Beta Romeo And His Rogue

Chapter 05: Yearning for Freedom

Rena sighed, her focus on the white ceiling of the bedroom since earlier. She missed her father, mother, and also her brother Ben. Since the incident that separated her from Ben, she hasn't seen him again. What if she asked for permission from Alpha Jonathan and Luna Irene to leave the pack instead of searching for her brother? Surely she would be allowed.

But...

Considering that she lived in the palace from the age of thirteen until now, she would likely be seen as disrespectful for wanting to leave after being raised by the pack. She was truly torn.

Yet, among all of this, there was Beta Romeo, whom she couldn't leave behind. Beta Romeo with all the arrogance he possessed. Rena thought that over time, Beta Romeo would change and not see her as a mere intruder in the palace but as a pack member and... mate.

Her cheeks puffed, a mix of sweetness and bitterness when facing that man. Let Beta Romeo stab her with sharp words, even if it hurt her deeply. At least, she created enough distance to prevent Romeo from trampling on her self-worth.

Her hand caressed the pendant around her neck, a gift from her mother on her ninth birthday. A silver necklace with a ballerina pendant. She had always dreamed of becoming a skilled ballerina. With her abilities and well-shaped body, she could easily master basic movements when she was still a child.

Rena woke up from her bed, took deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling repeatedly. It had been a long time since she did this, and now she was going to try again.

With her heels touching, Rena began. The graceful movements she once mastered were never forgotten. With agility, she spun and swung her hands. Balance was crucial for ballet dancers, but Rena forgot that spacious surroundings were equally important.

She laughed when she fell because her foot hit the wardrobe. The monolid and slanted eyes faded as her lips laughed.

The loud knock on the door made Rena's laughter stop; quickly, she opened the door.

"Why so noisy?!" Aunt Morin in her nightgown stood in front of Rena's room accompanied by several other servants.

"I slipped earlier." That's all Rena could explain. She wouldn't talk too much.

"It's already night; you should sleep. Don't let my ears hear the noise from your room, Rena. Do you understand?!" Morin said firmly before leaving. Rena could only nod.

She sat back on the bed, occasionally rubbing the pendant, as if feeling her mother's presence here.

***

"I heard Beta Romeo went on a date with Gania," morning whispers among the servants made Rena's ears heat up. Just as she left her room, there were already some servants gossiping at the breakfast table.

"Where are you going, Rena? Skipping breakfast?" Rena, who received the offer, just smiled.

"I want to go to the bathroom for a moment," she replied, nodding to her fellow servants.

"Gania?" Sarah asked Natalie.

"Yeah, Gania. They came back together last night, seems like they went on a date." Sarah scooped up her food.

Wendy, who had just joined, stared at Sarah. "Maybe they had a task from Alpha," Wendy interjected, unsure.

Natalie snorted at Wendy's words. What kind of task made Beta and servants walk together until late at night? "Are you jealous?" Natalie stared at Wendy.

"Gania is not comparable to me. You all know that, right?" While spooning her food, Natalie and Sarah exchanged glances.

"Rena, after breakfast, you're assigned to meet Luna Irene." Wendy stated with a hint of disdain.

Rena, who was sitting across from Wendy, immediately nodded. "Alright."

"I'm amazed at you," Wendy jeered, still watching Rena. "How can a rogue get special attention from Luna?"

Hearing that, Rena gripped her spoon tightly. How could Wendy still say such things when she had been in the palace for almost ten years? Throughout her life, Rena had never differentiated between status or caste; everyone seemed the same to her. But why did others prefer to talk about her in front of her eyes?

Rena controlled her breath; she must not explode. Her mother always taught her to be patient.

"I've always been doubtful of your status, how you could enter this territory alone. Or maybe you and your family have evil plans for everyone."

In a split second, Rena jumped onto the dining table and choked Wendy's neck. Her eyes flared like fire; the wolf side that had been emphasized not to come out made Rena even angrier. The commotion she caused made Sarah and Natalie scream, and everyone came to see what was happening.

Wendy, gasping for breath with a pale face, made Rena control her breath.

"Rena!" Madam Morin's thunderous voice made Rena look around. "Release Wendy!"

"You can insult me, but not my family." A calm tone echoed, yet Wendy felt more suffocated as Rena continued to choke her.

With a jerk, Rena pushed Wendy, making the woman cough until she fell. Some people who saw helped Wendy stand up, including Natalie and Sarah.

Her hand was forcibly pulled to descend from the table.

SLAP!

Madam Morin was ruthless in doing all this in front of everyone. Her face pulsated with pain and heat. She looked down even more when the head servant's insults were thrown at her. But one thing didn't escape her sight. Romeo was there, witnessing everything, with Gania beside him.

***

Romeo's thoughts were uncertain after witnessing the incident in the mansion behind the palace. He directly observed how aggressively Rena treated Wendy. He didn't like women like that; he preferred someone with a gentle heart who could provide comfort for him.

"Rome," Gania called, holding Romeo's arm.

As if awakened from a reverie, Romeo turned his face to look at the beautiful woman beside him.

"Don't you want to stop all of this?" she asked, seeing Romeo's slightly bewildered expression.

"Stop what?"

"Rena. She might be treated even more harshly after what happened earlier." Gania invited Romeo out of the kitchen of the mansion as she saw Rena being taken away by Morin, not knowing where.

"That woman knows what she's done; she understands the consequences she'll face." Romeo stared at the tree bathed in the morning sunlight. "Besides, it's not my territory; let Aunt Morin do her job," he continued.

Gania sighed, making Romeo look at her pale face. "Thank you," Gania said, holding her wrist with a white bracelet.

Romeo could only smile and stroke Gania's head. "You shouldn't thank me," Romeo said, lying down on the grass, letting the morning sunlight pierce through his body.

"At least I'm thankful to you for covering up my sorrow," Gania said, lying down as well.

"Let it be. Calm yourself," Romeo said, closing his eyes.