The Alpha's Rogue Affair

Goodbyes

What did it mean, that she needed space? How much space did she need? For how long? Missing her for a week was already incredibly difficult, and now? Roman realized that he might never see her again. The last time he would ever see his mate, she told him how difficult he as an Alpha had made her life, how he was a reason she left her pack - essentially, how she didn't know if she could see herself with him. He had disappointed her, much like her parents had. Once more, Roman realized, he proved to June that fated mates could not be trusted

    Stress dug its way under his skin and bubbled through his gut, melting with the sounds of the forest around him. The wail of a loon sounded, tearing at Roman's heart as he walked by the lake close to the Alpha house. He watched the elegant bird tread water, looking for its mate. It let out the haunting cry again before spreading its wings and taking off.

    "I hope you find her," Roman called after the bird. He hoped he could find his again. He needed June. He was being driven crazy even by the idea of losing her. Romulus was furious with Roman for leaving, even though she had asked. Their wolves did not fall into the same problems the human counterparts were facing. Regina, as Romulus called June's wolf, wanted Romulus as badly as he did her. Leaving Regina threw Romulus into such a rage that Roman could barely focus. He didn't even notice he had made it home until the door swung closed behind him.

    The crack of the door slamming behind him forced Roman to focus on his current situation. Roman absentmindedly walked towards his father's study. Alpha Joe always had an answer anytime Roman had a question. He was where Roman always had gone for solutions. He would know what to do, how to convince June to stay with him. After all, he had managed to get his mother and keep her for over two decades.

    His mother. Luna Melissa. While Alpha Joe had always been the one Roman turned to for solutions, it was his mother who would sleep next to him when he had nightmares. She had sat with Roman when his father had taught him to tie his laces, but Roman failed to tie them properly before school. After his shoes had come undone, Roman had tripped and begun to cry, angry at himself for disappointing his father. Luna Melissa had sat next to Roman, talking gently, and calming him down, before taking him out of school for the day.

Roman tried to take a step forward towards the study, but placed it instead towards the staircase, to his parents room. How would he tell her? What would he tell her? What would she think of him? Would she disown him for wanting to turn Ruby away? For changing the course they had plotted for his life?

Roman knocked quietly on the door, partially hoping his mother wouldn't answer. Hoping she would be asleep.

"Hello?" came the voice of Luna Melissa.

Roman slowly opened the door, peering in. His mother was sitting at her desk in the bedroom in her pajamas. Her mouth split into a grin seeing her son. "Roman, honey, hello! What are you doing up so late?"

"Hey mom," Roman walked into his parent's bedroom, closing the door lightly behind him. He traded his shoes for slippers and at his mother's gesture, sat down on a chair next to her.

"Roman," Luna Melissa had turned to look at her son. She grabbed his hand and placed her other on his cheek, "I haven't had the chance to tell you how truly, deeply proud of you I am."

"You, you are?" Roman asked, his voice catching.

"Of course I am!" she exclaimed, "I always have been, but you've been working so hard and putting in so much time. I see how hard you are working, sweetheart. I hope you know you don't need to work this hard all the time. I hope you are taking care of yourself."

Roman cleared his throat. "Um. Thank you, mother. I - I don't know if you should be."

She raised one eyebrow at him. "Oh? Do you have a reason why I shouldn't be proud of my child?"