Chapter 8
Brian's POV....
Sometimes I thought it was pointless being next in line. I never got to handle my own matters, I never got to demonstrate my power, and nothing ever went the way I wanted it to go. It was a waste of time being the next Alpha if I wasn't going to be able to run my pack the way I needed to.
I would be surprised if my father even stood down when it came time for me to take over. He was so caught up making his little plans and alliances with other packs that he probably forgot that my birthday was in a week, my eighteenth birthday which is when I am meant to take over as Alpha.
I couldn't even think about taking over at the moment. I needed to talk to my father about his arrangement with Alpha James McManus. My father had arranged with Alpha James years ago for his daughter Caitlin and I to be married. And I agreed, even though I had never met her before.
It was all because of our family curse. Alphas in our pack never found their mates. My father told me when I was younger that many generations ago, My ancestor, Alpha David, Declared war on a smaller pack that no longer exists. They were small in numbers but they had the help of a witch. Wolves and witches don't mix, But this witch was apparently mated to the Alphas son.
When Alpha David invaded their lands, He murdered the Alphas son while he slept. Alpha David then raped and beat the witch within an inch of her life. With her last breath she cast a spell on Alpha David, so that his sons and all their sons that come after them would never find their mates.
And so instead of finding a mate and living happily ever after, I will be marrying Caitlin, 3 weeks after my coronation. If it ever happens.
"Alpha" I greeted my father as I walked into his office.
He looked up from his paper work and then looked back down, I suppose that was more of an acknowledgment than I usually get.
"We need to talk about Caitlin" I said, as I sat down on one of the leather chairs that sat in front of his desk.
My father licked his finger and turned to the next page that was in his hand. He stared at the page for a few seconds before putting it down. He folded his arms over his chest and rested them on the desk in front of him.
"It's too late for you to pull out. You agreed to it 3 years ago. You've had plenty of time to pull out. She came to live here so you could get familiar with each other. You could have pulled out at any time. But not 4 weeks before you are to be married" He said, looking me in the eye, almost challenging me to defy him.
I didn't care if it was a year, 2 years, or 4 weeks before the wedding. I didn't want to marry her. She was whiney, and rude, and most importantly, she didn't know her place. It's not that I thought she was below me or anything, I knew that when we were married and the mating was complete she would be my equal. But she acted as if I was beneath her.
Caitlin had moved here when she was 13. Our fathers assumed that we would hit it off right away and there would be no need to force the marriage on us. That was before I met Dylan.
Dylan Rhymes. Once upon a time I thought she was my mate. I thought I had broken the curse and that I had found my mate. But the feeling wasn't strong enough. I loved her, there was no mistaking that I loved her, but she wasn't my mate.
When I figured out that we weren't mates, I went on a 3 day bender with Jake and cotton. I got so drunk I ended up sleeping with Caitlin. She was always hanging around waiting for me to slip up so she could catch me. Dylan found out that I had cheated on her, and we broke up.
I was determined to get her back; I put in so much effort to convince her to forgive me. Finally she gave up, and we got back together. A few months ago my father called me into his office. He sat me down in the Alphas chair and said "This is going to be yours someday very soon. But it will only be yours, if you marry Caitlin. It needs to end with the chubby girl. Today" I had no choice, there was no way to fight it, he had used his Alpha tone. It wasn't a demand, it was a command. One that I couldn't argue with.
I was gutless, instead of breaking up with Dylan, I just stopped talking to her, Every now and then I wouldn't be able to help myself and I would laugh along with her jokes and jump into the conversation. To her, it probably seemed like I was just a little distant. But I doubt she suspected I was ending our relationship.
Yesterday at school, I told myself I needed to end it with her. I was hyping myself up outside the art building, thinking about what to say. I could feel Caitlin standing on the other side of the building. She had been following me around for the last few days.
"You can come out" I said loud enough for her to hear.
Seconds later she walked around to where I was standing. She was wearing a short black dress and a denim jacket that I'm positive was mine.
"Hey stranger" she said leaning against the building with her hand on her hip. She had a sly smile on her face, I was not in the mood for her shit, but she was going to be my wife one day so I had to be kind to her. I beckoned her over to sit next to me.
She pretty much leapt at the chance to be beside me.
"I'm breaking up with Dylan today" I said, my voice was flat, mono tone, emotionless.
"About time, don't you think? We're getting married next month honey; You didn't think you could keep both of us did you?" She giggled, pressing herself closer to me.
The dress she had on wasn't exactly low cut, but it was low enough for me to peer down her top and see her breasts.
Caitlin loved doing this sort of stuff to me. I was easily aroused and she knew it. She placed her hand on my lap and began trailing her fingers up and down my thigh. It was quite a distraction.
Next thing I know she's straddling me and undoing the button on my jeans. I put my hands on her shoulders pushing her back, trying to make her stop. There wasn't anything around to cover what she was doing.
I was about to open my mouth and tell her to stop what she was doing but she had already found what she was after.
My eyes must have been black as night. I could feel my claws coming out. My wolf wanted her, He wanted to come out and mate with her right there and then but I had just enough control to stop the change. Until she lowered herself onto the ground and.....
"You fucking moron!" I opened my eyes to see Alison, Dylan's best friend, marching towards me. We were in public so I knew she wouldn't change into her wolf, but I could see her canines coming out and her claws were already showing.
She didn't wait for me to speak; she grabbed Caitlin's head and smacked it against the wall which managed to knock her out. Alison was one She-wolf I'd never want to mess with. Her father was Alpha of the Kindred moon pack; His Wife was the previous betas daughter. His mother was also the daughter of a Beta; three generations of Alphas and beta's daughters. Their bloodlines were stronger than any other packs. It didn't matter that their pack was small. It was still a big enough pack to put up a good fight.
Her fists pounded into my face. It took every ounce of my will power not to change into my wolf. He wouldn't have taken a beating he would have probably tried to kill her. But she was stronger than most Alphas. I think shed even give my father a run for his money.
I didn't want to hit a female. It was wrong and I wasn't that kind of guy so I just let her hit me a few times before I grabbed her by her shoulders and pushed her away from me. I was going to grab Caitlin and run but Alison came lunging at me again. Her wolf was coming out, She was morphing in and out of human form as she continued to hit me.
"Haven't you hurt Dylan enough? You pathetic excuse for a man. Just wait until she gets here" Alison screamed between growls.
"You told her?" I managed to ask which earned me a boot to the ribs.
"I was going to tell her today, I needed time to get my head around it. I love her I don't want to hurt her but I have to marry Caitlin" I yelled at Alison.
Alison stepped back. She sent a filthy look in Caitlin's direction and then picked her bag up off the ground. Her white shirt was covered in my blood. Her punches had hurt but it wasn't too bad. It would have been worse if she had let her wolf take over. I got up off the ground and began dusting myself off. I turned around to pick Caitlin up but Alison decided she wasn't finished. She hit me with her bag a few more times and punched me in the chest but her punches were weakening.
Just then, Mr Clarkson walked around the corner. Mr Clarkson was a member of Alison's pack. We always tried to get one or two wolves into the faculty of any school that pack members would be attending.
He grabbed Alison from behind wrapping his arms around her and pulled her away from me.
"Alison that's enough" Mr Clarkson belted out as he dragged her off to his office. She was still putting up a fight for as far as I could see her.
I remember thinking that I could still fix things with Dylan, and that I could still be with her. If I could never have a real mate, then she would be the next best thing.
"Look Brian, You know as well as anybody, that an Alpha who is mated is stronger than one that is not, when you have your Luna by your side you have more of an incentive to protect. Your pack has more of an incentive to protect. Everything will be more protected. She has already made her mark on the pack; she can give commands like a Luna does. The pack already thinks of her as the future Luna, and that girl is going to be your Luna whether you like it or not," My father said before getting up and leaving the room. He never liked to leave any time for me to argue.
I didn't expect him to call the wedding off. I knew that by coming in here it would anger him, but he needed to know that this arrangement was only to benefit the pack and him. There was nothing in it for me at all.
"Your father told me you were in here" Caitlin said from the doorway. I smelt her hanging around the house for most of the day but I was trying to avoid her. She was on heat and my wolf was going insane.
"What do you want, I'm busy" I glared at her over my shoulder. My canines had come out, not because I was angry, but because my wolf was trying to take over, he wanted to mate with her. I on the other hand wanted to banish her from my land.
"I wanted to come and tell you the boys are back from the party, Dylan was there" she said, her voice was quiet and nervous and I could tell she was either up to something or something was wrong.
"And well um....Kael bit her" She said. Her voice was barely a whisper.
I was glad that all of the furniture in our house was made especially for temperamental wolves. My claws had come out and were digging into the leather arm chair, I was contemplating throwing it through the windows in front of me. But I managed to keep calm. I slowly stood up, being extra careful to not make any sudden moves. My wolf was right at the edge, Any thought of mounting Caitlin had left his head, Now he wanted blood.
From a young age, even before I had made the change, my father had always made it clear to me that I needed to control my emotions and actions. Self-control was very important to all wolves, but especially to my father. Our ancestors were notorious for losing control and flipping out. The consequences of their actions were devastating. My grandfather killed his beta's son when he had spoken out of turn in a council meeting which of course started a riot within the pack.
I turned around and made my way through the office doors, Shoving Caitlin out of my way when she tried to grab my arm.
"Where is he" I said, my voice was low and deep and dangerous. I didn't even recognize it myself.
"Cotton and Jake have him in the cells" she whispered. I heard her whimper a little as I walked away.
As soon as I was out of the house I let my wolf out. The cells were a 10 minute run from the Alphas house. My clothes lay shredded on the ground. I stood on the front lawn and looked up to the moon letting out a long loud howl. I knew Kael would hear it, He would know I was coming.
I blocked out all links to my pack as I ran. I didn't want anyone else to know the plans I had for Kael. My father believed in quick deaths for traitors and trespassers. It was inhumane and immoral to torture or torment them. A clean quick death was much better in my father's eyes. But that was not what I had in store for Kael
Kael had done stupid things in the past. I knew he hated Dylan. When Dylan and I first started dating he told her I was only with her for one thing. Dylan never told me he said it, But Jake had heard and told me through our mind link. That night when he got home I was waiting for him. It was only a few hits to remind him where his place was. Insulting or upsetting Dylan was like Insulting or upsetting me.
I pushed through the doors of the pack prison. I flew down the 6 flights of stairs like they were nothing. Now that I was deep underground my senses were even stronger. The smell of blood was thick in the air. Jake and Cotton must have already started beating Kael before I got here. I growled loudly. My wolfs voice was different to any other wolf in my pack, So that even if they couldn't see or smell me for some reason, They would hear the Alpha tone in my growls and barks.
I walked past a few empty cells; the smell of blood was growing stronger.
Kael was on his knees in the centre of his cell, Covered in blood and bruises. It was pleasing to see him hurt, but my wolf wanted him dead.
Cotton and Jake stood on either side of him, their faces covered in sweat.
I changed back into human form, If he wouldn't change into his wolf form, Then I would not kill him in mine.
I stood there glaring at him for a second before I walked to the end of the hallway and grabbed a pair of basketball shorts. We had clothes everywhere in our pack lands for times when we have changed and not carried our clothes with us, or in this case when we have changed without taking our clothes off and shredded them to pieces. My father spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on clothing every year.
When I returned to the cell Cotton and Jake had stepped out into the hallway and closed the cell door behind them.
"I think you need to talk to him before you kill him. He told us something and I'm not sure if it's true or not but, It does seem like something she would do" Cotton said with his head facing forwards. He looked tired and worried. Cotton and Dylan had a bond. Like best friends do. I had no doubt in my mind that he was worrying about Dylan as much as I was. But I needed to settle this first.
"Open the doors" I ordered
When I stepped into the cell, Kael was laying on a camp stretcher that hadn't been in here 2 minutes ago. I wonder what he said to make Jake and Cotton feel sorry for him.
"What do you have to say for yourself" I growled low and quietly.
Kael turned around to face me. I could no longer recognize him because of the swelling of the bruised areas on his face.
"Before you kill me" he said, His voice sounded strained and it seemed really painful to speak. "You should know that I was ordered to bite Dylan" He said slowly.
I opened my mind link back up and immediately sent Jake to fetch the pack doctor.
Even if he was lying I needed to hear this before I made my next move.
"Who ordered you to bite Dylan" I asked, My voice was slowly returning to normal.
He opened his mouth and let out a small whimper. His body was already starting to heal itself but it would be a very long night for him.
I knelt down next to the stretcher. "Who ordered you to bite Dylan" I repeated myself
After a few short breaths, Kael opened his mouth again.
"Caitlin"