Page 3 of Fated to the Rogue

Exchanging a quick glance with my best friend, I was ready to follow the command, but I stopped walking when my eyes landed on familiar, beautifully sculpted curves. Gina was among the wolves who tagged along for the hunt, but judging by her currently naked human body, it was obvious she had shifted back.

“I think your strategy was amazing, Alpha Zephyr.” She batted her lashes at me as she slowly put on a dress in a reverse strip-tease.

“FutureAlpha,” Malin corrected, causing the grin on the female’s face to disappear. Forcing a smile, he tapped my shoulder with force before pushing me away. “Have you no decency? You shouldn’t lay your eyes on any she-wolf other than your mate!” he whispered-yelled.

“Really? I might be in trouble then,” I faked concern. “I mean, I’ve seen that girl’s body more than a couple times. And she’s seen mine.”

“Seriously, Zephyr! You’re a lost cause,” he scoffed as he continued to push me away, and I couldn’t hold back my laughter. Deep down though, I felt a pinch of pain in my heart. I’d like to say there were no secrets between Malin and I, but there was one thing I never had the courage to tell him.

For as long as I can remember, I have felt this…emptiness, inside of me. It was uncanny, as if I wasn’t really whole. It often drove me insane and made me feel miserable. The only way I could get momentary relief was through sex. It was the real reason why I never turned down a female, and because of mybirth right, they came to me all the time. I knew Malin blamed it on my foolish and carefree behavior, and honestly, I’d rather have him think that than tell him the real reason.

About half an hour later, we arrived at the pack’s village. The familiar scent of dandelions, scattered throughout our entire territory, hit my nostrils. I drew a long breath as I glanced at the cozy white cottages and magnificent buildings, reminding myself that all of this would be mine after tomorrow.

With less than 200 members, Wind Howlers wasn’t among the largest packs in the country, or even in the state of Genoro. Still, we were known for having defeated enemies twice our size by using the signature strategy that gave us our name; because we used the wind to mask our scent, our presence was only ever noticed after we howled. Needless to say, a huge responsibility fell on the shoulders of Zephyr Wyndham, the prodigal son of Alpha Bertrand and Luna Delilah. I knew I had big shoes to fill, but I was ready to dedicate my life to my people, hopefully honoring my father’s name.

After making it to the town square, where Beta Warrick dismissed us to report the hunt to his leader, Malin and I headed to the public showers with the other male hunters. I quickly got rid of the sweat and dirt before grabbing my bag in one of the lockers, putting on the only outfit I had brought - gray shorts and a black v-neck t-shirt.

Once I was done getting dressed, I stood in front of the mirror to shave my light stubble beard. As a wolf shifter, my hair was constantly growing back, but I never stopped trying to get rid of it as I preferred a clean face. After fixing my hair, I took a good look at my reflection.

Modesty aside, I was quite good looking; it was no wonder the she-wolves didn’t leave me alone. My strong muscles could be seen even through my shirt, making me look sexy as hell. Part of it was a consequence of my hard training, but it was mostlythanks to my genetics. True born Alphas usually had broad shoulders and muscular builds. The only detail that set me apart from them was my height - both my parents were fairly short, and as their son, I was only 5’ 6’’.

However, what truly made me stand out among other males were my intense blue eyes, clear and vast as the sky. My wild, short jet-black hair was so black it looked navy underneath the moonlight. It contrasted with my naturally fair skin, which was usually painted a god-like golden due to the tan I got from spending hours training under the sun, making my eyes stand out even more.

“Falling in love with yourself again, Narcissus?”

I had to blink a few times to notice Malin’s reflection beside mine. He had his arms crossed and a playful smile on his face. I mimicked his expression as I turned around to look at him.

“It can’t be helped. I mean, have you seen me?” I gestured towards my own body. He just rolled his eyes in response. At that moment, I realized something - or better yet, someone - was missing. I glanced around the place, now empty after the other hunters left. “Wait. Where’s Zach?”

Zachari Ackers was the son of Wind Howlers’ current third-in-command, and part of our trio. Although he was always with the two of us, he was pretty shy and quiet. As funny as it was, it wasn’t weird that it took me so long to notice he hadn’t tagged along.

“I don’t know. Probably hiding in his room playing video games. He’s been skipping training ever since the Gammas left town to visit his grandparents, so I’m not surprised he didn’t show up for the hunt.” Malin shrugged as we walked out of the public showers. “He’s going to claim the Gamma title tomorrow, for Goddess’ sake! How can he be so irresponsible?”

“Hey, it’s alright. You’re already the muscles of the group. As long as he remains the brains, we’ll be fine,” I observed. Itwas true; while Betas had to be as powerful as Alphas to ensure the safety of the territory, Gammas didn’t need to rely on their physical strength.

According to werewolf hierarchy, the members of a pack were organized in ranks. The four highest-ranking wolves, also called the Elite, were the Alpha, the Beta, the Gamma, and the Delta. Since our society values strength, Alphas were usually the strongest wolves of a pack, responsible for protecting his people and ensuring their well-being. Betas were the second-in-command, in charge of battle strategy, as well as warrior training. Gammas, or third-in-command, were problem-solvers who mainly took care of pack security, thus requiring them to be highly intelligent.

While the highest three positions were strictly reserved for males, the fourth-in-command were always female. Deltas were pretty much the managers of a pack, responsible for dealing with members and making sure everything runs smoothly at a detailed level so the Alpha could focus on the bigger matters.

After them, we had Zetas. The highest-ranking wolves aside from the Elite, they were usually the strongest warriors, scouts, trackers or sentinels who had received medals for notorious acts. Then we had Kappas, members that had gone to college or university to get a higher education and used it to help the pack; they were teachers, engineers, doctors, and so on.

Lastly, we had the two lowest-ranking members. First, the Sigmas, who were retired Zetas and Kappas who chose to keep living on the territory; they were still respected for how useful they had been, but considering how werewolf society is guided by strength, they weren’t of great value anymore. Omegas were the lowest rank, given to the weakest wolves of a pack. Incapable of fighting and lacking higher education, they worked as cooks, cleaners, lumberjacks, butchers, drivers, among other similar occupations.

“Alright. And what does that make you?” Malin glanced at me with a smartass look.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m the leader!” I laughed. Not even a second later, my best friend punched my shoulder. “Hey, I’m your Alpha! You better respect me!” I barked playfully, punching him back.

“What are you two pups fighting about this time?” A familiar feminine voice sounded behind us right before the woman wrapped one arm around each of our necks tightly, securing us in place.

Alexandra Loweman had been the Delta of Wind Howlers for five years now. In most cases, Elite members started working when a new Alpha took over, following the retirement of the old ones. Sadly, Alex was forced to step in after her mother, the former Delta, perished in combat when she was only 20 years old. Despite the pain and grief, she always exercised her function flawlessly, quickly earning the pack members’ trust and respect.

With gorgeous greenish-hazel eyes, and very long, straight cinnamon hair - often dyed with red tips - she was a sight to behold. Unfortunately for every unmated male in our pack, she was already happily mated and marked. She had found Victor, her fated partner, only a month after connecting with her wolf, Bellona.

“Alex!” Malin smiled. “I was just trying to keep Zephyr in line. As always.” He glared at me, and I frowned in response.

“Ah yes. It’ll be nice to have your help with that now,” the girl chuckled, finally releasing her grasp on us. “Anyway, Zee. Your father wants to see you in his office.”

“Thank you, Alex. I’m sorry you had to stop what you were doing to come fetch me. It’ll be so much easier to communicate with everyone after I get my wolf.” Members of the same pack could talk to each other through something we called mindlink,which was similar to telepathy. However, it only became active upon the awakening of our dormant counterparts.

---