The Rogue Alpha’s Claim

“Ariel?” The woman’s voice was muffled and distant, as if it were being filtered through a thick layer of water. “Ariel, what happened?” The voice grew slightly louder, but it still sounded like it was coming from beneath the surface of a stagnant pool.

The voice dripped of concern, of a love that she had always yearned for, and more tears dropped from her eyes.

“What is wrong? Did you see your wolf?” The woman held her hands, squeezing them occasionally, but Ariel shook her head. The words were stuck in her throat like a morsel of food that refused to come down.

“Excuse me?” She croaked out a sob, her voice cracking with emotion, as she ran out of the room. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision, but she didn’t need to see to know where she was going. Her instincts guided her until she reached the safety of her door.

“Miss Ariel, you are back.” She heard the bodyguard say, but she pushed him away, jerked the door open, and closed it, making sure to secure it well before she flopped on the floor.

And there, the waterworks were let loose.

Ariel unleashed loud, guttural sobs from inside her, screaming her pain at the top of her lungs, letting the world know of her pain.

And they did know.

The door rattled as they knocked on it. “Open the door!” They roared, but she couldn’t be bothered by that. Instead, she sank on the floor, the cold biting into her skin, and she tuned herself away from all the noise; instead, she focused on her grievance.

Ariel had never felt so lost and unwanted in her life.

She had thought her parents didn’t want her, but it turned out they were killed by the mate she had been panting after.

A mate that obviously didn’t want her.

She had managed to escape and settle in a place, and she had thought she had gotten something for herself, but as usual, he had to ruin it, and now the only thing she could depend on-her wolf-wanted nothing to do with her, and she had no idea what to do.

Another wave of tears crashed down, relentless and unforgiving, as the dam of her emotions burst open once more. The more she dwelled on the pain, the more it seared her soul, like a branding iron etching its mark deeper into her heart.

Ariel curled herself into a ball, clutching her chest as if in pain and rubbing it to soothe the ache that she was feeling, but it only seemed to be spreading.

She closed her eyes against the pain and directed her gaze upwards, staring at the ceiling, but her tear-blurred vision rendered it a hazy blur. And with a shuddering breath, she let out a deep, despairing sigh.

She was doomed.

She had to have been cursed by the moon goddess herself because they were determined not to see her happy.

She released another weary sigh, and she let everything go.

***

Ariel couldn’t recall what had happened to her, but she had woken up to feel the softness of the mattress underneath her, and when she had managed to open her eyes, she was immediately cringing from the bright light that shone on her face.

She shifted on the bed until her face was planted on the bed, and she tried to recall how she had gotten here.

Somehow, in her grief, she had dragged herself to the bed when she couldn’t bear the biting cold anymore. Winter had come, and it had come in all its ferocity.

Everything hurts; the light was too bright for her weary eyes; her throat felt like the arid earth of a desert; and it hurt as she tried to swallow her saliva. Her body was heavy with exhaustion, and each breath she took only wore her out.

Ariel reached for her blanket, and she covered herself, grateful for the shelter against the cold breeze. She then tried to will herself to sleep.

Only it was proving almost impossible.

She continued turning and tossing in her sleep, trying to find the right position that wouldn’t hurt so much.

In that moment, her stomach rumbled in protest, demanding to be fed, but Ariel neither had the energy for that nor could she care about it.

She just wanted to wallow in her self-pity.

The knock came again, loud and persistent, followed by shouts of her name, but she could only grumble.

“Go away.” She cried out weakly, but she broke into a fit of coughing. Her body was shaking as she coughed.

“Miss Ariel?”

“Arghhh!” Ariel groaned in frustration, grabbing whatever she could reach and flinging it.

Can’t they just leave her alone?

She stuffed her fingers in her ear, trying to drown herself in her sorrow.

And it worked.

As the minutes ticked by, the world outside receded, its sounds and distractions fading into a dull silence, and Ariel was left alone with her thoughts. But just as she had begun to surrender to the stillness, the pounding on the door shattered the fragile calm, and her heart sank, even as she let out a despairing groan.

They just never listen.

“Ariel?” She froze as she heard the new voice. “You need to open this door; we have to talk.”

Ariel shook her head, forgetting that she was alone and that no one could see her. Instead, she curled into a tight ball, her arms wrapping around her knees as she sought to protect herself from the pain that threatened to consume her.

“Ariel! I swear, if you don’t open this door, I will break it!” She threatened, and Ariel managed a small smile despite the pain, pleased to know that her fire hadn’t been put out.

However, there was something in her voice that told her that she would do as she had promised, and she reluctantly got out of bed and dragged herself towards the door.

Ariel opened the door slightly, but the woman poked her head inside, forcing her body into the house.

“You are a mess” was the first thing that came out of her mouth, and Ariel rolled her eyes. She was not in the mood for a scolding now.

“What do you want? Why are you here?”

But the woman couldn’t be fazed; instead, she marched around the room, her eyes taking in the state of the room and shaking her head in disapproval. “Tut, tut. How can you live like this? This is no better than a pig sty.”

“Why are you here?” Ariel asked again, her hands in akimbo as she pretended like she didn’t hear her question.

Her gaze settled on Ariel, taking in her fragile state, and her eyes filled with understanding. “I wanted to check up on you; the last session didn’t exactly go as planned. And I wanted us to try again.”

“You didn’t have to come all the way for that. I don’t need my wolf anymore, I have been living for years without her, and I can do without her for my remaining stay on earth.”

“Ariel!” The nurse let out a gasp.

“It is my life, and I have every right to dictate how I want it to be. All my life, I had people dictating to me how I should live my life, telling me what to do and how to do it. But that ends now. I want to be in charge of my life, and this is my decision.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“I understand you.” The woman spoke, her voice like a gentle breeze on a summer day. “Sit.” She tapped on the space on the bed beside her, and Ariel’s gaze drifted to the bed, where the tangled mess of clothes and memories still lay scattered. But Ariel pushed back her dirty laundry and sat on the bed. “What happened back there?”

“Where?” She attempted to feign ignorance, but one look from the nurse had her plans crumbling down. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Did you see your wolf? What did she say?” The nurse pressed on.

“I said I don’t want to talk about it!” Ariel flared up, annoyed by her patronizing voice.

“I am only concerned about you, Ariel. I have a hint on what happened there, and I could get the information if I wanted to, but I don’t want to pry. However, I am here to help you, and I can only do that if you let me in.”

Ariel took another look at the woman, her brown eyes shining with sincerity, and she reluctantly opened her mouth. “She doesn’t want me. She said I abandoned her.” And there comes the water work again.

It was a hassle trying to console Ariel.

“She is just talking from a place of hurt. They, like us, can feel emotion. They are very social beings, and they thrive in company. She had been abandoned for so long that she believed everyone had turned on her. However, if you continue like this, you are only going to prove her right.”

“What do you mean?”

“You have moped enough, Ariel. You should have realized now that there is no one by your side, and your wolf will be the only person who will be with you despite all that happens. Frankly, you need her more than she needs you.”

Ariel sat up a little straighter as she heard her words, her curiosity piqued. “What do you suggest I do?” She asked, cleaning the tears from her eyes.

“You have to fight for her; you have to go back there and do whatever you can to make sure she comes with you.”