2

"Ready to talk, rogue?" Marcus asked, a sneer on his face.

He spat out 'rogue' as if it was poison. Yesterday or the other day, I learned, from the Alphas' introduction---more like an interrogation as he hadn't said his name---that Marcus was the pack's resident Beta and my interrogator.

I remained silent, desperately trying to keep a lock on my emotions, and my hair curtained my face. My stomach was empty. The hunger pangs becoming uncomfortable. The time I've been here was enough to allow my stomach to adjust to having more food after years of barely eating anything for a while. It was better than the weeks I'd gone without eating before. After all, Elijah wanted his 'breeder' to beg for food or give in and have sex with one of his followers.

To keep me from dying of starvation, he blended everything and forced it down my throat when it became necessary to do so.

"Answer me, you dirty piece of scum," Marcus growled, backhanding me with enough force that my head whipped to the side. I bit my tongue to hold back the growl and snarl that wanted to escape my lips. My long hair covered the brief scowl that passed over my face before vanishing.

'This Beta dares to lay a hand on us.'

I ignored Sim's angry ranting, the alpha in us wishing to tear apart the one disrespecting him. However, to do anything now would be unwise.

'Why don't you say anything? If they knew the truth-'

'They wouldn't believe me, that's why. A rogue claiming to be a former soon-to-be alpha. They'd laugh in my face.'

'You don't know that. Besides, our mate is-'

A blow to my stomach broke the connection between Sim and me, and I hunched over, gagging. Bile threatened to rise, but I swallowed the feeling down and shook back my hair. Raising my head, I knew by the nervous look on his face that my eyes flashed, Sim having risen to the front before receding.

"What, rogue? Think you're strong enough to challenge me," Marcus barked a mocking chuckle, and Sim growled. "You'd be dead-"

'Simon, I don't think I can take more of this. He's seriously pissing me off.'

'We have to, Sim. There's no other-'

Stinging pain on my cheek interrupted our connection again as Marcus growled out, "listen when someone's talking to you, mangy rogue."

Sim snapped, overpowering me, bearing our teeth and expelling our weak Alpha power.

"Little punk, enough of this. Bring me your Head Alpha," Sim growled, the sound rough, and I winced at the soreness of my throat. I sighed mentally and knew that this wouldn't end well.

Marcus was wide-eyed, mouth agape, and body tense. He was trying to fight against the Alpha Command, and I knew he was going to. We were weak, body unhealthy, and mentally drained. Our Command lacked power. Anyone could resist us in this state. Had we been a Head Alpha, fighting against an Alpha Command would've been extremely painful.

"Our Head Alpha doesn't waste his time on trash," Marcus gritted. His body relaxed a second later, and he began to walk away. "You shouldn't have done that, rogue."

Flinching, I looked away, and Sim finally quieted down. The tell-tale slam of a door confirmed that Marcus was gone, and I sighed out loud this time.

"Great Sim," I huffed, closing my eyes and leaning my head back to face the ceiling. "Now, we're dead. After surviving in that hell, we'll die by the hands of our 'saviors.' Isn't that just terrific."

'Sorry, Simon. I couldn't help it. His disrespect was too much.'

"We're not Head Alpha anymore, Sim," I said, feeling tired. "Actually, we never became Head Alpha since dad died before he could transfer the power completely. You know this."

'Yeah.'

My heart ached at the pulse of sadness that echoed through me from him.

"I'm sorry, I was too weak, Sim," I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. "I wasn't able to save any-."

'Wrong,' Sim growled at me, and I stopped, 'we were too weak. We're one in the same, Simon, don't forget that.'

"Never," I whispered, feeling the tear that managed to escape my eye trail down my cheek. "It's always going to be us, you and me, Sim. Forever and always."

Forever and always, Simon, Sim echoed back, and I closed my eyes, darkness claiming my consciousness.

~

"Wake up, rogue,"

I groaned, a yawn pulling free and cracking my jaw. I blinked, focusing on the blurry figure standing before me as my sight righted itself. I inhaled sharply, the heavenly smell from before wafting off the man in front of me.

The man had dark brown hair and grey eyes. A strong jaw and high cheekbones gave him a strong appearance. He wore a form-fitting shirt with jeans that hung low on his waist. His gaze was cold, but there seemed to be a hint of curiosity behind his eyes.

"Well, you wanted to see me. What do you want?" the other asked. I gulped in fear. So, this man was the Head Alpha. His voice created shivers that traveled down my spine just like the day before. Why did he affect me so much?

Mate.

I felt my eyes widen and stared at the man before me with disbelief. Then, my face began to grow hot, and I looked down at myself, hair falling around my head. The rags weren't pretty, but they hid the essential parts, and I sighed in relief.

"Sorry," I cleared my throat, the word coming out hoarse and rough, a testament to how unpracticed my vocals were. "My wolf overpowered me. Your Beta was disrespecting the status I-."

"What 'status'? Rogues don't have statuses," he sneered, frown marring his handsome features. "Unless you were talking about when you used to be in a pack. Before you got kicked out. Or maybe you even ran away like a coward-"

"You don't know what you're talking about," I snapped, fury replacing the nervousness I had at having my mate in front of me. Sim hovered beneath the surface, pissed that our mate was like Marcus. Hurt that he thought that way about me, but it was replaced by shame because he was right. Though not in the way he was thinking.

"Don't speak to me on the same level, filth," he growled out, sending out Head Alpha pheromones that did little more than poke at me. Also, it served as an enhancer to his scent, and I glanced down at my lap, where my member stirred in interest for the first time. I closed my eyes, thinking about stuff that would ward off my arousal, and felt the feeling wilt away.

"I meant no disrespect, Alpha," I said, opening my eyes and keeping them down. Sim growled, snarling with distaste that he had to submit to another Alpha, even if it was his mate. I clenched my jaw as Sim threatened to come out.

'Don't Sim.'

'I can't allow such disrespect from my mate.'

'I know, but he might not realize that we're mates. The scent of multiple rogues clings to us, and our scent doesn't help. Even if he did know, I doubt he'd accept us with how disgusting we are.'

'He's ours, and he will, even if I have to-'

"Fuck!" I cursed, pain radiating from my left cheek as my head snapped to the side. My hair was in my face, and I tried to move it out of the way. I blinked back the water that gathered in my eyes from the sting and looked in front of me.

My heart stopped, the image of my mate burned into my memory, and his furious look turned surprised. Sim growled loudly, causing it to rumble out of my vocals. He pushed forward, shoving me to the back, and I watched as he snapped at our mate.

"Nobody disrespects us, not even you, mate," he angrily barked. I groaned and knew I'd have to deal with the repercussions again.

But the priceless look on our mate's face was worth it.