The Rogue Alpha’s Claim

Denise was the right choice.

The woman was one of the backbones of the pack, and if there was anything to know, she could be the one to know.

She just had to be it.

“Well, hello, Ariel; I wasn’t expecting you here.” The woman said with a smile. Even in her old age, she still looks good, and Ariel was shocked to learn that she was approaching sixty.

“I know, but I need your help, Denise, and I think you are the only one that can help me.”

“Hmm. Alright. You can wait inside my office; let me tidy up some things, and I will be with you shortly.”

“Sure.” Ariel excused her as Denise continued attending to her patients, and she went into her office. It was nothing special, just a small room with chairs and tables arranged like one would during a consultation.

She sat on the visitor’s chair, glancing around the room. There was a bold chart of human and werewolf anatomy on the wall and some other basic health information.

Just a typical office.

Ariel took out her phone, looking for a solution herself before Denise would come.

She had to get to the root of this thing.

Fortunately for her, Denise didn’t take so long, and the door opened as she entered. The woman took her seat in her normal position, and she stared at Ariel.

“How can I help you?” Denise asked, although she had a little hint as to what it could be.

“I need your help, Denise, and I believe you are the only one that could help.”

“Alright, go on.”

“So, it all started when…” Ariel began to narrate everything that had been happening to her-the dream and, of course, her thoughts on it-and all this while she was looking at her every reaction for any signs that would give it away.

“I see.” Denise said, nodding her head slowly.

“I know you have an idea of what is going on, and I need to know. I am literally going crazy, and I don’t think I have had a good night’s sleep since forever. Please, anything you know would be beneficial.”

“I wish I could help you, Luna, but there is nothing I can do. I know nothing of such.”

“Please, this is my life, Denise, and if there is anything I need to know, please tell me.”

“I am sorry, but I can’t help you, Ariel.” Denise replied, not changing her stance anytime soon. She would never go against her alpha.

“Alright, I appreciate the help. Thank you.” Ariel said in a low voice, and the chair creaked as she shifted it backwards to stand up.

If she had known that Denise wouldn’t be a help, she wouldn’t have bothered her, as she had wasted precious time she would have used to research.

“I am always happy to help Luna.” Denise said, and Ariel was sure she could detect the sarcasm in them, but she ignored it and made for the door.

She held the door knob, about to open it, when Denise’s voice stopped her. “Ariel?”

“Hmm?” Ariel whipped her head back to look at her, desperation written all over her face.

“I may not be able to help you, but if you look within yourself, you will find the answers you are looking for.”

“Oh Kay?” Ariel trailed off, hoping her voice didn’t convey how confused she was. “Thank you.” It was obvious the woman was going to be no help, but she didn’t have to play with her like that.

This was a serious issue.

“You could also check the library; you may just find what you are looking for.”

The library!

Ariel wanted to smack herself silly; why didn’t she realize that the library would contain all of the answers to her questions? If she wanted to know anything about pack history, the library would obviously be the best place to start.

She said her thanks, and she was racing in the direction of the library, all thoughts of sleep vanishing from her eyes.

Ariel had thought that she could get some shut-eye after the rejection and probably continue with the search tomorrow, but with this new piece of information, the sleep wolf has to wait.

She raced down the hallway, and lucky for her, the library was on the same floor as the infirmary.

“Luna,” the voice of the librarian, startled her as she opened the door; she hadn’t been expecting anyone inside.

“Hello a…”

“Aaron, how may I help you?”

“I need some books on pack history.”

“Pack history?” The man stared blankly at her. I guess it is not everyday that people come asking for pack history.

“Yes. Considering the fact that I am a human and the Luna, I have to learn the pack histories. No great leader can learn without knowing its history.”

“That is really thoughtful of you, Luna, and I would be happy to help. You can make yourself comfortable, and I will fetch the books. Any particular preference?”

Ariel looked around the library; the walls and aisle were lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and there were soft velvet sofas arranged in the corner for reading.

“Not really, just books about 710 years ago about pack history. Bring as many as you can find; the more, the merrier, right?” Ariel gave him a sweet smile that she knew people could barely resist and that the man was practically melting beside her.

“Of course, Luna, anything for you.” Aaron went deeper into the heart of the library, and Ariel took to looking around.

It would help if she got them herself, but she wasn’t even a few minutes into her search when she heard him calling.

“Here.” She replied, making her way to the checkout point.

“I have everything you might need.” He said, dropping the book on the desk, a wide smile on his face.

“That is so lovely.” Ariel complimented him, and it was so nice to watch him light up. “I will be taking it all, thank you.” She picked up the books, cuddling them to her bosom.

Shit!

She had underestimated how heavy the books were; there were about seven big books in there.

“I could help you carry it upstairs if you don’t mind.”

“It is alright; I can manage. Thank you.” Ariel hurried out of the library before Kane would somehow find out she was there or the man would call her back.

They had an elevator in this new pack, so transporting the books wasn’t going to be so difficult.

Ariel set the book on the dining table and poured herself some cereal. She took a spoonful of the milky cereal, but her eyes never left the book.

She flipped through the pages, looking for anything that mentioned her issue or shed light on her origin. It was crazy because she is a human, yet she was looking for her origin in their words.

But she had a gut feeling there was something that would interest her or that could explain why she kept on having those mysterious dreams.

Ariel kept flipping the pages of the book until it got to the last page, yet she couldn’t find the answers she was looking for. Yes, she learned more about the pack than she would have known, but nothing was bringing her close to getting answers to her questions.

And so it continued, day in and day out. Ariel was pouring into different books, but it was all futile, and she was beginning to lose hope.

Ariel laid on the bed one of those days, frustrated by the stagnant progress in her search. She closed her eyes to get some shut eyes, and her phone vibrated on her stomach.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Ariel picked up her phone, bringing it closer to her face for the facial recognition to capture her, and noticed another pop up on her phone screen.

She was skeptical about opening it, all too aware of the various phishing messages and sites that could be embedded in that message, but you would never know if you didn’t open it.

Ariel clicked on the icon and tapped on the latest message, only to see a single sentence.

“Moonlight pack.”