Addicted to the Alpha-rogue

The art of oral pleasure.

I stare dumbly at the words for almost ten seconds straight. May be more but I'm not counting. When I went in search of Alexander and found this book - face down - on his bed, I didn't think. I just grabbed it, desperate to entertain myself with something.

A grin breaks out on my face as I read the words once more. He's definitely not gonna live this down, that's for sure. I inhale smoke from the dying embers of the cigarette dangling from my mouth before tossing it away. It tumbles and disappears over the roof. As it does, all the emotions I've deliberately been keeping at bay, come flooding back.

Get ready for Arthur, Layla.

My right leg bounces sporadically. Soon, my left leg joins in, and they both make tap-tap noises, momentarily distracting me from the situation at hand. I grip my hair and pull, relishing the delicious pain which rips through my skull.

Whether you or anyone likes it or not, it's gonna happen.

I jump up, startling a bird which had been inching toward me. I watch as it takes flight, cawing away. "Sorry, buddy, but I'm not in the mood to make new friends."

I walk to the edge of the roof - as close as I can get without falling - and glance down. Twilight has just set in. A few guards walk around the premises. Soon, some of them will leave for their night patrol along the territory borders, including Father.

I can't wait.

I've made up my mind to sneak out to the woods and enjoy some alone time. I roll my eyes and let out a soft laugh. Sure, I'm alone right now but still surrounded by pack members dotted around the house. It's either Alexander, Father's beta, Father once again. People are always crowding around, taking orders from Father, or dishing out ideas on how to make the pack stronger.

I'm over it.

You can't get out of this one, Layla.

A tear slides down my cheek and I wipe it away forcefully. I won't do it. I won't please Father, the pack, or anyone else at that. I get to make my own decisions. A certain calm washes over me as I stare at the woods. Ominous as well as inviting. A juxtaposition of sorts. I've always had a love-hate relationship with the woods. Hate, because of all the stories I've heard about rogues who live deep inside it. I need an escape from my present predicament so right now, that hatred is leaning toward love.

I slide down the roof and slip, unnoticed, through my window and into my bedroom. The smell of food wafts into my nostrils the moment I step inside. A covered plate of food is on my bedside table. My stomach growls loudly, reminding me I haven't fed it since breakfast. What a shame all of it will got to waste because even if it smells heavenly, my appetite is doing a no-show.

A knock sounds off on the door, making me tense up. I know what's coming but I can't bring myself to answer. Another knock, this one more persistent, sees me releasing a sigh and walking forward to open it. I take in the person standing at the entrance. "Yes, Alvin." My tone is curt. Clipped.

He looks at me wide eyed. "Y. . your father requests your presence."

I nod and wait for him to leave but he just stares at me like I've grown a second head. "What?"

He shakes his head and his gaze falls to the ground. "I'll just go."

"Oh, you don't have to. Keep standing and staring." My words are coated with a false sweetness that has him staring at me with furrowed brows.

Without another word, he backs away and walks off. My eyes bounce around the room looking for a distraction. Knowing I can't put off the inevitable for long, I square my shoulders, paste a smirk on my face, and walk out of my room. Father is eating when I step into the dining room. From the set of his shoulders, I know whatever he has to tell me isn't going to be to my liking.

"Sit." He says, without looking up.

At first, I want to object, but one look at his curled fist sees me walking to the chair beside his and slumping into it. Hopefully, someone will interrupt us and end this situation for me. Even as the thought flashes, like a neon sign in my head, I know it won't happen for two reasons. No one interrupts the Alpha and lives to see the other day. Secondly, our quarters are cordoned off from the main pack. With a heavy sigh, my eyes make their way back to him.

He stops eating, puts his cutlery on his empty plate before dabbing at a corner of his mouth with the napkin and looking up at me. "From now on, Alvin is going to be your shadow. Wherever he goes, you go." My mouth falls open as I stare in horror at him. "Do I make myself clear?"

"You have got to be kidding me." I vault up, my whole body vibrating with anger. "This isn't the year fifteen hundred, plus I'm not a child, who-"

"Silence!" His voice cuts through my ramblings but I'm not done yet.

"No, Father, that won't happen. Why do you always have to have the last say?"

My words seem to amuse him as a smirk appears on his face. I stifle the urge to roll my eyes.

"I can give you a number of reasons but I'll settle for two. I'm the Alpha of this pack and you are under my command." The smirk slides off his face in an instant. "Now. . ." He stands to his full height, reminding me I only get to his shoulder even on my tippy toes. "I hope they are enough reasons because whether you like it or not. It's settled."

Not this time.

Bang.

My right hand throbs from where I've just hit the table with it but I'm too riled up, too angered, and too fueled with adrenaline to care. I know I'm going to regret it later on, but it's satisfying to see the shocked look tattooed all over his face. I savor the feeling, even though it's only temporarily.

This feud between Father and I runs deep. It's more of a clash of wills at this point. Who will bend first.

So help me goddess, it won't to be me.

"That won't happen." I'm a bit taken aback at the vehemence in my voice but I can't stop now. "I'm done. I'm not some. . . some thing to be auctioned off. I will not, Father."

We both know I'm not talking about Alvin being my shadow. I watch as a storm brews in his eyes, as they slowly turn red. Oh, no. Not his wolf rearing it's ugly head. Judging by his ticking jaw and the rigid way he's holding himself, I know I'm not going to like what he's about to say. He raises a clawed finger and points in a direction behind me. "Go to your room. Do not come out until I tell you to."

"But, Fath-"

"Do as I say, or else. . ."

A sharp pain makes my head rock back. Had it not been for me holding onto the table with a death grip, I would most definitely have fallen. I've seen grown men falling to their knees in submission to him and I don't need to be told twice to do as he says. My shoulders slump and I nod timidly. Tears cloud my vision as I make my way to my room.

"Oh, and Layla. . ." My steps halt immediately as I turn round to look at him. "Don't ever take my cigarettes again."

It's his turn to walk off, leaving me staring holes in his back.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Welcome my lovely readers 👋

How are you all doing?

Like the first chapter?

Then you're about to like it even more when you keep reading.

Layla is special.

🤫 don't tell anyone I told you. You're about to find out. ❤️👄

Eyes cloudy, I stumble to my bedroom.

As soon as I step inside, I immediately sense something's not right. My room is pitch black. I've never been one to fear the dark, but as I peer into it, my heart thuds - hard - in my chest. I sense movement by the window and I immediately rush to it. I'm just in time to see a figure dropping onto the ground and running at a fast pace, into the surrounding trees lining the pack house.

Someone was in my room. . . again.

Where are the guards?

Where's Alexander?

Why didn't the guards alert Father?

More importantly, why didn't I tell anyone sooner?

A zing of excitement passes though me.

I'm not going to let this slide. Whoever came in here thinks he can get away with it but not this time. I hear voices outside the window, a few seconds later, and I know some of the men have just come back in from night patrol. It will take a short time for replacements to take their place.

This is the time for me to strike.

I change quickly into a black hoodie - making sure to shuck my long hair into it - and black leggings. I need to be one with the night. I hold onto the window ledge for support as I slip out. Luckily, my room is on the first floor. The climb down is easy, until my left foot slips, and I go sliding down without any resistance.

There's nothing to break my fall so when I land on the ground in an ungainly heap, it's hard, and makes me see stars for a few seconds. My feet ache slightly, but I stand warily, flexing them while I look around to see if I've been discovered. A quick scan shows nothing is out of order. I hunch my back and start to run toward the trees which are only a short distance away.

My heart is beating a mile a minute as I anticipate father's angry voice stopping me in my tracks. Thankfully, nothing of the sort happens.

Once I'm completely swallowed up by the trees, my heart beat slows and I inhale the crisp, clear smell of the approaching winter. As I walk further inside, I become entranced by the sprawling trees and their creaking branches. The height of each seeming to soar far and beyond into the sky.

The sky is speckled with stars which cast silvery streaks across it, while the moon makes its debut, shining brightly and casting a warm blue light across my pathway. Scuttling rabbits play under goatees of hanging moss while berries lay ripening under the leafy floor of the woods.

The woods seems to be alive.

Joy blossoms wildly inside of me and I splay my hands wide, forgetting my reason for being outside in the first place. Lost in the beauty and tranquillity, I walk deeper inside, loosing track of myself and time until I stop suddenly, the realization crashing into me.

It's eerily quiet.

I don't know how far inside I've walked, but judging from how dense and tightly packed the trees are, I'm guessing very far inside. Hardly any light makes it's way down. I realize I've lost my way when I can't seem to find my bearings.

Suddenly, my skin prickles, and the hair on my skin rises. Even before turning, I know I wouldn't like what I'll see. Unfortunately, nothing prepares me for the sight that greets me.

About eight to ten wolves surround me. They're huge, and hulking, with fur so black, they blend in with the darkness of the forest. Their eyes shine with malevolent intent.

There's a palpable air of menace about them.

Rogues are very dangerous and feral. One bite from them and you'll turn into one.

I should have heeded Alexander's words. I should have been more careful. I should have listened.

It's too late now.

One of them opens its massive jaw and let's out a snarl, it's mouth revealing sharp jagged teeth. Spittle dribbles from it in rivulets and I know it's just waiting to sink those sharp teeth into my skin.

I know I'm done for when it charges.

I close my eyes and let out a wordless scream.

You know the saying that goes - your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. . .?

Yeah, well, that's a bloody lie.

With my eyes closed, I see myself as a toddler, playing with Alexander on a sandy shore. He races a toy car - the size of his fist - on the sand. The picture is in bright vivid technicolor, and oh, so painstakingly slow. It's so slow that I feel a crease take place in between my brows.

The picture takes it's sweet good time to get replaced with another one. This time, It's a scene I'm very familiar with because it happened earlier on today. I'm sitting at the dining table with father and he's reminding me about being mated to Aurthur when I eventually hit the age of twenty one.

The picture doesn't look right, though.

Behind father, and to my left, a shadow hovers. As if willing it to become clearer, I'm shocked when it metamorphoses into a human being. A peeping tom carefully shielded by a pillar. The crease in between my brows increases. I'm still trying to understand what I'm seeing when, like a vortex, I get sucked back to the present.

I snap my eyes open and I'm shocked into silence when instead of the hulking wolves surrounding me, naked men, stand in their place. They're not much older than myself, but what has my eyes almost popping out, is that they're butt naked.

Now. . . I've never seen a naked man in all my eighteen years, except when some of the pack members shift, and even that is short-lived because I always avert my gaze. Staring at the tall, tanned, and muscular men in front of me is a total sensory overload.

I guess it's the same with them because they have a mixture of mild confusion and curiosity, stamped all over their faces as they stare back at me.

There's also something else they're portraying.

Resentment.

But what do they have to be resentful about?

And then it hits me.

I'm in their territory. I'm the enemy here.

A twig snaps, and my eyes shoot open wider - if that is even possible - when they move aside and another naked rogue walks forward. I can't stop staring. He's a head taller than the rest and has a wider build, but he carries himself with a confidence that makes my mouth water.

He moves like a panther. Targeted. Confident. Precise. His gaze never leaves mine. As he comes closer, the heady scent of wood, pine and earth, fills my nostrils. Intoxicating. I breathe him in greedily as I instinctively lean closer.

I catch myself just in time before my treacherous body betrays me.

He comes to a stop in front of me, stormy grey eyes latched onto my face. His eyes seem to drink me in, quite the same way I'm doing to him. Intrigued, I watch as he takes his time to walk his eyes from my sneaker-clad feet, up to my clothes, stopping only when he gets to my face.

His gaze is like a caress as he lazily traces my features with his eyes. Even though I'm fully clothed, I feel totally naked before his scorching gaze. I watch the grey flecks in his eyes change color, mesmerizing me even further. A small scar cuts through his eyebrow, but even that is somehow appealing.

His lips are ruby red, and full, but not too full. His features are chiseled, but not harsh. His body. . . oh, his body is a work of art. Hewed to perfection. He's buff, without being bulky. His stomach is flat, and he's rocking an eight-pack.

"- your name?"

I blink, because . . . damn. His voice is like sap, slowly seeping from a maple. It's low, a bit raspy, like he just woke up.

Who the hell is this guy? Is there some sort of rogue model agency in the forest I'm unaware of?

Now, firsthand, I know the meaning of speechless because I open my mouth but nothing comes out. Not even a squeak.

"Looks like the princess has lost her voice," One of the guys behind says tauntingly.

Hoots sound off all around and I stifle an eye-roll. Irritation flares in the eyes of grey eyes and he raises a finger. The noise immediately seizes, plunging everywhere into an eerie silence.

He leans toward me. He's so close, that his scent surrounds me. In a louder voice, he asks. "What is your name?"

"Layla." The bonds of shock have finally released me and I make sure to move back, putting some distance between us.

"Layla." He rolls my name around his tongue making it sound more like a caress. I'm suddenly jealous of my name. "Weren't you told never to come beyond the copse of trees?"

He points to somewhere behind me but I don't bother looking. Right from when I was old enough to understand, stories have flown left, right, and centre, about rogues and the need to stay far away from the more dense part of the woods.

"I. . . I. . . I'm sorry." I look down at my sneakers, mentally kicking myself for my stuttering.

He cups my chin and lifts my face to his gaze. "You got lost?"

He seems to have cast a spell on me. I feel warm all of a sudden, and sluggish, like I'm wading through water. I'll gladly drown if it means I get to continue experiencing his touch. I stare into his eyes which are now green, and I get lost in their intensity. They swirl with a mystery that is deep and unfathomable. Once again, I'm tongue-tied, and all I can do is nod.

None too soon, his hand leaves my chin, but the warmth and tingles it leaves behind doesn't abate. I think he feels it too, or at least he feels something. His brows crease, and he looks wonderingly at his hand, and then back at me.

He seems to shake himself out of his rumination because he turns and addresses one of the guys. "Kurt, please see to it that Layla gets back home safe and sound."

From one breadth to the next, he walks away until he gets swallowed up by the trees. Once he's gone, I become hyper aware of the biting cold which suddenly sets my teeth chattering.

How do they not feel the cold?

One by one, all the guys leave, except one. Kurt, I believe, and he doesn't look happy to be the one escorting me back. From the ground, he picks up a pair of jeans and slips it on before turning to me. "Come on, Princess."

He reaches out to touch my hand but I sidestep him. "Please keep your hands to yourself, and my name isn't princess."

"Fine, but I didn't see you objecting to having Roman's hand on your face."

Roman.

So that's his name. I keep rolling it around in my head like a mantra as Kurt leads the way back. It's not until I'm close to the edge of the forest that I realize I have a bigger predicament in front of me.

How do I get back into my room without being seen, or father noticing?

As if Kurt hears my unspoken words, he ventures a reply. "I'll talk to one of the guards. He'll get you back in, don't worry."

That's when it dawns on me. I whirl on him so fast, even he is shocked. "You were the one in my room."

He looks away but not before I see the look of alarm on his face. "I don't know what you're talking about."

This time, I won't take no for an answer. I hold on to his hand. "If you have any honor left in you, please tell me why you were in my room.

Way to go, Layla. Rogues definitely do not have any honor.

Just when I think he's going to cave, he shakes off my hand and turns to me with cold eyes. "It's best when you keep your pretty lips shut for your own sake, but if you really want to know, ask Gavin."

And then he turns and slips back into the woods, leaving me standing and staring after him. This dude left me to fend for myself. Really?

And why did he tell me to ask Gavin, our head warrior, of all people?

With my heart in my mouth, I walk away from the covering of the trees and toward the house. I don't get very far when a hand clamps around my waist and another covers my mouth. My eyes widen and my heart thumps wildly in my chest as I struggle.

"Stop struggling, Layla, its me, Gavin." A familiar voice hisses into my ear. "Put this on and follow me, but keep your head down."

I look up to see it is indeed Gavin before looking down at what he thrust into my hand. It's a shift that warriors wear to lounge around in after target practice. I lift grateful eyes to him but he shakes his head. "Don't thank me yet."

He walks off. I quickly slip on the shift and rush after him. A few people stop to chat with him on the way to the house, but I hunch my shoulders, making sure my face isn't visible. Thank the goddess for the hood covering my face.

I recognize the familiar sound and smell of our quarters as we step inside.

"Hey, Gavin." I freeze in my tracks. "Have you seen my sister, Layla? I went to her room but it's locked. I just got back and I'd like to give her some of those sweet treats she loves so much."

I hide behind Gavin's bulky frame. I dare not look up, dare not breathe. If Alexander knows it's me hiding behind Gavin, he'll ask a lot of questions which will definitely open a can of worms.

Gavin grunts out something which seems to satisfy Alexander and he keeps moving. I pass Alexander with my head down, and he doesn't stop me. We make it down the hallway until we reach my bedroom. Gavin inserts the key in the lock and the door is opened. I walk inside quickly, turning round just in time to see Gavin's pitying look.

"I'm sorry, Layla, but I have to. . ."

I nod, because there's no need for words, and then I turn away, just in time to hear the door closing and the lock turning. The exhilaration which had gripped me earlier, fizzles away leaving me feeling empty and hollow. I remove the shift and my clothes before throwing them on the floor and heading to the bathroom.

After taking a long hot shower, I've made up my mind on what to do. Feeling like a coward, I slip under the sheets. Traipsing through the woods has taken it's toll on me as my eyelids become heavy. The last thing I see before drifting off are stormy grey eyes.