Daniel didn't say anything and Ruby was intrigued on what would he do next. She wasn't scared because she was trained by her ex-murderous pack members, she knew the techniques and she was an Alpha. She had the upper hand, so that left her curious about how would he stab her.
Ruby spoke again, "What are you waiting for Alpha Daniel?"
Daniel finally spoke, "I am not here to kill you, because it is not in my nature. You may be a monster, but I am not." Ruby watched him intensely when he put the knife in the table and looked back at her. He continued, "I am here to assess your pack, not revenge my debts."
Ruby said with anger laced, "So what are you going to do? I am giving full liberty to stab me, but you are passing it."
Daniel asked, "Aren't you afraid of dying? Because once I start, I won't stop."
Ruby said, "Death is another part of living."
Daniel asked, "You are not afraid?"
Ruby smirked darkly, "A small taste of death is not a bad thing."
Daniel said in disbelieve, "How can you be so coy with death?"
Ruby said, "You eavesdropped my conversation with Eric yesterday, you tell me."
Daniel remained impassive, and Ruby continued, "Death came to me daily basis when I was in my old pack. Death doesn't faze me--"
Daniel interrupted, "But your daughter and your pack do."
Ruby stood straighter and walked closer to him. She faced him with a nasty look and spoke, "I will be careful with your threats."
Daniel said with a steady voice, "I am not threatening or warning you. I am merely assessing."
Ruby said with some anger, "Let's cut the crap. You didn't come here to tell me that you don't want to kill me, so what do you want?"
Daniel smiled for the first time, "Nothing much, a future favour."
Ruby asked, "What favour?"
He shrugged his arms and said, "I don't know yet, I will tell you when I know."
Ruby continued, "What about the assessment?"
He said, "I won't interfere. You can join the group of Alphas, if they allow but after this I doubt."
Ruby sneered, "If they don't allow me into the group, then we have no deal."
Daniel said, "I think you are forgetting that I have the upper hand--"
Ruby shouted, "No, you are forgetting that I am a rogue Alpha. I have trained with my out of control wolves." Ruby starts to laugh darkly and walking to the knife. She continued, "You have no idea who I really am. Don't test me, Alpha Daniel."
Daniel asked, "If I do, will you kill me?"
Ruby said, "Death is too easy."
Daniel started, "What do y--"
But they were interrupted by another loud knock. She walked to the door and opened to find the rest of the Alphas on her doorstep.
They walked inside without an invitation and started questioning Daniel, "What are you doing here? Were you going to kill her? What is wrong with you?"
So many other questions were bombarded at Daniel but he kept staring at Ruby, and she stared at him back. After a while, they were able to get answers from Daniel.
He said that he came to talk with Ruby and everything was alright. Daniel runs out of Ruby's house and that left the other eight worried and wallowing in questions.
Ruby left them to think and she walked to the kitchen. She to take fruits out of the fridge and nearby table and started doing a fruit salad. She put that on a container and walked back to the living room, expecting all of them out of her place but they weren't.
They were sitting on the sofas and quietly thinking about the events. Ruby began, "I need to be alone, so can you guys go?"
They all looked at Ruby like she had stabbed all of them. Ben asked, "No, you need to give us answers."
She asked, "What answers?"
Jacob took over and asked, "Did you kill anyone else, besides those from Daniel's pack?"
She answered, "No, after that I was too busy with my pack and before that Elena and work took over my world."
They all nodded and Finn asked, "If we accept, but someone from my pack is attack my pack. What would you do?"
Ruby said, "First, I would break the fight. Order my pack outside and I would have some words--"
Roberto asked by interrupting, "What words?"
Ruby answered, "Why would he attack? For who? Then, I would find out how could I help him--"
Oliver interrupted, "What if he asks you for your pack's life?"
Ruby thought of his question and she came with an answer. She would use her power to calm everybody down. Something had changed since yesterday, since the almost attack from Daniel, since she questioned her wolf of Elena.
Ruby felt that her wolf finally understood the implications of her lash outs, but the darkness remained and was ready to slay anytime. Nonetheless, Ruby and her wolf were in sync.
Ruby answered, "I would always find a way to help in some other way."
Oliver asked again, "What if the only way was your pack's life?"
Ruby took a deep breath and answered, "We can play what ifs all day, but we don't know what will happen next. All I want is for my pack to be happy, I understand that they weren't the ideal wolves but what wolves don't lose against anger. We can spend all day pointing fingers at my pack, but I ask you, what about you all? Did you ever kill someone? I know that Eric has, tell me, Eric, how did you feel? Did it feel good to kill another life?"
Eric looked at the ground but he said, "It didn't bring much joy as I expected."
Ruby said, while looking at all of them, "You heard that... How he admitted that he wanted to feel overjoyed about killing someone. Tell me that is not dark."
Everyone didn't say anything, instead, they avoided their eyes. Looking everywhere but at Ruby. She continued, "I am not judging you, Eric. I am the last person who can do that. I am only pointing out that you can't expect me to have all the answers, nor you can expect me to control the future. I will do whatever it takes to stay in peace."
Eric asked, "What are you saying?"
"I will walk in the darkness so that others may see the light. You just have to trust me."
Ben said standing up, "I wish we could, but there will always stay a question about what will happen if you can't control them."
Ruby asked, "Is this over then?"
Eric said, "Yes, it is."
Ruby said with authority, "Then get the hell out of my house and land. I expect you all gone in two hours."
Ruby walked to the door and opened, waiting for them to get the memo and get out. They eventually walked out, but before Ben walked out, he said, "I expected more from you."
Ruby narrowed her eyes, while others listened, "I am tired that you all act all high and mighty but are just scared little pups who can't take the right decision at the right time. So don't come here and expect something from me."
Ben lowered his eyes and whispered before walking out, "I am sorry."
Ruby wanted to argue further, but she was tired of their questions and negativity. She didn't need them; she would find better mates for her pack members.
But Ruby wondered if they would accept them. The last one was Eric and before he departed, he said, "You and your daughter are invited to visit my land."
Ruby shook her head and held her head up, "I won't go somewhere that doesn't accept my pack."
Eric looked at her for a few seconds before walking out. Ruby closed the door behind and sat on the sofa and thought on how would she tell all of them. She stayed in the house all day, thinking on a plan but came up empty. She decided to rip the bandage at once, meaning saying in one sentence.
*****
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