Page 46 of The Alpha Wolf's Bullied Bride

“Fine,” she relents with a huff, arms falling to her sides in defeat. “Whatever you say,Luna.” The last word is laced with venom as she spins on her heel and leaves the room.

“That. Was. Awesome!” Valerie squeals. “I hope you use those Luna privileges to get me a day off so we can celebrate tomorrow.”

“I'll speak to Dorothy.” I wink at Valerie, a self-satisfied grin on my lips that lasts the rest of the day as I help her out with the washing.

It goes by in a breeze, mostly because I haven't seen Flynn all day. Word goes around that the leader has called for ameeting with the younger males in the pack, and that none of the Blood Moon werewolves are allowed to leave Zafra. The sudden lockdown only drives in the hard truth that I'm once again left out of his decisions. I have no idea what's going on, despite being his mate.

It's not that I was expecting anything else. Ever since becoming Luna, I haven't been involved in any real pack duties outside of the chores I've been tasked with since I was eighteen. Not much has changed, apart from dropping the Omega title for the Luna title, which at least allows me to deflect the terrors of those who once bullied me.

With Flynn occupied, I look forward to retreating to the main house without having to see him, and bid Valerie goodbye just as they're about to serve dinner to the pack members who gather in the timber dining area in the center of the market. Stealing away undetected, I make my way up the cobblestone path that leads to the big, empty building that houses this empty heart of mine.

The smile I've been wearing all day slips away when the daunting truth of my circumstances grows as near what is now my home. Not much of a home when I have no real duties to tend to apart from my everyday routine. The life I always dreamed of having is out of reach, even if the dream was a stretch for a werewolf like me. Without a wolf, left desolate by fate, I've become the Alpha's Luna while he couldn't care less about me.

If not for the sake of formalities, Flynn would never look my way. Every time I suspected he did, I must have been crazy. In hindsight, our passionate tryst that one fateful night was probably because he was in heat.

It's a known fact that male werewolves need to unleash their desires if they're able to hunt and fight with clear minds. Iwas in the right place at the right time for him to use my body and leave me as if I meant nothing while still trying to dictate how I live out my days.

“Hah!” I scoff as I unlock the front door, about to step inside when the rustle of bushes at the side of the house alerts me that I'm not alone.

“Who's there?” I call out, turning on the porch to scan my surroundings. All I see is a flash of something out of the corner of my eye before my vision is consumed by total darkness and the smell of chloroform ruptures my senses.

Chapter 16 - Flynn

“They were rogues,” I confirm to the gathering of Alphas at the embankment, pointing in the direction that the rogues ran off last night.

“They're closing in on us,” Cyrus sighs. “How is it that we can't track them further than our borders?”

“I have no idea,” I shrug. “Once they escaped over Fort Smit, we lost them somewhere in Devil's Den,” I continue, telling the others about how the rogues’ murky scent disappeared in the state park outside of Nightclaw territory.

Turning to Dorian, I notice how he gnaws his bottom lip, biting off chunks of chapped skin as if he's nervous.

Lord! I wish I could read his mind. If I could, I'd be able to tell if his trepidation has anything to do with my suspicions. If he's working with the rogues, his missing werewolves are only a cover-up.

I have so many questions. Like why he'd work with the rogues. To what end?

I huff my frustration, running a hand through my hair as I contemplate the leap of faith I've been mulling over. Perhaps it was the adrenaline from last night that had me thinking about Lila during the chaos of chasing the rogues—whether, by a stroke of luck, taking our mating relationship to the next level would serve as an advantage in uncovering the threat. Not only would I be able to confirm if Dorian is behind this, but I'd also be able to track the rogues and find their hiding place.

“We have reason to believe they're not working on their own,” Theodore, Alpha of Blackmaw, suggests. “We've beentrying to track them for weeks now, but their scent always filters off in those parts of the region.”

“We need to catch one of them,” Damian adds. “Run some tests and figure out if they've been enhanced somehow.”

“It's impossible to catch them,” the Alpha of the Misty Creek Pack grunts. “It's almost as if their speed is enhanced, too.” Simon goes on to tell us how his border patrol soldiers chased a group of rogues heading in the same direction.

“Cyrus,” I begin, turning to the Alpha of the Moon Shine Pack. “You can get access to U.S. satellites, can't you?”

Cyrus nods. “I'm in the process of acquiring access to their feeds. Still, we've scanned the area. The rogues have been sticking to the shadows,” he explains, going on to tell us how he's been combing through every form of surveillance to pinpoint the whereabouts of the rogues.

Even owning a tech company, the Alpha of Moon Shine hasn't had much luck.

Blood Moon has always been considered “backward” in terms of our relations with the human world. However, right now, it seems like the only way to catch the rogues is by employing old methods—like the supernatural gifts only the Lycoan bloodline would carry. I know that now more than ever, it's imperative to unlock those gifts. If I'll be gifted with them at all once I've taken that leap of faith—a leap I would have taken last night if it wasn't for the interruption of the rogue wolves trespassing the Blood Moon borders.

The animosity between the Alphas who were once sworn enemies isn't as prevalent as it was during our last meeting. However, some of us are still wary when it comes to Dorian—especially his brother, Damian. The Alpha of the Valley WalkerPack hasn't said much since his arrival, and I notice him throwing a few suspicious glances at Dorian.

I want so much to put the past behind me, as Grandfather Tomas advised. I can only do that when I'm certain that Dorian doesn't have anything to do with this, and he is really on our side. What happened in the past while out with Finch is the only thing I've struggled to forgive.

Being around him isn't easy, and I just want to go back home and relish the comfort I momentarily glimpsed inside the pot of stew Lila cooked for me.

“Have you called a meeting with the youngsters?” I ask Miles.

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