The Rogue Alpha

I stepped into the light of day, and promptly put my sunglasses on.

"Luna DoJo."

I turned towards the voice and found myself looking at one of the women from the small circle the day before.

"And you are?" I asked tensely.

She smiled. I guessed her height to be under 5'5". Her long brown hair was in a simple french braid, no adornments. Her brown eyes were soft and friendly.

"I'm Luna Shelly." She replied, "Luna Eleanor sent me to make sure you find your way to our meeting."

I sighed. "Lead the way."

She grabbed my arm and started walking me towards downtown, which in little towns like Wolfsville is all of two blocks. Shelly nonchalantly declared, "It's a shame the tailor couldn't get you fitted for proper clothes, how long are you stuck wearing that?"

I laughed.

Shelly looked at me perplexed.

I informed her, "Even if everything on the women's side fit me perfectly, I still would have chosen to get the clothes I have."

"Luna Eleanor is going to have plenty to say about that." Shelly whispered.

"I'll have plenty to say back." I assured her.

I could feel Shelly tensing, but she kept smiling, at least with her lips. Her eyes were worriedly scanning the small crowd going about their lives.

"Is everything about appearance to you werewolves?" I asked abruptly.

Shelly stopped and turned to me. "Appearance isn't everything, but it's important."

"To who?"

"The Council of Elders." Shelly answered, "They decide the ranking of the newly mated Alpha and Lunas. It effects your future interactions with other packs."

"Any decent leader will make their own decisions." I pointed out.

Shelly nodded and said, "She's also ascending to the Council at the next full moon and will be picking her replacement to lead her very large and powerful pack."

"I'd rather be the Omega of Lunas than bow to someone's orders to get power." I announced, barely keeping the rage from rising at their audacity. My wolf wanted out, and it took everything I had to keep her at bay. I took a deep breath.

"She can kick you out of her town you know." Shelly stated as she started to walk again. "That will effectively remove you from the mating ritual."

I decided not to mention just how far I'd be willing to go to not be someone's puppet. No need to reveal all my cards.

Soon we approached the hotel. It was far too fancy for this little town. It had an entire block to itself, and looked like it belonged in Hollywood or New York.

A doorman opened the door as we approached, bowing to Luna Shelly as she passed. She gave him a slight nod. I noticed his head lowered slightly as I passed. I figured he probably couldn't see me nod, so I said, "Hi." As I passed. From the emotions I felt from him I imagined a smirk on his face.

Once inside Shelly went to the right, where a set of double doors were closed. A bellboy quickly ran over and opened the right side. The process of bowing as we entered was repeated. When I said, "Hi." I sensed amusement and imagined another smirk.

On the other side of the doors was the most lavish dining hall, it was obviously being set up for a large event, but at the moment only five women sitting at what would be the head table. Four of them were the rest of the small circle from the day before, the other was a much older woman.

Luna Shelly rushed to the table without actually looking rushed, and took her seat. The older woman stood and looked at me, nothing but contempt was present in her eyes. She was shorter than me, but her heels made her look around the same height. Her gray hair was done in a fancy French braid, with what appeared to be either white gold or platinum with diamonds made to look like baby's breath. Lord only knows how much makeup she wore, but she had a dress that sparkled from smaller diamonds with a silver background.

I decided that I didn't like her, or the condescending looks she was giving me. I smiled to myself as I decided that if she wanted an enemy I would know before I left which Lunas would be on each of our sides.

"You must be the new Luna, DoJo is it?" The woman said with distaste pouring out as she said my name.

I nodded my head and declared, "You must be Luna Eleanor, who thinks I'm at your disposal."

"Are you not where I want you to be?" She asked as she pointed to a table at the side. "The food is over there, help yourself or I can get someone to get it for you."

I laughed. "I'm not dependant on others serving me."

I placed my bag on the back of the chair that was obviously for me. Then I turned and looked at the food. Most of it was fancy crap like caviar, clams, oysters, calamari and escargot. Stuff I wouldn't touch if I was being paid to eat. I did manage to find some cheese cubes, crackers, and fruit. Everything had toothpicks sticking out of them. Then I found the dessert section. I grabbed three different pies and a boysenberry cobbler, there was a fancy looking cream nearby and I piled some on each of my desserts. I took my two plates to the table and asked, "Where are the drinks?"

Luna Eleanor asked, "Champagne or wine?" Then she glanced me over and added, "Or maybe whiskey is more your style."

I gave her my grossed out face. "Can we avoid alcohol, or is that all you drink?"

"Coffee or Tea?" She inquired.

I shook my head. "Do you have hot chocolate?"

I swear I saw what could only be described as a snear appear on her face, and all I could feel from her was an evil mischievousness. "I'm certain there's some in the hotel, let me get you some."

Some of the other Lunas were nervous as Luna Eleanor went to a small door at the left side of the room, one felt elated. I ignored the feelings and went about pulling the toothpicks out of my food.

Luna Eleanor returned to her seat as I began plunking cheese in my mouth followed by a cracker. She glared at me. "That's not how a lady eats."

I swallowed my food, trying not to choke as I chuckled at her. "I may be a female, but if you want a lady you're barking up the wrong tree, excuse the pun."

Luna Shelly and the smaller Luna next to her stifled a giggle. Two of the other Lunas grinned. The leader from the day before glared daggers at me. I turned to the smallest Luna, "I'm sorry, but no one has bothered to introduce you, what's your name?"

"I'm Luna Elise." She replied instantly.

"I'm Luna Stephanie." The largest one who was sitting next to me replied, then she pointed at the person across from her. "That's Luna Vicki, and lastly that's Luna Therese." She ended with a half hearted gesture towards the so called leader.

Luna Therese smirked at me and said, "I hear you absolutely shredded your clothes before finding out the tailor didn't have anything for your bulky figure, and you were forced to get those things instead."

The door cracked open slightly. Luna Eleanor gave a nod. The door opened completely and a nervous server walked in carrying a silver looking tray that had a silver carafe and mug on it, along with a cream bowl and spoon. He placed it in front of me and handed me the mug before filling it. Then he put the carafe down and walked out without a word.

I added cream to my hot chocolate and told Luna Therese, "Even if everything in that store had fit perfectly I would have insisted on the clothes I have."

Luna Therese turned to Luna Eleanor. "How do we know she's really a Luna when she doesn't act like one?"

"Correction." I told her, "I don't act like the Luna you want me to be."

I downed half my mug of hot chocolate, in my opinion they put too much chocolate in it, but I drank it anyway. The main thing I felt from them was anticipation.

I then finished my first plate of food and turned my attention to the dessert plate. First thing I delved into was the boysenberry cobbler. It was good. Then I turned my attention to Luna Eleanor. "You know what's missing?"

"I'm certain you'll tell me." She replied bitingly.

"Melted cheese with chunks of meat to dip into it, I believe you rich snobs call it fondue."

She glared at me for a moment before turning to Luna Elise. "Would you be so kind as to get Luna DoJo some cheese fondue?"

She leaped from her seat, almost tipping it over, and rushed to the same door. She spoke to the guy waiting out there and then took her seat again.

I finished my cobbler and drank some more hot chocolate. "Is it true that werewolves can't handle silver?" I asked nonchalantly as I stared at the mug.

Luna Shelly replied, "It is, most of the silver in a werewolf community is actually white gold, we call it silver so humans don't get suspicious."

My fondue was brought in. I moved my desserts to the side and grabbed a fondue fork to spear some meat. It was rather delicious. Before the waiter could leave Luna Eleanor asked him to get her some caviar.

I looked at her and stated, "You're telling me that the female leader of the strongest pack can't get her own caviar? And yet you expect me to cower to you?"

"That's enough!" Luna Therese screamed, "You need to respect your elders, if you don't start showing me proper respect..."

I couldn't help but laugh, cutting her sentence off. "How old are you?" I asked.

"Twenty one." She replied, "I'm the oldest Luna getting mated and..."

"Were." I corrected her.

"Huh?" She exclaimed.

I looked straight into her eyes and explained, "You were the oldest. I'm twenty two, so why don't you take your own advice and shut up!"

"I'm still your elders." Luna Eleanor declared, "And I expect your respect."

I stood up and glared at her. "You're playing games with me, and I don't like being played with. You've done nothing but treat me with contempt and try to change me. What exactly is there to respect about your behavior?"

"An elder is an elder no matter what." Luna Vicki whispered.

"Is that what they teach you to make you tow the line?"

"We teach our wolves proper etiquette." Luna Eleanor declared, barely keeping the growl out of her voice.

I laughed and exclaimed, "You've taught them how to be obedient minions. You don't like me because I don't fall in like the rest, and you've got no clue how to handle me." I stared into her eyes and let mine go silver.

Part of her, I'm guessing her wolf, succumbed to me in that moment, but her human half remained poised and acted like nothing had changed.

I took my seat and asked, "Why isn't there any chocolate dessert?"

Luna Elise answered, "Chocolate makes our wolves sick."

I shrugged my shoulders and refilled my mug and drank as much as I could in a single drink. Then I stood up, took a few steps back, and changed into my silver wolf. I then took a few laps around the room, even taking more than a few steps against the wall. I ignored the Lunas watching me as I went. When I was satisfied I lept into the air and flipped landing in my human form right behind my chair. I smiled and took my seat as I stated, "Guess I'm the exception. That's a good thing too. I practically live off of chocolate. People would notice if I suddenly stopped eating and drinking it."

"What people are you worried about?" Luna Eleanor inquired bitterly.

"My dad, my siblings, the few friends I have, my Oma and the rest of my relatives." I replied casually.

Luna Therese practically shouted, "So you do have a pack!"

I rolled my eyes. "I have a family and a life to get back to. I'm certain the werewolf gene comes from my sperm donor, never met him, never will."

"What makes you so certain of that?" Luna Eleanor inquired coolly.

I laughed. "Don't tell me you haven't heard through the wolf vine that my grandma is a Shade."

"I had indeed." She informed me, "I just wanted to see if you would readily admit it. And I'm not sure how that keeps you from meeting your true father."

"Whoever donated the sperm to make me hasn't bothered to be anything before now, maybe because of who my family is. I don't care what his reason is, I'm not interested in him." I informed her angrily, "And I'm not the one playing games here, so why don't you get to the point of this little meeting."

Luna Eleanor declared, "This is the point. I needed to find out how you will fit in. Specially after the way you treated my niece yesterday, and then the scene you made at my tailor, refusing to dress appropriately."

"That's it!" I yelled. A split second later I was back in wolf form, and leaping at her. Her chair made a sickening splitting sound followed by a crack and then a this as we hit the ground. I growled in her face as she quivered beneath me. I turned my vocal chords human and informed her, "I don't want to fit in your little mold! I will never wear dresses or pretend to be something I'm not. I won't act like I can stand someone just because they might be advantageous to me if I make them happy. I am my own person or wolf, and just to be clear: If I ever find out you have punished ANYONE for MY choices you'll regret the day you were made."

I moved away from her, returned to my human form and took my seat.

Luna Therese scrambled to help her aunt up. Eleanor stood up and straightened her dress and hair. She glared at me. "Good luck finding a mate; once I get the council to declare that whatever pack you join will be the lowest, barely above the rogues."

I laughed. I couldn't help it. I plopped another piece of meat in my mouth. Without looking at anyone I explained, "That's the difference between perceived power and real power. Perceived power needs to threaten and play games, where as real power only warns and shows." I then looked directly at her and added, "You've been warned, let's hope you don't require showing."

Luna Eleanor huffed and stormed out with Luna Therese on her heals. Luna Vicki looked unsure, but then she whispered, "She's my best friend." Before getting up and following Luna Therese.