Rogue King's Pretend Wife

It's my eighteenth birthday today, and I'm supposed to be joined with my mate.

Cassius Emberwing.

But somehow, I'm watching my mate in the arms of another woman-my best friend, Piper.

Everyone's eyes are on me. They're all looking at me like they can't see me.

"Where's your scent, Aria? We can't sense your wolf."

"A shifter without a scent..."

My heart shatters, and I recall the events that led up to this day. Days before my 18th birthday.

"Rogue!"

Someone's startled voice pulls my attention towards the clanking sounds I can hear coming from the gates.

Guards quickly assemble themselves, like they are preparing for war.

The fear of a rogue in the realm can bring anyone's attention to a stand still.

It's common knowledge in the Shifters realm that all rogues are deemed unworthy of anything more than to simply await their death in the Rogue's camp.

They are stripped of all bearings, and forced into the forest to live away the rest of their days in abject loneliness.

I like to think of it as solitude, away from everything and everyone, but I doubt they see it that way.

A life away from everything you love? Could I live with that?

Some things will always remain a mystery to some people, I presume.

As the youngest omega to the Flynn pack, I am further away from relating to any rogue than physically possible, so how would I know what they can live with?

A guard appears beside me, standing as still as a rod.

"Your grandmother requests that I escort you inside until the rogue has been dealt with, Omega."

I don't recognize the guard, but that's no surprise as we have more guards than I can possibly remember.

My ears prickle with the sound of marching guards. All ready to attack the intruder, the rogue who dared come into our realm.

"Thank you, can I take Remi with me? She's having a bit of withdrawal symptoms, seeing as I may be leaving her soon." I joke lightly.

The little wolf in my arms makes a small sound, like he can understand what I'm saying, even though I doubt he can.

It's white hair, a stark contrast against the green grass it's rolling it's mouth in.

The guard nods and begins to escort me away.

I pick up Remi, cuddle him to myself, and walk alongside him.

In a few days, I will no longer be Aria Flynn, but Aria Emberwing.

An honor in all it's sense, for any omega, especially an omega from the Flynn pack.

My appointed mate, Cassius Emberwing, the Alpha of the Shifters realm is someone I have known since I was a little girl.

And although, we've more or less never attempted being anything more than friends, I doubt it will be too hard to be his mate.

Cassius is kind, and strong, and capable.

At least that's what my grandmother likes to say about him.

I think he's smart too, and sometimes when I look at him, I get the feeling he knows so much, but tries to say too little.

But all of these don't matter, because in a few days time, I will be turning 18-the prime age for an omega to be joined with her mate.

And the age I become the Luna of the Shifters realm.

I follow the guard silently, too silently for a person being ushered to safety, and it takes me a surprising amount of time to realize that I am not being led to my room.

By the time we make the second wrong turn, the guard beside me suddenly appears to stand straighter.

His gait sharper, and more purposeful.

I stop abruptly, "Where is my grandmother?"

Even though I try to make my voice appear even, my breath hitches just a tiny bit, and with his wolf hearing, I know he can hear me.

In the dim lightning, his eyes suddenly glow a funny ember shade.

"My apologies for having to do this omega, I am simply following instructions-"

What?

Danger.

My wolf whispers to me a little too late, just as the guard pulls out his weapon.

My heart stills immediately, and I respond a second too late.

Not Remi though, immediately the guard lounges at me, my little wolf launches himself at him, and scratches his face.

Taken by surprise, he doesn't have the time to react quickly enough, and Remi's attack manages to distract him.

His weapon falls to the ground, and I take a step back, preparing to run immediately Remi returns to my hold.

"Remi, quick."

Then we're both running in the opposite direction. My gown nearly catching in my feet, almost causing me to slip.

The guard reacts even faster this time.

Quickly, he is upon me in hot pursuit, and I almost feel like he might strike me, until I fall into something...

Or someone.

The man in front of me looks haggard, and injured, and his eyes plead for mercy.

"My Luna! Oh, I am so grateful to have found you." His voice is weak, but he manages to bow down towards me.

When I turn towards the guard in pursuit of me, I find no one there.

What? Where did he go?

"What are you doing here?" I ask the man in front of me, but he doesn't answer.

Instead he pulls me towards him. "My Luna, we have to return to the camp. The prophecy. We need-"

He is cut short, when an arrow lunges itself in his shoulders.

I gasp, and turn in the direction of the attack, but I see my grandmother and some of our guards.

My sigh of relief is short-lived when I hear the painful sound coming from the man.

"Grandmother, please he is not a threat. What is happening?"

My mind still can't wrap around the fact that I'd almost been killed mere minutes ago.

Who would want me dead?

"Step away from him, child. He is a rogue."

My eyes widen. A rogue?

But he saved me.

I turn towards the bleeding man. Was he sent to take me away?

I don't understand what is happening. "I'm telling you grandmother, he can't be. He just saved my life."

"Aria, that man is dangerous, step away." My grandmother's eyes are blood shot, and it's like she can't see me.

The rogues are responsible for my parent's death, so I know she despises them, but why isn't she listening to me?

I refuse to let this man die, rogue or not, until I at least speak to him.

"The Prophecy, Luna. The-" This time his words don't break, but something as fast as the speed of light appears before him.

One minute, he's stuttering for an answer, the next minute his head rolls in front of us.

A scream tears from my throat before I can stop it.

He's been killed.

I raise my eyes to meet the perpetrator of this act, and my eyes meet stormy blue ones.

Cassius Emberwing.

Kaidën

He was slaughtered like an animal. A common worthless animal.

"One day, I will kill all of them." Riven spits out bitterly. I can't blame him. He holds in his hands the body of his little brother, lifeless and pale. An open gash in the little boys neck, that reveals the cause of his death.

He was just a little kid, barely 14 years old in the last full moon. But the Shifters realm don't care. He is rogue, so he is deemed dangerous, violent, to be slaughtered without mercy. I rub my hands under my eyes, my muscles aching, but I refuse to rest. I have to make the rounds. See all my people.

Let them know that there is hope. Even though sometimes I wonder if there is. The shadows around me darken as they match my thoughts. We were raided againIt never stops. It's not enough that we've been banished into the forest.

The pack shifters have to remind us of what we are-outlaws that don't deserve any pity. A slaughterhouse to be picked from when they want to go on their justice killings. Anger throbs in my veins at the thought. "One day, Riven. But that day is not today, and you need to get that wound checked. I will call Akira."

He shakes his head before I finish, the tears already dried in his bloodshot eyes. I could never understand the pain he went through, finding his brother's body the way he did, but I know he can't let himself die from his own injuries.

As wolves, we tend to heal from any injury as long as it's not our throats torn out, or head detached, but rogues don't have that luxury. Part of our curse is a slower healing. To be deemed a rogue, is to be deemed worthy of the slow and painful death of injury. We heal from wounds fast, but not as fast as pack shifters.

"I want to kill them all." Riven's hard voice reaches me again.

I pat his shoulder stiffly. "Bury your brother, and treat your wounds, Riven. You need to be alive to take your revenge." My words sound dry even to my own ears, but he knows I mean them. Since become the Alpha of the rogue camp, I have seen the death of my people, and I haven't lost faith, but I have learnt to deal with it.

I can't afford to go into a rage every time my people are killed, not because I don't feel rage, but because I have to lead them. They can only mourn and rage, because I remain levelheaded. "Alpha," a young woman suddenly appears before me, and drops to her knees.

I wave at her to stand, and her eyes barely meet mine. "Clegane is dead. He was slaughtered by the Alpha of the Shifters realm." I turn my head to the body in Riven's arms. Clegane? "What was he doing in the Shifters realm?" I ask.

"Akira, my alpha."

***

"You seem upset, my King."

The scratchy old voice I am familiar with greets my ears as I step into her coven. The wrinkly old woman standing in the middle of the room, with long white hair, grazing the ground turns to me. Her piercing white eyes match her hair, and if I wasn't an alpha, I would have been disconcerted by her stare.

Akira is one of the oldest Omega's among the rogues. Even older than my late father who died fighting the war. She was sentenced as a rogue a long time ago, but she had lived even longer as a pack shifter. I don't remember her offense exactly, but I know it has something to do with her sorcery.

Even now, there is a young man on her table, clad in a thin bare clothe, his eyes closed like he is dead. But I can hear the faint beat of his heart so I know he still lives. Sometimes, I see Akira as the mother figure I didn't have. My father was banished to become a rogue, but my mother was still a pack shifter at that time.

Before his official banishment, he and my mother had me, and left with no choice they had to be separated. Since my father's death, Akira is the only one who treats me like her child, so I try to listen to her words. Other times, I remember why she was banished in the first place. Her obsession with sorcery is rumored to be her downfall.

"Your mate will be the darkness that saves you, or the light that destroys you, my King." She still insists on calling me her King. Her eyes remain on the man she's working on.

"Why did you send Clegane to the Shifters realm?" My voice comes out hard. She must know that because of her, an innocent man is dead.

"I did not send him anywhere. He left of his own accord. I merely gave him an instruction to pass along the way."

An instruction?



Akira always speaks in riddles. Irritation flashes in me. "You will answer my questions directly, Akira. What was he doing there?"

She turns towards me at the hardening of my voice. "He went to pass the prophecy to the Luna."

The Prophecy.

An ancient prophecy the rogue camp has decided to believe in, despite how unlikely it is.

There is no Luna that will come and save the rogues. Happiness isn't waiting for my people in the hands of some powerful omega, but they don't believe this.

"I can see you still don't believe the prophecy, my King."

Of course, I don't.

And I have good reason not to, seeing that Clegane just lost his life. "I have seen things before you were born, and things after even your own children will be born. Your mate holds the key."

My mate.

It's the same story over again. "Now he is dead. What good does this prophecy bring if it only kills my people, Akira. My people die from attack, and now you are handing them over to be killed by pack shifters? I can have you beheaded for this."

She shakes her head wistfully, "Clegane's death is sad, my King, but he had a part to play. I have played my part, and so must the rest of us, for the prophecy to be ful-" A cry of agony rings through the coven, and instantly I'm on alert.

The cry is coming from Akira's inner chambers, and it sounds like a woman in pain. For the first time, I see a look of fear on Akira's face.

"Who is in there?" I ask.

"My King, everyone must play their part." She repeats, and I push past her, and head towards the room.

I don't know what I expect to see, but it isn't a young girl, who looks barely 16 years old, lying in a pool of her own blood. Different weapons have been stabbed into her skin at different points of her body, and her blood is darkened almost to black.

I rush towards the girl. What sorcery is this? Her eyes can barely remain open.

"Al-alpha," she stutters weakly.

"Stay calm, I'll get you help, girl." But she shakes her head and mutters just a single word.

"Sc-scent."

I wouldn't have caught it if I wasn't leaning close to her.

That's all she manages to say, before she slumps.

Aria

"Grandmother, he killed an innocent man."

I flare my hands in frustration. Why does nobody understand this? A man who saved my life was just brutally murdered, and my grandmother acts like it's just another day in the Flynn pack.

"Don't be silly, Aria. He was a rogue. You don't understand how violent they can be!" She answers back firmly.

What I don't understand is how my grandmother can consent to such cruelty.

All my life, I've been sheltered and protected. Kept from any harm.

I never even knew rogues could come in here.

I know a rogue killed my parents when I was too little to understand what had been going on, but grandmother raised me to care, to show compassion.

She's always claimed that's the role of a Luna, so why is she ignoring all her teachings to justify unlawful death?

"I can't believe you. And Cassius had no right! He attacked the Flynn pack. He was with me!" I yell back without thinking, and I hear the sound before I process what she's done.

The force of the slap has my head hanging left for a second.

My grandmother has never hit me before. This...

"Aria," she sighs, and slumps her shoulder. "My child, I love you more than anything, and when I saw you with-I thought-" she breaks down.

I hate seeing my grandmother weak, or in tears. I know she worries for me.

That's why she acted the way she did yesterday, but I still can't understand it.

I reach out for her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. Please forgive me, grandmother."

She holds me away for a while, tucks my pale blonde hair behind my ear, and cups my face.

"No, you didn't need to see that, Aria. I will speak to Cassius about what he did. He shouldn't have done that in front of you."

I nod at her words, feeling a little lightheaded about the whole thing.

"But you have to understand that you are his mate, Aria. He worries for you just as I do. Please do not hold his rash judgement against him. I'm sure he was just as scared seeing you with a rogue."

I tuck my chin closer to her. "I understand."

She wipes her eyes, "Alright. Why don't you go spend some time with Piper, hm? You know you won't be seeing each other for a while when you're mated, child."

My cheeks burn red at this. I forgot that in a little while, I'll be leaving my pack, and joining Cassius.

Cassius, who beheaded a man right in front of me.

The memory still makes me shudder, and my grandmother pats my back softly, but I oblige, and go to my best friend.

Piper is walking rather briskly, a basket in one hand, and a knife in another. Her auburn hair dances in the wind, as she approaches me, and I smile.

"Aria," she drops the basket, and envelopes me in a hug. "Oh, dear goddess. I thought you were hurt. The pack's been buzzing with news of your near abduction. I was so worried."

I let her pat my hair as she holds me. Ever since grandmother found Piper, an almost starved child at the pack borders, we've been best friends since forever.

She's the one person who's always been able to understand and speak to me like a person.

I don't know what I'd do when I have to leave her here.

A year ago Piper found her mate, buy she doesn't like to talk about it, and from what I hear-although it's just baseless rumors, he is a rogue.

Piper didn't reject him because the pain might be too much, but she doesn't want to have anything to do with him.

I sympathize with her, and understand why she'd rather stay here.

I can't imagine Piper being hounded like that man, and killed for being a rogue. The thought leaves a sour taste in my tongue.

"I was with grandmother. Thanks." I reply weakly,

"What is it? I just spoke to Cassius, and he couldn't stop talking about how quickly he slayed the rogue. Oh, you must be so in love with him now, aren't you?" She speaks with stars in her eyes.

In love with him?

I'm still upset he even did that, but I don't want to spoil my mood by talking about it.

"The rogue saved my life, Piper. I owe him. He shouldn't be dead." Is all I say, and Piper peers at me intently like she's trying to read my thoughts.

"This has put you in a really bad mood, hasn't it? Come, let's have breakfast together. Grandmother says you haven't had anything to eat since yesterday." She whispers in a soothing tone.

I follow her, up into the dining rooms, and just as we're about to enter, I hear laughter coming from inside.

"You should have seen her with the Alpha. I've never seen anyone more desperate, Eliana. She acts like he doesn't have a mate."

Those words have Piper freezing beside me, as we both pause in our tracks.

Who are they talking about?

I recognize Rachel's voice, and she's talking to Eliana?

"She forgets that being best friends with the future Luna doesn't make her anything more than a pitiful shifter, with no mate." Eliana replies.

Are they? Piper?

My knuckles tighten in annoyance.

Beside me, Piper's face has lost all color except the twin spots of red on each cheeks.

I can't tell if she's furious or embarrassed. Probably both.

"A rogue." Rachel confirms, and I lose it.

"Don't you have better things to do than sit down here, and gossip all day?" I barge in harshly.

Piper doesn't follow me inside, and both girls stand up so quickly they nearly knock themselves down.

"I'm sorry, Aria." They reply in unison, their heads held down.

They should be apologizing to Piper, not me.

"The person you should be apologizing to isn't me." I respond, with annoyance, but when I look outside, I don't see Piper there.

"We're very sorry. We'll apologize to her." They say quickly, and leave before I can say another word.

***

"Are you sure this is safe, Piper?" I ask, stumbling over rocks as I trudge up beside her.

After those gossipy girls left, it took me nearly an hour to find Piper, and when I did, thankfully she looked a little better.

When I tried to apologize for what they said, she just shut it down, and said she was fine.

Of course, I doubt she's actually fine.

No one deserves to be insulted like that, but I didn't want to offend her by bringing it up again.

I then got distracted when she started talking about my birthday celebration, and all the preparations that are being made for it.

It's in three days, and I feel more nervous than excited, so like a wonderful best friend, Piper offered to take me for a walk.

Compared to me, Piper is a lot more versatile in things in the pack.

Sometimes she trains with the guards, and other times she helps out doing anything and everything.

So grandmother trusts her to keep me safe most of the time, which is the only reason she even lets me out of her sight.

"This is the only chance you have to see this beautiful place I want to show you, Aria. You don't want to back out now, do you?" She teases me playfully.

I roll my eyes. "I'm not dying. I can always come back and hang out with you." I know I'll miss the Flynn pack terribly.

She smiles. "I know, but I really want to show you this place now. I found it while on a walk, and it's so beautiful."

The distant sound of a wolf howling nearly freezes me in my tracks, but when I turn to Piper, we both burst into laughter.

I take another small step into the direction of the thicker part of the forest, my eyes straight ahead.

"Okay, fine. Only because you're my best friend, and I love you so much. And just so you know, I don't care what those girls were saying earlier today. I don't think you're pitiful, Piper. I think you're-"

Piper cuts me off. "What was that?" From the dim moon light, I catch a frightened look on her face.

"What was what?" I ask carefully.

"That sound just now, it sounded like-" That's all I hear, before something drags Piper down the ground.

I stumble back in panic, my hand pressed firmly over my lips to conceal my scream.

"Piper?" I call out carefully.

"Piper, are you-agh!" Something rips me off the ground, and presses an awful smelling substance under my nose.

That's the last thing I remember, before everything goes black.