Running Through the Ranks

19 - Going Rogue

~*A Week Later*~

I sling my backpack onto my shoulder and sigh. Today is my last day as an Alpha. And I won’t be coming back home till I have regained my rank.

I look around my room take a deep breath.

I turn and leave my room and head down stairs. I’m surprised to find a crowd in the living room waiting for me.

Dad walks up and hugs me. “Just because your leaving doesn’t mean we will forget your birthday.”

I laugh nervously as I realize I had forgotten my own birthday.

Cole walks up and drags me over to where Elizabeth is sitting. They both say ‘happy birthday’ and hug me.

Liz smiles. “So your finally 17.”

I nodd. “Just in time for me to leave too. Just great.”

Cole rolls his eyes and pats my back. “It is great.”

I nodd and hang out for an hour. But when I notice the time I look for my dad.

I find him talking to a few elder members. “Hay Dad, I need to leave before it gets too dark.”

Kyle turns and nodds. “I’m coming. Did you tell everyone good bye?”

I nodd. “I’ve been doing that most of this time.”

Dad nodds and we walk outside.

I put my backpack on and lift my head as my dad looks at me. “Sad to see my daughter leave for the pack. I hope that you will stay safe. Remember that once I strip you, you will have no authority and any other packs will see you only as a rogue. Noone but this pack will remember you as an Alpha.”

I nodd. “I know. I’ll probably try to work up in one of the northern packs and come back once I am closer to my rank.”

Kyle nodds. “I can’t help you any either. You must obey all of your rogue instincts. It’s going to be a hard thing to do.”

I nodd and smile a little. “I’ll try my best.”

My dad frowns and touches my forehead with his palm and begins to speak with his alpha voice. “I, Kyle Lane, revoke the Alpha rank and power from Tiffany Lane. Tiffany Lane has been banished to cycle to the ranks beginning with a rogue’s way of life. Tiffany is hear by stripped of all and any rank till she has earned those rights.”

At my father finishes, I feel a great amount of strength flow out of me. I suddenly feel much weaker.

I hear my father gasp as he watches the Alpha powers leave me as I am stripped. My dad looks at me surprised. “Tiffany, you look like a different person.”

I sigh feeling weak. “Ok. Well I better go before your instincts start to kick in.”

Kyle growls a little but looks at me in surprise. “You better go.”

I nodd and turn and leave the pack.

Once outside of the territory, I feel a little better. I strip and shift into my wolf behind a tree and am shocked to find that my wolf feels much stronger than before.

I walk for a while until a familiar wolf stands in my path.

‘Just because it’s your birthday and your losing your job doesn’t mean that I’m not your mate. I do at least deserve a good bye.’

I huff. ‘Why? You can’t even show up when I’m leaving. You wait till I’m out here. And the way you act I didn’t think you cared.’

Dante shakes his head and looks at me with his wolf’s purple eyes. ‘Everything isn’t fun and games. I wish you luck. If you need a place to stay while you adjust, head northeast. Look for a rock that looks like a giant lizard. About a mile past it there is a small cave. It’s very hard to find so keep your eyes and ears open.’

I nodd and turn northeast and start to walk.

Dante sighs over the link. ‘Take care and stay safe. I’ll be waiting for you when you get back.’

I turn around to look at Dante but he is gone. I shake my head and continue to walk.

After awhile I find the rock that looks like a lizard. It’s about twice my size and has different colors.

I keep walking till I see a large mountain. I run a little till I’m able to look closer. A few feet up there is a very small hole with a little bit of light coming out. I jump up and crawl in till I find myself in a very large cave.

I look around and see that it has been recently lived in. A dog bed on the ground, a table in the middle of the cave, and a pile of male clothes against another wall. In the back I see a generator, a microwave, and a fridge. A lamp lights up the cave in one corner. I set my back pack down and sniff the bed to find it smells like Dante.

My wolf urges me to roll in the scent but I resist. Instead I shift and get some clothes on from my bag.

I look through the fridge to find it filled with stuff for quick meals.

Dante must live here when he isn’t wandering around or working. It would explain why no one can ever find him.

I look around the room for some kind of personal items but besides the clothes there is nothing.

I yawn and shift back into my wolf. I lie in the dog bed and take deep breaths of my mate’s smell. After while I doze off.