The Alpha's Other Woman by Vielle Nye (read a book .txt) 📗

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Carrie, but we don't need that sort of thing around here."

I hung my head.

"Escort her to the border, and don't hurt her," he said, turning away as he shifted into his wolf. I was accompanied until I was well out of the territory.

And so I continued wandering. I tried a couple other packs, but got similar results, ranging as far as I could get away from Greenwoods. After a particularly nasty rejection from Bluegorge, I resorted to my original plan and tried to make a life amongst the humans.

—————

It took me months to get myself situated in a human community. It was like a pack in many ways, but at the same time it had the same disconnect I still felt from the loss of my pack bonds. I couldn't feel the people around me, and I didn't really want to. I didn't tell my parents or friends about how empty I felt now when I occasionally called to let them know how I was. I pretended everything was fine.

And it was fine, I told myself over and over. I pawned the ring from Asshole Dane to help get me started, then I worked at a big box retailer, since I had no references besides Asshole Dane and I wasn't about to go and beg my ex to vouch for my abilities. To cover my lack of identifiable work experience, I explained that I had been married to a controlling man, and I found many humans would give me a break with my false story. It wasn't exactly true, but it was close enough that I didn't feel too guilty about the lie. I managed to find a small basement apartment, and on weekends I went to the edge of the city and let my wolf run free. We weren't happy, but we dealt with it. I managed to buy an old beater to make the journey faster, which was helpful when the full moon fell on nights when I couldn’t get the time off. It was hard to deal with my wolf around humans when she got so antsy.

I had plans. After I got more situated, I would look for a better job, but in the short term I was managing, and what more could I ask for than that?