Cruel Alpha

Chapter 11

There was another Pack dinner on Sunday, Robin had no idea what for but she didn’t have any plans so easily accepted a way of keeping her evening busy.  Out of her friend circle, Hope and Blair have move along the long table of pack members to sit among other mated couples and Wren was sitting at the front among the higher-ranked family members and Sierra, of course, was sitting next to her mate, the Alpha. This left Robin in the company of Iris. “If you find your mate soon, I will need to look for new friends,” Robin joked as she and Iris sat among the young and mate-less wolves. Robin noticed how she and Iris were one of the oldest wolves around the table. Most people their age sat among the mated wolf’s section, some people in Robin’s side of the table looked 16. 

“Is it me or is everyone else getting younger by day?” Iris asked, and Robin smiled at how similar their thoughts were. “Yes, I feel like they would soon let the babies sit here as well,” Robin grumbled and eyed the long table. Her eyes landed on the guy that nearly fought Wilder. Edward. He was sitting close to Robin’s side of the table and was alone. So, Lauren still hasn’t made a choice. 

Robin looked further, towards the head of the table. Wilder wasn’t present at the dinner. It was usual for him to act up here and there, but pack dinners were something he never missed before. Sure, there were instances of him coming late or leaving right after the main dish. But straight-up skipping? Not his thing. 

“You are so quiet and where do you keep looking away too?” Iris noted as she tried to follow Robin’s gaze. Robin snapped out of her thoughts, whatever Wilder was doing shouldn’t really interest her. She fought with a Goddess to prove her uninterest. “Nothing just felt like checking up on Hope, her belly is getting bigger.” Robin raised another concern of hers. She wasn’t very good with children or knew what was supposed to be done with them. Now that she thought about it, the only thing she knew about the children was the way people made them. 

Iris chuckled and looked towards Hope and Jacob as well, they were conversing with other couples. “It’s only 3 months, she still has 3 more to go.” Iris reminded Robin who nodded and turned back to her plate. At the end of the table, Adrian and Carter sat together, both too engrossed on their phones to mind the food. One was texting with a future girlfriend prospect, the other was trying to reach Wilder. “Have you heard of Wilder?” Adrian asked and Carter looked up from his phone with a smile on his face. “Huh? Oh, I think he texted me a few hours ago about a bar and drinks,” Carter looked back at his phone, he was looking for the texts. 

“Yeah, Wilder said he is skipping the dinner and going straight for the drinks, I said I will leave early but have other plans. And he said-“ Adrian cut his ramblings short. “I can see the texts on your phone, no need for captions, idiot.” Carter ignored it and chuckled, “Then stop disturbing me and let me secure a date for tomorrow.”

Adrian was worried about Wilder; the last time he went out on his own he woke up near the trash cans, and let’s not forget the time he was kidnapped by the human mafia for reasons still unclear to Adrian. So, he tried to reach Wilder and find someone who would remain sober enough to get him back. 

Halfway through the dinner, Robin got a notification, Blair was texting her from the other side of the table. 

B- Can you go get Wilder from a bar?

R- What??

B- Ughhhh

B- Long story short, he is drunk, in the city. they want River to go but I have plans for us. 

R- Gross.

B- Please go and get that i***t. 

B-’ll owe you one. 

Robin groaned and looked away from the screen. Iris looked at the messages as well and chuckled. “They are having a couple’s night,” Robin made a gagging sound. “It doesn’t concern me, why do I get to be the one to deal with the drunk?” Iris sighed and took Robin’s phone, she texted yes and asked for location. “We both knew you would agree, so let’s just not dramatize things.” Robin sighed and nodded, she hated how Iris was right. Robin wasn’t going to ruin Blair’s night no matter how much she still disliked River. He was on her black list for a year now. 

Blair sent Robin the location of the bar along with Wilder’s usual spot. Robin turned to Iris, “You want to come along? Might as well get drinks for ourselves.” Iris shook her head. “Nope, I am good, I have work tomorrow.” So, do I, Robin wanted to protest. But it’s not like anyone else would volunteer to go. Robin sighed and waited for her cue of going out unnoticed; she needed to leave with the waiters. 

Around the time the waiters entered the hall, Axel got up and called for a toast. “We, have an announcement.” He spoke and gestured to Sierra. Being Luna to the pack kept Sierra quite busy. Robin barely remembered the last time they hang out, but she also remembered how Sierra would text and try to keep in contact with all of them. Sierra got up and smiled at Axel. “I am pregnant,” Sierra said and the room immediately got filled with gasps and claps. Robin was too stunned, 2nd pregnancy in her friend group. What next? Blair will get pregnant? Robin made a mental note of texting congratulations to Sierra before getting up to sneak away. “Let’s hope he is not passed out.” She whispered and joined the line of waiters.  

Wilder groaned and leaned his head on his hand, sprawling across the bar counter. Lauren had called him today, 4 times, and after seeing that she will not get an answer, she texted. 

Edward told me about the fight. 

I am sorry. 

Wilder left it on read, not accepting pity or her apology. He was hurting and the longer he kept it going with Lauren the longer it would hurt. She was destined to leave him for the fucker Edward anyway. 

“Are you done wallowing in your own feelings?” A voice bought his attention back to reality. Robin stood in front of him, her arms crossed. He chuckled and lifted his head up, making Robin go from looked angled to looking straight. He looked at her with a question in his eyes, before he could organize his thoughts into a sentence, Robin answered him. “River sent me to pick you up. You look drunk enough. So, get up.” She waved her hand towards him but Wilder shook his head. “No, nope, I still have another set of shots left.” He lifted his hand and the bartender went to prepare his order again. Robin groaned and sat on the barstool next to him. 

“Your fighting buddy was in the pack dinner.” Robin started, knowing that this will certainly get Wilder’s attention away from his drink. “And?” he looked at her, expecting more. “he was alone.” Wilder shrugged after a moment of processing her words. “I don’t care. She made her choice. I am as disposable as these plastic bottles.” He said dramatically with a wave of hand towards the water bottle behind the bar. Robin rolled her eyes. “Self-pity won’t magically heal you.” She was getting impatient; the bartender was done with the ‘set of shots. It contained 6 shot glasses and a mug full of something that Robin didn’t even want to smell. 

Wilder snorted and turned to face her. “How would you know? Never seen you feel anything but anger.” Robin rolled her eyes. “If you don’t get up and go in the next minute, you are about to feel that anger on your face.” Wilder ignored the threat and drowned the first shot. Drunk Wilder was even harder to deal with, especially when Robin was sober. “Talk with me, Robin. How is your life? How’s Margo?”

Robin looked at Wilder, he positioned his head on his fist, eyeing her expectantly. He wanted to hear her speak, he was looking for distraction, something better than his own situation. Sadly, Robin had no happy distractions to offer. “We broke up.” She stated and Wilder looked surprised. “Really? Who did she choose over you?” Wilder said, the drunker he got the more he forgot about the manners. Robin shook her head, though there was an answer in her head. New York. “It was a mutual decision, it just didn’t feel right anymore.” She said and Wilder nodded. Robin took one of his shots and drowned it in one go. Wilder smiled at which Robin only waved a dismissing hand. “What? The faster you are done with these, the sooner we go.” 

“She moved away. To New York.” Robin said after a moment of silence. “That doesn’t sound like a mutual decision,” Wilder said and he and Robin hit their glasses together, another set of shots done. Only one remaining.

“I sometimes think…” Wilder started and stopped mid-sentence. “Good of you to at least do it sometimes,” Robin said with a laugh. Wilder rolled his eyes and took in a deep breath. “I sometimes think about the Goddess and her words. Do you remember?” 

The others lost my graces and the darkness came for them. 

You need me more than you thought. And then, you will regret your decisions.

Robin nodded, she tried to forget them. But she never could. “I feel like... I feel afraid of them. What if she was telling the truth? What if she was right and something really bad will happen?” Robin saw fear in his drunk eyes, she was afraid that if she kept looking at them, her own fears will start to show as well. “We made a deal and that was the price.” They drowned the last shots. Silence hang between them. “Whatever happens, I am sure it is way better than being stuck with you,” She said teasingly, hoping to lighten the mood. Wilder put his hand on his chest and gasped. “I am offended, Robin. Offended.” Robin rolled her eyes and got up. “Come along, alcoholic.” Wilder chuckled and got up. “Why is that you keep saving me? It’s the second time this week, Robin. I am starting to think that you don’t even hate me.”