Fog rolled lazily in between the trees. In the forest, nothing moved. Not an insect chirped, not a creature moved through the undergrowth. Then, a young girl came barreling out of the bushes, casting a frenzied glance over her shoulder. She ran. Branches whipped in her face, but she didn't care. She stumbled over a root, but nothing slowed her down. She took off farther into the woods.

Loud footsteps followed her retreat. Three large men appeared, pausing, scenting the air. One growled in frustration, unable to catch her scent in the dense fog. After a moment's deliberation, they took off in the opposite direction.

The young girl paused behind a tree. It didn't sound like the alphas were following her. She scented the air. She couldn't catch their scent. If she couldn't find theirs, they definitely couldn't follow hers. She clambered up a thick pine tree, huddling in the branches. Her shirt was torn and muddied, and the pine branches offered little shelter from the chilling air. But it was safe. She leaned against the trunk, eyes half closed, focusing on catching her breath.

A twig crunched beneath her. The girl froze. She drew upon the Source, rendering herself out of the alpha's immediate perception.

"Where'd that damn child go?" one muttered. "She couldn't have gotten that far."

"She's probably long gone," another reluctantly conceded. "She probably knows these woods like the back of her hand."

"She can't hide for long," the third growled. "We'll find her. Alphas will pay good money to have an omega."

"Even more for Alex."

Alex let out a quiet breath, tightening her grip on arms. They couldn't catch her. She wouldn't let them.

The second chuckled, but the first one just crossed his arms. "Maybe she's circled back," he hissed. "I'm not giving up."

"We've been chasing her for almost an hour," the second snapped. "We can try again on a better night. I can't smell a damn thing. This is terrible weather."

The first huffed, but seemed to agree. "We can bring the dogs out on a better night," he nodded. "Fine. But we will find her."

The alphas left, muttering among one another. Alex closed her eyes, shaking. It wasn't safe yet. Not until she was sure they were gone. She sat completely still, listening for any sign that they were circling back to where she was hiding. But there was nothing. She let go of the Source.

After a few minutes, she carefully scaled down the tree, scenting the air. She knew full well an omega's senses were much sharper than any alpha and she had learned to use that to her full advantage. She wouldn't be caught. And she wouldn't be made an alpha's possession.

She took off into the woods.

...

Half an hour later she returned to her humble abode. It was a small crack in a stone hill near a trickling brook. It was barely tall enough for a small person to climb through. But it was the prefect size for her. She crawled in, where the floor sloped downwards into a large cavern. From the outside, it was nearly invisible. She smiled, making her way farther in. A small makeshift bed lay in the corner, next to a small fire pit. She started a fire with a snap of her fingers, knowing that even though sky was completely dark, the light from the fire would be hardly visible to anyone outside. However, she still kept the fire to nothing more than hot coals, knowing the risk was never worth it.

As the fire started to burn, Alex sat back, chewing on a few pieces of jerky she had stolen from the town a few miles west. While she was perfectly capable of bringing down a deer, she had quickly learned that pillaging the town's food storage yielded more food and required less energy. Plus, much of the food require little to no preparation.

As the fire burned on, the cave grew warm. Alex's thoughts drifted off, and she yawned. Finally, at moon-high, she stopped feeding the small flames, crawling into her bed. Soon, she was fast asleep.

...

She didn't wake until the sun climbed over the horizon. She sat up, yawning. The fire had gone completely out, and the cave had grown slightly chilly. Alex got up, glancing over at her supply store. It was running low. She looked outside. Mist covered the ground, and Alex quickly made up her mind. She would go to the village.

After getting a quick drink at the stream, she grabbed her worn leather bag and set off into the woods. It wasn't long before she found herself on the edge of the woods. The village was empty. Not a single soul stirred. Alex crept out, keeping a wary eye of for alphas. There were several food storage buildings. It wasn't hard to sneak into them. The doors were always locked, but never well.

After shimmying the lock free, she stepped into the building. The inviting scent of food filled her nose, and she breathed deeply, reaching up to turn on the single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. She wasted no time. She took what she needed — nothing more. More dried jerky, bread, and corn. Smoked venison and beef hanging from the ceiling. Alex made quick work. She took little, knowing that taking any more then she needed would alert the villagers of her presence.

She hurriedly finished, slipping back out into the town. Still, no one stirred. Alex frowned. Usually the men would be up, moving out to their farms. Then she let out a breath. This must be their rest-day. Good. Then she had plenty of time to spare.

She stepped into a sweets shop. The owner lived above, and Alex made sure to be quiet. She took only a handful. These were treats, only for the rarest occasion. She never ate more than one every few days. Any more and she knew she wouldn't be able to resist them.

A leather jacket hung on the peg. Alex paused, studying it. Then she took it off. This would be nice. Winter was coming. Above her head, the floorboards creaked. Alex jumped, scurrying out of the house. She slipped across the road and in between two houses, drawing on the Source to keep her hidden in the shadows. The ever strange sound of a wagon rolling down the cobblestone road caught her attention, and she pressed herself closer to the wall. The horse drawn cart passed, the alpha driving it not even giving her a second glance. Alex hurried down the ally. Voices came from the window above her, and Alex decided she had overstayed her visit. She ran back into the woods.