The Rogue Alpha’s Claim

Ariel told him all she could manage to tell him before the guilt began to tug at her heart.

It wasn’t like she had a choice; she had been staying here for two days now, and this was some sort of compensation for housing and feeding her.

But she suddenly erupted into a violent fit of coughing, her body convulsing as she hacked up phlegm from the depths of her throat, and the alpha’s eyes widened in alarm, his germaphobia triggered, and he shifted uncomfortably.

“Excuse me.” Ariel croaked out, and she ran in the direction of the bathroom, making a show of puking her guts out.

“Are you alright?” The alpha called from outside the bathroom, his voice dipping with concern, but she knew he was only angry at the half-information he had received.

“I think I need to rest.” Ariel called out in a dry, airy tone that had the alpha leaving her room reluctantly.

Ariel heaved a sigh of relief as she heard the door shut, and she waited for some seconds longer before she came outside.

She had been spilling all she knew-nothing too major to harm him, yet. But her heart had tugged at her, and she knew she couldn’t carry it through.

She wanted to be the one to destroy him with her own hands while he looked at her and begged for his life.

Ariel went back to her bed and picked up her laptop, relaying the news of the letter to Claudia. Now that she had a means of communication, she didn’t feel lonely.

But the alpha seems to have other ideas.

For one, he had changed the bodyguard that had been situated at her door, while he had added more guards just to ensure her maximum safety.

Lucky for her, the alpha had decided to let her be, only for the time being so she could recover, and she had spent most of her day in front of the laptop screen, looking for any movie to distract her from reality.

However, her peace was short-lived when she heard the gentle tap-tap on the door, and she grudgingly went to the door, poking her head out of the little space.

“The alpha had requested for you.” The new bodyguard had told her, his face devoid of any emotion.

“For me?” Ariel asked incredulously. She had barely recovered from their last session, and she wasn’t so sure she had anything to tell him without spilling something that would be too detrimental. “Alright, let me wear something more appropriate.” She continued when it was obvious he wasn’t going to give her a reply.

She hurried to the wardrobe and picked out the only jacket she was given. The winter breeze had begun to blow around the house, and it could get really chilly.

Ariel went out of the room, satisfied with her appearance, and she let him lead the way as they went downstairs, ignoring all the people that passed them.

They halted before a door, and with a gentle push, the door swung open, releasing a wave of pungent aromas that washed over her like a tide.

It wasn’t exactly bad, but the smell of disinfectant was a little too overwhelming for her nose.

“This is not the alpha’s quarters.” She whispered-yelled to the guard, but he had already entered inside, and she reluctantly stepped inside.

Luck seemed to shine on her, for the infirmary lay silent and still, its rows of beds and medical stations unoccupied, until the echo of footsteps got nearer.

A woman emerged from the shadows, her face etched with the lines of a life well lived. Yet, despite the whispers of age, she remained agile, her legs unfolding like a leopard’s as she moved.

She stopped before them, her very presence commanding attention, and her eyes sparkled with a fire that seemed to burn brighter with each passing year.

“Ariel, I never thought a day like this would come when I would see you again.” She held her shoulders with a strength that surprised her, and Ariel looked at her, her mouth slightly open.

“Do you know me?”

With a nod of her head, she dismissed the guard, and she beamed at Ariel.

“Of course, I could still remember how cute you were when your parents first came here.”

“You know my parents?” Ariel’s voice was high-pitched in joy, unable to control her emotion.

“Let us talk more inside; the wall has ears.” Ariel followed behind her as she led the way and ushered her to her private office.

She glanced around the room, her eyes flitting and never staying on one object-the little bed in the corner, the chairs around, and the table that was filled with a lot of books.

“Sit.”

“Thank you.” Ariel lowered herself to the chair, her butt barely touching it. “How do you know my parents?”

“I was friends with your grandparents, and I was there at your father’s coronation and when they gave birth to you. It was a sad thing that happened to John.”

Ariel’s heart swelled with unbridled joy. The mere fact that this woman had known her parents and had witnessed their lives was enough to send her spirits soaring.

“That means you knew what happened to them.”

“It was a horrible thing that happened. The werewolf world has always been loggerheads with each other, and the Moonlight Pack wasn’t an exception. The rogue pack were known to take care of such things, and Kane couldn’t pass on the job.”

“You talk like you know everyone.”

The sides of her eyes crinkled as she smiled, revealing yellow teeth that were once white. “I tend to know a lot more than I give away. But that is not why you are here. I understand that you don’t have a wolf.”

Ariel shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but she nodded her head. “I don’t know what happened; I don’t even know if I was truly a wolf.”

“It was your father.”

“What?” Ariel couldn’t believe what she had just heard. “My father?”

“John had noticed that Kane was your mate, and he was trying to spare you the chance of meeting him and also trying to punish him. He had injected you with a lethal dose that stopped your wolf, and in the process, you lost your memory.”

“You are lying; my father could never do that.” Ariel didn’t know her father, but she was sure that no parent would ever condemn their child to such a fate.”

“It is the truth. He had hoped you would be able to live as a human peacefully, but fate has a funny way of bringing people together.”

“I refuse to believe you. I don’t even know how credible this information is.”

“I already told you, love, the walls have ears.”

“Hmmm.” Ariel’s breath escaped in a soft sigh, and she winced, already feeling the onset of a headache coming on. “Can it be undone?” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she asked.

“It is a very tricky and dangerous thing considering how many years have passed. You are already happy living like this; there is no need to do something that would harm you.”

“It is my choice to make. I am tired of living like this, cut out of my own family and people. I have a right to know!” The fragile thread that had been holding her together snapped.

“I understand, but some things are better left buried. There is no need to dig up old wounds.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“I want to know. I want to keep my parents’ memories alive. They are counting on me to do that.”

“I understand love, but I will have to warn you. It is going to be a very painful experience, and it is not guaranteed that you will get her back, and you may end up losing your life.”

“I am ready; I don’t care about the consequences, but I refuse to live like this any longer.” A lone tear fell from her eye.

“You remind me so much of your father.”

“I suppose that is a good thing.” Ariel sniffed, cleaning her eyes with the back of her palm.

“Of course, of course. Now strip.”

“W-what?” Her eyes widened at her words.

“That came out wrong,” the woman said with a sheepish smile. “Wear this and lay on the bed.” With a swift motion, the woman tossed a sky-blue dress towards her, and she caught it.

Without a word, Ariel glided towards the curtain, shedding her old attire for the new one. And with quiet obedience, she lay down on the bed, her eyes fixed on the woman as she awaited further guidance.