The Alpha's Rogue Affair

Fortune's Fool

Roman hunched his head, the drizzle soaking into his skin slowly, tainting his tailored shirt and pooling in his shoes. His eyes fixed on the road before him, watching the gray asphalt road leading him inevitably back to his parents house. No matter what where he was, the path always seemed to lead him back to where he belonged. Roman paused for a moment to wipe the water trickling down from his hair into his eyes. The sky was mocking him, mimicking the color of the road and surrounding him in enclosing walls of gray. He started forward towards his home again, feeling the weight from the stormy sky suffocate him, forcing his steps to slow down. He could picture his mother's crestfallen face at his early return from dinner. She wanted them to be happy so badly. And his father, he would ask why Roman didn't drive home, why he ruined his suit. He would ask if Ruby were ok.

    Ruby. Her tear-stricken face flashed through Roman's mind. I love you. And all he could say in return was I know. A pang of guilt pierced his stomach - he shouldn't have left her like that. He shouldn't have interrupted their four year anniversary to follow a frivolous scent of some she-wolf he didn't even know if she was his mate. He felt his wolf growl discontentedly. Romulus, Roman's wolf, disagreed with his plan to take a chosen mate as his Luna so soon after turning 18. Wolves rarely found their mate immediately and taking a chosen mate so early all but confirmed he would never find his other half.

Roman let out a snarl, wandering off track. He picked up his pace. So what if he never found his fated mate? Why did that even matter? He could be a great Alpha without that. He didn't need the moon goddess' blessing, he just needed someone who could handle the Luna's responsibilities. It didn't even have to be Ruby, it could be anyone! Anger rushed through him as Romulus fought his thought process. It doesn't matter who I take! She'll be mine, and I will rule this pack as I was meant to!

    "FOUR YEARS!" Roman bellowed into the forest and slammed his fist into a tree, feeling it shake as his skin split. "EIGHTEEN YEARS! I WANT TO GET WHAT I DESERVE, WHAT I WORKED FOR FOR EIGHTEEN YEARS!"

    He felt his bones shift, fur growing from his skin, his face elongating into a snout as he shifted into Romulus. He howled as the rain fell more heavily and took off blindly, tearing through the forest until he skidded to a halt at the entrance of a cave, panting. Romulus had taken him to the place they always went to when Roman needed to clear his head. He padded into the cave, empty, but still vaguely holding his scent. Roman shifted back into his human form, wincing at the cost of the clothes ruined by his sudden transformation. He ran his hands along the cool sides of the cave and slid down, crossing his arms over his knees and resting his head on top of them.

    "Eighteen years," Roman sighed, "it's not Ruby's fault I've been preparing for this for my whole life. The alpha academy training, working with my Dad every summer. I picked Ruby to date because we were such close friends, and I knew she had a crush on me, and it made sense. She's the Beta's daughter. The Moon Goddess herself couldn't pick a better match."

    Roman picked some moss off the side of the cave. Well, the moon goddess could pick who she thought was better. But he wasn't living some mysterious life based on the promises of a goddess - his fated mate could be dead or paired off already at this point. "Why does it even matter," Roman spat in irritation, "Why does it matter who I choose as long as I choose someone good for the pack? That's the point of an Alpha and his Luna."

    No matter how much he tried to push it away, it was hard not to think about how his parents acted around each other. The small gestures, the kind words, the loving looks they exchanged. It was how Ruby used to look at him, before his life got too busy. Being the only son of the Alpha was hard work. He needed to be perfect. And he would be.

    "I'll make it better," Roman promised to himself. His words echoed back from the walls of the cave, thinly reproducing his words in childlike mimicry. "I will!" he insisted to the further amusement of the stoic stone. Guilt shot through him as his words from their previous conversation lingered in his mind. I never told you to reject your fated mate! You're just a power hungry bitch! Roman flinched at his own words. It was really just cruel. Sure, he never told her exactly what to do, but it was a decision he pushed for two years ago when Ruby visited the Alpha Academy out of the blue.