Once a Rogue, Now an Alpha

Finding a footing

JUNE

Maria gave a glare the second he walked away. It was like something had dragged her face from a smile to a frown. She doesn’t like me. That bit was certain. But I couldn’t see why, since she and I were just meeting for the first time.

“Well don’t just stand there...” I was snapped at. The sudden tone had me flinching, and my eyes shut themselves in fear, my heart dropped to my feet. When I did open them, Maria wasn’t standing in front of me like she was a second ago.

She was upfront at a distance that should not have been possible. With a scowl on her face, she motioned for me to follow and I did. My legs moved and in a hurry I was by her side with hands still tied.

“This is where you’ll be staying. The Alpha’s room is just a stone away from yours and I beg that you don’t do anything stupid to upset or disturb him. You did hear what he said, didn’t you?” She spoke, pushing the door open. She walked inside the room, thankfully it was a space much better than the first one they had me locked in.

I did hear the Alpha. He didn’t want me, yet he forced himself into a wedding that wasn’t his and had me wed him.

Now, more than ever, I missed Lennox greatly. Years ago, I made a decision that changed both our lives. I thought I was helping him, and myself, but I guess it was more for myself than it did for him.

Do I believe he was innocent? No, he killed his father and the pack’s Luna. But I should have stayed by his side like a real mate would have.

I stared long into the room, from the walls which were painted in a color that was not only my favorite but Lennox’s as well. The mix of lemon and lavender the painting was. It was the same as the scent in the room. This coincidence was somewhat unsettling, but it was the best I was going to get.

When I walked into the room, I saw that the bed was made with what I knew was the softest fabric. My stomach twisted at the sight of it. This has to be some sick joke.

I thought to myself as my eyes remained glued to the bedding. This was torture, but how did Alpha Axel know about all of this?

This used to be the type of design Lennox and I used to talk about having in our bedroom when we moved in together.

I turned to Maria to find that she had a satisfied smirk plastered on her lips. “That would be all. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have more important things to do.”

Right, because it’s right for a maid to be rude to her Alpha’s mate, right?

“Wait...” I called after her when she spun on her heels to leave. I felt bold. Bold enough to exert my rights as the most feared Alpha’s mate and wife – even when he didn’t want me. “I’m Alpha Axel’s mate, his wife. Why do you think you can speak to me in this way like you’re my superior?”

This was the first time I was ever going to stand up for myself. I had this fear gripping my chest from a past that scarred me. I had to watch everyone be cruel to Lennox and his mother growing up, especially his mother, despite knowing she was the Alpha’s Fated Mate. And I didn’t want to have to turn out to be like her.

Maria stood eyed-wide, shock visible in her eyes. I refuse to be a doormat like the poor woman. Was my only thought as I stared back at the maid, with my chin up and in defiance.

Her mouth opened, then closed, before opening yet again. She appeared lost for words and in my heart I hoped that it would remain so.

“While you’re gaping like a fish, I want to have a word with the Alpha. There are things I would like to discuss with him.” What am I going to even say to him? I had no single clue. I just knew that this sort of treatment and whatever he thought he would do to me was not acceptable.

“Did you not hear the part where he said he wanted nothing to do with you?” She asked, inching closer to where I was only this time with much caution.

Oh, I did hear him.

“I want the Alpha, now,” I insisted. This was going to have to go two ways. “You either call him over or take me to him.” I hissed at her, refusing to back down even though, at the back of my mind, I could feel my wolf warning me.

Maria bowed her head a little, possibly feeling the anger radiating off me before she nodded. “Right, this way then.” She spoke with more respect than I had ever heard from her since the second we met.

We left the room and made it for Alpha Axel. Each step we took went along with the racing of my heart. I was raking my mind trying to find a good enough reason as to why I had just acted this way with Maria.

She knocked on a door and waited while I stood behind her. My palms were sweaty, and I just realized that my hands were still cuffed together. Was she going to leave earlier without uncuffing my hands?

“Enter...” A voice came. His. It was strong, bold and scary at the same time. Hearing it gave me every reason to abort this stupid mission and I stretched both hands to reach for Maria. Just an inch more and I would have been able to tug her backwards, but she slipped forward and away from my grasp.

No, no.

She was in his office, and I was left outside of it with fear standing right next to me. He had been talking so casually to her the second she walked in, but the moment he noticed me his expression hardened and turned into a rage I had never seen.

The air was cold suddenly, and I knew right now that I was in trouble. “You had one f*****g job, Maria, and that was to keep that...” he pointed at me. “...away from me. Why the f**k is she here?”

Maria shrugged her shoulders lightly before turning to look at me. “She’s here because she wants to have a word with you, Alpha. And she was quite persistent about it despite my protests.”

Alpha Axel’s stare alone could take a life, mine if it wanted to. While I was trying to find some ground in this pack, all I had managed to do was dig myself a grave because this man was about to kill me.

He relaxed in his chair, dropping the pen he had between his middle and index finger before gritting his teeth.

“Do you intend to have a word with me standing all the way over there?” He asked, lifting a brow. I took easy steps into his office, too afraid to even look around or enjoy the cozy feeling that brushed my skin the second the door opened. “Thank you, Maria. You may go.” He said to her. She nodded, bowed before brushing past me, but not before giving me the look that said I deserved whatever punishment I was about to get.

When the door clicked shut, Alpha Axel stood abruptly from his chair and walked around his table so that he was standing in front of me. “I don’t f*****g have all the time in the world. Speak or get out.”

Why is he always angry?

“I... Uh.. I just...” I started but my voice and the words did not agree with me. I wanted the truth as to why he was upset with me. And I also wanted to get these damned cuffs off my wrists.

“For the love of goddess...” I heard him mutter under his breath. “Get out...” He barked right after, pointing to the door this time.

What?

“But I...” the words disappeared again.

“I don’t f*****g want to hear it. You had one f*****g chance to say your piece but...”

“Why?...” I couldn’t take it anymore. At least with my parents, I knew why they hated me so much and why they felt the need to abuse me. But him? What did I ever do?

Alpha Axel was taken aback. I was sure it was because I had just interrupted him. My father hated it when I did that as well. You two could pass off as friends. They could, from how mean they were. “Why do you hate me?” I asked, lifting both hands to show him that neither he nor Maria had bothered to set my hands free. They didn’t think I was going to steal anything, did they? “What did I ever do to you for you to treat me like this, Alpha Axel?”

I was angry, I was fuming, and I was certain I had smoke puffing out of my nose, but I also had tears in my eyes. He hadn’t physically touched me yet, but he was hurting me.

Before I knew what was happening, I was cornered by him. He stood tall above me and had red eyes glaring at me. He grabbed both of my arms and smirked, scaring the living daylight out of me. I should have known that a look like that meant that he was about to show me just how much he hated me and the punishment Maria's earlier expression tried to tell me about.

And then he started to pull my arms apart, causing me pain from the cuffs I was still bound to.

“You’re hurting me... Please...” I choked between sobs and wincing in pain. But my words fell on deaf ears as he continued to pull them apart like he was intent on cutting off my wrists from their joints.

“Welcome to hell, June. You want to know why I’m doing this, don’t you?”