Page 18 of Fated to the Rogue

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I nodded before heading out of my parents’ room.

As soon as I closed the door, a familiar voice surprised me. “How did it go?” Malin was standing in the hall, leaning against a wall as he waited for me.

“They can be so dramatic sometimes.”

“Well, you’re they’re only son. And the Alpha.” He shrugged. Fair enough.

After climbing down the stairs, we walked outside together to go to the cafeteria for brunch. I was telling him about how he should come up with a way for me to make up for the training session I missed. He was rejoicing in having more power than me in at least one situation when my ears twitched. It was them again - the whispers. There were a few wolves scattered around the main square, and for the first time, the way they dared to stare directly at me actually bothered me. I stopped dead in my tracks, my fists clenching as my werewolf hearing helped me understand what they were gossiping about.

“A male with a female wolf… You think he’s gay or something?” one girl whispered to another.

“Totally,” her friend scoffed. “I can’t believe I had sex with him.”

Fucking hypocrite. I still remembered how she screamed my name while I pleased her, and I was sure she remembered too. A low growl reverberated in my chest, but before I could confront her, another voice caught my attention. This time, it was a male.

“Are we even safe here? How can he defend us against rogues and other enemies?” There was disdain in his tone. “An Alpha is supposed to be the strongest wolf of a pack, and I’ve never heard of a female who could defeat a male.”

“Right? Maybe I should challenge him. I could make a better leader,” another man replied. I recognized him as Thomas, one of the warriors. “Besides, I also take my responsibilities moreseriously than him. Did you notice he skipped training today? I bet his she-wolf didn’t wanna get her claws ruined!”

“Oh, screw you!” Dawn growled at the bastard inside my head before addressing me. “If you don’t put this guy in his place, I’ll gladly do it for you!” I could feel her crawling underneath my skin as rage filled us both. She had been right before, so I decided to trust her instincts again.

It was time to stop running.

With my werewolf speed, I closed the distance between me and Thomas in the blink of an eye. As an Alpha, my reflexes were a lot faster than lower-ranking wolves; before he even knew I was coming, I had my hand wrapped around his throat. My fingers dug into his skin, my claws threatening to come out as I lifted him into the air. The disgust-filled gazes of the members surrounding us had now turned into terrified ones. His face started turning red as he desperately tried to break free, but he was no match for my strength.

My strength… It didn’t disappear, despite the gender of my counterpart.

“You think you can beat me?!” I roared ferociously, my canines protruding as Dawn pushed forward. There was a look of pure fear in his eyes. “Go ahead, then! Fight me!”

I released my grasp, dropping the warrior to the ground. He coughed frantically, his lungs searching for air again, but he didn’t move. His head was low, as it should have always been. He didn’t dare look into my eyes anymore. I growled louder, and that was all it took to make him crawl back towards his friends.

“That’s what I thought,” I spat, taking a moment before turning to the rest of the members of the pack -mypack - who stood frozen in their spots. Like Dawn pointed out, I hadn’t been standing my ground, but now was as good a moment as any to remind them of who was in charge, and why. “Is everyonelistening? My wolf might be a female, but I’m still the strongest of this pack! Anyone who disagrees, please, challenge me!”

With my arms open, I slowly spun around, inviting any challengers to come forward. I couldn’t say I was surprised when no one did.

“No one, huh?” A satisfied grin lit up my face as I raised my voice again. “Until I’m defeated, I am still the Alpha. I do not wish to impose my power by force, but I will if I must. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Alpha!” the crowd answered without hesitation.

“Show your Alpha some respect!” Malin demanded as he joined me. Because he was mostly a sweet and kind guy, it impressed me to see him act so bold and authoritative. He had only officially been second-in-command for a week, but he already sounded like he had a lot of experience.

“Yes, Alpha! Yes, Beta!” One by one, every single one of the wolves around us immediately dropped to their knees.

Alpha Zephyr was back, and they all knew it.

8 | Trip

After my public demonstration of power at the main square, it seemed I had taken over the reins of my life once again.

It was relieving to wander through my lands without hearing any more whispers and rumors. Not only had pack members stopped talking about me, they would also bow their heads whenever I walked by them. I might have momentarily forgotten who I was, but I got my confidence back as soon as everyone started treating me with the respect a great Alpha commands.

That didn’t mean my troubles had gone away though. Ever since my first meeting with Elder Laelius, I still hadn’t heard back from him regarding my wolf situation. Considering that my research nights at the pack library weren’t useful either, I guess there was nothing I could do but wait.

Fortunately, my bonding time with Dawn allowed me to see her as more of a friend than a problem. She was quite funny, and when she wasn’t being stubborn, she actually gave good advice. Of course, I was still eager to learn more about why we were paired together and if there really was a way to reverse the situation. However, there were more important things I had to worry about.

Monday, the day scheduled for our trip to Dune Drifters Pack, finally rolled around.

Over the weekend, my team and I had worked hard to make sure our business meeting would be successful. Since it was standard for both the Alpha and Beta of a pack to be present during important negotiations, Malin and I would be flying to Galensoles with the proposition we had carefully planned in advance. Dad and Warrick agreed to come along to assist us since it would be our first time attempting to establish an alliance after stepping in as the new Elite. Meanwhile, Zach would be in charge of Wind Howlers, and as Delta, Alex would stay to support him.

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