Chapter 5 - Articus

He watched her walk away, her words echoing in his head. The disgust in her voice, the hurt in her eyes—it was all seared into his memory. He'd fucked up royally. And he had no idea how to fix it.

The door swung shut behind her, attracting more than a few eyes. He was left sitting there, feeling like the world's biggest idiot. How could he have been so blind? So ignorant?

He took a long swig of his drink, wincing at the burn. She wasn't lying about the kick. It was almost as potent as the guilt churning in his gut.

"Trouble in paradise?" Cassius slid into the seat across from him, eyebrow raised. “I was watching. I honestly thought you were about to score. But that ending? Sheesh.”

He grunted, not in the mood for his teasing. "I messed up."

"Yeah, I gathered that much," Cassius said, glancing at the door Wren had disappeared through. "What did you do?"

Articus explained, haltingly, about their conversation. About his stupid, thoughtless words. With each sentence, Cassius's expression grew more pained.

"Shit, Art," he sighed when Articus finished. "You really put your foot in it, didn't you?"

"I know," Articus groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "I didn't mean to... I just never thought..."

"That's the problem," Cassius said, his voice unusually serious. "None of us ever think about it. We're too comfortable in our packs, too used to seeing rogues as the enemy."

Articus looked up at him, surprised. "You sound like you've given this some thought."

He shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "It's different over here. You can't avoid rogues. You have to learn to coexist, or you'll spend your whole life fighting."

His words made Articus feel even worse. Here he was, supposedly to learn about this side of the mountain, and he'd already managed to alienate someone because of his prejudices.

"I need to apologize," he said, standing up abruptly. "I can't leave things like this."

Cassius grabbed his arm. "Whoa, slow down there. Give her some time to cool off. Trust me, chasing after an angry woman rarely ends well."

Articus hesitated, his eyes drawn back to Wren. Even from across the room, he could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she was deliberately not looking in their direction. Reluctantly, he sat back down.

"You're right," he admitted. "But I can't just let it go. I need to make this right."

Cassius nodded. "And you will. Tomorrow. For now, let's talk about why you're really here."

Articus tore his gaze away from Wren, forcing himself to focus on Cassius. "Right. The situation on this side of the mountain. You mentioned things were... tense."

Cassius snorted. "That's putting it mildly. We're sitting on a powder keg, Art. The rogues are getting restless, the smaller packs are pushing boundaries, and there are outside forces looking to take advantage of the chaos."

As Cassius filled him in on the intricacies of Dark Side politics, Articus found his mind wandering back to Wren. He couldn't help but wonder about her life. What had it been like, growing up as a rogue? How had she ended up working in this bar? Did she have family, friends, a pack of her own?

He was pulled from his thoughts by Cassius snapping his fingers in front of his face. "Earth to Articus. You still with me?"

"Sorry," Articus muttered, shaking his head. "It's just... a lot to take in."

Cassius's expression softened. "She really got to you, huh?"

Articus didn't bother denying it. "I've never met anyone like her. The way she stood up to me, called me out on my bullshit... And the way she looks..." He trailed off, his eyes once again seeking her out in the crowded bar.

Cassius chuckled. "Well, well. The mighty Alpha of the White Moon pack, brought low by a rogue waitress. Who would've thought?"

Articus shot him a glare, but there was no real heat behind it. "It's not funny, Cass. I really screwed up. And now... I don't know. I can't stop thinking about her."

"Sounds like you might have found your mate," Cassius said, his tone surprisingly serious.

Articus's head snapped back to Cassius. "What? No, that's... that's impossible. She's a rogue, I'm an Alpha. It doesn't work like that."

Cassius raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't it? The Moon works in mysterious ways, Art. Maybe this is exactly what both of you need."

Articus sat back, his mind reeling. Could it be true? Could Wren be his mate? The idea was both thrilling and terrifying.

"Look," Cassius said, standing up. "It's getting late, and we've got a big day tomorrow. Why don't we head back to the estate? You can come back and apologize to your girl in the morning."

Articus nodded, rising to his feet. As they made their way to the exit, he couldn't help but take one last look at Wren. She was laughing at something another customer had said, her face lit up with genuine mirth. The sight made his heart ache.

As they stepped out into the cool night air, Articus made a silent vow. He would come back tomorrow. He would apologize, and if she'd let him, he'd spend as long as it took making it up to her. He'd learn about her world, about the struggles rogues faced. He'd challenge everything he thought he knew.

Climbing into Cassius's car, Articus's mind was made up. No matter what, he had to see her again. He had to make things right.

"I have to apologize," he murmured as Cassius started the engine. "I must see her tomorrow."

As they drove off into the night, Articus's thoughts remained fixed on the beautiful waitress with light brown hair and fierce hazel eyes. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.