The Packless Wolf

Chapter 9

Reika led the rogues to the pack house. It had only been a 10 minute walk in their human forms. When they entered the pack house Reika was amazed. Past the foyer she saw a glimpse of the dining room. The tables were already set with light blue gauze table runners and flowered vines wrapping around candle centerpieces.  Beside each table was a wine bucket. Ribbons and hanging lights dangled from the ceiling. She couldn’t wait to see the outside. Most of the pack would help with decorations whenever they had a joining ceremony, well any ceremony. Take that Ambrose. The only exceptions were the warriors on patrol and, as in the case of today, those newly mated. Well, except for Fiona and Merrick. When Reika asked Fiona to meet her in the foyer, they were helping with the decorations. 

“Reika,” Fiona waved, running towards her and the rogues. Right on cue as always. Merrick was right on her heels. No doubt worried.

Fiona jumped into her friends’ arms for a hug. “So, Fiona. Can you please let our guests know how oppressed and poorly treated our omegas are?”

Fiona bent over laughing. “Are…you…. serious,” she struggled to say between laughs after a few minutes? “Do they seriously think that?” Her laughter not dying down. “Do I look oppressed?” She was now looking at Merrrick for the answer. “Merrick my love, please tell them how starved I am,” she said mockingly. Her laughter was still not dying down.

Reika hadn’t told Fiona exactly what was going on, just that she needed help clearing the air with something. Reika did not expect this reaction though. She looked over to Ambrose. A scold painted his face.

“How do I know you didn’t get commanded to do that,” he asked? “Or that you’re even an omega?”

Fiona sobered up and stood straight. “You must feel it,” Fiona said to him, tilting her head to the side and making eye contact. “I am an omega, and I can tell you are too. Even without wolves we can sense that.” Ambrose looked away. “As far as being commanded. You will have to trust that I wasn’t just like our leaders and the rest of the pack trust that you 5 are here with good intentions," Fiona motioned to the rogues. " Reika is my best friend. While I pursued my dream, she followed me to the other side of the country to make sure I didn’t feel disconnected from the pack. And you,” She turned her head to Jasper and a mischievous smile spread across her face, “I’m sure you are grateful for that.” She winked at him. Turning, she grabbed Merrick’s hand, leading him back through the dining room.

“It was nice seeing you all,” Merrick called back behind him.

Satisfied with Fiona's help, Reika continued to lead the group to the stairs. Jasper hurried to walk beside her. She could feel the rush of air as he walked beside her, the smell of rain intoxicating. Don’t think about it, she kept repeating to herself. 

“Wasn’t there something you wanted to discuss with me,” Jasper asked, trying to make conversation. He longed to hear her voice. Goddess, what is wrong with me, he thought to himself. Nothing, Cyfrin responded back.

“Uh,” Reika paused with her foot on the first step and holding onto the railing. The four men behind them skidded to a stop. “Yes, there was, but I’m not angry anymore. The times passed.”

She started up the stairs. 

“You were angry with me,” Jasper asked disappointedly. His shoulders fell.

“Yes, but not anymore,” Reika stopped to face him, then with a smile, blooped his nose. What is wrong with me? Reika hurried up the stairs. That was the dumbest, most corny thing ever!

Jasper and Cyfrin seemed to like it. Conri responded to her.

Cyfrin? Ah, that must be his wolf. Reika continued to hurry up the stairs. Trying to distance herself from Jasper. What he said back at the cabin rang in her ears, causing butterflies to rage. She just wanted to scream; it was torture to be so close to him. She longed to rub her hand along his chest, to taste his lips. Finally. Reika knocked on the Alpha’s office door. 

Come in, her dad mind linked her. 

She opened the door. The office seemed like any other office. A bookcase lined with mythical and human laws and business books sat behind the desk. A plain hand clock and an inspirational calendar hung on the wall. His desk held the normal things; a cup with pens, a computer, pictures of her and her mom.  Five chairs sat in front of the desk.

Ok, here is my chance, Reika thought to herself. Just go through their names and just say Jasper, my mate. You can do this. “I have our guest-”

“Ah, yes,” Alpha Eric said, standing up.  “Please sit,” he motioned for them to sit. Reika stood to the side. 

It was on the tip of her tongue. It wasn’t hard. Just say, Dad, Jasper is my fated mate. He would be ok with it. He valued the mate bond. She started to open her mouth.

“So, we are having a joining ceremony tonight. I would like to invite you to join the pack now. I know you only came yesterday, and it wasn’t very welcoming, but if you would like to join, you can now. If you would like to stay and get more acclimated, that is also ok.”

Tobias was the first one to speak. “What about humans?”

The rest of the rogues became wide-eyed, but Alpha Eric raised an eyebrow.  “Please explain.”

“Six years ago, I found my fated mate. Soon after that she was killed by a group of feral rogues,” he started. Rieka could hear the pain in his voice. She knew that pain well, it was the same pain her dad felt. It never left, just became easier to live with. “Two years after that, I met Sonya. She was a waitress at the restaurant I became a cook at,” Tobias spoke nervously.  “ We are chosen mates. We’ve marked each other and now she is carrying my pup. As much as I love the freedom of being a rogue, there are a lot of dangers associated with it, it really isn’t a place to raise a pup. I can feel the pups’ wolf. She’s staying at a hotel in the human town. We spoke about it last night, and we do think it’d be best.”

As he spoke, Reika looked at his marking spot. She could see a faded wolf mark. She knew from her dad, the mark never truly went away, it just became lighter, but overlapping it was another bite mark. It looked different than the other mark, the teeth were shaped differently. It must be a human mark.

“I don’t see why not if that’s what you and she want. I don’t believe we’ve ever had a human join the pack. I’ll have to call around to some of the other packs to see if anything needs to be different for the joining ritual. If you’d like, I can have one of the warriors go with you to bring her here.  They could help bring your things too.”

Tobias agreed and left the room. He had a smile on his face. No doubt from getting to see his mate and knowing that they will be safer. 

Ambrose said no and nothing else. Bruce and Roland both said they would like more time. Reika could understand why. It wasn’t true that all rogues wanted to run like wild beasts causing mayhem. Some just wanted their freedom. She had never heard the term feral rogues. Maybe it was a way for rogues to identify the rogues that were a treat? To most packs, all rogues were feral. Jasper was the last one to answer. Reika looked into his eyes, pleading, hanging onto the hope he would join. It’d make things easier, but Reika wasn’t expecting this.

Cyfrin are you sure, Jasper asked. He could see the hope in Reika’s eyes. He did want to join the pack, he wanted to be with her. He had waited for so long. We might not be able to fix this once the damage is done. 

Conri will understand. Cyfrin responded. We can not join the pack until after we have mated, and she is the alpha. Conri was meant to be alpha. This is the way it was supposed to be. We couldn’t have come at a worst time.

Jasper tried to pick his words carefully as he stared into Reika’s eyes. “It is not the right time for me to join,” Jasper said, cringing at his own words. Reika’s face became broken.  She looked away from him.

A wave of emotions hit Jasper through the mate bone. Confusion, anger, betrayal, panic, rejection. He watched as she tried to take deep, short breaths through her mouth, probably to avoid smelling his scent. He noticed her eyes starting to glisten. He wanted to run to her, take her in his arms and take it all back. He hated that he was the cause of this pain.

If the alpha noticed her pain, he didn’t let on. He asked Ambrose, Roland, Bruce and Jasper to stay in the rooms they were assigned until the joining ritual was complete. At least one of the mates joining the pack came from a pack that was hostile to all rogues, kill on-site type of hostility. Alpha Eric didn’t want to harm anyone tonight, especially since the rogues were guests. Once the ritual was completed, Alpha Eric would be able to command them.    

Reika was instructed to escort them to their rooms. She led them down the stairs to the guest rooms. Each rogue took a room. Jasper could no longer feel any emotions through their bond. It was numb. 

Jasper when in his assigned room. He tossed his duffle bag on the floor, not caring where it landed. He kept the light off. He let himself fall back onto the bed and covered his eyes with his forearm. It would take 100 lifetimes to make this up to Reika and Conri. Ever since he saw her the night his uncle brought a group of rogues to attack this pack (including his sister’s husband, who was Jasper’s dad), he knew they were destined to be together. But Cyfrin said it had to be after she was alpha, so Jasper waited. It wasn’t planned that she would find him. It wasn’t planned that Conri would mark Jasper to keep Reika from rejecting him. Jasper should’ve stopped Conri from marking him that night. But he had been yearning for it for so long, he didn’t want to. 

Jasper heard the door open and close. Cherry blossom and sandalwood hit his nose. He could feel a storm of emotions through the bond and there was a hint of salty tears in the air. He sat up. Even though the blinds kept out the light, Jasper didn’t need light to see Reika’s left eye light green, her tears no longer being held in. Her right eye was dark green and bore into him with anger.