The Alpha's Wayward Mate

Scarlett didn't realize that the moment she drove out of the city gates, her mate could feel her absence, and it was painful. She had no knowledge of the search for her or the subsequent cry that wrung out around the area from Maverick when it had become apparent that she was no longer there in the city. She did not see him go into a furious rage and threaten war upon her people if she was not returned. Scarlett of course was unaware of any of this, because she was currently hiding out in the forest near her home, collecting supplies for her travels.

Her childhood home was beautiful. It was settled in a large glen surrounded by trees, with two tall oak trees that had been bent together generations ago to make the archway for entry. The village was surrounded by tree houses and marketplaces for people to sell their merchandise.

The moment she had arrived back home in the forest, people had looked at her funny, because they knew she should be in the capital right now finding a mate. Scarlett ignored them and began collecting provisions and clothes. She gathered the necessary things for the road.

Scarlett didn't plan to stay long; she was no fool and knew her family or mate could be showing up at any time. Neither was an option for her, so she moved quickly and efficiently, taking only the things she needed to survive on her own.

Once she finished packing, Scarlett headed to her horse. Once more, silent tears streamed down her face as she looked at her home one last time. No one asked where she was going, and no one tried to stop her from leaving. Even the people she passed that she saw every day did not speak a word to her at all.

'I guess I never really knew these people after all.'

With that, she finally kicked her horse into a gallop and drove out of the forest tribe's home for the last time.

Scarlett traveled east. She came upon some water and stopped to let her horse drink and nibble on the grass as she sat and contemplated her future. 'There is no going back now.'

Meanwhile, back at her home, Maverick and his men arrive, looking fearsome and dangerous. They grilled every forest dweller about where Scarlett might be. All of them shrugged their shoulders. They were about to give up when an old woman popped up.

"She left and headed east. I watched her leave. Though she was immediately shunned for not bringing home a mate with her, it was her first season, and she was so pretty." The little old forest woman began to ramble.

Maverick stepped forward in front of the female, his brown eyes gleaming with frustration and irritation at being kept from his mate by this tiny person.

"I am her mate, and I have come to collect her, but I find her not here." He seethed, ignoring the woman's wide-eyed stare as she took him in.

"Oh my. You are a handsome, large one, aren't you? I bet she fell all over herself when meeting you." The little old woman, who came to no more than the middle of his chest, gushed at him. Her long silver hair was swinging around her shoulders as she tittered at him.

Maverick tried not to blush at the woman's words and reaction to him. He got that a lot when women stared at him. Though none would act on it because they knew they belonged with someone else, It didn't stop them from remarking on his looks, though. It always made him uncomfortable. Now was no different.

"The girl." He barked.

The older lady paused in her speech as if recalling why he was there.

"Oh yes. I am sorry. Scarlett left with her horse and headed east; she has some distance on you. It might be best to catch up with her with a smaller party.

Maverick nodded his thanks and whistled to his men. All of them stood at attention when he informed him to make camp while he headed out alone to go fetch his mate.

One of his men, Nole, stepped forward and asked him respectfully if it was wise to go alone.

Maverick just smiled at him. "I will be fine, my friend. Don't worry, I will be back before you know it, hopefully with my bride in hand."

They could only nod, seeing his determination. They watched him ride out to hunt for the female that ran away from him. All of them shuddered to think about what he would do when he found her. Each one of his men sent up a silent prayer for the foolish girl.

Maverick took his horse and set out on his own. Night was beginning to fall, and he did not know this area, so he knew it would be dangerous. He needed to travel as quickly as possible before nightfall fell upon them, and he could go no further.

He could only hope she was safe and sound. Maverick pondered on her reasoning for leaving like she did. He had learned from the short introduction of her parents that his people were not well liked by them. But not all of them viewed his tribe in such a way that their old lady's reaction was anything to go by. He could only figure out that Scarlett's parents had wanted her to mate with one of the other tribes for some reason.

Maverick could only laugh to himself as he thought more about this. What those people didn't understand is that they were a very useful tribe. They knew how to survive rough living conditions and thrive. They were a large group, so if anyone ever decided to attack his's tribe, he would be there to defend them along with all the others in his clan.

He sighed in frustration. 'Apparently, they never took that into consideration. We can find water and food in the toughest of places. My people know how to battle and defend because we have other desert tribes that want to take our territory.

There were hundreds of different tribes out in the desert, just as there were all kinds of people.

The knowledge of how their tribes and people came to be was lost long ago, along with the people who knew it.

To Maverick, he didn't need all the answers; he knew what he knew, because that was just their way of life and had been for centuries. Right now, what he knew was that he needed to find his mate, and that is what he intended to do.