The Rogue Alpha’s Claim

After her run-in with the non-so couple, Ariel wasn’t sure she had it in her to be friendly or social with anyone, and that was the reason she was making a u-turn and heading back to her room.

She couldn’t help but lean in closer as she passed through Toby’s floor, and true to her suspicions, she could hear his mate screaming on top of her voice, and she was cringing.

Now that she understood the concept behind mates, she could understand why Toby was reluctant to let her go. The lady was literally his soulmate-the only one for him.

If he let her go, there was no guarantee he would see her again, and who even lets their soulmates go?

She hoped that they would resolve it sooner; if not, she would try and extend a hand of friendship to his mate.

It may help their relationship if they were friends.

Ariel heaved a sigh of relief as she saw the sturdy brown door of Kane’s room-well, it is now theirs-and she entered, shutting the door behind herself.

She dragged herself to the bed, not bothering to change her clothes or even her shoes for the indoor one; instead, she let her mind roam.

And for the first time, she thought of her parents.

She wondered if she looked like them, if she had actually known them, or if they had dumped her by the roadside the minute she was in this world.

Yet she wondered if they were alive somewhere and had no idea that their daughter was married to a very powerful werewolf and that she had grown into a young woman.

No matter how she tried, she couldn’t remember anything about her parents. It was like a blank wall, and no matter what, she couldn’t even conjure their faces.

It was hard to miss someone you had no recollection of, but she hoped that if they were still alive, they would miss her.

She was in that state when the door creaked, and it opened slowly to reveal Kane. Ariel didn’t even move, even when he came closer, and the bed sank from its weight.

“What happened?” Kane asked, already sensing something was wrong.

“Nothing.” Ariel managed a smile, shifting to look at him. “How are you doing? You are home early.”

“I decided to take the day off to be with you, but that hasn’t answered my question.” Kane shifted closer towards her, his hands reaching to stroke her head, and Ariel found herself leaning towards his touch voluntarily.

There was just something about him that calmed all of the raging demons in her, and she released a soft sigh.

“What has you deep in thought?”

“Nothing.” Ariel’s shoulders slumped as she released hot air from her mouth, but her skin prickled from his gaze, and she raised her eyes to look at him. “I was just thinking about my parents.”

“What about them?” Ariel didn’t notice the way he had gone still, holding his breath as he waited for her reply.

“Nothing really; I was just thinking about them and wondering how they were holding up. That is, if they are alive.”

“Huh, I guess they are okay wherever they are. You don’t need to bother yourself about that.”

“I know that, but I am still curious about them. Lest I forget, how did you say you met me? I wasn’t sure you had explained it before, and it could help me look for my parents if they are still alive.”

“Uhm…” Kane was aware of the blue set of eyes watching him and taking note of his reaction, so he knew he had to be careful and think fast. “I met them on my way home; you were lying beside your parents, and they were both dead.”

That was the only thing Kane could think of, and looking at it, it wasn’t exactly a lie, but Ariel was looking beyond that.

“Where exactly did you say you met them?” Ariel shifts closer, looking at him straight in the eyes, and Kane shifts from her gaze. “Isn’t it strange that you found two people lying dead on the road? Why killed them? Surely you must be curious.”

“I admit I was curious, but I heard the cries of the cutest person, and all I could think of was making sure you were alright. As insensitive as it was, they were already dead, and there was nothing I could do that would bring them back.”

“That was insensitive, but you are right, they are gone. I am probably stressing over nothing.”

“It is fine,” Kane said, resuming stroking her head. “You have every right to be curious, but there is no need to dwell on the past; you can’t change it; you can only focus on making the future better.”

“Hmm. Thank you.”

“Anything for you, love.” Kane pressed a kiss in the middle of her head, even as he silently offered a prayer, hoping she didn’t find out the truth.

***

Ariel woke up the next morning, stretching her limb as her mouth opened in a loud yawn. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she dragged her feet to the bathroom, the event of yesterday long forgotten.

As usual, Kane wasn’t in the room, but she needed the peace to calm her head. She finished up with the bathroom and headed to the mini kitchen, where a hot pot of coffee was already brewed and waiting for her.

A smile lit up her face as she read out the note attached to it, and she released a content sigh. It was going to be a good day; she could feel it.

And true to her words, on her way downstairs, she was met with a beehive of activity-men walking about with bright yellow helmets as they inspected the hallway-and only one thought came to mind.

They were going to install an elevator.

Ariel’s joy knew no bounds at the discovery, but she kept it to herself and continued her journey downstairs, beelining straight to the kitchen as the aroma of freshly prepared pancakes hit her.

“Hello.” She called the lady who was cooking a storm, but the lady ignored her and continued her work. Ariel’s eyes zoned in on the figure, recognizing her as Toby’s mate, and she remembered their horrible first encounter and was backing out.

But the word ‘Luna’ was playing in her front, and now that she understood what they meant, she knew she had to step up.

“Hello, you must be Toby’s mate, Maddie. I am Ariel the Luna, and it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Arghh.” The lady sighed, turning to face her with flaming brown eyes. “If someone is blatantly ignoring you, it means they don’t want to talk. I assume you, being a human, would know better about these rights.”

“Uhm, sorry. I was just trying to be friendly considering you are Toby’s mate and we are friends.”

The lady moved closer to Ariel, towering above her and glaring at her. If it were possible, she knew the lady would probably breathe fire on her.

“Let me make this clear once and for all. I am not Toby’s mate, and if you know what is good for you, you will stay away from him.”

“I don’t even…”

“Stay away from him.” Maddie snared, and she turned to go, taking the entire plate of pancakes.

Ariel looked at the retreating figure, not sure what she found annoying more-her annoying character or the fact that she took away the pancakes she had been craving.