When My Mate Chose Her Over Me

The scent hit me first—rogue wolves. Their feral, unwashed odor carried on the night breeze, setting my inner wolf, Grace, on high alert.

"Olivia, behind you!" shouted Derek, one of our younger Delta wolves patrolling the border with me.

I spun around just as a massive gray wolf lunged from the shadows. His eyes gleamed with a wild hunger that sent ice through my veins. Not the typical territory dispute—these rogues wanted blood.

"Run back to the pack house!" I commanded Derek, my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my throat. "Alert Ethan!"

As the young wolf sprinted away, I shifted instantly, my bones cracking and reforming as my Luna wolf emerged. Grace was strong—we'd trained for this—but as three more rogues slunk from the treeline, I knew we were outnumbered.

The first rogue attacked, teeth snapping inches from my throat. I dodged and countered, my jaws clamping down on his shoulder. The taste of blood filled my mouth as he yelped in pain. But the victory was short-lived. Sharp teeth sank into my hind leg, dragging me backward across the forest floor.

Pain exploded through my body as claws raked across my flank. I fought wildly, but they surrounded me, taking turns lunging and retreating. Their strategy was clear—they weren't trying to kill me quickly. They were playing, enjoying the hunt.

"Ethan!" I cried through our mind-link, desperation flooding my thoughts. "Northern border—rogues—"

A crushing weight slammed into my side, and I heard the sickening crack of ribs. My vision blurred as I collapsed onto the damp earth, the moonlight above fracturing into hazy shards. The largest rogue loomed over me, his hot breath on my face reeking of decay and malice.

A thunderous roar split the night. The massive black form of my mate burst through the trees, his Alpha aura radiating such fury that even I felt its pressure. The rogues scattered like leaves in a storm, but the damage was done.

I tried to stand but collapsed, my legs refusing to support my weight. Blood—too much blood—matted my silver fur.

"Olivia!" Ethan's voice in my mind was frantic as he shifted back to human form and gathered my wolf body in his arms. "Stay with me, love. Don't close your eyes."

But darkness was pulling me under, the moon above growing distant and cold.

---

I drifted in and out of consciousness, catching fragments of panic around me.

"She's lost too much blood—"

"—rare blood type—"

"—won't survive without—"

Ethan's voice cut through the haze, desperate and commanding. "Search every record! There must be someone in the territory with her blood type!"

I wanted to reach for him, to tell him I was still fighting, but my body felt impossibly heavy. Grace whimpered within me, her strength fading alongside mine.

Time blurred. The healing den's ceiling swam above me, moonstone crystals embedded in the wood pulsing with gentle light. Maeve, our pack healer, worked tirelessly, her hands moving in practiced motions as she applied poultices