The Rogue Alpha’s Claim

Ariel groggily opened her eyes, blinking at the haze that had been preventing her from opening them. A deep frown was set on her face, her brain working at full power as she tried to recall how she got into the position.

Her eyes lazily focused on the intricate details of the ceiling before they shifted to another part of the room and settled there.

She sat up on her bed, a terrible mistake on her part, as she was struck with a terrible headache. Ariel clutched her head in pain, gently lowering herself back to the bed.

Her hands were under her pillow, sweeping under it as she looked for her phone. There were lapses in her memory; she couldn’t even recall how she got here, and the phone should help.

“Oh shit!” She murmured under her breath as she held the phone in her hands, the coldness startling her. She pressed the power button, but after several attempts and the blank screen being all she could see, she was searching for a power outlet.

“Ariel.” Kane’s call came as he opened the door, and she was almost sighing in relief.

“Thank God you are here. Can you help me get my charger? I think I left it on the desk.” She attempted to sit up again, but Kane was by her side in an instance, and her brows gathered like a converging circle.

She could have sworn he was just at the door. How the hell did he teleport to her side?

“Take it easy, love; you shouldn’t be stressing yourself,” Kane chided her in a soft voice, overflowing with love.. His hands wrapped around her neck, gently guiding her back to the bed and tucking her into the blankets.

“What happened?” Ariel asked, still trying to make sense of all that was happening around her. “Why am I still in bed, and-” She glanced at the clock, and she was almost jumping out of bed. “I am late for training.”

But Kane held her hands before she jumped out of bed. “You have been out of it, and I don’t think you will be able to go for any training yet. Just rest your head.”

“Hmm, okay.” Ariel allowed him to lay her back on the bed, but she was still unsettled. “What happened to me?”

“Nothing really, but we feared you were coming down with a fever.”

“Fever?” Ariel touched her forehead with the back of her palm, her mouth curving downward in a frown. “I feel perfectly fine.”

“Yeah, I had the pack nurse come treat you.”

“I see, thank you.” They stayed in a comfortable silence; Ariel fidgeting as she realized just how close he was to her. She could feel his gaze on her, burning holes through her skin, and she swallowed the saliva that had pooled in her throat.

Ariel shifted her gaze to the bed-anything that wasn’t him would do-her eyes landing on her phone, and she picked it up, suddenly remembering the conversation she had had with Toby the day before.

Or was it today?

The timeline was somewhat jumbled in her mind, but she was very sure that Toby had come to her and rudely demanded that she delete her post.

“You were going to tell me something?”

You remembered?” Ariel squinted her eyes as she looked at him, his behavior a little suspicious. In fact, all their behavior has been questionable.

“Of course I do, or are you wishing I didn’t remember?” She inched closer with each word until she could feel the warm air on her face as he breathed out. “Is there something you are hiding that you don’t want me to know?”

“Not at all.” Kane gave her a tight-lipped smile while racking his brain, thinking of how he could get her to forget.

“Toby told me you posted our pictures together.” Kane started cautiously, afraid he might spook her, but Ariel had long caught him in his game, and she had no time to play the game.

“I see you have your little minions doing your work for you. If he had told you that, he should have also told you that I refused.”

“He was just concerned about me and the pack at large. It is a dangerous world. We live here, Ariel, nothing compared to yours, and we have enemies all around that are seeking ways to destroy us.”

“And I ask again. What have you done to warrant such treatment?” She said each word slowly, not backing down on this anytime soon.

She was well aware that some shady things had been going on, but she had yet to uncover them, and today may just seem to be the day.

Kane took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. “Ariel.” She looked up at the way she had folded her arms and her lips in a thin line, and he knew there was no way she was backing down. “As you know, ours is a rogue pack, and the werewolves are not happy with the fact that we are thriving, and they have been trying every means to destroy us.”

“Hmm mmm.” Ariel gave him a nod, prompting him to continue.

“They could be anywhere, lurking among us, on the internet, just literally anywhere. I am just trying to protect you in every way I can, Ari. I love you so much to lose you.”

“Aww.” Ariel was melting at his sudden confession of love, and she leaned closer until their lips were touching, and she kissed it.

It was short and sweet, but enough to convey her feelings towards him.

“I love you too, Kane.”

Ariel watched as his lips curled up, the smile spreading from his lips all the way to his smile. “I love you too, baby.” He joined their lips together, meeting each other in a soft caress that lasted a little too long to be considered a peck. “So…”

“Fine, I will delete it.” Ariel rolled her eyes, unable to believe she had given up so easily. “You should have explained this earlier, and it would have saved us the stress.” She reprimanded him, and he nodded.

“I know better now.” Ariel picked up her phone from where she had dropped it earlier, and she was swiping to the app, but Kane held her hand, preventing her from using it.

Ariel looked up to meet his gaze, giving him the look. “You may want to not do that.”

“Why?” Ariel’s attention was turned towards him, watching his every expression.

“I may have already deleted it.”

Ariel said no words; instead, she clicked on the app, looking for the post, but true to his words, it was nowhere to be found.

“Get out!” The calm in her voice startled Kane, and he stretched for her hand, but she invaded it, slapping it away.

“Ariel?”

“Get out!” Her back was turned against him, refusing to see his face. Kane stood up, the look on her face telling him that she was serious.

“Ariel, I was just trying to protect us.”

“You had no right, Kane! You had no right!”