Pack Runner

No.

That was it.

I'd had enough.

Suddenly feeling much stronger than I knew I actually was, I squared up to the alpha, returning her vicious snarls. She appeared stunned, unsure of how to take this; I wasn't known for having the audacity to stand up to her. The tension from everyone around me, especially her vicious mate, was permeable, but I wasn't sure if it was respect for standing up for myself, or scorn for defying the alpha. It was probably the second. I knew I was playing a dangerous game, but I'd had enough. In my world, the rules the hold our families together aren't something to be taken lightly. The penalty is almost always sure death to those that defy them. Our laws are perhaps the strictest in the world, and there are three that are never to be broken, no matter the circumstances.

Number one: If the alpha growled, you cowered. Really, that rule was general; if the alpha or his mate demanded anything, you did it without question, especially if you were like me. The alphas are the strongest in any pack. They hold the dynamic together and protect us all, so to defy them is to risk the destruction of the entire family.

Number two: Unless the alpha chooses you as mother to his pup, you don't even consider mating. That goes without saying. Reproduction is a privilege and only the strongest have earned that right. It was a fair rule; it makes the likelihood that the pups are going to survive that much stronger.

Number three: Perhaps the the most important of them all, the one rule you never break, no matter how much you hate your life, no matter how desperate you are, and no matter how much you desire change is to never attack the alpha. We knew what would happen if an alpha was ever usurped. The entire future of that pack became immediately threatened, especially the young pups.

Unfortunately for me, my brother broke all three of those rules, and now it appeared I was following in those dangerous pawprints.

It seemed especially dangerous that I was the one doing this; I was the pack's omega. In my pack, there were five of us: Fabian was the alpha male, and his mate Iris was the alpha female. These two were in charge, and commanded absolute respect. They always received it. Vander was the beta, the second strongest member. If anything ever happened to Fabian, he'd be the new alpha. Stasha held a neutral position; she wasn't the strongest, but certainly wasn't weak either. That luxury was reserved for me, the omega.

Now, imagine a reject, a member of society that is abused, attacked, neglected, and avoided by all. That's the omega. Nobody in the pack accepted me, and if it wasn't for the fact that Iris was somewhat merciful, I doubt Fabian would have let me remain with them.

But how did I come to this, you ask? How is that I was labeled as the weakest link in my pack, and was now daring to snarl at Iris, risking both her and Fabian’s wrath? It's a long and unpleasant story that spans all the way back to my juvenile days.

It all started with my brother, the one that broke all the rules, and, as mentioned before, our rules are not meant to be tampered with.