Page 22 of Fated to the Rogue

“You’re right. I’m not ambitious to the point of thinking I can defeat them alone. But with your help-”

He shook his head. “I don’t think you understand what I mean.” When his eyes landed on me again, I felt as if he could read deep into my soul. “I’m not much older than you are, but there are a few things I have learned during my time as Alpha, things I can see you have yet to learn. Your determination and courage are admirable, but you lack confidence. How can I put my faith in a doubtful leader?” For a moment, I forgot to hide my emotions and allowed my brows to furrow, showing my confusion as I tried to process his words. “I truly am sorry, Alpha Zephyr. This isn’t our war to fight…at least not yet. I wish I could help you, but I must prioritize my people’s safety.”

I hesitated for a moment, forcing a smile before finally replying, “I understand.”

“While you’re here though, please make yourselves at home. Lunch will be sent to your rooms at 12:00 p.m. sharp, and a special welcome dinner will be served later to celebrate your visit. Feel free to spend the day at the pool, or my Gamma could show you around if you’d like.”

“Of course. Thank you for your hospitality.” I nodded at him, trying my best to conceal my frustration and disappointment as I rose from my seat. Malin did the same, following silently behind me.

His Gamma, who was waiting outside, opened the door for us, probably after being given the instruction to do so via mindlink. We were about to leave when Alpha Ruben’s voice echoed through the room again.

“By the way, Alpha Zephyr…” I stood still, but I didn’t bother looking at him. I could feel the grin on his face, though it seemedmore amused than mocking. “Are the rumors true? Is your wolf…a female?”

“I don’t see how this is relevant-” My Beta was ready to defend me, but I held my hand up to stop him before he could turn around. He seemed confused, but didn’t argue.

“Yes, my wolf is a female,” I revealed at last, finally turning to face him with a defying smile. “But if you think it makes me weaker, it doesn’t. A great Alpha thrives in the face of difficulty. If anything, it makes me stronger, whether you believe it or not,” I stated, not waiting for a reply as I left the office.

As soon as I climbed down the first step, the feminine voice sounded in my head,“That was one hell of a show you put on back there!”Dawn chuckled excitedly.“I wasn’t expecting that at all.”

“I wouldn’t have to put on a show if it wasn’t for you!”I tried to sound annoyed, but couldn’t hold back my laughter.

“If that’s the case, you should thank me. I like that version of you a lot more than scared-kitten-Zephyr.”

“Okay, you can stop calling me that now.”

“Aw, but it took me so long to come up with a sweet nickname for you. Plus, it suits you so well!”she giggled. As usual, I was ready to rise to her bait, but a punch in the arm from Malin interrupted our conversation.

“Dude, what was that?!” His eyes were wide with surprise as he closed the door to the guest room we were sharing. “You left him speechless! Where did that even come from?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged, throwing myself onto the mattress. Sinking my head deep into one of the pillows, I slowly let my nerves calm dawn. “I guess I just had enough of people talking crap about me because of my wolf’s stupid gender.”

“I’m shook.” My best friend crossed his arms in front of his chest, a playful smile lighting up his face. “You’ve changed, scared kitten.”

“Alright!” I shot up in bed to glare at him. “What is it with you and Dawn always calling me that? I’m still your Alpha, you know!” I huffed.

“Wait, does she call you scared kitten too?” He bellowed a laugh. “Maybe she’s my wolf, not yours!”

“You can have her. Tell Mint he can switch places with Dawn if he wants to,” I joked.

“He says he’d rather be skinned alive. Oh, and he offers his condolences to her for being stuck with you.”

“Damn, Mint! Didn’t know you could be such a savage!” I place my hand over my heart, faking offense. My best friend rolled his eyes in response.

“Anyway, what should we do now?” His mood darkened a little as he reminded me of the tough spot we were in.

“It sucks that we didn’t get the alliance we needed, but we won’t be home until tomorrow.”

“Should we accept Ruben’s offer and go to the pool then?” He smiled. “It might help clear our heads, you know.”

“Sure.” I half-laughed, sighing soon after. “But we should go see my father and Warrick first. Tell them how the meeting went.”

Malin nodded, and after I gathered enough courage, we headed to the former Elite members’ room. They weren’t any more thrilled than us to learn about how what could be our highest chance at defeating the Fallen had failed, but being more experienced, they insisted we stay calm and try to think of a new plan when we returned home. Once the issue was settled, the two older wolves decided to accept Alpha Ruben’s invitation to take a tour around Dune Drifters’ territory, while my best friend and I followed through with our plan to relax in the pool.

A week ago, I would have felt guilty about taking some time off after failing yet again, but I guess I had been so stressed lately I actually embraced the opportunity. As the sun wentdown, Malin and I returned to our suite to get ready for dinner. Although it wasn’t an actual party, it was still a festive occasion, so we got dressed in semi-formal attire before leaving the room. Since Dad and Warrick were still resting after their tour, they told us to go ahead without them.

“My stomach is seriously hurting right now. I always feel hungry after stressful situations,” Malin complained as we walked down the hall.

“Cut that shit. You’re always hungry, regardless of the situation.” I shook my head.

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