The Rogue Alpha

I arrived at the fire and found Alpha Zech sitting by himself. He was nervously watching the others.

"Mind if I sit?" I asked him.

He looked up, startled, then shocked to see me. He stammered, "Lu... Luna DoJo, uh, s sure, I guess."

I smiled and sat down. "Alpha Zech, right?" I verified.

He nodded his head.

"I wanted to talk to you early on." I informed him, so I'm glad you're by yourself."

"You're too old for me." He blurted out.

I replied, "On that we definitely agree."

He breathed again. "So, you won't be upset if I release you?"

I shook my head. "Honestly I think you should release all the Lunas, in your own timing."

He nodded his head.

I put my hand on his. "You're a sweet kid. I have a baby brother around your age, and I wish his head was on as straight as yours. But you're still a kid. You need time to discover who you are before you can really find your other half."

He smiled and admitted, "That makes sense."

"I would say the same thing, even if there was a Luna here your own age and you clicked really well. Of course then I would be having this conversation with a Luna as well." I explained, "The closest in age is Luna Elise. After having spending time with her, I can guarantee she would dominate your relationship, and a strong Luna can be good, but only if the Alpha is stronger, and you need time to find your strength."

Alpha Zech smiled and asked, "Do you mind if I'm the one who releases you?"

"Not at all." I replied.

He locked eyes with me and declared, "I, Alpha Zechias, do hereby release you, Luna DoJo from mate potential."

He let go of my hands and sat back.

"Feel better now?" I asked.

"Like a weight has been lifted from me." Alpha Zech admitted. "By the end of the night I should be completely free."

I saw Alpha Erik step away from Luna Vicki, the only other unmated Luna with short hair. "If only all my conversations could be this easy." I muttered, more to myself than Alpha Zech. "But I have to at least attempt to find a mate."

"Alpha Erik is a pretty good guy. You should definitely give him a chance." Alpha Zech told me as he pulled me out of my seat and pushed me towards Alpha Erik.

I chuckled, thinking that some day there will be a Luna perfect for that boy, and I hope I'm around to see how happy they make each other.

I was about four steps from Alpha Erik when he spotted me and teased, "I thought you had run away."

"Can't make things that easy on you." I replied.

He greeted me with a hug. "I really enjoyed our talk yesterday, and I was hoping we'd get a chance to continue our conversation."

"Which part did you like best?" I asked him, "Playing twenty questions, or getting to tackle me?"

"I didn't enjoy that. It was necessary to save that Beta female's life." He replied honestly.

I gently punched him in the arm. "You're going to have to learn to take a joke if we're going to keep hanging out. Besides, my Beta is glad you saved her, he's rather partial to that one."

"Would you like to go for a walk?" He asked, extending his arm.

I pretended to think before I replied, "There's a lot worse things I could be doing."

"Like spending time with Luna Eleanor." He stated rather than asked.

"Is she that hard for everyone to deal with?" I inquired, "Or is it just me?"

Alpha Erik chuckled. "Most wolves find her difficult, but I think you have the hardest time of all."

"Lucky me." I declared sarcastically.

I could sense Alpha Nolan watching us as we neared the woods. He was being careful not to get up wind of us, but I still knew he was there. I didn't say anything. Somehow I knew he wouldn't disturb us."

There was another Alpha approaching quickly from the direction of the fire. "Derik?" I questioned, not sure if I placed the smell correctly.

Alpha Derik ran up fast enough to be little more than a blur. He stopped a few feet away from Alpha Erik and growled, "I thought I told you she's mine!"

Alpha Erik laughed. "It's Lunas' pick, and you're not making a strong case for yourself. Even if it wasn't, she could still turn you down."

"Not her!" He grabbed Alpha Erik by his shirt and growled deeper. "She lost her rights when she became impure."

"What does he mean by impure?" I asked Alpha Erik.

Alpha Erik never took his eyes off of Alpha Derik, but he answered, "He means you're not a virgin."

I couldn't believe it. Here, now, like this, one of my deepest secrets was being revealed. "Technically, I guess I'm not."

"You can't possibly hold that against her!" Alpha Erik exclaimed.

Alpha Derik moved swiftly. The next thing I knew Alpha Erik was flying through the air, hitting a tree head first, and then plopping to the ground.

I didn't have time to worry about his condition. Alpha Derik took powerful strides towards me while I stepped backwards. "I will have you for myself, and then I'll decide if you're worth keeping."

I didn't like anything about him anymore, and I wasn't willing to pretend. My back hit a tree. I dug my claws into the sides of it, while keeping the rest of me normal.

He stopped a few feet away and looked me over. "This is going to be fun!" He announced before taking another step.

"Not for you!" I screamed. I pulled my legs up and changed them into wolf legs as I did. I caught him in the solar plexus with both of them, and pushed with all my might. He only flew about ten feet before hitting a tree back first.

He crumpled to the ground. Just as I removed my claws from my tree his wolf form sprang up from the ground. His wolf was red, with the blackest of eyes. It was large, and I suppose I should have been scared, but I was mostly angry. "You're going to pay for that!" He growled.

I didn't have time to figure out how I was hearing him in his wolf form. I changed into my wolf. I didn't know if a Luna could beat an Alpha, but maybe I could fend him off until help arrived.

Once in my wolf form his wolf didn't seem nearly as big. We were about four feet from colliding when what looked like a black shadow hit him square in the chest. They tumbled to the ground. There was a series of snaps and snarls. I couldn't keep track of who was doing what to who, but I could get help.

I leaped to the edge of the clearing and called out, "Alpha Mike, Luna Melinda, HELP NOW!"

Two golden wolves, looking nearly identical except for size came leaping from the pavilion. Other Alphas and Lunas came from the fire, but not as quickly.

Alpha Mike bulldozed into the middle of the snarling mass, causing both wolves to tumble outward. I quickly lept next to the black wolf, who was considerably smaller than the other. I put my back to him, ready to challenge anyone who threatened him.

"What is going on here?" Luna Melinda demanded to know.

I shifted to human, but kept my eyes silver.

Alpha Derik shifted as well. "I was simply trying to enjoy what was my right when the rogue jumped me." He stated in a voice that almost sounded innocent.

"Alpha Nolan protected me from Alpha Derik!" I yelled angrily. "Just ask Alpha Erik, he tried."

"Where's Alpha Erik?" Alpha Mike asked.

I closed my eyes and orientated myself. "Derik tossed him into a tree over there. I pointed in the direction and added, "He hit head first, and I haven't seen him since."

Luna Melinda told her daughter, "Go get a healer, quickly."

Luna Shelly ran off towards the fires, while Luna Melinda went to where I pointed. Alpha Mike took his human form, but stayed by Derik.

"Alpha Erik tripped." Derik claimed, "Had nothing to do with me."

I growled. "Derik's a liar! He's just hoping he killed Alpha Erik, or Alpha Erik can't remember, so he can't be called out by anyone besides me and the rogue."

Derik growled and turned his head. "I will not be called out of my place by an impure!"

"If you don't like that, you're going to hate this!" I declared angrily, "I, Luna DoJo, do hereby REJECT you, Alpha Derik! And that's the last time I'll ever call you Alpha."

It almost sounded like someone cracked a whip. Derik fell to the ground. A deep chasm went across his back, going from his right shoulder to the left hip. The wounds Alpha Nolan had given him were already healing, but I doubted this would heal quickly. I understood now why rejection was considered cruel, but if anyone deserved it, it was Derik.

The crowd erupted in gasps. Even Alpha Mike seemed shocked. Derik laid on the ground writhing in pain.

I looked at the crowd.

Luna Shelly was now among them. I figured that meant that the healer was with Alpha Erik. I prayed that he would be alright.

Luna Therese recovered from the shock of what I had done, and started to approach me with a glare in her eyes. That's when she spotted the yellow eyes in the shadows behind me. "That can't really be." She said with a snear, "What a rare opportunity. We actually get to be in the presence of the Rogue Alpha Nolan."

All eyes looked past me, to see he was still there.

My claws elongated. She couldn't be that cruel.

"I, Luna Therese..." She began.

I don't know if I ran, or leept, or what, but I know in an instant my hands were around her neck, claws puncturing just enough to draw blood, before another word could leave her lips.

She gasped.

I pulled her down to her knees and stared her in the eyes. "You can release him all you want, but if you dare reject him; there's no being in this world who will be able to stop me from shredding you apart bit by bit. I'll make sure your vocal chords go first, so I won't have to listen to your shrill voice for the rest of it."

Luna Melinda stepped between her mate and me. "Luna DoJo, don't you think you're behaving a little extreme?"

I didn't look at her. I stayed staring at Luna Therese. "Alpha Nolan saved me from a fate I consider worse than death. He will NOT be punished with rejection from any Luna, or I will make them pay."

Luna Melinda spoke softly, like she was speaking to a scared child. "We can all agree to that, right Lunas?"

The Lunas not in my grip quickly agreed. Luna Therese still gasped in my grip. Luna Melinda placed her hand on my shoulder and said, "You have to release her, so she can answer."

I retracted my claws, but didn't move my hands.

Another female put her hand on Luna Therese. I watched as the gauges I made disappeared. I found myself slightly disappointed.

Alpha Mike snapped, "Will someone please tell me what happened here?"

"Gladly!" Alpha Erik replied, "Derik decided to use an archaic rule, and some childhood trauma to claim he had the right to take Luna DoJo."

The other unmated Alphas shook their heads.

Luna Melinda stepped in front of me.

I didn't wait for her to ask questions. I blurted, "I was raped when I was four! Is everyone happy to know that?"

Luna Melinda tried to reach out to me, but I stepped back, letting Luna Therese fall to the ground. "Do any other Alphas want to hold it against me?"

Alpha Erik spoke up, "We could smell the defilement, even before your wolf showed itself, but we could also tell it was from childhood. I can't speak for the others, but I would never hold something out of your control against you."

"I wouldn't hold it against you, even if it was recent and your choice, it's not like you were raised in a pack." Alpha Lance stated, "I can't believe Derik dirtied the title of Alpha by trying."

The other Alphas quickly agreed with him.

I took Alpha Erik's hand in mine. "I, Luna DoJo, do hereby accept you as a potential mate."

There was some clapping. I let go of his hand and turned to the black wolf trying to slip into the shadows. "Where do you think you're going?"

"You don't need me here for this." I heard him say in my head.

"Oh, but I do." I assured him.

He stopped in his tracks. I went to stand in front of him, with his back to everyone else. I squatted down and looked in his wolf eyes and announced loudly, "I, Luna DoJo, do hereby accept you, Alpha Nolan, as my potential mate."

Everyone gasped.

I kissed his wolf forehead, just above, but between the eyes. As soon as I pulled back I saw a silver kiss where I had kissed him. "You won't be able to hide from me anymore." I thought, and I'm fairly certain he heard me.

He lowered his head and took off.