Her Sexy Alpha Mate

"Natalie, I've warned you over and over. Your dad being my beta doesn't mean you get to dodge the consequences," my Alpha said, his anger barely contained. Starting trouble wasn't my intent — it just sort of happened.

"I apologize, Alpha. My temper flared up; it won't happen again, that's a promise." But the Alpha wasn't convinced as he glanced sharply at my parents lingering with concern in the doorway behind me.

"No, not this time," I thought, feeling a knot of anxiety tighten in my stomach. In the past, a warning from Alpha was the norm after I messed up, but now? His intense look was too much to bear, and I lowered my eyes. Dad stepped forward, uneasily.

"Alpha, we are sorry for our daughter's actions. She means what she says, and I'll make sure there's no repeat of this behavior. Please accept our apologies," my dad said with a bow, showing submission. This felt different; instead of the lecture I expected, dad's expression told me the punishment might be far more severe.

"My decision is final. I'm sorry for the loss you're about to endure." My mom's tears started flowing while dad tried to put on a brave face. The word 'loss' echoed in my ears, freezing my thoughts. They couldn't be talking about... death, could they? At eighteen, facing the end before even really starting life seemed so cruel. Dreams of finding my mate, having a family – all destroyed by my reckless streak.

"Please, Alpha. She's our only child. You can't—" My mother's plea was abruptly cut off by the Alpha.

"Silence! My decision is final. You have one hour to collect whatever you intend to take with you. After that, if you're still within my territory, you'll be treated as a rogue. And we all know the fate of rogues who trespass." With that, the Alpha stormed out, leaving a suffocating silence behind. Becoming a rogue was a fate worse than death. Alone, avoiding pack territories, and the very thought of encountering other rogues terrified me. I'd never even been beyond our borders, and now I faced a life confined to the wilderness.

"Start packing, Natalie. The Alpha has spoken. You've disgraced this pack, and our family. Be gone once you’re done," my dad said with an uncharacteristic coldness. He was a gentle man, but his tone now betrayed no softness. Surely, being his only daughter meant some display of sorrow at the prospect of never seeing me again.

"Dad... Mom..." The tears wouldn't stop; I couldn't hold them back any longer.

"You forfeit the right to call us that. Get your belongings and leave, before I lose my patience," he replied, his back to me as he began to leave. But Mom looked torn, clutching her chest in dismay.

"We can’t just abandon her, Tom. She won’t survive out there. We must do something," she pleaded, but Dad was unmoving, pulling her reluctantly away.

"She's made her bed. She must lie in it. Let her pack," he insisted, restraining my mom when she attempted to come to me. When I moved towards her, Dad growled—a warning I never thought I'd hear from him.

It felt like a nightmare, an awful reality I couldn’t escape from. My body felt numb, my mind struggling to process the events unfolding. I had to push myself to move, to pack a small backpack with essentials and grab the emergency cash stash from my nightstand. At least I’d been responsible enough to save that.

Regret gnawed at me—why hadn't I behaved? If I knew it would lead to this exile, I would have lived differently. No sneaking out, no reckless partying. I would have immersed myself in pack duties, contributed more.

With my bag packed, I took a lingering look around my room for the last time. The life I knew was slipping away. I'd never see my family or friends again. The room that held so many memories would soon become just another empty space.

Steeling myself, I walked into the living room. The house was eerily quiet, devoid of anyone but me. For my mother's sake, I decided to leave a note. I grabbed a sticky note and a pen and began to write.