CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - A TWIST IN EVENTS
In the morning, I did go for a run with Roarke.
I couldn't change what I was, so I needed to embrace it. I needed to move forward. I needed to learn how to be a werewolf. I had the Alpha of the North, Leader of Beasts, Alpha of the Farkas Pack - I had the one and only, Roarke Farkas, to teach me.
We didn't stray far from his house and he didn't stray far from my side. Roarke's wolf was twice my size - I'm not even kidding. His presence ensured safety and fear towards anything that dared to approach me.
It took me some time to adjust to four legs. Walking on them wasn't a natural reflex. But, as soon as I conquered walking, I started jogging and by the end of the afternoon, I was running. Roarke continuously nipped at my hind legs for me to slow down and be careful.
Eventually, we returned to the house where I showered and situated myself on the couch with an apple in my hand.
I grunted, rubbing my shoulder.
Shifting into my wolf had caused a lot of knots and strains. I was lifting my arm up and down in irritation when Roarke turned the corner, spotting me. A pair of sweatpants hung low on his waist, his only source of clothing. His abdominal muscles were on full display and I forced myself to look away.
"Here," he mumbled, approaching me. I was startled when he gently pushed me to the floor, taking my place on the couch. Now situated between his knees, I opened my mouth to argue, only to pause when he began rubbing my shoulders.
The rubbing was helping. "I understand why you had those women come over and rub you every time you shifted now."
"Yeah, it doesn't get easier," Roarke said, his thumbs massaging my lower neck. "You're always going to be sore after a shift. It's a lot of strain on our bodies."
I sighed. "But, it starts to hurt less?"
"If you shift daily like I do," he told me, nodding once. "You can join me for my morning runs. You make them more enjoyable."
"For the first hour, I kept falling flat on my face," I said, rolling my eyes. "And, I know you were laughing at me. Anybody would find that enjoyable."
He smirked. "It was amusing." I shook my head, relaxing back against the couch. "But, I enjoyed your determination more. You kept getting back up and trying again. That is what matters. That determination is what makes you perfect for Alpha Female of the Farkas Pack."
I bit my bottom lip. "I don't think so."
"It does," Roarke argued, digging his thumbs into my shoulders. "I always knew that you'd make a great Alpha Female."
"You thought a scared, suicidal woman would make a great Alpha Female?" I blurted, staring down at my hands. "Or, is it because I remind you of Luna and she went off to become Alpha Female of the Monclaw Pack? She did great things?"
"Are we back to this?" Roarke growled, pausing. "You are not Luna. Besides some outward similarities, you are nothing like her." I hesitated, then nodded my head. I didn't want to argue with him. I didn't want to upset him. "Relax your shoulders."
He began rubbing me again, more aggressive this time.
"Can you tell me more about her?" I asked, quietly. "About your sister?"
Roarke tensed. "There is nothing to know."
"I don't believe that," I said, peeking at him. "She had to be great. She had Julius Monclaw wrapped around her finger. He's been trying to avenge her death. He turned me because I resemble her. And, you, her death weighs on your shoulders. It wasn't easy to kill her, was it?"
He didn't meet my gaze. "Of course not."
"I want to know more about her."
He didn't speak.
"Please."
His dark eyes flickered to mine. My heart was hammering in my chest as he inhaled. "Luna tried so hard to change this pack. The roles of women. My father's cruel rule. Our savage ways. She would've taken over this pack as Alpha, despite a woman never leading a pack alone in history, if she could. She was so headstrong."
"She was so brave, so confident. And, she had so much faith, so much trust, in me. I didn't think there would ever be a day where she looked at me with hatred in her eyes. And, she didn't think there would ever be a day where her baby brother showed up to kill her."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "You know, she sounds a lot like Scarlett."
"I'm not surprised," Roarke said, shaking his head. "Luna and Scarlett were best friends. Where do you think my sister got her crazy ideas?"
My whole body froze. "That's why you don't like Scarlett."
"They were one in the same," he told me, scowling. "Scarlett encouraged Luna's behavior." He dragged a hand down his face in frustration. "That's why I've been wanting you away from her. She's still angry at me for killing Luna. She's unpredictable."
"Wow," I breathed, watching him. "It all makes sense now."
"If it wasn't for Rudy's attachment to her, I would kick her out of my pack," he said, flatly. "I don't understand why people take a liking to her."
"Because, she's not an awful person," I responded, still seated on the floor. "I understand now. I understand why she's the way she is - why she's so distant with everybody." I blew out a breath, thinking back to my memories with her. "You made her cold."
"Scarlett has always been cold," Roarke retorted, giving me a look. "I didn't make her a bitch."
I flinched. "You killed her best friend. You took someone from her -"
"I'm not to blame for Scarlett's behavior," he interrupted, grinding his teeth together. "She has always been Scarlett Abernathy, the woman who doesn't care. She grieved my sister, but she easily moved on and stayed the same cold person she is."
"There is a reason why she's cold and distant," I murmured, studying him. "And, you're telling me that it has nothing to do with you killing her best friend?"
"Scarlett has a lot of problems."
I pondered for a moment.
"I would like to see her again," I said, stumbling to my feet. Roarke rose from the couch, slowly shaking his head. I noticed that his jaw was clenched, indicating that he wasn't happy with my words. He stepped forward, towering over my small frame, oblivious to my clenched fists.
"No," he replied, swiftly. "I just told you the honest reason why I don't want you around her. She's unpredictable. I don't trust her."
I raised my chin. "I wasn't asking."
"I suggest you remember who you're talking to, little one," Roarke growled, warningly. "You don't command me."
"I'm not commanding you," I said, scowling. "I'm stating that I want to see her again. You can help me or I will go find her myself."
His nostrils flared. "Don't make me command you."
"Command me to stay here? Not speak with her?" I countered, folding my arms across my chest. "I want you to try. You can only control me so much, Roarke. Do you really want to cause an explosion over something so little?"
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, I'm your female and I'm willing to give this a chance," I told him, cautiously. "But, if you try to command me, forget it. I need some freedom here. I need some trust from you." I watched as his dark eyes softened before me. "I want to see Scarlett. Are you willing to give me that?"
There was a long minute of silence.
"She's been at Rudy's house," Roarke said, slowly. "She's been taking care of him. She won't leave his side."
"Okay, we can make a visit."
He was irritated. "Why do you want to see her?"
I placed my hand on his arm, taking him by surprise. "I want you to keep in mind that she was one of the people who tried to save me that night. She and Josephine dove at those wolves - they tried to give me time to escape."
"Fine," he grumbled, looking away. "But, I still don't like her."
"I'm not asking you to like her," I said, offering a small grin. "I'm asking you to take me to her." He sighed, then grabbed my chin. He pulled me into a kiss, calming himself down. When he ended the kiss, he pressed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes, taking a moment to just inhale my scent.
-
Rudy's house wasn't far.
The front door opened, revealing the familiar face of Rudy. I noticed the several bandages poking out underneath his clothing. There were still healing scratches on his face and his bottom lip was busted. He was walking at least - and he was well enough to perform a small respectful at the presence of his Alpha.
Roarke stuck his hand out and I watched as they shook hands in greeting. Then, Rudy stepped aside without a word, allowing us to walk into his home.
Scarlett was turning the corner with a bowl of soup when she spotted us.
She froze, cautiously looking at each of us. When her brown eyes met mine, I gave her a small wave, which she ignored. Instead, she centered her focus on Roarke who had stiffened. "Alpha Roarke, I didn't know you were coming by."
Roarke didn't acknowledge her.
"Um, you and Rudy can talk about whatever," I said, pulling away from him. "I'm going to go talk with Scarlett for a little bit. Girls talk, you know?"
Roarke reluctantly pinched his lips together, not arguing with me. Scarlett placed the bowl of soup down on the coffee table, appearing confused. I offered her an assuring grin, then gestured for her to lead me to a room for us to talk.
She led me into a bathroom where she instantly faced me with her arms folded across her chest. Her red curls hung over one shoulder and her brown eyes were squinted at me in question. She watched closely as I shut the bathroom door behind me, aiming for some privacy.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, breaking the silence between us. "Shouldn't you be resting?"
I stepped forward. "He told me about your friendship with Luna."
There was a flicker of emotion on her face.
"I understand why you're so distant with everybody," I said, calmly. "I understand that maybe part of why you won't accept Rudy as your male is that you're afraid of losing him, too. I understand why you continue to fight against everything this pack stands for."
"How dare you stand there and claim to understand me," Scarlett hissed, glaring at me. "You don't know me. You know nothing about me, got it?"
"And, I understand that when somebody is getting too close, you become defensive," I added, giving her a look.
She gritted her teeth together. "What do you want?"
I shrugged my shoulders, not really sure myself. I just had this instinct to come talk with her. "I guess I want to let you know that I'm here for you."
A long minute of silence stretched between us.
Scarlett huffed. "You make it so hard to hate you." My eyebrows raised in surprise at her words. "I wanted to hate you. Alpha Roarke's female. I wanted to hate you for accepting him."
She blew out a breath, pacing in front of me. "But, then, I saw that you were just a scared human who didn't know what she had been dragged into." She looked me up and down, saying, "And, you look like her. You really do."
"You never said anything to me."
"Because, I'm not your friend, Chloe," she said, exhaling loudly. "You might look like her, but you are not Luna."
I looked down. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not looking for your apology," Scarlett said, placing her hands on her hips. I watched as she continued to pace, struggling with herself. She eventually stopped and looked at me in hesitation. "I feel like I'm looking at my best friend again, so I'm feeling the need to tell you to run. You need to go to him."
"W-What?"
She turned on the faucet, filling the bathroom with the sound of running water. "Luna escaped this pack with my help. She barely made it out alive. You need to go while you still can. You need to run."
I was confused. "Where?"
"To Julius Monclaw, of course!" Scarlett blurted, tossing her hands into the air. "I know you have a bond with him! He will protect you! You will be safe with him!"
"He turned me. He hurt me. He wanted to kill me - "
"Chloe," she interrupted, narrowing her eyes. "Julius took care of Luna. He treated her well. He did everything he could to save her." She shook her head, taking a deep breath. "I know he looks like your enemy right now, but I promise you, he's not the bad guy."
My eyes widened. "Are you in-contact with him?"
She hesitated. "He keeps asking for updates on you."
"Scarlett, if Roarke finds out - "
"You can't tell him," she said, seriously. "He will kill me." She stepped forward and grabbed my shoulders, looking me in the eyes. "Julius has tried to come back to Roarke's territory for you, but it's too dangerous right now. You need to go to him."
"I-I can't."
Scarlett frowned. "Why not?"
"I told Roarke that I would give us a chance," I explained, quietly. "He has been helping me through all of this. And, honestly, if I'm going to run, I want to go back to the streets, not to another Alpha."
"It should've been Julius helping you through your transition," she told me, frustrated. "He wanted to be here. He could feel your pain." I stumbled backwards, dragging my hands through my hair. "Don't make the same mistakes Luna did."
"What mistakes?"
"Believing there is good in Roarke," Scarlett said, gravely. "Her hope was her weakness. She almost died escaping. She was hunted down and killed by him, by her own brother." I couldn't ignore the fear in her eyes. "He has you fooled, Chloe."
I struggled for words. "I was told that she was trying to assassinate Roarke."
"Because, he was coming after her," she responded, bitterly. "She tried to reason with her family. She wanted to create an alliance between the Monclaw Pack and the Farkas Pack - Julius was all for it. But, her father was an unforgiving man. Roarke has always been impulsive. They wouldn't listen to her."
"She knew that Roarke was coming after her. She ordered warriors of the Monclaw Pack to kill him. It was a race - it was a matter of who got to who first. She had no choice; she was trying to protect herself. . . Roarke reached her first. He killed her."
"He seemed to leave out a couple details," I muttered, overwhelmed. "So, your loyalty is with Julius Monclaw?"
"He does bad things, but he is a good man," Scarlett said, squaring her shoulders. "He offered an invitation to me to join his pack. I almost took him up on it."
Realization washed over me. "You can't leave Rudy."
She gave me a sad grin. "I allowed myself to care about him. I can't hurt him by turning to another pack. I can't leave him here. I have to stay."
"If what you're saying is true - "
"Chloe, I didn't tell you about my friendship with Luna, but I've been honest with you from the start," she interrupted, flatly. "I'm not lying now."
My eyes watered. "Are you saying that I'm sharing a bed with my 'enemy'?"
"You're sharing a bed with the worst of our kind," Scarlett told me, darkly. "There is a reason why this pack conquers such a large territory." She pinched her lips together for a second, then quickly added, "It's because our Alpha would kill a hundred people for just looking at him wrong."
I was trembling as I responded, "I can't just run from Roarke. He hardly leaves me alone. I-I don't have the opportunity."
"You need to challenge him," she stated, obviously having some strong faith in me.
I was flabbergasted. "I won't win."
"You're right, you won't," Scarlett agreed, quite honestly. "But, I know that Roarke won't kill you. I'm sure he's told you that if you challenge him, he will have to kill you, right?" I nodded my head in confusion. "That's just a threat to keep you here. He has the option to submit. It would hurt his reputation, but the pack would understand."
"He can submit," I repeated, in disbelief. "He's been lying to me."
"He's been lying to you about many things," she said, biting her bottom lip. "I wanted to tell you the truth about all of this for awhile now. It's just - Julius is trying to lay low and Roarke will kill me if he finds out that I've spilled the beans to you."
An impatient knock on the bathroom door startled us.
She looked at me. "I never said anything to you."
The door opened with a creak, revealing Roarke. Scarlett instantly dropped her gaze, then slipped out of the bathroom in a hurry. When her red curls disappeared from my sight, I looked at Roarke and forced a grin. "Hey."
He glanced over his shoulder at the corner where Scarlett had left our sights. "What were you two talking about?"
"Oh, I just wanted to let her know how I was doing," I lied, shrugging my shoulders. "And, I wanted to know how she was doing with Rudy being injured and everything." I was afraid that I was speaking too fast. "I also thanked her for trying to save me that night."
I was relieved when he nodded.
I held my breath as Roarke stepped forward, dragging a hand down my arm. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah."
He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my lips. His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion when I didn't kiss him back, but he didn't say anything. I gave him a small smile and intertwined our fingers, ready to leave the house with the man who might be worse than I originally thought.
-
One secret has just been revealed. Ready for more?
I guess the real question is - who is the good guy?
~ Lissa