Page 33 of Bound

Chapter 16

Cherry

Did I follow them to the pond with the plan to run away? No.

But did I seize the opportunity that presented itself to me? Absolutely.

This was the plan after all. Separate myself, then run.

It isn’t that I’m scared of them anymore, or worry about what they want with me, although I still don’t know the answer to that one since they’ve never told me why they’re here.

The problem isme.

Alphas deserve way better than what I can offer, and I can sense the alpha energy coming from all five of them. Although I’ve never met another alpha, my parents explained pack hierarchy to my sisters and me many times.

It often led to questions about why we lived the way we did, without a pack, just the five of us constantly moving around in a world full of humans.

But they always answered the same way. They said that we were special, that we couldn’t live with other wolves. Scarlet had asked how we would ever meet our fated mates if we weren’tallowed to meet any other wolves, and our parents just said it would happen when the time was right.

When I’m stuck in wolf form doesn’t seem like the right time to me. Besides, why would the fates burden anyone with me as their mate? That’d just be cruel, unless they planned to pair me with someone awful. That seemed more likely for the way my life had been going so far.

Meeting them wasn’t awful.

As I weave through the trees, my paws hitting the ground and feeling better than I have in years, thanks to actually eating over the past two weeks, I wonder for the tenth time if I’m doing the right thing.

If I had the choice, I’d stay with them. But none of them are my fated mate, and I’m only holding them back from going home and being with their family, finding their own mates.

No. Running is my only option.

A mighty, pain-filled howl reaches my ears, almost stopping me in my tracks.

Bain.

Something inside me tells me to turn around, to go to him, to make sure he’s okay, but my stubbornness wins out as I run faster. I need to do this for them. Being stuck with me is a burden they don’t need.

They’ll understand when I’m gone and they have time to think about it.

Several more howls join the first, and I start to worry. I think they’re howling because I’m gone, but what if something else has happened? What if they’re being attacked or one of them is injured?

How are you going to help if they are?

I growl at myself, hating it, but knowing it’s true. I’m weak and broken. My wolf has no fight in her. I almost wish I could say it was beaten out of me, but really, I was born this way. Inever knew why I was so different from my sisters, and I was too young to worry about why my wolf had no interest in hunting, why I couldn’t hear or smell things that my sisters could, and why I had no natural instinct to swim.

The howling stops, and I know that means one of two things. They’ve either given up or they’re too busy chasing my scent to howl. They don’t seem the type to give up so easily.

And yet here I am attempting to run from five strong, fast wolves. Why did I think running from them would work? I clearly did not think this through. I really haven’t thought of much beyond leaving them.

Idiot.

I guess I didn’t really expect them to chase me. I’d hoped that the small amount of separation I’d given them over the past day would make them realize I wanted to leave. I thought they might be a little upset but would just shrug their shoulders and head home.

I hear a wolf’s howl behind me, much closer now.

They’re tracking me.

The only way to get them off my scent is to go through water, but I don’t sense any around. I keep going, pushing my legs as fast as they can, hoping to gain some more ground.

Suddenly, I run into a small clearing and force my body to a sharp stop, almost losing my footing as dirt and leaves fly out from under my feet.