To be born as a werewolf would have been a privilege that some people would desire. It was no different from mine.
Being a werewolf would have been a blessing. However, being a rogue made the werewolf gene nothing but a curse.
And now this.
My hands instinctively came in contact with my abdomen.
To be honest, I don’t know how to feel about it. Things happened, and whether I liked it or not, the consequence of my action was irreversible.
Raucous laughter and the distinct scent that registered in my senses told me I had reached the borders of the Nightwalker Pack.
‘I shouldn’t be here,’ the thought came in passing. It was a typical conclusion for a rogue like me. I wasn’t welcome on any border of any pack.
Still, I stopped at the imposing gate that leads to their territory, where I knew I’d find Alpha Matteo.
In an instant, two adult wolves growled and barricaded my passage. They sniffed the air, scrunching their faces as they stared at me up and down.
“What’s your business here, rogue?” the taller of the two narrowed his gaze at me. He gave me a condescending look before wrinkling his nose. “It’s best if you scram and never come back. You’re not welcome here.”
He spat on the ground, scoffing right after.
“Unless you have a special invitation,” the other one snorted. “But I doubt anyone would want to offer that to you.”
They exchanged knowing looks, punching each other by the shoulders and howling loudly, laughing their hearts out like my very existence was a joke.
I curled my hands into fists, refraining my anger from getting the better of me.
“I’m here to see Alpha Matteo,” I stated, putting much conviction in my voice. “There’s something he and I need to talk about.”
The two adult wolves exchanged glances before they guffawed, holding their stomachs. I was pissed.
Usually, I wouldn’t even dare to step into any territory. But I’m in serious trouble, and I need to talk with Alpha Matteo to sort this out.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to survive.
Finding the courage to do what I needed, I tried to push past the two wolves, summoning all my might.
“What part of ‘you are not welcome here’ is not clear to you?”
The taller of the two pushed me back roughly. I lost my footing and fell to the ground.
The wolf growled, his eyes changing color, showing the fierce beast from within.
“Scram!” the other one shooed me away.
Humiliated and pissed, I got to my feet and stomped away. They gave me no choice but to figure out another way in.
I would not easily give up, not when this situation I was in wasn’t entirely my fault.
They belittle the likes of me, but I learned several tricks while growing up alone. The need to survive would always push one to have more than one plan and not rely on the first.
‘It’s bound to fail, mostly.’
Sniffing around the area, I peered at the gate and saw the two wolves strictly and obediently guarding it. They had moved aside, laughing and returning to whatever they had done before I came into view.
As I searched the vicinity, I found an area where it seemed a little quiet.
The walls were too high to climb. But not impossible.
Crouching to pick up a pebble, I tested it by throwing the small stone over the wall. It fell on the other side with no one screaming or shooing me away.
“Okay,” I took a deep breath, walking several spaces away from the wall to find good momentum and calculate how high I needed to reach the top. “Perks of being a wolf,” I mumbled.
I crouched and positioned myself to make the sprint, keeping in mind to jump and stretch my hands. The goal was to at least land a firm grip on the top.
Everything else would be figured out after that.
“Alright, here goes nothing.”
Releasing the breath I had held, I pumped my legs to run and gave all my might to lift myself off the ground upon nearing the high wall.
In the back of my mind, I was partly scared I won’t make it. But that didn’t mean I would stop trying.
‘If I don’t make it the first time….’
I couldn’t finish the thought, my hand slamming against the cold cement, and a sharp pain cut through the skin entangled with the edge of the wall.
I immediately smelled blood, but that didn’t stop me from pulling the rest of my body until I could sit on the wall.
I glanced at my arm, saw the small cut, and then tore a piece from the end of the tattered jeans I had on. I wrapped it around the wound, promising to clean it later.
With a sigh, I hopped off the wall and dropped to the ground stealthily.
There were several buildings in their territory.
“Where would I be if I were a werewolf in this pack?” I mused, pursing my lips as I dusted off my hands and butt.
“I’d be where the alpha is. That means he should be in the most populated building or area.”
I nodded, convincing myself enough to start moving and kept in mind to be careful not to cross paths with the two wolves guarding the gate.
Having no experience doing something like this, I wondered how to find Alpha Matteo. His godly handsome face came to mind.
Not only did I remember what he looked like, but I also caught his scent enough to remember it. It was like this.
With a gasp, I sniffed the air once more. There was no mistaking it. It was him.
Following the unmistakable scent of Alpha Matteo, I stumbled into a building where loud laughter, raving music, and the smell of cigarettes and drinks were abundant.
Sparing no other thoughts, I stepped inside, determined to find him.
Several minutes into the building, my eyes were assaulted by disco balls and gyrating bodies to the music.
I stood in one corner, sniffing the air, and followed where Alpha Matteo’s scent was stronger. I kept dodging people until his familiar figure came into my peripheral vision.
Relief flooded me, and I almost cried with joy, my guts twisting in delight.
I reached out and pulled at his sleeve, my heart in my throat. He turned, catching my expectant gaze. But instead of recognition, his beautiful brows furrowed in confusion.
“Um, hi!” I shouted, making my voice heard against the music. “I’m Leila; you know red light district?” I watched his eyes look me up and down, not registering any sign of him acknowledging who I was.
“Well, look, you mistook me for someone I’m not, and now I’m—” I paused, fighting off the sob that threatened to escape my lips. “I’m with your child!”
I managed to blurt out, hoping he heard everything I said, and stopped playing like he didn’t know me.
Suddenly, I am hit by a strong wave of perfume. A woman slides in, slipping her hand around Matteo’s arm and pressing his biceps against her bountiful cleavage. Elegant as ever, she raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“Baby, who’s this?” she asked. A strong pang of jealousy shot through my chest at the nickname she gave Matteo, though I’m unsure why.
I looked up at Alpha Matteo. The three of us were all on the steps leading further into the building, but with how the woman and Matteo were in front, they were positioned higher.
All of a sudden, I felt the weight of their gaze, as well as that of everyone else around me. My hands started to get clammy, and my grip on his sleeve loosened.
“No clue,” he said after what felt like an eternity. Instantly, my heart dropped. Matteo firmly tugged his hand, causing my grip to slip on his sleeve. He calmly dusted the fabric where I touched before resting his hand on the woman’s hip. “Let’s go, Elsie.”
Filled with embarrassment, I had no choice but to leave the building. Tears pricked my eyes as I stumbled outside, almost losing my footing.
I ran toward the gate, no longer bothered by the thought of getting caught. I had found him and tried to tell him, but it was futile.
“Hey! You!” The two wolves who saw me earlier rushed to grab me, readying to drag and throw me out of the gate.
“You there!” A commanding voice halted them from doing so, capturing our attention. A man twice my age and even older than the two wolves who guarded the gate stood at a distance. “Let her go.”
As the two men released me, I could tell that they couldn’t deny his powerful presence. It matched Alpha Matteo’s, giving me the impression that this man must be an Alpha too.
I caught his unwavering gaze; the expression on his face showed recognition. But I could swear on the moon goddess herself that this was the first time I had seen this man.
Reaching out to me, he stood against the moonlight. His eyes glistened.
“Monique,” he called out. “It’s you.”