The Alpha's Mate

CHAPTER THREE; THE BITTER TASTE OF FREEDOM

—EVERLY

I had been walking for hours after Alpha Kellen had left me. My body felt weak, my thoughts clouded with confusion and hurt. The sun had set, and the streets around me were quiet. I couldn't think clearly anymore. Ava, my wolf, hadn't spoken to me since he rejected us. It was like she had vanished completely, leaving me to deal with everything on my own.

I couldn't go back to my family. They wouldn't accept me now—not after what happened with Alpha Kellen. And I couldn't go back to see Evelyn, with Rhys. It hurt too much.

The night air was cold, the kind that made your skin crawl and your breath turn to mist. My stomach growled, painfully reminding me of how long it had been since I'd eaten. But I didn't have money, and I had no idea where I could find food.

I found myself in a dark alley. It was quiet and isolated. I slipped between the shadows, trying to stay out of sight.

I walked along the grimy walls, searching through the trash for something—anything. But it was all spoiled food, scraps that no one would touch. I felt the sting of humiliation claw at me, but I pushed it away. I had no other choice. My body shook with hunger, my legs wobbly and weak, but still, I searched.

Nothing.

Sinking down to sit on the cold, dirty ground, I closed my eyes. My hands rested on my knees, fingers curled into fists.

So much had happened in one single day. One moment, I had felt like I was on the verge of salvation—of being whole—and then everything had come crashing down. Alpha Kellen had rejected me. He had bought me, yes, but it hadn't been the freedom I had dreamed of. He had given me something—but he hadn't given me himself.

Things couldn't get any worse, could they?

The thought barely left my mind when I heard the sound of footsteps, heavy and uneven.

I froze.

A man was stumbling down the alleyway, his movements jerky and uncoordinated. My heart began to race as I instinctively drew my knees closer to my chest, shrinking back into the shadows, hoping he wouldn't notice me.

But he did.

He stopped when he saw me, his bloodshot eyes scanning my face. The moment his gaze landed on me, I felt the weight of it—the recognition.

An omega. He could smell it. See it in the way I held myself. My shoulders were slumped in defeat, my face pale and weary. I could feel the way his gaze lingered, the way his eyes darkened with interest.

"Well, well," he muttered, his voice thick with malice. "A little lost omega. What are you doin' out here all alone?"

I tried to make myself smaller, pressing further into the corner of the wall, but it was no use. He was already staggering towards me. My heart hammered in my chest, each beat loud in my ears. I swallowed hard, pushing back the rising panic. 'Stay calm. Stay calm.'

"I'm not looking for trouble," I said, my voice shaky. I hated how weak I sounded. I didn't even recognize the sound of my own voice anymore—desperate, fragile, like I was begging without meaning to.

The man's laugh echoed through the alley, low and cruel, like he found something amusing in my fear. "Oh, I'm not here to cause trouble, sweetheart. Just… lookin' for a good time."

I flinched as he stepped closer, his gaze moving over my body with a hunger that made me sick. He saw me for what I was—a lost, vulnerable omega, a thing to be taken without thought or care. I pressed harder into the wall, feeling the rough texture scrape against my back, but there was no escape. He was too close. I was trapped.

"Look at you," he said, his voice slurred with alcohol and amusement. "All alone. Just what I've been lookin' for."

The heat in my chest rose—fear mixed with anger and something else, something darker that I didn't even want to acknowledge. I can't let him get any closer. My breath quickened as my body tensed, ready to fight, but I was too weak.

My limbs felt like lead, trembling from exhaustion, from hunger. My body had been worn thin from everything, from the stress, the fear, and the constant fight to stay alive. I couldn't even stand without swaying. I couldn't get away.

The man crouched down, his face just inches from mine. His unshaven face was greasy, his bloodshot eyes barely focused as they flicked over me with sick recognition. His breath stank of cheap alcohol, thick and sour, making my stomach churn in disgust. He was a mess—pale, dirty, and uncoordinated, as if he could barely keep himself upright. I could see the hunger in his gaze. His hands shook as they reached for me, brushing against my ankle, and then he yanked me forward.

"No... Please," I gasped, my voice barely a whisper, but it was enough to make him laugh. The sound of his cruel amusement cut through me like a knife. I couldn't stop him.

With one swift, brutal motion, he grabbed me by the feet, dragging me away from the wall. My body scraped against the rough pavement, the sting of it shocking in my already weakened state. Pain flashed through me, but it didn't matter. I was powerless to stop him as he dragged me into the center of the alley. Panic surged through me, every instinct screaming at me to fight back, but my body wouldn't cooperate. I couldn't even move properly. I was too weak to do anything but struggle feebly.

I kicked out instinctively, but he just laughed, tightening his grip. The sound of his voice, so full of cruel amusement, echoed in my ears. "What are you gonna do, huh? You think you're too good for me?"

I tried to push myself away, my hands scraping against the ground in a desperate attempt to create some space between us, but he was too strong. His grip on my ankles was like iron, dragging me closer to where he stood, looming over me. My chest tightened as the terror crept in, suffocating me.

'Please, Ava. Please, help me.' I cried out silently in my mind. I can't do this alone. But there was no answer. No comforting voice, no sense of reassurance. Ava was gone, retreating deep into the shadows of my mind.

I felt the crushing weight of abandonment, the sensation of being alone in the world, as if there was no one left to help. Nothing left to hold onto. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the overwhelming sense of helplessness that threatened to consume me.

'Please… someone. Anyone. Help me.'

The man reached down, his rough hands grabbing at my worn-out gown. With a harsh rip, he tore the fabric down the middle, exposing my skin. The cold air bit at me, making my already trembling body shudder. His fingers moved over my breast, his touch invasive and cruel. He wasn't just looking at me; he was claiming me, touching me like I was nothing more than an object for his satisfaction.

Tears burned at the back of my eyes, but I couldn't make them fall. I wouldn't let him see me cry. I can't let him take everything from me.

He straddled me, his weight pressing down, and for a moment, I thought I couldn't escape. But then, my hand brushed against something—rough, gritty, something like sand. The world around me seemed to slow as I realized what it was. Without thinking, my fingers closed around the grains, my heart hammering in my chest as I flung it directly into his face.

"f*****g b***h," He cursed loudly, staggering back as the sand hit his eyes. His grip on me loosened, and for a moment, I was free.

Without wasting a second, I kicked out, my foot landing hard on his balls. The man howled in pain, stumbling backward.

I didn't wait to see what he would do next. My legs moved before my mind could catch up, and I scrambled to my feet, my heart in my throat as I sprinted away from him. My breaths were ragged, each one harder to take than the last, but I couldn't stop. I had to keep moving.

The alley stretched on, a never-ending blur of shadows and cold stone. The city was dark and empty, and I realized how much more dangerous it was out here than I had ever known. I couldn't stay out here. I couldn't survive like this.

'Go back to the auction house,' my mind screamed. 'It's safer there. At least you'll be taken care of. At least you won't be alone.'

But then, just as quickly, another thought struck me. 'No. You can't go back. The auction house was a prison, a place of torment. I couldn't live like that again. Not after everything. Not after Kellen's rejection.'

I didn't know where I was going, or how I would survive, but I couldn't stay in the alley. I couldn't stay with him. I had to keep moving. Even if it meant facing the unknown.

And so I kept running. But in the end, I found myself standing in front of the auction house, staring at its cold, imposing gates.