Chapter 11. Roman

My body was pressed against something warm. It felt hard but at the same time, soft in a good way.

I opened my eyes slowly to realise I was in one the rooms in my house. When I turned to see what the hot feeling leaned against me was, I was a little shaken to see Roman fast asleep.

He had his arm around my waist with his palm resting on my stomach. More so, he was shirtless.

I got instant gitters.

I had on a camisole but the heat on his torso penetrated it, making me feel it all. I wondered though, what he was doing in my bed....

I slowly moved his hand away in an attempt to get away from him without waking him but the movement got him awake. I rolled my eyes in irritation.

"May I know why you are in my bed Roman?" I asked him feeling a little embarassed about the situation I found myself in.

But before he could respond, Otis walked in like he had been waiting at the door.

"Alpha. You're awake." He said softly.

"What is he doing here?" I reprimanded him.

"The doctor said you needed to stay warm, I insisted on this method." Roman answered in the place of Otis giving me a shrug like it was nothing.

I growled.

"Alpha, he told me he was your mate. I couldn't do anything to stop him." Otis came to his on rescue, except his words were apologetic.

"Pup, its alright. You don't need to explain yourself." Roman said trying to hold off a giggle.

"Otis here is my mega. A litte respect for him will be highly appreciated." I said to him in a tone of offence on behalf of Otis.

"I apologize." Roman said sounding sincere.

"I mean no offence or intrusion alpha but what happened today? Why did you disappear like that?" Otis asked sounding worried.

"Oh Otis it's a long story. I need beta Mesalla here to explain it all." I replied.

He nodded immediately and excused himself, obviously giving privacy to Roman and I.

"You're alive." I said almost to myself with a smile. "She was right."

"Yes I am." He looked like he appreciated my smile. "Who is she?"He asked curiously.

Before I could answer, I heard my front door slam open. That was unusual.

Both Roman and I stood wondering what it was.

I smelt Mesalla and realised he must have heard from Otis that I was back.

And with Roman.

"It's my beta. Come with me." I said to Roman already walking out of the room. I heard his footsteps follow me.

Immediately I reached the lounge Mesalla ran towards me and crushed me into his chest. "I have been so worried about you. What happened?" He asked while caressing me and sniffing my hair to ease his wolf.

Roman standing behind me growled loudly. So loud it caught mine and Mesalla's attention. I sighed. This was just what I needed, a jealous fit.

"Don't..." Roman started when I rushed to his side and punched him in his stomach to stop him from talking nonsense. He groaned.

"What is he doing here?" Mesalla asked genuinely confused. "And why doesn't he have a shirt on?" His face held an expression of disgust. More so, Mesalla was now in a flare of anger, I could smell it all over him.

He tried to approach Roman when I stood in front of him and placed my hand on his chest.

"We have bigger problems now." I said looking into his eyes.

"What is he doing in our territory alpha?" He asked still clearly angry. And now, it sounded like he was shouting at me.

"Don't speak to your alpha in that tone." Otis said. I didn't see him come in.

"Who do you think you are to say that to me?" Mesalla countered Otis in a flare.

"He is right. You will not speak to me in that tone. You need to show respect." I started. "Cancel all operations against Roman's pack. We need to move to more important things." I finished.

"Operations against my pack?" Roman asked in absolute shock. "When did that become a thing Arlene?" It almost sounded like a joke.

I scoffed and chose not to answer.

"That's the thing, we didn't go far with them. His boundaries were covered with rogues back to back. It's like he knew about the attack, except it wasn't his people protecting him, it was rogues." Mesalla explained sounding even more confused.

"What rogues?" Roman asked looking stunned at Mesalla's explanation.

"You tell me?" Mesalla shouted. "Is that why you are here? To trap Arlene? Because if that's it I am personally killing you, today!" He was angry, and serious.

Roman laughed, like what Mesalla had said was a joke, and not longer than a minute, his expression was serious. "I don't appreciate your tone pup."

Mesalla was now in front of him, ready to fight him when I yelled out.

"Shut up! Both of you." The words came out in an alpha tone and it seemed to work because the silence grew in. But the tension was still surrounding the room, habouring angry were's.

But it wasn't just us, the outside of my house had pack members. All standing around like they were getting ready for anything.

Either the argument between Roman and Mes was loud or Mes mindlinked them to inform them that their arch enemy was in his full view because right then, his face was tensed.

"She did it. With her rogues of course." I said facing Mesalla but not really looking at him.

"Who did what Arlene? I am really confused right now." He said really looking it.

"Nali. She is the one who had me today." I answered clearing up all their unanswered questions.

The room went silent.

We had been waiting for this day as a pack, but I generally didn't think it would come with my father now dead. That is who Nali wanted.

"Who is Nali?" Roman asked breaking the silence and now the only wearing a confused explanation.

"I need to explain that to you in private. We have much to talk about." I said to him hoping to calm his confusion.

Mesalla growled and in an instant was by my side trying to hold me close to him in a possessive manner.

Roman growled too, but louder. His alpha growl penetrated the whole room and I saw Mesalla flinch.

"Don't touch her." Roman stated angrily.

"I have every reason to. Do you?" Mesalla said looking Roman in the eyes.

Before things got out of hand and the truth spilled, I immediately pulled myself out of Mesalla's grip, went forward and grabbed Roman's arm and used all my strenght to drag him to the home office. I could hear relentless footsetps follow but once we were in the room I shut the door and locked it.

Roman looked surprised.

"It's not time to argue with my beta. We need to talk." I told him.

"Good. Because I need to know what in the hell is going on."

"Your father has an enemy who wants him dead. And you too." He tensed at my words.

I went on anyway. "Her name is Nali. She and your father met at a mixed pack party years ago. They had an attraction, mated and weeks later she discovered she was pregnant with his pup. She told him, and he relunctantly accepted responsibility. But what she didn't know was that he was actually an alpha with a luna and had child. By the time it came to her knowledge, he had closed all ties with her and abandoned her and their pup and she was never to be let on his land."

Roman seemed so stunned by all I said. He really was clueless about it.

"She was devastated for a long time. But she found her mate after she had child, that happened to be my father and yet even then, luck was not on her side." I paused.

"Well?" Roman asked anxiously.

I went on and explained to him in a precise manner from what she had told me and from what my father had told me. By the time I was done, he was seated on the leather couch in the office looking like he needed air.

"She has been building her pack for over a decade. She has been everywhere and she has met every possible rogue you can ever think of that she could oppress." I explained to him.

"But rogues hate being led. That is why they are rogues. To stay away from leadership." He said to me seeming unsure of himself as he spoke.

"I know. But for some reason, she has managed to keep these together. Under her leadership. All she wants them for is to fight for her against what they despise the most, packs." I finished.

"How many?" He asked worriedly.

"700 I think. And she won't back down, because she insisted that she will be getting more of them." I couldn't help but shudder when I remembered how serious she was when she told me that she would kill us using her rogues.

"I have a good 300 in my pack. What are your numbers?" I asked him.

"About 400." He said thoughtfully.

"We don't match against her. That woman is desperate and vengeful. She won't stop. Not anytime soon." I said to him trying to make him understand what situation we were in.

"We can take her. I know we can." He looked at me with a hopeful expression.

"No. Not all our pack members are even fighters. So how can we?" I asked him worriedly.

"Neither are all her pack members fighters." He made a good point. "Plus, we can get help from other packs" He finished.

I shook my head. "Most packs would never want to fight another packs battles. It personal war. I can assure you that."

"Now what?" Roman said when suddenly the office door banged open, leaving a broken handle on the ground.