Escaping Rogue

eight

"Luna!"  Voices shouted continuously. I was sitting outside in the community picnic area, surrounded by a lot of children.

Honestly, most of the mothers in the pack have seemed to sort of isolate me. Maybe because of the fact that I'm luna, or that if they say one wrong word, bad things could happen. Being ranked so highly is both a blessing and a curse.

However, there's also this lingering thought that maybe they exclude me from their talks because I'm not a mother. I mean, I've been luna for at least six months, and Chris' mate even longer. I know most people would expect me to be well into my first pregnancy, but so what? Just because I'm supposed to produce an heir doesn't mean the pack is entirely ready yet. Or me.

The issue with the rogues continuously strain everybody's patience. We still haven't heard back from our spies, and some of the council have come to fear the worst. Mario wants to send more people out to search and join the rogues, but Christian won't risk it. I bet they're both arguing about it right now in that little office of his.

"Do you want to play soccer, luna?" A little girl asked, running up to the table I sat at. I smiled at her.

"Sure."

She grabbed my hand, very quickly tugging me up from my lonely table and pulled me over to the group of kids in the field. They were young, ranging from about seven to ten maybe. The older ones were either out by the dock on the lake or inside.

Almost immediately I was stuck in the makeshift goal, obviously since I was bigger and more applicable to guard. Children are always so forward.

After a while, and a few blocks from the other team, I went back to my table. Nancy was out now, talking with the other mothers. I could use her as my social anchor.

Sure that I'd finally be included with the other women, I walked over to Christian's mother and smiled at the group of ladies.

"Luna," they all said in unison. I smiled and nodded my head.

"Alena," Nancy smiled at me. "How are you?" Tired. Nervous. Determined. Isolated.

"Perfect, thanks." I glanced to the other women. "So, what are you guys talking about?"

"Oh, nothing," a blonde said. She bared a tiny smile, but I could see the smirk hidden behind it. So much for trying to socialize.

"So Luna," the brunette cut in. I think I had vaguely met her before; her name was Katherine. "Is Alpha Bade taking you to the ball this year?"

Ball? As in, dance? Does this pack do those too? And why the hell am I finding out about this ball from some random lady?

She obviously saw the confusion on my face. In the corner of my eye I saw the blonde's smirk widen. I'll make a note of her.

"Excuse us ladies, I believe we have somewhere to be." Nancy cut in. Instantly I was grabbed by my shoulder and yanked out and away from those stupid women. God they think they're so much better because they have children! Boy if I could show them-

"He was planning on telling you," Nancy said as we marched toward the grand old pack house. Good, I need to go have a nice chat with a certain someone.

"He couldn't have planned to tell me sooner!" I gasped. Since Nancy was in front of me, I couldn't see her face, but there was a hell of a large chance she was telling Chris right now. "He couldn't have just mentioned that there's some exquisite ball for the more refined alphas! Those women knew more than their own luna! Nancy, do you know how humiliating that is?"

Nancy stopped and spun. "Countless times, Alena. I was new to this pack, just like you were. I didn't know things for years, and yet I still survived. He wanted to tell you in person, but he's been going to this ball for years. It's not his fault everyone knows."

She gave me this stern look. For a second, I swear I could've seen the same expression my own mother would  give me. Nancy had the same look in her eyes, the slight frown with the tiniest wrinkles around the corners of her mouth. The sun only made the illusion even more real.

"He's waiting for you." She finally whispered. With those words she spun back around and made her way back to the pack mothers.

Rolling my eyes, I continued my march of terror inside. Numerous people gave me looks; some even jumped aside. Terrifying alphas and lunas generally have a habit of being left unbothered.

I reached the elegantly decorated hallway that lead to my mate's office. By now I felt like just exploding. It's not even because of the fact that I didn't know! It's because he didn't have the common sense tell me!

Just as I reached the door, it flung open. Mario stood in my way, bowing his head curtly before shoving his body to the side. I strode in, glaring so hard it felt like my eyes would fall out.

Christian sat on his desk, looking right at me. "Look, I was going to tell you-"

"When?" I asked. "This week, maybe? This month? Christian!" He looked down at his hands. I closed the door, pressing my back up against the wood. "Did she tell you how I was humiliated?" I stepped forward. "How stupid I looked as some lowly ranked women knew more than their own luna! Do you know how that feels?" My voice escalated with every word, becoming more and more accusatory by the second. It's his fault anyways!

Don't blame him! Evangeline snapped. Nancy's right, he's been going for years, so it's not a new concept!

For me, it is.

She was silent after that, leaving me alone with Chris.

"Lena, I was going to tell you. I even planned on doing it in some stupidly romantic way-"

"What?" I asked. Christian smiled and jumped down from his desk.

"Yeah." A tiny chuckle came from him as he walked towards me. "I was going to take you out to dinner and then ask if you wanted to go. But," he stressed. Christian stood above me, grabbing my waist and pulling me away from the door and to him. "Since the surprise is ruined, will you go to the Alpha's Ball with me?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Why should I?"

Christian squeezed my waist, a little on the aggressive side.

"Because I'm the alpha and you're the only girl I will ever ask to this ball." Christian leaned his head down next to mine. "It's my fourth time attending. I think it's time I go with my mate."

"Desperate much?" I muttered. The anger I felt boiled down inside, leaving me hating him less. I hate when I can lose my leverage with him!

"That's not a no," he smirked.

My bottom lip jutted out. "Fine. But I still want dinner." Christian laughed, placing a kiss on my forehead.

I bit my lip and looked up at him. Why? Why is it that he can always win me over, despite all my best efforts to be defiant? God only knows how hard it is to fight that man when all he does is make me fall in love with him over and over again.