The Rogue Alpha’s Claim

Ariel couldn’t even begin to fathom how much she had been missing out on as a human. Every aspect of her life had suddenly changed overnight, even the seemingly minute ones.

She had caught a glimpse of herself in the vanity mirror and did a double take at her look.

“Oh my!” Ariel gasped as she neared the mirror, staring at the reflection, and her eyes widened in wonder as she took in this woman in the mirror.

She knew she was beautiful, but never this perfect.

Her face now boasted a chiseled definition, as if the skilled hands of a master sculptor had refined her features. Her high cheekbones gave her an otherworldly elegance, while her eyebrows arched like the wings of a bird in flight, framing her eyes with precision, and her lips were left out. The plump and crimson lips seemed to pout with a subtle, mischievous charm.

The pimple that had been standing out like an unwelcome guest had once camped out beside her nose, but now it was gone, leaving behind only flawless, radiant skin.

Ariel’s mind reeled from all the possibilities, wondering if sorcery was indeed at play.

Was this a perk of being a werewolf?

No wonder they all looked like gods and goddesses.

“Stop laughing,” Ariel scolded her wolf as she mocked her. It was unreal that, while she couldn’t see her wolf physically, she somehow managed to know what she was doing.

“I am just amused; it is a little comical. But that is enough exploration; we have a lot of things to do.”

That was enough to sober Ariel up.

And for the rest of the week, Ariel spent most of her time with her wolf, learning all she could about the werewolf world. She had managed to obtain a book where she had written whatever was important.

And the more they talked, the more they grew closer. Ariel had found out that she didn’t mind having someone access every part of her like that.

It actually gave her a sense of security and a companion that she couldn’t believe.

She had thought things were going to be awkward between them given how long they had been without each other, but they had bonded so quickly, becoming best friends that she had never thought they would be.

It was easy for her to forget about the pain Kane had caused, to forget she was in a foreign place, and to forget she had no one by her side as long as her wolf was here with her.

And Laura had been with her every step of the way, guiding her and even telling her how to deal with the alpha while they planned for their escape.

And in all of that, she had been getting particularly closer to the nurse, where she found out her name was Judith, and she had insisted Ariel call her by her name because she believed adding any other title would make her feel her age.

Judith had lost her children to battles, and she had no grandchildren, so she had taken an instant liking to Ariel, and their friendship had blossomed into something beautiful.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

They were in her office one particular evening, and Ariel had opted to eat her dinner with her.

“Why is there so much fighting about the werewolf community? I thought they had a king, and he controls everything.” Ariel asked as she took another bite of her meal.

“Do humans have any reason to fight?” Judith sneered. “As long as we continue to stay in this world, there is bound to be fights, and honestly, the werewolf is a fucking greedy.” She spat the words out, her lips curling in a snarl.

Ariel was already used to her foul mouth whenever she was angry, so it didn’t faze her; instead, she pressed on.

“Why is there so much hatred for the rogue? I have lived with them for a while now, and while their actions may be something I don’t agree with, they are peaceful people. They are just like you and me, and when I hear some stories of how they became outcasts, I can’t help but feel sympathy.”

“It is a long story, and even if I explain it to you, I don’t think you will understand. Everything in this world has rules they follow, and the werewolf is very strict on those rules, and any defaulters have to be chased out. But new laws are being implemented every day, and they allowed Kane’s pack to live, so it is not exactly horrible.”

At her words, a primal growl erupted from Ariel’s chest. The sound was so raw and utterly foreign that it shocked her; her eyes widened in alarm, and she clamped her palm over her mouth.

“I am sorry; I didn’t know how it happened.”

“It is alright; I should apologize. I overstepped my boundaries, and your wolf wasn’t a fan of it.”

“It is fine.” Ariel gave her a smile, and they continued talking. It wasn’t until she got to the confines of her room that she decided to confront her wolf.

“What the hell was that?” Ariel asked her wolf.

“What?” Laura shrugged, acting like she didn’t know what she was talking about.

“The stunt you pulled at the office.” Ariel reminded her, her nonchalant irking her.

“She crossed the line. We may not be together, but I will not condone any disrespect toward him. He is still our mate!”

“Maybe you weren’t aware of it, but we are no longer together. Me and Kane are over, and honestly, I don’t care what happened to him.”

“That is what you keep telling yourself, Ariel. You and Kane may be over, but Max didn’t do anything to me, so we are still together.”

Ariel’s eyes widened at the new information. “W-wait can you reach out to Kane’s wolf? Does he know you are back?” Her tone rose with each question she asked.

“I am sure he can feel that I am back, and yes, I can reach out to him.”

“Have you ever reached out to him?” Ariel was holding her breath as she asked.

“I would have if I wanted to, but I respect your decision as my human, and I would not do anything you don’t want to do.”

The sigh of relief was almost instant as she heard her.”Thank you so much, Laura.”

“Don’t be so happy. If Max is aware that I am back, so is Kane, and I am sure he is only holding out to give you time to prepare yourself. But an alpha never lets his mate go. He will surely come for you.”

“You are lying.” Ariel’s voice trembled, barely above a whisper. She was hyperventilating, her chest heaving with ragged breaths as panic set in. The thought of him knowing her location and of him closing in on her was suffocating. “He doesn’t know where I am,” she insisted, her eyes wide with fear and her mind racing with the implications.

“If that helps you sleep better at night, I have done the best I could for you.” Laura said, and she shut down the communication as she retired to her corner.

But Ariel was a mess; the news had thrown her off balance, and no matter how she tried to deny it, Laura was right.

It was only a matter of days before Kane would come looking for her, and she had no idea what to do. Laura was already out of questions. The darn wolf wasn’t going to help her escape.

Ariel was only left with one choice.

She wore sweatpants and threw on a shirt and headed to the training room, ignoring the men that were following her-they weren’t so discreet about it.

She would have to train to be able to beat him. She was also an alpha born, and the blood is still running in her veins. It shouldn’t be so hard.

“Right?”

Ariel lay sprawled on the mat, her body battered and broken, her strength utterly spent. Every inch of her ached, and she could barely summon the energy to lift her arm, her limbs as heavy as lead weights. The metallic tang of blood hung in the air, and she could taste it.

Laura had been right; they didn’t hold back, and at one point she wondered if it was training or a beating.

If she was this horrible, how was she ever going to stand against Kane? The man had more than ten years of experience with this thing.

Yet Ariel continued pushing on every day, falling, but rising up and learning from her mistakes.

But most palpable of all was the shift in the air and Ariel’s skin tingling with anticipation. A collective shiver ran through the pack, the very atmosphere alive and humming with expectation. And her heart raced with a thrill of excitement as she went about her day’s job.

The full moon was approaching.

“Are you ready to shift?” Laura had asked her, and she looked outside her window with a small smile on her lips.

She was more than ready to welcome her new side.