The Rogue Alpha’s Claim

Ariel whined from the pain that had engulfed her entire body. She tried to focus on anything but the pain, but it was easier said than done. It was too hurtful to speak, and she could only manage incoherent words.

She heard the bed squeak from pressure, and a face was in her line of vision. She could recognize that sharp jawline, and she couldn’t help the relief she felt as she saw him.

“Kane.”

“Ariel.” Kane croaked out as he looked at his mate. His words were choked up by the different feelings bubbling in me, but one stood out of them all.

Relieve.

“Kane, w-water.” Ariel managed to get out, weakly pointing to her throat. It was drier than the Sahara and as coarse as sandpaper.

She watched as Kane directed the straw to her mouth, and she opened it, taking little sips of the cold liquid. It was amazing how water could be so powerful because her tongue loosened and she could think well.

“Where am I?”

“You are at the clinic, love. You were beaten up in such bad shape that you were losing consciousness, and I had to bring you here.” With each word he spoke, his anger increased in fold, climbing upwards to the point of escalation.

“What happened?”

“Ariel?” Kane held her hands gingerly, glancing at the healing bruise. He had shifted into his wolf and licked her wounds. As gross as it was, the saliva of an alpha wolf contains powerful chemicals that could heal. “You don’t remember?”

Kane didn’t trust himself to explain how she was lying down on the bed without having the urge to end the lives of those who had left her in that state.

“I-” Ariel was about to deny it, but the picture began to play in her head, and she was flinging with each punch she took to her face. “I see.”

“Do you remember now?”

“Yes, I do.” Ariel nodded her head the best way she could without hurting herself. “I wanted to train, but they were fighting, and I decided to join them. I didn’t know it would get so intense.”

Kane’s fist tightened against himself, and a huff of air left his nose.

How could she not understand the magnitude of her actions?

“Why would you do that, Ariel? I already told you we are werewolves. Do you not understand what it means? We are violent and have crazy fighting skills. For fuck sakes, Ariel, you are just a human, and even a baby wolf could kill you!”

“I didn’t know it would get to this point!” Ariel raised her voice in defense, but it came out as a feeble protest.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

“Fuck!” Kane got up from his chair, his feet pounding on the marble as he paced about the room. His fingers were in his hair, running through it, and Ariel was afraid he would pull some strands out. “Don’t you get it? You almost lost your life, and you would have been in worse shape than this if I hadn’t come.”

“I know better now, and I promise not to do anything that will put myself at risk again.”

“Oh baby.” Kane burst out in sarcastic laughter. “You will not be doing anything for a long time. Just lie down there and rest; I will have the nurse come check on you.”

“Okay.” Ariel replied, and she watched him go away in a fit of anger. She flinched as the door banged shut, hurting her ears, and she wondered just how hurt she was that Kane was so angry.

“Fuck, that shit is painful.” Ariel whined as she tried to flex her jaw.

She had no idea she was going to be so battered until the first blow landed on her. She was so powerless that she couldn’t throw in a punch.

Her opponent was a little too fast for her human eyes to catch up with, and she had crazy reflexes. Before she could throw in a punch, she had received about five, and fuck, they were hurtful.

The creaking of the door as it opened disrupted her thoughts, and Ariel tried to turn to see the intruder. “Hello, Ariel, I am your nurse, Denise. How are you feeling today?”

“I am not sure how I feel, but I just want to get out of here.”

“You will.” Denise replied with a warm smile that had Ariel melting. “I am just going to check your vitals, if that is okay.”

“Hmm.” Ariel murmured, and she turned to the side while the nurse did her thing.

“Alright, you have pretty much healed from everything; only you still have to heal. I will be placing you on bed rest for two days, and I will continue monitoring your progress.”

“Thank you.” Ariel looked on as she injected the drip bag, her eyes getting a little blurry. “I don’t know why, but you look familiar. Do I know you from anywhere?”

“I think you are mistaking me for someone else. Excuse me, please.” Denise said, and she was running out of the room before Ariel could question her further.

Ariel tried to rack her brain as to why the smile felt so familiar, but she was met with a stumbling block. She couldn’t even do much because the drug was already working its way through her system, and she was closing her eyes, succumbing to sleep.

***

Ariel shifted in her bed, already getting tired of being confined. The nurse had told her that the bed rest was supposed to last for two days, but Kane didn’t want to hear anything about it.

Somehow, he had increased the bed rest to a week and had gotten someone to wait on her. At least it was someone she knew, but that doesn’t make it any better.

“Do you need anything?” Liza asked as she came out of the toilet.

“How about a walk? I promise I won’t do anything reckless.” Liza shook her head.

“I wish I could help you, Ariel, but I can’t go against the alpha; he had given a strict order, and I am to obey it or else I risk getting punished.”

Ariel released a sigh, already feeling the onset of a headache. Liza had explained to her about the alpha command thingies, and she was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that no one could disobey his order.

“Fine.” Ariel huffed, turning to face the wall, until a light bulb flashed through her head. “Lest I forget, what happened to women who were training? Kane had decided to play a deaf ear anytime I asked him.”

Liza’s eyes darted from place to place, trying to avoid Ariel’s. “I don’t think I can answer that question.”

“I understand. I just want to know if he is going to punish them.”

“He will have to. They knew you were not a werewolf, yet they decided to gang up against you, and you are the alpha’s girl; everyone knows that it is suicide going up against you.”

Nothing was entering her ears as she heard what Liza just said, and she was sitting up straight, her eyebrows raised in question. “Wait, who said I was the alpha’s girl?”

Liza gave a look that she interpreted as ‘are you serious?’ “Come on, everyone knows that you and the alpha are in a romantic relationship.”

“Uhm, excuse me? I don’t think so; we have barely exchanged the L words, and he hasn’t even asked me out.”

Liza rolled her eyes, refusing to believe what she had just heard. “I am sorry to say, but you must be dense not to notice that the alpha has the hot for you. He was so worried when he learned of your incident that it took beta and gamma to calm him down.”

Ariel listened with her ears wide open; apparently, this was news for her. They may have shared a kiss before, but that was where it stopped. The man didn’t even acknowledge the kiss.

“I see. But why me?”

The two ladies shared a look, neither of them having a suitable answer to the question.

***

“Kane, please, I need something to occupy my time, and this is the only thing I can think of.”

“I will not send you to your death, Ariel. We would think of another hobby for you, not one that involved you getting battered and me going on a rampage.”

“I promise to be careful, Kane, and your pack member knows better now.” Ariel pleaded, jutting out her lips in a pout and widening her pupils for the killer puppy eyes, but Kane was as stoic as ever.

“That is not going to work on me, Ariel. I am not leading you to the slaughterhouse.”

“Pleasee?” She tried again, and Kane took a glance at her, and he shook his head, his resolve crumpling down.

“I don’t want you to get hurt. We are werewolves, and we don’t play by the rules. I can’t control them because of one person.” He sighed, but Ariel was relentless.

“Pleasee.”