunting me down himself. But nothing. No sound of pursuit, no angry growl carried by the wind. Just silence.

It doesn’t make sense.

I haven’t known Jack long, but in the short time I’ve spent with him, I’ve learned one thing–he isn’t the type to let something, or someone, slip through his fingers. He’s ruthless, possessive–the kind of man who carves his name into whatever belongs to him. And according to fate, I belong to him.

So why isn’t he stopping me?

The thought chills me.

Maybe this is a game. Maybe he’s watching from the shadows, letting me run just so he can enjoy the chase.

I grit my teeth. If that’s the case, he’s made the biggest mistake of his life.

Because I’m never coming back.

Once I cross far enough, I glance over my shoulder one last time. No movement, no sign of anyone following My heartbeat slows slightly, but I don’t let my guard down. I crouch behind a thick tree, place my bag of gold between my teeth, and shift.

Bones crack, stretching, shifting. Dark obsidian fur ripples across my form, streaked with glowing silver patterns. My claws dig into the dirt as I steady myself. The moment I’m fully transformed, I bolt.

I sprint through the forest, leaves whipping past me as I follow the path I once took–before fate dragged me into Jack’s den.

I snarl.

Fate is a cruel bitch.

The trees blur as I run, the sound of the stream growing louder in the distance. Relief swells in my chest when I see it, the familiar glistening water winding through the forest.

For the first time since leaving Jack, I smile.

Not stopping for food. Not stopping for water. Not making the same mistake again.

I push myself harder.

Mile after mile, I follow the stream east, my paws barely making a sound against the damp earth. Twenty miles pass before the landscape shifts, the trees thinning until I reach a clearing.

There.

I follow the path leading northeast, forcing myself to keep going for another ten miles. My legs burn, my lungs scream for air, but I don’t stop.

Not until I see it.

The witch’s hut.

I skid to a halt, panting, my chest heaving as I stare at the small, crooked structure standing alone in the distance. A worn–out cabin, its wooden frame barely holding together, vines creeping up the sides like fingers grasping at a forgotten past.

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Chapter 19

I shift back into human form, my bare feet sinking into the damp grass.

I made it.

Swallowing hard, I step forward.

The closer I get, the worse it looks. The windows are clouded with dust, the door slightly ajar as if someone left in a hurry and never returned. My stomach twists uneasily as I push it open.

A thick cloud of dust explodes into the air, making me cough. I wave my hand in front of my face and step inside.

It’s… empty.

No candles burning with eerie light. No scent of herbs or magic in the air. Just broken furniture, shattered glass, and a thick layer of dust coating every surface.

tinhale sharply, my chest tightening.

No.

No, no, no.

I was supposed to find answers here. I was supposed to find someone who could tell me what happened to my family, to the witches.

Instead, I found nothing.

All this effort.

All this running.

For what?

My breath shakes as I clench my fists. “Damn it,” I whisper.

I turn in a slow circle, searching for anything–anything–that might give me a clue. But everything is old, abandoned, and untouched for years.

I feel sick.

I feel… lost.

What now?

I can’t go back to my old pack. I can’t go back to my mother. And I sure as hell can’t go back to Jack.

So where the hell do I go from here?

A sudden noise shatters the silence.

1 freeze.

At first, I think it’s a rat scurrying through the debris, knocking something over. The hut is old and abandoned–it makes sense. I almost ignore it.

Almost.

Then I hear it again.

A rustling. A whisper of movement.

I whip around, muscles tensed, eyes scanning the room. My breath slowing as my ears strain to pick up any sound.

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16:38 Thu, 19 June

Chapter 19

And then I see it.

A shadow.

It moves fast, slipping out the back door like a ghost.

Someone was here, watching me. But there’s no scent, no trace of life other than my own.

Who the hell is that?

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My wolf growls in my head, ears perked. That person could lead us to our family. They might be our only clue. Chase them–NOW!

My breath catches.

A clue? To my family?

Before I can think twice, I’m already moving.

I burst through the back door, my bare feet pounding against the dirt as I chase after the retreating figure. They’re fast, but I push harder, following the fresh footprints pressed into the damp earth. My muscles scream in protest, but I grit my teeth and double my speed, closing the distance.

Then, I see them.

A figure cloaked in black, gliding through the trees like a shadow. But not fast enough.

Without hesitation, I lunge.

I launch myself through the air, arms outstretched–my body colliding with the figure.

We crash to the ground in a tangle of limbs, dirt flying up around us. The impact knocks the breath from my lungs, but I recover first. The figure beneath me thrashes, struggling to break free, but I straddle them, pinning their arms with my legs. My hands wrapped around their throat.

“Identify yourself before I snap your neck!” I snarl, my grip tightening.

The figure stills. Slowly, trembling fingers reach up, pulling away the hood and mask.

I blink.

An older woman. Wrinkled skin, yellowing teeth, wild purple eyes,

A witch?

My grip tightens.

She coughs, struggling to breathe. “Please,” she wheezes, her voice raspy. “Mercy.”