Alpha Hunter

Chapter 6

Reyna Cruz:

"Man, you seemed to have a great life," the man inspected the diamond ring I handed him, "What happened? How did you fall from grace?" he quipped while counting the dollars.

I'd made the tough decision to pawn my wedding ring since it had been two days, and I didn't even have a place to stay. I had spent the night in a park until the rogue community caught wind of it and expelled me. They weren't particularly welcoming to newcomers.

"Here! But remember, you can't come back asking for this ring," he suddenly pulled the money back, giving me one last chance to reconsider my decision.

"I won't, I won't go back to him—I mean for the ring," I took a deep breath and noticed him observing the tears that threatened to well up in my eyes. I quickly blinked them away and turned my head to the side.

Hunter hadn't allowed me to take anything when he expelled me. I was hungry, and so was my baby. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"Okay!" the man shrugged and handed me the money.

The ring was actually worth more than what he had given me, but I didn't complain. The world of the rogues was a strange one. There was little honesty or empathy in this territory.

At least I was fortunate enough to have something to sell, as Hunter had made sure I was left with nothing after he rejected me.

"Thank you!" I whispered, tucking the money into my dress and quickly departing to avoid the attention of the rogue thugs.

I headed straight to a phone booth to call my parents first. I hadn't been able to contact them since I couldn't bring anything with me, and they had been on my mind all this time. I just had a feeling that my mother would be extremely worried about me.

"Hello, Mrs. Cruz here," my mother answered the call, and the moment I heard her voice, a fragile smile formed on my lips.

"Mom! It's me, Reyna!" I said, my voice thick with tears.

"Huh? Reyna?" My mother's voice had a touch of aggression, as if she was telling someone I was calling.

"Yes, are you and Dad okay?" I asked in concern. "Don't worry about me, okay? I'll manage—," I tried to speak quickly before my time ran out. I wanted to let them know I was fine before they worried too much and fell ill.

"Why are you calling us?" my mom shouted from the other end, leaving me staring at the receiver in disbelief.

"Because I'm worried about you two," I whispered under my breath, the burning sensation of tears welling up in my eyes.

"If you cared, you wouldn't have cheated on your mate and ruined our chances of getting favors. Now we're seen as the whore's parents, and everybody despises us, all because of you," my father appeared to have put the phone on speaker so he could chime in.

"But I didn't do anything. I didn't cheat on him—," I stammered, biting my lower lip to stifle the sobs when my mother hissed at me.

"There's no need to contact us again. We're already dealing with a lot because of you. The last thing we want is to get kicked out because of your dumb mistakes," she didn't ask me once how I'd

been or how I was surviving on the streets of the rogue community. After screaming and shouting at me, she hung up the call, leaving my ears ringing from their harsh tones.

I stepped out of the booth and hugged myself, feeling miserable. "They don't care?" I whispered to myself, perplexed by how any parents could care so little about their daughter.

"They should have believed me," my lips quivered as I remembered how I had always strived to maintain an impeccable character throughout my life, hoping that everyone could vouch for my integrity. It had all been ruined.

Sniffling back the tears, I made my way to a rogue building, where I had my eye on a ground floor one-bedroom. It had a bathroom inside, but that was it.

Luckily for me, I didn't have much to spend on anything more than that. I had already promised the landlady the money, so whatever I received from selling the ring, I gave to her for the next few months' rent.

I had also sold the gold chain from around my neck, so I kept that money for food.

"Keep the house clean. It's not easy to have shelter in a rogue community. Don't try to befriend any neighbors; the rogues don't socialize with each other," the landlady blew cigarette smoke in my face before smirking as she examined me from head to toe.

"Thank you," I tried not to flinch and conveyed an impression of fear.

"Hmm! Kicked out of the pack? Why do I feel like I've seen you before?" Polline appeared to be a tough lady, with muscles and tattoos covering her arms and neck. I was certain she had seen me somewhere in the news, mentioned as the Alpha King's mate.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" I inquired, and I noticed her shaking herself out of her thoughts.

"Is there a job vacancy where I can... try?" I asked hesitantly. I was attempting to appear confident, but it was true that this side of the world was a daunting place for someone as young and pregnant as me.

“I have a brothel,” the lady uttered and I almost choked myself on my own saliva.

"Which you don't seem interested in," she chuckled while observing my reaction.

"Check the internet for any job openings around," she suggested, seeming disinterested after I had made it clear I wasn't interested in prostitution. I hadn't even mentioned my pregnancy yet. I didn't want to come across as a vulnerable young she-wolf.

"I don't have a phone," I whispered, feeling as though I had been left with nothing. As I began to realize how alone I was, the impending challenges of my pregnancy started to frighten me.

"Hmm! There's a library down this road where you can access the internet. But I would suggest not staying out until late hours. We're trying to civilize as many of the rogues as we can, but most of them still want to live freely, wander the woods, and harm whoever they come across. But you'll be fine, you're a strong one," the way she smirked at the end and winked at me made it clear that she was taunting me for acting tough.

I nodded and closed the door. The bedroom had a large window on one side of the wall. There was a bathroom next to the bed, and that was all. Nevertheless, it still seemed better than having nothing.

I held the bread slice in my hands and sat down on the bed, tears blurring my vision. As I took a bite, my stomach felt a sense of relief. Another bite brought forth more tears, which I sniffled and wiped away with the back of my hand.

"He'll be taking her out on fancy dinner dates," I muttered, imagining him looking handsome in a black suit with her arm wrapped around his. People say Karma exists, but I no longer believe in it. Because after wrecking my marriage, Tara got the best outcome, while I am utterly alone now.

Even the walls seemed to be watching me.

"I need to make sure I save this bread for at least four days," I sighed as I gazed at the bread on the side table. My situation was dire, and my baby needed nourishing food.

"Mommy is so... sorry!" I whispered while running a hand over my little swollen belly.

"You should have been able to have the best life... in and out of my body, but... I promise to do my best," the thought of my baby coming into this world with nothing reminded me of my own circumstances.

I believed Hunter chose Tara because he had realized she came from a wealthy background. It tore my heart open with grief, but what else could I do now? They had moved on, and they probably didn't even remember me anymore.

After finishing that single slice of bread, I headed to the library with the hope of finding some kind of job by the end of the day. It was going to be challenging since I didn't have any documents with me. Besides, who would hire a nineteen-year-old in my situation?

I wasn't seeking anything extravagant, just a job that could help me support my pregnancy. By the end of the day, I had managed to secure a job that seemed suitable for the time being.

"I'll be able to handle the job of sweeping the area in front of the library for the next two months," I informed the library owner, who sized me up and then scoffed.

That was all I had for now, but at least it would provide me with some income until my due date.