The Rogue Alpha ✔️✅ [Under Edit 5/17/22]

II

[Image: Baine "Bear" SaberTooth]
Warning: suicide attempt

It had been three months since Ric was rejected and exiled. She had traveled thousands of miles from WhiteFang as she avoided packs and other rogues while fighting to avoid becoming Feral. Ferals werewolves who had no pack or mate. They became rabid, instinct-based creatures incapable of conscious thought or speech. Mindless, ruthless machines that were only good at slaughtering whatever they wanted.

She had finally decided it was better to end her life on her own terms than to succumb. She sat on the pebbled beach of a lake, staring over the water, as she waited for the moon the rise. She wanted to ensure she gave herself to the Goddess in her sacrifice.

She left a note pinned under a rock with an explanation for anyone who found her, if anyone did. She was several miles from the nearest pack so it was doubtful that her body would be found. She thought it fitting to die and rot alone as she had in lived.

As the moon finally rose over the tree tops, the she-wolf pulled a silver ceremonial dagger from her bag. She could see her reflection on the blade and cringed. Her hair, once straight and shiny, now hung in matted clumps; dirt, muck, and things she didn't want to think of had hidden the vibrant red strands in shades of brown. Grey eyes once soft and open were now closed, icy, and apathetic. It had only taken twelve weeks for the innocent she-wolf to become a hardened warrior. An insignificant amount of time given how long wolves lived.

She shook the depressive thoughts away and looked back up at the moon. Goddess, she thought. Please, accept my sacrifice and take my soul back into your loving arms.

As she went to drag the knife edge down her arm, noises of a nearby attack reached her ears. She stood quickly and ran towards the snarls and growls. On the edge of falling to Feral, her instincts rode her to seek the fight and establish herself as the most powerful.

Eight wolves were attacking another; he was twice their size but their numbers overcame his strength. Before she could comprehend what she was doing, she leapt into the fray and started slashing wolves with her dagger. Three were slain by her dagger before her presence was noticed. The scuffle was over quickly after that and the aggressors were dead in pools of their own blood – and some of hers and the massive wolf's.

Ric watched the beast carefully as she slowly backed away from him. He wasn't acting Feral, or aggressive, but she wouldn't take a chance with a wounded animal. Even one capable of human intelligence.

The giant wolf kept Ric in his line of sight as he lowered his body onto the ground. He was bleeding profusely from several injuries and quickly losing strength. It wouldn't be long before he was too weak to defend himself. When he finally lost consciousness, he lost his hold on his beast form.

Ric raced back to the lake and grabbed up her pack before she returned to the unconscious beast - now man. Even in skin, he was ridiculously large. When standing, he would tower over Ric by at least a foot and a half. She cataloged his appearance as she treated his injuries; blonde hair, blue eyes, huge, and clearly strong.

It took two days for him to regain consciousness. Treating him gave Rica new sense of purpose, a much needed drive to keep herself from losing herself to the approaching Feral state. He took two weeks before he told her his name – Baine. It took another four months before there was enough trust for them to form a tentative alliance and form a weak Pack Bond. Neither would admit being grateful to not be alone anymore, their pride keeping the secret buried.

Over the next few years, more Rogues joined them. Ric gathered the MateLess and Rejected Rogues into a Pack. Her strength of will, smarts, and wits kept them all from becoming Feral. Baine became her Beta. Another wounded stray, Nix, became her gamma. The three formed a triad polycule as they formed new traditions based on old, and held a stable pack of otherwise unstable wolves.

[Edited: 5/17//22]