His Wolfless Bride

CHAPTER 4: The Real Savior is Back

Everyone treats me a little better when Captain Haile, our pack’s Chief Gamma, is around. I’m never starved and never abused… only if he’s here with me. But he spends most of his time out of our pack’s territory for some political stuff that our Main Alpha is unable to do on his own. He’s the reason why escaping our pack and becoming a rogue is an option I could never choose.

Captain Haile assists me in getting to my feet. He then looks at Alpha Naomi, who’s burning with fury, bends his waist forward, then says,

“Forgive me, my Alpha. I didn’t mean to push and hurt you. But I hope you understand that I have to protect my mate. I welcome whatever punishment you’ll put me through.”

Alpha Naomi’s face crinkles with an insufferable smug as she wipes the trickling blood on her cheek. She counters, “Prepare yourselves. What you did to me will surely bring you to your knees.”

To me, probably. But to Captain Haile, I don’t think so. Our Main Alpha needs Captain Haile more than her and Luna Claudette when it comes to leading the pack. He can’t punish Captain Haile for just simply pushing his daughter. Besides, I have so much to be worried about and taking on another punishment isn’t one of those.

“Let’s go home?” Captain Haile asks, dismissing Alpha Naomi’s threat.

“Home?”

My whisper saddens him. I don’t need to elaborate, but he knows what I mean. Whenever he’s on a mission that requires him to step out of our borders, I always become ‘temporarily’ homeless. His mother doesn’t like me. Regardless of how many times he reminds his mother to take care of me if he’s not around, she always kicks me out of their house, leaving me without a choice but to sleep in our pack’s sheepfold or sometimes on the streets in another pack’s territory.

“Don’t worry… I’ll do my best so you won’t have to suffer again,” he whispers.

I don’t know what is the best he could do or when he’ll do it, but I trust him. I know deep inside that I won’t live like this forever.

Captain Haile escorts me back to his house where I’ll be residing for… for as long as he stays. I wonder what his mother will say now that we have to share the same roof again.

“Mother?” he calls as he opens the wooden front door.

Getting out of the kitchen is Emelia, a retired gamma of our pack. The excitement in her eyes after hearing her son’s voice quickly melts away when her eyes land on me. Even so, she’s not dropping her smile. She always makes it a habit to hide her real emotions by faking a smile and she’s really good at it. The wrinkles on her face smoothen as she walks closer to greet us… I mean, to greet just her son.

“Welcome home,” Emelia says, ignoring her son’s strained face. “How’s your mission?”

Captain Haile is silent for a moment. Those few seconds of silence bring a ripple of anxiety in the atmosphere. When he can no longer contain his disappointment, he releases it.

“You promised you’ll take care of Marguerite while I was away. Why do you keep on breaking your promise?”

Emelia opens her mouth in an attempt to respond, or to lie like she always does, but before any words could come out of it, Captain Haile precedes her from speaking.

“I can’t allow this to happen again!”

His displeasure bears through Emelia, drawing her shoulders closer.

“You and the others keep on treating my mate like trash! I can’t take it anymore!”

Captain Haile sets his jaw up. The next set of words that blow off his mouth freezes both me and Emelia.

“It’s about time that Marguerite becomes a Delta, so she’d get the respect I want her to have. Whether you agree or not, I’ll marry her.”

Emelia’s talent of concealing her true feelings doesn’t work this time. Her wide eyes blink several times while her parted lips purse into a thin line of disapproval.

“But it’s too soon,” she protests.

What a kinder way of saying ‘you can’t, because I forbid it!’

“Look at Marguerite!” Captain Haile hisses.

His voice generates more edginess than the last time. He gently pulls my arm to show Emelia my cuts and bruises. Emelia remains still and hushed, but she doesn’t show any sign of sympathy towards me. If our situations are reversed, I’ll probably won’t feel any kind of pity for her either. So, it’s a tie.

“I’ll talk to Alpha Marcellus and get his approval of our marriage. Once we’re wed, we’ll leave this house once and for all.”

Captain Haile doesn’t wait for his mother’s response. Before Emelia could blink again, Captain Haile turns his back at her while escorting me out of the house. It isn’t alright witnessing a mother and a son fighting, but I feel kinda selfish for feeling good that what happened happened.

The neighbors quickly hide their faces away from us as soon as we step on the lawn, pretending that what they heard isn’t an entertainment to them. Captain Haile launches a glare to anyone who would dare to look our way.

He says without taking his glare off around us, “We’ll head to the clinic first, then we’ll talk to Alpha Marcellus about our wedding.” He pauses while softening his eyes, before swiveling them to me. “You agree to marry me, right?”

He’s so hasty in making this decision that he forgot about my opinion about it. I wanna laugh at him, but my body throbs the moment I attempt to do so. I softly yelp while gritting my teeth.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“I don’t think I can walk anymore,” I reply, weakly.

Without ado, he carries me to his arms. Such action in a public place is quite embarrassing to be honest, but I don’t mind. I need his warmth. I need his comfort. I need his protection. I rest my spinning head on his hard chest as we move forward. Heads turn whenever we pass by them. My eyes are half-closed so I couldn’t really describe the expression on my packmates’ faces, but considering how they always mistreat me, it’s easy to assume that their faces might be flinching in detestion that someone who’s highly respected by our society cares so much for me.

After the doctor tends my wounds, Captain Haile has me rest on the clinic’s bed. He also asks a fellow Omega to bring me new clothes - a clean cotton dress and a pair of sandals, and something to eat - a big chunk of a medium rare ribeye steak paired with crispy red potatoes and bacon wrapped asparagus, which only the high-ranking officials of our pack could eat, but here it is, served for me.

“Eat as much as you want,” Captain Haile says while combing my messy hair with his long fingers.

I’m glad that I have long hair so his fingers could be lost in it for a while.

I nod with a grin, before plunging a couple of steak’s slices into my mouth. I devour my meal, breathing heavily with each swallow. Without my control, tears of relief rush down my eyes as I continue to shove the food in my mouth. I refuse to look at Captain Haile out of embarrassment. But, he pulls his fingers from my hair, uses them to lift my chin, then wipes my tears with his thumb. He’s trying so hard not to cry too. Though he’s successful in not permitting his tears to fall, they leave moisture in his lower eyelids.

“I’m sorry that I can’t always be with you,” he says. “But after we get married and complete our bond, I’ll make a petition to raise your rank higher. I also saved enough money to build our new house.”

I push the food down my throat and ask. “Do you think if I become a Delta, I won’t be abused anymore?”

Captain Haile tilts his head down to his boots. His silence twists my nerves and denies my hope.

“You won’t be homeless coz I’ll build you a house. You won't starve coz you can’t be last in line during meal time. But,...”

There it is, ‘but’. The one word that effortlessly negates the positive ones.

“But just like the others, regardless of the ranks, you will still receive punishment. Taking into account that Alpha Naomi doesn’t like you…”

“Doesn’t like me? She despises me,” I interrupt.

“Yup, that’s more accurate,” he says. “And that’s enough reason to stay away from her. I can stop her from hurting you if I’m around, but if I’m not, I’m afraid that she might do the worst to you.”

My eyelids sag as my sight descends to the half-empty plate on my blanket-muffled lap. If only I’m not wolfless, then I could fight back and I wouldn’t worry Captain Haile this much. However, if I have a wolf in me, I might end up hurting, or worse, killing, Alpha Naomi if she provokes me to. That isn’t an option. Perhaps the Moon Goddess really wants me not to have a wolf to avoid those kinds of circumstances.

I sigh, brushing the thoughts away. I’m unwittingly justifying again why I’m still lucky for being wolfless just to make me feel a little better about it.

After finishing the last remaining food on my plate, I unabashedly request for more. When my belly feels satisfied, I proactively tell Captain Haile that I’m ready to meet Alpha Marcellus. Alpha Noami’s threat suddenly springs out in my memory, but I dismiss it. That’s the effect of having Captain Haile with me. I feel safe and I know nothing could lay a finger on me, not even the Main Alpha himself.

The sun is already tucking itself away from everyone’s view when we get out of the clinic. We walk past several big homes, owned by Betas. Emerging at the far-end of it all is Alpha Marcellus’ residence. It’s a massive piece of land with a three-story house boasting itself to us. The scene silently tells a story of decades of corruption while shrouding the horrible state of our pack’s economy.

Captain Haile clutches my hand and offers me a smile, which I respond with an equally sweet one.

One of the gammas, in black and red military uniform, approaches us through the solid steel gates.

“I wanna speak to Alpha Marcellus. Thank you,” Captain Haile says.

Haile is his captain. Therefore, the Gamma can’t say no to him. Despite that, he stares at me from head to toe with a proclamation on his face that I’m not allowed to enter such property. Before he could turn his thoughts into words, I let my thoughts be heard first.

“Yes, you’re right,” I say, taking both him and Captain Haile by surprise. “I’m coming with Captain Haile so you don’t have to make an effort to shoo me away.”

My sharp tongue shreds the Gamma’s confidence apart. He looks away, coughing. Without looking back at me or Captain Haile, he unlocks the gate and motions for us to enter. I completely understand why some love to be superior to others coz it gives them a sense of satisfaction. Unfortunately for me, I could only do that without getting punished if Captain Haile is with me. I wish there will come a time that I don’t need to live under Captain Haile’s shadow to protect myself and be myself.

We are soon welcomed by the Omegas, who are directly working as maids in the Alphas’ residence. They offer us a long, comfy upholstered seat. I gently bounce as soon as my backside hits the seat’s foam. The one on Emelia’s house is made out of wood so bouncing isn’t possible. You’ll appreciate it at first coz of its intricate carvings, but the longer you sit on it, the more you want to get out of it. Not only that it’s hard, but Emelia is always giving me a side glare whenever I spend a few minutes resting on it.

Not long after sitting down, Alpha Marcellus’ minty scent gyrates through the living area. Both Captain Haile and I attempt to stand up when he appears from the rear side of the house, but he motions for us to sit back down.

Alpha Marcellus sits on the same-looking, but smaller chair, opposite to us. His eyes are directed to Captain Haile, refusing to glance at me as if I’m a dust that will only sore them.

“What brings you here?”

Captain Haile holds my hand tighter as he responds, “I have a favor to ask you. I wanna marry my mate, Marguerite.”