My breathing faltered entirely. The girl was dead. There was no denying it. Her chest stayed steady, still.
Soon the realisation of her identity flooded through my mind like a tidal wave, crashing over every other thought and destroying it in an instant. Every doubt was submerged and drowned by the revelation and my heart shattered into a million pieces.
She was Gregs daughter.
The one he fought so hard to save.
I dragged the pieces of my heart and forced them back together momentarily and turned to the scene before me.
"Tyler, take them to the square," I ordered and in an instant, he was dragging Gregs opponent away with Sophie, while the other two protection wolves, Josh and Dave, hauled Greg away.
Gradually, the crowd thinned as people raced to get to the square to get a front row view. As soon as the last person left, I collapsed at the girls side, guilt eating away at me. Tears flooded down my cheeks, staining them with salty water. I grasped her cold, white hand in my own and with the other, flitted her beautiful grey eyes closed.
I felt a sudden warmth beside me before I was encircled in a pair of strong arms and thrust against a beating heart. I sunk against Zachs chest, clinging to every shred of warmth and comfort he provided while my hand was still closed around the girls own cold, dead fingers.
"There was nothing you could've done," he whispered, detaching my hand from hers and pulling it to him, warming it with his body heat.
"I am supposed to protect the pack," I snivelled. I should've been there, attacking this man before he could hurt her but instead, I was caught up in my own world; having breakfast.
"It wasn't your fault," Zach promised, but it didn't shake the nauseous feeling that swirled around with the guilt in my stomach. I didn't have the energy to argue so instead, sunk deeper into his hold and curled my body tighter, seeking his warmth and security.
In the distance, voices from the pack reached my ears and the nausea grew. "She isn't fit to be Alpha. She is too soft, like her mother," a deep voice grumbled.
Behind me, snarls and barks sounded and I knew that they had all heard what I heard. "I agree, she will probably give them second and third chances. Her father would've torn them both to shreds without showing any mercy." The other chuckled softly, as if reminiscing about when my dad was Alpha.
"Ignore them," Zach hissed in my ear. "You are the perfect combination of both of them. Your mom and your dad," he assured me and right then and there, all I wanted to do was remain in his hold for the rest of our lives.
But sadly, that wasn't possible, so instead I pulled myself together and pushed away from Zach's hold and to my own two feet. With one last look at the lifeless body on the floor, I turned on my heels and directed my stride towards the square. The shouts and chatter died down to a few whispers and hushes as I stepped up on the stage and turned to the two men.
Both had their hands strung above their heads with silver cuffs clasped around their wrists. One slight movement or resistance and the silver would simmer through their skin.
I cleared my throat slightly to remove the lump that had formed, and caught everyone's attention. "Who initiated this fight?" I asked them loud and clear, making sure to release a small blast of dominance.
After a moments silence I finally got my answer. "I did," Greg admitted, shame and hatred dripping from his voice.
I narrowed my eyes at him momentarily, shocked by his answer, before nodding. "Why?"
He raised his head to look me straight in the eyes and raised his brows. "I think you already know that Alpha Reed." He sighed, the utter despair was like a tsunami over the crowds and soon tears stung everyones eyes.
I was about to ask him to tell me, when I realised why he hadn't. It was too hard. Once you say it out loud, its real. I knew that as well as anyone. Sometimes its easier to deny it than to admit they are really and truly gone.
So I turned to the other man. "Why did you do it?" I snarled, eyes flashing and claws itching to tear into his throat.
"He owed me $200 and he told me he would have it for next week." He shrugged and I narrowed my eyes, wondering where this was going. "I wanted it now but he had to pay for his daughter to go on a school trip. So I helped him out."
Beside him, Greg snarled and thrashed in the chains, searing his wrists in the silver. "Help me! You killed her!" He screamed, fury and hate radiating off him.
"Enough," I ordered before he scorched the rest of his skin off and bled out right there on the stage.
I turned my attention back to the murderer who made me feel sick just looking at him. There was a twinkle in his eye as he looked back at me and it became blatantly clear that he didn't kill because of money, this was to prove a point. He was another that didn't believe in me, didn't think I was strong enough to lead just because I was a female. The idea that he could hurt an innocent child and go to the extent of murder just to imply that I was weak sent rage through my wolf and a desperation to claw his neck.
"I do not tolerate any kind of violence amongst pack members," I voiced, articulating each word slowly and clearly, looking him square in the eyes. "You are to be executed."
His face dropped and his cocky smirk swept away like a speck of dust beneath a broom. His jaw fell open slightly and his dark, hazel green eyes widened infinitely. "What?" He gasped like he was drowning and had come up for air. "You aren't going to give me a second chance?"
I stared at him gobsmacked for a second, taken aback by the fact he actually believed I was that weak. "You will receive no mercy from me," I replied, turning away from him and towards Greg. "I also do not tolerate fighting. I made that very clear when I took over from my father."
"I know," he admitted, hanging his head and avoiding eye contact.
"There were other ways to deal with the situation," I told him and he nodded.
"I know. I wasn't thinking straight." He sighed, tears welling in his eyes.
"The next time you initiate a fight with a pack member, I won't hesitate to kill you," I told him and then turned to Tyler. "Let him go."
Greg stared at me with a similar expression to that which I received when I sentenced the murderer to death. "You're letting me go?" He stuttered.
"On a warning. It better not happen again," I warned as he stumbled out of the chains and towards his crumbling wife who stood at the front with a tear stained face. I turned to the two who embraced each other comfortingly. "I'm sorry for your loss, if there is anything I can do, let me know."
They smiled gratefully and then returned to holding each other. My heart tore apart as the thoughts of what they were feeling right now attacked my mind. I couldn't imagine the pain and torture of losing a child.
"Alpha?" Tylers voice snapped me back to the still strung up killer who was now as white as a sheet.
"Yes?"
"How will he be executed?" He asked me, glancing between the man and me.
I stared for a few moments, wondering whether I should simply sink my claws into his throat, or his heart. Whether I should get Zach to do the same as he did to the creep who marked me and let him dig his claws into his soft eyeballs. That idea was quickly disregarded when I realised firstly the pack would think I was weak if I didn't do it myself and secondly, I would have to watch and I might throw up on my boyfriend.
He didn't deserve a quick and easy death. Not after what he did and who he killed. Gregs daughter was young, maybe 10 years old and still had a life ahead of her.
The image of her blood coated body returned to my mind and brought tears to my eyes as I turned to look at the killer. "Hang him in the middle of the square, he can starve to death," I decided, knowing it was a long, slow process and the silver chains around his throat would make it painful.
Gasps of shock resonated through the crowds, whether they were because I was being too soft or too harsh, I didn't know. I turned to take in every surprised face with wide eyes, high brows and parted jaws.
"Anyone who approaches him and tries to give him food or water, will be joining him immediately," I declared and with that, turned to leave.