Louise V. Armstrong
DAVID
“And then, can you believe it? She threatened me. She actually threatened me. The audacity of that rogue to talk back to me…” Karen’s voice drones on. She’s been ranting for the past hour about some rogue she-wolf she encountered at registration. Her drama is grating on my nerves. I can’t take it anymore.
“She needs to learn her place, she needs—”
“And why is this my problem?” I interrupt her.
“Well, I just thought as our alpha’s brother, the highest-ranking member of our pack in Linton, you would want to do something about it, make an example of her.”
There it is. She wants me to solve her problems for her.
Where does she get off acting like this? I’m here at university to enjoy myself, not to play the role of some student alpha. Besides, my brother James is the alpha of our pack, not me.
I need to nip this in the bud before she takes it too far.
“An example of her? What do you suggest I do? March into the university and rip her throat out in front of all the human students? Would that satisfy you? Would that fit her crime?”
“No, that would be ridiculous.”
“I’m glad you can see that at least.
We’re guests in another pack’s territory. A pack that allows rogues to attend this university. I can’t go around attacking random she-wolves because you’ve had a disagreement with one of them. Besides, you’re the daughter of a ranking wolf. You should be able to handle this yourself. Unless of course the rogue is feral. Is she feral?”
“Feral?”
“Yes, feral. A danger to all wolves and humans. If she’s feral, she needs to be reported to the Red Moon Pack so they can deal with her.”
“No, she isn’t feral.”
“Good. Then deal with her yourself.”
I walk away, having had enough of Karen. Growing up with her on pack territory was bad enough.
She’s a total snob, always looking down her nose at ordinary pack members and trying to attach herself to ranking wolves. I try to avoid her as much as possible.
But now that we’re both in Linton, it won’t be so easy. She seems to think we’re friends, or worse, that she means something to me.
I know she’s trying to snag a ranking wolf as her mate, but it won’t be me. I don’t want someone as shallow and selfish as her.
I don’t want anyone yet. My plan is to have as much fun as I can over the next four years.
Soon enough, I’ll have to take up a responsible position in the pack. Until then, I plan to hang out with my bros, meet some good-looking she-wolves, and party as much as possible.
I’m not in a hurry to meet my mate, but I am going to enjoy searching for her. What better way to do it than to spend as much time as possible with eligible she-wolves? And Karen definitely won’t be one of them.
I feel a twinge of guilt when I think about my brother, burdened with his responsibilities to the pack. I won’t add to them by doing anything to embarrass him or cause trouble. But that still leaves plenty of room for fun.
“Hey, bro.” My best mate, Matt, walks up to me. “Did Karen find you?”
“She did, unfortunately.”
“Did she try to get you to take on some rogue she-wolf for her? She’s been telling everyone that something needs to be done about this girl.”
“Yes, but I told her it’s not happening. We’re not starting fights with rogues before the year has even started. Besides, I’m not here to fight her stupid battles.”
“I think that’s the right move. Stacey was there when it happened, and she wouldn’t want it to get back to Karen, but according to her, Karen started it. This loner was just defending herself.”
“Figures, knowing Karen.”
“I think she thought she could easily bully her, but this she-wolf proved her wrong.”
“And she’s a loner!” I say, smirking. “The lowest of the low. That must have really stung.”
“Yep, couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. This rogue must be pretty brave to take on a pack wolf.”
“Or stupid. I’m sure we’ll find out which one soon. Karen isn’t going to let this go.”
DANIELLE
Today marks the beginning of classes, and I can’t help but feel a rush of excitement.
I’m crossing my fingers that Karen isn’t in any of my classes, but even if she is, I refuse to let her spoil my time at Linton.
I take my sweet time getting ready. I want to look good for my first day, but not too dressed up, so I choose a brand-new red halter top and a pair of black jeans. I brush my long brown hair, and carefully apply make-up.
As I descend the stairs, Adam is waiting for me in the hall. “How about we grab breakfast at the campus coffee shop? I thought it would be a nice way to start our first day.”
“That sounds perfect.”
“Alina said she’ll meet us there.”
We call for Alina, and the three of us make our way to Linton together. We head to a small coffee shop on campus, which is bustling with more people than I expected.
A group of pack wolves have claimed three of the tables at the back and are causing quite a ruckus, laughing and shouting at each other.”
“I didn’t think we’d have to deal with pack wolves so soon. I thought we’d at least get through breakfast first.”
“And look who’s leading the pack. Your friend Karen is over there,” Adam whispers to me.
“Who’s Karen?” Alina inquires.
“The pack wolf that Danielle had a run-in with.”
“Oh, that pack wolf.”
“Might as well face the music,” I say with determination as I approach the counter.
“Can I have a latte and a bacon sandwich, please. What would you like, Adam, Alina? My treat.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do. It’s compensation for the shit storm we’re about to face from Karen and her pack.”
As if she’s heard me, Karen turns around and snarls, “It’s her.”
“Who?” a bored male voice asks.
“That rogue, the one that threatened me. I can’t believe she’s here. You, what are you doing here? This place isn’t for rogues!”
I try to ignore her, but she’s relentless.
“Did you hear me, rogue? I’m talking to you.” She rises and starts to approach me.
I sigh, realizing I won’t be able to avoid a confrontation with her. I turn to face her.
“Yep, I think the whole coffee shop heard you, including the humans, but that doesn’t mean I have to respond. I’m here to enjoy my breakfast. Why don’t you go back to your friends and get on with your day?”
See, I think to myself. ~I can be diplomatic. I’m not stooping to her level.~
“Don’t tell me what to do.” She glances over her shoulder at her packmates for support.
My eyes are drawn to a muscular wolf with dark-brown, almost black hair and captivating brown eyes. “Karen, this isn’t the time or the place. Leave it,” he tells her.
She stammers, “But she needs to be taught a lesson.”
His gaze shifts to me. His eyes widen, and simultaneously I feel my chest tighten. A delicious scent of pinecones hits me, and I gasp as I realize who he is to me, my mate.
By his reaction, I’m sure he knows it too, but he doesn’t acknowledge me. Instead, he turns away.
“Come on,” he says to his friends as he rises. “We don’t need any drama with rogues. Let’s go somewhere else.” And he exits the coffee shop.
I feel my heart shatter. My wolf howls in my head. He doesn’t want me. My mate sees me as a rogue. I just stand there, frozen.
I feel utterly devastated. I’ve met my mate, and he wants nothing to do with me.
“Danni, are you okay?” Adam asks, concern etched on his face.
“Yes, I’m okay,” I manage to say.
“Let’s sit down.” Adam takes my hand and guides me to a table near the front of the shop.
“You don’t look okay,” Alina says with worry. “Don’t let their words get to you. They don’t know you. It’s their loss that they will never get to see what a kind person you are.”
They think I’m upset about what Karen said. Should I admit that I’ve just met my mate and he’s rejected me?
Adam is a good friend, and Alina is nice, but I’m not ready to confide in anyone about what just happened. If I do, I think I’ll break. I need to keep it together.
“I’m fine,” I say, forcing a smile on my face. “It’s my first encounter with pack wolves since my pack was destroyed. I guess I’m not as prepared as I thought I would be.”
“Are you sure? You looked pretty upset when that guy called you a rogue. Do you know him?” Alina asks.
“No, I’ve never met him before, and hopefully I won’t see him again. Honestly, I’m fine,” I lie.
“Okay, well if you’re sure.” Alina doesn’t sound convinced, but she drops it.
The waitress brings over our breakfast, and I focus on eating my meal. I need to pull myself together. I’m not going to let him break me.
***
DAVID
I exit the coffee shop in a state of shock.
I’ve just met my mate, and she’s the last person I’d ever imagine being mated to, a rogue, the worst kind of werewolf.
I was never one to daydream about who my mate would be or spend my life waiting for her to appear, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have some expectations.
She didn’t have to be high ranking, beautiful, or clever, but never in my wildest dreams had I expected her to be a rogue.
The Moon Goddess must despise me to do this to me. After all I’ve endured at the hands of rogues, the murder of my father, the attack on my pack. What would my brother do if he knew?
She will be loathed by my family. My brother will insist that I reject her.
I shudder. Can I do it? Can I just reject her? Mates are precious, sacred to us werewolves, but a mate like that… I won’t put my pack at risk. I won’t let her destroy my family.
Karen is going on and on about her. I’ve tuned out her nagging, but now she’s looking at me as though she expects me to respond.
“What?” I snap at her.
She looks annoyed. “I was just saying that now you’ve seen what she’s like, what an arrogant, rude rogue she is, you’ve got to agree she needs to learn her place. We need to teach her what happens to rogues who challenge us—”
“Us,” I interrupt her, infuriated by the way she’s talking about my mate. “There is no us. This is your fight. Besides, I didn’t see her doing anything more than standing up to you. You were the one who started the argument, and in front of humans as well. You need to stop causing scenes in public.” And leave my mate alone, I think, but I don’t say it.
I need to stop thinking like this. I’m not going to start defending a rogue against my packmates.
Luckily, I’ve done enough to silence Karen for the moment, which gives me the chance to go back to thinking about the rogue and what on earth I’m going to do. She can’t really be my mate.
My wolf growls, but I ignore him. We normally think as one, but he’s convinced she’s ours and wants to claim her now. That won’t be happening.
As we split up and head to our classes, my friend Matt sidles up to me. “So now that we are alone, are you going to tell me what was going on back there?”
“Going on?”
“Yes, one minute we’re enjoying our breakfast, while being forced to listen to Karen being her usual bitchy self, and the next you are dragging us all out of the coffee shop.”
“I just didn’t want to listen to Karen and all her drama.”
“Really? Because that’s all we ever get from Karen. Your reaction was something different. What’s going on, man?”
I sigh. I might as well tell him. There is no one I trust more than Matt. “Okay, but you must promise not to tell anyone about this.”
“Okay.”
“You need to mean it. No one must know.”
“I promise. You know you can trust me. I won’t tell anyone, not even your brother.”
He must realize that’s exactly what I needed to hear.
“I think that rogue she-wolf could be my mate.”
“Oh wow. She can’t be, not a rogue.”
“I know. The Moon Goddess must really hate me.”
“Could you have made a mistake? It wasn’t like you got close to her. She was standing across the room. You didn’t even speak to her.”
A spark of hope ignites within me at Matt’s words. I’d have to spend time with her, really get to know her, to confirm if she is indeed my mate.
“Maybe I’m just jumping to conclusions,” I admit. My inner wolf growls in protest, but I push it aside. The smartest move would be to steer clear of her, to erase our encounter from my memory.
I came to Linton with the intention of letting loose, of having a good time. Finding my mate, even if she is a desirable she-wolf, would definitely throw a wrench in those plans. No more wild nights, no more flirting with gorgeous females.
I’m almost certain I’ve got it wrong. I decide to put her out of my mind and stick to the original plan.