The Rogue Alpha’s Claim

“Who is Alpha John?”

The blaring alarm went off in Kane’s head, the name triggering something he had thought he had buried in his past. He looked at his mate; the blazing fire in her eyes was all directed at him, and he didn’t know what to think. “I don’t understand what, babe. What is going on?”

“Don’t take me for a fool, Kane; I said, Who is Alpha John?” Ariel thundered, her fingers squeezed into a fist. She badly wanted to punch something right now, and all that came to her mind was his face.

She had never considered herself to be violent, but maybe it had always been in her.

“Look, Ariel, I don’t understand what is going on here, but I suggest you relax and take a step back. I just came back, and the last thing I want is to be bombarded.” Kane replied, his voice more raised than usual. He had decided to take the defensive role, hoping it would help. “Come on.” He made to grab her, but she slapped his hands away.

“Don’t fucking touch me! Just answer the damn question!” Ariel yelled, spittle flying from her mouth.

Kane’s eyes were trained on his mate; his eyes squinted as he observed her little display, and he couldn’t help but wonder, Just how much did she know?

He couldn’t screw this up, because whatever he said or did was going to determine how their relationship was going to be. He had two options: he could either pretend he had no idea and deny it, or he could tell the truth. After all, the truth would set you free.

But he had no idea the extent to which she knew, and he had to pick the option that would favor him. Kane took a deep breath before he began to talk.

“I have no idea what you are talking about, babe. I don’t know who the hell Alpha John is or what got into you tonight. I just want to come back to a peaceful home and a loving mate; is that too much to ask?”

Ariel regarded the man before her, seeing him in a new light, and she shook her head. A wave of disappointment washed over her like a cold shower.

“You liar!” Ariel sneered with gritted teeth. Her eyes blazed with unbridled fury as she glared at him, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “You liaarrr!” She screamed out in rage, and they were all directed towards him.

“Ariel, I can explain; please calm down; I can explain.” Kane yelled, trying to drive home his point, but Ariel was shaking her head, refusing to let him get into her head.

“I don’t need your fucking explanation; how could you lie to me? How could you look at me in my fucking face and lie to me? You claim to love me, you fucked me, and yet you sleep peacefully knowing you killed my parents?”

Kane shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, cringing from every sentence she directed at him, her words cutting him down like a sharpened knife.

The pain in her voice was something he couldn’t bear, and he tried to reach towards her, but she shifted for his touch like he was leprous, her eyes daring him to come closer.

“I can explain, baby; it is not what you think.”

“Explain?” Ariel’s laughter was cold and menacing, sending evil chills down his spine. He had never seen his mate like this, and it was offsetting to think that he was the one who had made her like that. “What more do you have to explain that you couldn’t explain for the past months that I have been with you? What more lie do you have to concoct this time?”

Kane took a step forward, his arms outstretched in a placating gesture. “I wanted to tell you, Ari; I wanted nothing more than to tell you, but…”

“Don’t!” Ariel placed her hands in front of her, putting a distance between them. “You have the right to call me that name again. No right.”

“I am sorry, Ariel; I am truly sorry. I have been wanting to tell you, but I couldn’t find a suitable time to tell you. I don’t know how much you know, but you can’t believe everything you hear. Some of them are lies.”

“What more can you explain, Kane? You murdered my parents in cold blood, and you took me away from them? That you somehow managed to wipe my memories, and I have no recollection of when I was a werewolf, that in your wickedness you sent me out of the country because you couldn’t stand to be with me, and when I came back, you pretended you were such a saint and made me fall for you?”

Kane’s face was twisted in a mixture of guilt and desperation, and his fingers ran through his hair, almost pulling them from their roots. “Ariel, I-”

“Just shut up!” Ariel’s voice rose in a shout, her anger a deadly venom. “I don’t want to hear anything from you, Kane; your voice disgusts me.”

Kane closed his eyes at her words, blinking back the traitorous tears that were threatening to spill. Somehow, her words always had a way of breaking him. “Ariel, stop. Please. I love you.”

“Love?” The surprise could be heard in her voice, and she broke off into a sinister laughter that broke something in him. “Is this what you call love? If this is love, I don’t think I want to be part of it.”

“Ariel, I was just trying to protect you. I never thought it would linger on like this. Everything I did was for you and our future.”

“I am tired of hearing your annoying voice, Kane; I can’t stand it any longer. I am tired of this; it is all over.”

“I don’t understand what you mean, Ariel; we can fix this.”

“There is nothing to fix again, Kane; it is over. I hate you.” Ariel sniffed, her eyes red with unshed tears. It was a surprise she hadn’t burst into tears; the former Ariel would have been bursting her eyes out, wailing, but she would never give him the satisfaction of seeing her tears.

“Ariel.”

Ariel’s eyes flashed with pure hatred, and Kane could have sworn he saw her eyes flash golden for a second. “I’ll never forgive you for this, Kane. Never.” And with that, she was running out of the room, ignoring his shouts for her.

She ran, tears running down her eyes, as she went down the flight of stairs. She was grateful for the cold night that had kept most of the packmates in their rooms, and none would see their Luna breakdown.

Was she even their Luna?

Who knows if he lied about that too?

Did he even love her? Because you don’t do this to someone you love.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Ariel let the anger fuel her as she pumped her limbs faster. The faster she got out of this house, the faster she would get back to her sanity.

She needed to leave this place.

It was only when Ariel had left the pack house, widening her stance and huddled over, that she tried to catch her breath.

Now what?

She had run out of the house, but what now?

She literally had no idea where she was, and even if she was going to run, where would she run?

Her eyes flitted around the compound, and they landed at the fleet of cars, sitting pretty in the garage, and Ariel wasted no time running towards one of the cars.

She eyed the black Mercedes lustfully, and she moved towards it, praying it was unlocked.

The goddess must be on her side, because she tried the handle and the car opened. She made to go in, but a hand gripped her wrist firmly, preventing her.

Ariel turned to look at the culprit, and there stood her archenemy in flesh. She eyed her in distaste, but she lowered her eyes to the parcel in her hands, and her lips were turned in a frown.

“Maddie?”