Fated Mate

Chapter 5

Austin stood at the edge of the forest, his pack gathered behind him. Lena tossed a stick into the fire they’d built, her sharp eyes watching him. “You’re distracted, Alpha.”

“I’m fine,” he growled.

Jax snorted. “You’ve been pacing since dawn. What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s a hybrid, isn’t it?” Lena smirked. “The one from the bar. You’ve been watching her.”

Austin’s fists clenched. “Drop it.”

Lena raised her hands. “Just saying. If she’s a problem, we can make her leave town.”

The words sent a surge of anger through him. “Touch her, and you’ll regret it.”

The pack fell silent. Jax and Cole exchanged glances. Lena leaned back, her smile fading. “Understood, Alpha.”

Austin turned away, staring into the trees. Seline’s face flashed in his mind her defiance, her tears. She’s better off without me, he told himself. But his wolf howled in protest.

---

Back at the bar, Seline scrubbed tables mechanically. Her body ached, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the hole in her chest. Every time the door opened, she tensed, half-hoping Austin would walk in. He never did.

At sunset, her landlord arrived. Mr. Krane was a thin, sharp-faced warlock with a permanent sneer. He slapped an eviction notice on the counter. “Time’s up, half-breed. Pay or leave.”

Seline stared at the paper. “I need one more day.”

“You’ve had weeks.” He smirked. “Maybe ask your wolf friends for help. Oh wait — they don’t want you either.”

Her magic flared, rattling the glasses. “Get out.”

Krane laughed. “You’ll be on the streets by midnight.”

When he left, Seline sank to the floor. No money. No home. No mate. She was truly alone.

The bar closed early. Seline packed her few belongings into a duffel bag, clothes, a photo of her mother, and a dried herb pouch for protection. She didn’t know where she’d go. Maybe sleep in the storeroom until Krane sent goons to drag her out.

A knock at the door made her jump.

Austin stood outside, his face unreadable. “We need to talk.”

She crossed her arms. “Why? You made yourself clear.”

He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. “You can’t stay here. It’s not safe.”

“Because of the panthers? Or because of you?”

His jaw tightened. “I’m trying to help.”

“By rejecting me? By telling me I’m not enough?” Her voice cracked.

Austin looked away. “My pack… they’d never accept a hybrid. The elders would challenge my leadership. I can’t risk that.”

“So you’ll risk us instead?”

“There is no us!” His shout echoed in the empty bar. “You’re a liability. A weakness. I can’t be tied to someone like you.”

The words crushed what was left of her hope. She picked up her bag. “Then leave. Again.”

He grabbed her arm. “Seline, wait—”

She yanked free. “No. You don’t get to push me away and then act like you care. You want me gone? Fine. I’ll disappear. But don’t pretend this is for my sake.”

Austin’s mask slipped. For a second, she saw pain in his eyes—raw and deep. Then it vanished. “You’re right,” he said coldly. “This is for me. For my pack. You don’t belong in my world.”

She laughed bitterly. “Funny. I don’t belong in any world.”

He turned to leave but paused at the door. “There’s a safe house north of town. An old cabin. Go there. Krane won’t find you.”

“Why tell me this?”

He didn’t look back. “Consider it a goodbye gift.”

When he was gone, Seline collapsed into a chair. The bond between them stretched thin, a thread about to snap. She pressed a hand to her chest, tears flowing.

I hate you, she thought. But her wolf still reached for him.

---

The cabin was small and crumbling, hidden deep in the woods. Seline lit a fire, her breath visible in the cold air. She wrapped herself in a blanket, staring at the flames.

A howl echoed in the distance. Her wolf perked up, longing in its whine.

“Stop,” she whispered. “He doesn’t want us.”

But the bond ached, a constant reminder of what could never be.

Days passed. Seline avoided town, surviving on berries and canned food she’d stolen from the bar. The silence was suffocating.

One night, footsteps approached the cabin. She grabbed a knife, heart racing.

“Seline?”

Mira stood in the doorway, her wings glittering with frost. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Seline lowered the knife. “How did you find me?”

“A wolf told me. Tall, brooding, really bad at expressing feelings?”

Seline’s breath caught. Austin.!

Mira handed her a bag of groceries. “He’s been watching the cabin. Every night. Making sure you’re safe.”

“Why?”

“I think you know.”

Seline turned away. “It doesn’t matter.”

Mira sighed. “He’s an idiot. But you’re both miserable. Fix it.”

After Mira left, Seline stood outside. The forest was still. But she felt Austin, hidden in the trees, watching.

“I hate you,” she whispered into the dark.

The wind carried no answer. But the bond flared, warm and aching.

And for the first time, she wondered if he hated himself too.