Cruel Alpha

Chapter 9

Robin got back to the pack area late. One last time at Margo’s stretched out to be a whole day event, it was threatening to become an overnight stay but Margo had a place early in the morning. She really was only waiting to have her goodbyes with Robin. “Come visit me sometimes, we are still friends,” Margo said as she gave Robin’s hand one last squeeze. Robin smiled and nodded. “We will always be friends, I’ll try to come and see you.” With that, Robin left Margo’s apartment for one last time and this felt much worse than their initial break up and goodbye. 

Last week it was just the end of a relationship, Margo was still living in the city and Robin in the forest, they still had the option of seeing each other, or accidentally bumping into each other in the city. Now, Margo was flying many miles away from the city. Their city. She was gone and the prospects of them getting back together was dead. Finally, their differences have managed to cut their ties with both of them staying in their respectful places, none wanting to make the needed sacrifices to keep the relationship alive. 

“We are better off as friends,” Robin spoke to the emptiness of her car as she parked in front of the Pack House. “We were always better off as friends.” She locked the door of her room and felt her cheeks get wet. She no longer had a girlfriend; her friend was flying away. After many years of stability, she felt like she was losing someone and it hurt. 

Robin spent all of the next day locked in her room, letting herself wallow in the feelings of a breakup. So much for a vacation. She thought as it has already been 3 days and she still hasn’t got a good night’s sleep. By nighttime, Iris came over to her room. Knowing the reasons for her friend’s mood she bought over sweets and drinks, to speed up the process of Robin getting herself back together.  

Usually, it took Robin a day to move past the pains. But there was a dark period of time, a year to be exact, when Robin didn’t move past her grief, when she kept clinging on to the sadness, forcing it to stay for longer than she actually felt it. Because without the sadness and grief, she didn’t know who she was. By the time Robin ended her solitary confinement she had turned 11 and no one knew: 

She was staying in the nursery part of the old Pack House, full of other kids that had been made orphans by the war. They all went to school and games with other pups from the pack, but the difference was that they were picked up by the same person; a nanny from the nursery while everyone else got picked up by their mothers. 

Robin met Iris there, after she stopped protesting and locking herself in, she went to school and Iris took it upon herself to update Robin on everything that happened during the year: 

“Also, happy birthday,” Iris said which earned an even bigger look of confusion from Robin, she kept thinking that this girl was plain annoying but not annoying enough for Robin to actually hate her. “What?” Robin asked the first thing she actually spoke in the last hour. Iris shrugged. “Well, I don’t actually know your birthday but I like to congratulate you in advance,” Iris said and then looked panicked. “Wait, did it pass already? Then happy belated birthday.” Robin looked at the look of panic on Iris’s face over missing her birthday and started laughing. 

Robin was pulled out of her memory when Iris threw a chocolate bar in her direction, “Less dreaming, more drinking. From what do you want to start?” She lifted wine and vodka. Robin laughed. 

Wilder’s drink of the night was water because he already felt like he had a hangover and he hasn’t even drunk in days. Contrary to her words, Lauren hasn’t called or texted, or even sent an email. Wilder’s nerves were stretched thin so he sent her a text instead:

Edward says you are mates. Care to explain?

He realized that he sounded rude but after 2 days of incommunicado, he was pissed. He paced around the room, it was past midnight so he didn’t expect a reply until morning but suddenly his phone rang and he rushed to pick it up. “Hello?” He spoke and heard the static of the line. “Hey,” Lauren’s voice filled the line and he sighed. “I am sorry, I don’t- I can’t even begin.” She said with a forced chuckle. “Just begin with telling me the truth,” Wilder spoke as he sat down, walking made him more stressed. 

After a moment of silence, Lauren spoke again. “Edward pointed me to the kitchen and when our arms brushed, I felt the sparks.” Wilder wanted to curse. “I-I wasn’t sure so we spoke and... I held onto his hand.” She stopped, Wilder felt like he was being tortured. “And what?” he needed the final blow. “My wolf felt it too. Wilder, I am so sorry.” She spoke and Wilder sighed. 

Mates were someone Moon Goddess has designed for you to fall in love with and spend the rest of your life with. It didn’t calculate the factor of having feelings for someone other than your mate. It didn’t calculate the factor of free will. Wilder was furious with the system and hated all the rules, He was happy about his lack of a designed partner, there was plenty of fish in the sea. 

Wilder cleared his throat. “So, what are you thinking?” Wilder asked, he knew that Lauren valued the traditions and mates. She was worried about Wilder having a mate when they first started their relationship. Lauren sighed, “I don’t know, I spoke with Edward, he is also sure of the mate-“ Wilder cut her small speech. “You spoke with him? When?” Lauren stayed silent. “When was this, Lauren?” Wilder asked impatiently. 

“Yesterday, I came… I came to the pack and we spoke about it all.” Lauren spoke understanding her mistake even before Wilder pointed it out to her. “You spoke with him first. You literally knew about each other for a day and you spoke to him first.” He said angrily. We have been together for 2 months and someone you met for a day got more respect. The longer he thought about it the angrier he got.  “Gods you used my name to get into the pack and spoke to him???” The realization dawned on him. He felt like a bucket of ice was thrown to his face. “Wilder I didn’t mean it like that.” Lauren started but Wilder was done with the conversation. He knew when he wasn’t wanted, he wasn’t going to embarrass himself any further. “Do not ever use my name to get into this pack, you made your choice, Lauren.” He said and hung up. He reached for the water bottle again but decided that he needed something stronger. 

Wilder went to the wine cellar and took out something old and bitter. He needed to feel the worst tasting alcohol, to wash away the worst kind of pain. Betrayal. He nearly crushed the wine bottle when he was trying to open it. Was it really a betrayal, if she found her mate? His wolf wondered which drew out a bitter chuckle from Wilder. “Of course, f*****g mate bond still gets to ruin my life and I am not even allowed to blame it.” He drowned half of the bottle in one go.