The Rogue Alpha’s Claim

When Ariel woke up, it was to streaming sunlight from the window slit, the chirping of birds as they sang sweetly in their trees, and her lips curled in a lazy smile, but the smile was quick to fade when she shifted on the bed, and she was met with restriction.

A heavy arm encircled her waist, and her ass was painfully close to someone’s crotch, and the hard appendage was poking her ass cheeks. She was feeling a suspicious amount of breeze and freedom in her body.

Ariel raised the sheet that had been covering her and looked inside, and she was right. She was stark naked on the bed, and the arm that was swung around her was none other than Kane.

She wasn’t one to jump to conclusions, but from the tingles she was still feeling and the delicious soreness in her body, she had no doubt that something had gone down between them, but that didn’t put her to ease one bit.

This wasn’t what she wanted.

She had thought she could bear the consequences when the morning came, but she was only filled with regrets now.

How would her parents feel if they knew she was sleeping with the enemy? Did she even have the right to be called their daughter anymore?

The thought made her skin crawl, and she wanted nothing but to scrub her skin red.

“You are overreacting, girl.” Laura, her wolf, rolled her eyes. “Kane is our mate, and it is bound to happen any time soon. You are focused too much on the dead when all you should be bothered about is the living.”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“You don’t understand Laura.” Ariel wailed. “Kane killed my parents; he denied me any opportunity of experiencing what it means to have a family, and he lied to me. There is no way I can forgive him.”

“And your parents have been dead for a while now; you need to get over it.”

“Get over it?” Ariel shook her head, unable to believe what she had just heard. “I don’t understand. I thought you were supposed to be on my side.”

“I am on your side, but it has gone too far, and it is destroying my relationship with my mate. Have you even asked Kane why he did it?”

“You are the last person I thought you said this.” Ariel replied in a bitter voice, and she shut down their connection.

There was no need to continue the conversation if she was only going to side with the enemy. It was obvious she was rooting for the other party.

Ariel turned to face the man on the bed with her, his features relaxed now that he was asleep, and she reached out, wanting to trace the lines on his face.

But she caught herself before she could touch him, and instead she tapped him. “What are you still doing here?”

“Hmmm,” Kane mumbled, his deep voice still laden with sleep, and he shifted, the sheet slipping off and exposing his back, and she was rewarded with a nice view of his derriere.

“What are you still doing here?” Ariel repeated, peeling her eyes away from his buttocks and focusing on his eyes.

“This is our room.” Kane replied like it was the most obvious thing, and he slowly sat up on the bed.

“I know, I mean, why are we naked on the bed?”

Kane looked at her like she had grown two heads, taken aback by the barrage of questions. “Isn’t it obvious, we slept together?” He replied with a matter of fact, and Ariel shook her head.

“No, you are getting this all wrong. You slept with me.”

“I don’t know what you are trying to do, but don’t ruin a happy moment because of your fears.” Kane warned, his face already set in a frown.

“I am not trying to ruin anything; I did not agree to this.” Ariel cried, sweeping her hands over themselves and the bed. “I didn’t want this; you knew I was vulnerable and I needed comfort, but you took advantage of it.”

There was a sharp intake of air as Kane understood what she was trying to say, and he shook his head. “I understand that you are still trying to come to terms with your parent’s death, but I would let you ruin the moment we shared.”

“I am not trying to ruin anything!” Ariel yelled, taking the blanket with her as she stood and leaving Kane naked, but he made no effort to cover himself. “You were the only one that enjoyed the moment.”

“Ariel!” Kane growled, rising up to meet her. “Don’t let your fear blind you and make you say something you will regret.”

“Regret?” Ariel shook her head. “You murdered my parents and my pack in cold blood; I think it is my parents that would be regretting my decision to stay with you.”

“It is funny how you keep defending your parents that you have no idea of. Do you think your father was a saint?”

“You have no right to talk to my father like that!” Ariel bellowed, her eyes blazing with fury.

“I have every right to talk to him how I want!” Kane blew up, and he started marching towards her, and with every step he took, Ariel took one back until her back hit the wall and there was no way to escape again. “Your father is not the saint you think he is; he has also killed people.”

“You are lying.” Ariel sniffed just as a tear left her eyes. “My father was a kind man; he would never do anything if it didn’t warrant it.”

“It is ironic how you are a werewolf, but you are still blind to what we do. Your father and the BloodMoon Pack had been rivals. Your father killed his son, the only heir, and he sent an ambush to their warriors; that was why we hired to finish his pack. It was just business for me, and I fulfilled the side of my bargain.”

“You are lying; my father will never do that.” Ariel continued to be oblivious, shaking her head.

“Your father was the one that injected you and killed your wolf; he did that to spite me because he couldn’t bear the thought of his daughter being happy with me. He did that to deny you of your heritage, and you claim I was the bad one?”

“Liar!” Ariel screamed, pounding her fist on his chest, but Kane wasn’t going to yield.

“I don’t need to lie to you, Ariel; you already hate me. There is no point trying to prove my innocence, but I must tell you the truth.”

“No, no. I don’t want to hear anything. Please leave me alone!” Ariel roared, her body shaking with a mix of anger and sadness.

“Of course, I will go, and you will run, like you always used to. But don’t you dare accuse me of taking you against your will.”

Ariel’s eyes widened so much that it was almost comical. “I-I..”

“I understand you hate me, and I will let you be. You are free to leave if you want to. I am not going to find you again.”

“Kane I-” Even her attempt was pathetic, and he wouldn’t hear anything again. With a dismissive glance in her direction, Kane strode to the closet, and he picked up a T-shirt and a black pant, putting them on, and he stormed out the door, not even sparing her a glance.

And all this time, the apology was at the tip of her tongue, but Ariel was too stubborn to admit her wrong, and instead, she watched him leave.

Great, just great.

Both her mate and wolf have left her, and she was all alone.