She-wolves of the Rogue Pack

“Right, ladies!” Serena called out. “Our Luna needs you out on patrol tonight, so report anything suspicious, anyone you don’t recognise.” Lucille sat back in her armchair, pinching the bridge of her nose as the beginnings of a headache tickled at the edges of her mind. “Luna, if you need to rest, I can handle things from here,” Serena suggested, her tone laced with concern. She sat at her Luna’s feet, her eyes flicking from Lucille’s gaze to the fresh mark on her shoulder and the surrounding bruises. Lucille placed a gentle finger under her friend’s chin, offering a subtle smile. I’m fine, she told her through the mind-link.

The mind-link was a powerful tool within packs, enabling them to communicate telepathically, keeping conversations private and secure. Typically, rogues forfeited this ability, as it required the close-knit connection of a pack, which most rogues lacked as stray wolves roaming alone. Another benefit to the wolves in her pack thanks to Joseph bringing them together. He was rough with you again. I don’t like it, Serena linked back, her thoughts tinged with concern and a hint of defiance.

Calm down, Serena. I didn’t do anything I didn’t want to, Lucille replied, you know what he’s like; he enjoys things a bit rough.

You’re not a damn chew toy! Serena blurted, her sudden anger surprising Lucille, who felt a moment of shock at her friend’s boldness. Then, she began to laugh. The other women glanced at her in confusion as Serena stood up, arms crossed and hip cocked, giving Lucille an annoyed glare. “It’s not funny, Lucille,” she stated firmly. Lucille raised her hands in apology.“I know, I know. I’m sorry, Serena. It’s just… sometimes, I forget how blunt you can be.”

“You may be my Luna, but he isn’t my—”

“Do not finish that sentence,” Lucille ordered, her voice low and firm, her green eyes bearing down on her friend with an intense glare. Serena broke the eye contact, bowing her head in submission. Lucille then looked around at the other women in the room, who also lowered their heads. The atmosphere suddenly felt thick and heavy.“Don’t bow your heads to me,” she addressed them, “I’ll never punish you for your thoughts. It’s easy to have opinions about particular… individuals, especially with the hardships we face.” She paused, sweeping her gaze over the room. “But voicing those thoughts can see you punished. If someone hears you, they’ll go straight to your Alpha, whispering words of ‘defiance’ in his ear. I’ll protect you if I can, but it also means you must choose your words carefully.”Even if your Alpha is a prick, she added via the mind-link to them all. Laughter erupted among the women, and Lucille’s gaze softened as she looked at them, her heart swelling with affection. No matter what anyone said, this was her true pack. For a female in this rogue pack, life meant constant humiliation and the loss of autonomy. Those who joined later in life struggled with the change, forced to silence their voices and surrender their independence. Some, however, accepted this as a fair trade-off to belong to something bigger again, usually those already with mates. And then, there were women like Serena.

Lucille glanced over at her plucky friend. Serena was petite, curvaceous, and full of fire. She had joined the pack a few years back when she found her mate, Tristan—Joseph’s half-brother and the pack’s Gamma, arguably the only decent male here. From the start, Serena was vocal about her disapproval of Joseph’s leadership and had even endured a beating for it, but she stayed. She couldn’t leave, not when it meant abandoning her mate and her Luna. Lucille admired Serena’s strength and often envied her defiant spirit.

She let her gaze travel around the room again, stopping when she noticed a fresh face among the women. “You,” she said, and the other women followed her gaze to the young female sitting nervously amongst them. “Come here.”The young girl approached, her fingers fumbling together, her eyes fixed on the floor. Lucille observed her, noting how young she looked.“How old are you?” she asked.

“I turned eighteen yesterday, Luna,” the girl replied quietly. Lucille’s eyes softened with compassion, understanding the ordeal she would have endured. When a she-wolf turned eighteen, her mate bond activated, giving her a chance to find her fated mate. But here, it meant being locked in a room with all the unmated males. If a mate bond was sensed, the mate would come forward and publicly claim her, signifying to all that she was taken. If no mate appeared, it was left to the males to potentially fight over her and forcefully claim her through a chosen bond. Failing that, she joined the other unmated females—Lucille’s group. These women served the pack as spies and, occasionally, entertainment for guests, using their bodies or wits to gather information.“You can sit out tonight,” Lucille told her. “What’s your name?”

“Millie,” the girl replied, voice barely above a whisper.

“Heather, you’ll sit out tonight too. I want you to fill Millie in on how things work here.” Heather, a young woman with auburn hair, stepped forward and offered Millie a reassuring smile .“As for the rest of you, you’ve heard Serena. Only go as far as you’re comfortable. If you encounter an unfamiliar wolf, gather information through whatever means you’re comfortable with. Be smart, and don’t let on what you’re up to. If at any point you feel unsafe, get out. If you can’t, mind-link Serena or me, and we’ll help you.” Serena nodded in agreement. As a mated female, she was exempt from patrolling but served as Lucille’s right hand, staying behind to monitor and support the others through the night. Should anything go wrong, she would alert the pack, ensuring help arrived quickly.

Lucille was the only other mated female in the group, claimed as soon as the clock struck midnight on her eighteenth birthday. Joseph had always wanted her and had told her she was his mate from the moment he turned eighteen. When the time came for the bond to click into place for her, he had not hesitated to mark her. However, she was not permitted to mark him back. Wolves are known to go crazy over the mate bond, and should their mates be in danger, they would drop everything to protect them. Joseph saw this as a sign of weakness and therefore didn't allow the bond to be completed, so as not to distract him from focusing on the pack. However, the mark on her shoulder was there to ensure that everyone knew she had a mate and wouldn't dare to consider trying to claim her. He even went as far as refreshing the mark, because at its freshest, it was raw and visible.

Lucille absently rubbed the fresh bite mark, feeling the weight of its significance.“Are you working tonight as well?” Serena asked, drawing her attention back.

“Yes. I can’t send everyone else into a potentially dangerous situation and stay safely at home,” Lucille replied.

“But you know how Joseph gets when you ‘work,’” Serena said, adding air quotes with her fingers.

“True, but I’m the best at what I do. There’s no avoiding it.”

“Fine, but same rule applies. If you run into trouble, you call me.” Lucille nodded, grateful for her friend’s concern. She sat back, watching the women as they engaged in idle chatter, relaxing in the one place they could be themselves, away from the scrutiny of men. She wished she could keep them safe always, especially the young girls who would one day endure the same fate. Her heart ached as she cursed herself for her own helplessness. One day, she vowed silently, I’ll find a way to free us all from this life.