Page 14 of Fated to the Rogue

“No,” he cut me off, clearing his throat soon after. “No, that won’t be necessary, Alpha Zephyr. I don’t wish to take up your time.”

Tension filled the air, and I instinctively took a step back. “What would you like to discuss with me?”

“Zephyr. Bertrand.” His gaze shifted between my father and I. “Wind Howlers has helped my pack many times. We could never repay the debt we owe you…” There was hurt in his expression as he struggled to get the words out. “Which is why it pains me to do this. Unfortunately, I’m afraid I have no other choice.” He took a deep breath, raising his head to show confidence in his decision. “Silver Claw would like to break its ties with Wind Howlers.”

As shocked as I was, I fought to keep a neutral expression. The same couldn’t be said about my father though; whether his age was making him softer, or if he just felt comfortable around an old friend to show his true emotions, he didn’t try to hide it when his face fell.

“May I ask why, Anders? If the problem is the Fallen and the imminent battle, I-”

“No.” The man shook his head. “It’s the whole situation. I heard about your son’s… Well, it’s rather unusual for an Alpha to have a female counterpart. In fact, it’s unheard of. I can’t begin to understand the Goddess’ reasons, and I don’t want to sound sexist here, but…I fail to see how a she-wolf could win this war.”

I couldn’t tell if the feelings boiling inside me at his explanation were mine or Dawn’s, but for the first time, I felt angry instead of ashamed.

“Please, I ask you to reconsider,” my father’s voice broke through the silence. “I promise you, we’re looking into it. Soon-”

“No.” My firm voice echoed through the room as I clenched my fists, catching their attention. “Alpha Anders has made his decision, and I respect it.” I approached the man again, forcinga smile as I stretched my hand out to him. “I just hope you don’t live to regret it.”

The way he simply stood there in the center of the room, eyes wide as I turned my back to him, let me know he wasn’t expecting my reaction. Honestly, I didn’t know what had gotten to me either; I guess the sudden betrayal by one of my family’s closest friends had deeply annoyed and hurt the born leader inside of me. Actually, it seemed to have ignited my desire to prove him wrong.

My father remained in the office with us as I prepared the papers for the severance of the treaty between Silver Claw and Wind Howlers. It was my first time handling those kinds of documents, but I had studied for long enough to know how it was done. Once the bureaucratic part was over, the three of us headed to the Elder Shrine, as only an Elder could officiate any changes in pack relationships. Dad accompanied his so-called friend to the borders, where he would never be welcome again, while I returned to the office.

The second I closed the door behind me, a rage-filled bellow broke through my chest. The shame, the fear, the anger… I had kept them bottled up for too long. It actually felt good to let it all out. Unfortunately, I couldn’t enjoy my privacy for more than a minute. As I sat down at my desk finally, I heard another knock.

“Bad timing?” Malin flashed me an apologetic smile as he poked his head through the door. Because he was my Beta, I had given him a spare key so he could come here if I wasn’t around. He always knocked first though.

“Just don’t tell me you have more bad news for me.” I sighed heavily, letting my head fall backwards as I relaxed in my chair.

“Bro, I feel offended. As your right hand, I would never let you down.” His words actually made me do a double take, and when my eyes landed on him again, I noticed his grin had gotteneven bigger. “Guess who’s just managed to convince the Alpha of a larger pack to meet with us?”

“What?” I leaned forward on the desk. “What pack?”

“Dune Drifters.”

“Isn’t that the one from Galensoles?” The city of Galensoles was located in the state of Crafalion. It was about a two and a half hour flight from here.

“Precisely.” Before I could ask any more questions, he went on, “Alpha Ruben has invited us to a meeting in his territory. It’s set to happen in three days.”

“Three days?!” I yelled in shock. There was a lot going on at the moment. We would also have very little time to prepare for what would probably be one of the most important meetings of our lives, as establishing an alliance with them would be of enormous help. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to find the calm I had been lacking for the past few days. “Okay. Text Zach and Alex. We must start the preparations now.”

“Yes, Alpha.” My best friend bowed his head before disappearing into the hallway.

???

It was past ten when we finished organizing the preliminary details for our upcoming trip that night. My Beta, Gamma, and I had agreed to meet again first thing after training to discuss our negotiation strategies. After almost an entire day spent confined within four walls, I was extremely tired, but my animal side also craved a little freedom. I spent a few seconds pondering over whether I should just go straight to bed to try and get some rest, or head outside for a walk to clear my mind. In the end, I decided for the latter. What was another sleepless night for someone who hadn’t slept in the past six?

Despite the whole howling at the moon stereotype, wolves are not nocturnal by nature, but crepuscular, meaning we are mostly active during dusk and dawn. Following the pack’s routine, most members were already asleep, as they had to wake up early for work or training. Finally, I would have the privacy I had been seeking. I also felt a heavy weight lift off my shoulders as I realized I wouldn’t have to deal with all the whispering either.

However, there was something else troubling me.

My day had been a rollercoaster of emotions, but Dawn’s words were the one thing still ringing in my head. Did I really need to be so cruel to her? The Elder had yet to reach out to me with more information on our situation, but if he was right about my she-wolf actually being someone else’s counterpart, then our days together were numbered. Maybe I could try being nicer to her.

“Now’s a good time to start, you know.” I kept forgetting she could hear my thoughts. “I would really love to go for a run through the dandelion fields.”

“No way. I can’t risk anyone seeing-” Again, I was reminded of how she felt, and I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence. “Okay,”I sighed at last.“But be quick. The last thing I want is to feed the damn rumors.”

“Fine, dick.”

“I have a name, you know?” I mocked her, making her roll her eyes.

---