Alpha Hunt spoke up, "I have a question for Alpha Winters." Chris turned toward the cold pale face. "Are any of the rumors true? I mean we have been hearing how you became Alpha, but since you have been Alpha there have been many rumors that... forgive me, sound almost impossible."
Chris opened her mouth to respond when Alpha Gray cut in. "Did you make up the rumors? You have been implying that you were male for over a decade..." Alpha Gray paused smirking at Chris, "It would make sense, if these rumors were as accurate as your questionable gender."
Chris had many delightfully, unlady like curses that she wanted to throw at the pompous face of Alpha Gray, but instead she smiled icily at him. "I can assure you all, that I did not spread any rumors myself. Rumors are just that... rumors."
"Ha! I knew it!" shouted Alpha Gray pointing at Chris in triumph.
"That doesn't mean they are not true... they just might be... not as true as you expect them to be." Alpha Gray opened his mouth to respond and Chris cut him off loudly. "So, if you have any particular rumors that you would like me to lay to rest... I would be happy to do so."
"I heard you defeated three packs." Alpha Black said.
"I heard your army has over 5,000 wolves." Said Alpha Woodland.
"I heard you have relations with fairies and demons." Said the Alpha Intent.
"I heard that you have a harem of female wolves." Alpha Hunt said with a smirk. "I suppose we can mark that one as false."
"Actually that one is true." Chris said in a matter of fact tone. There was stunned silence and Alpha Hunt looked shocked, forcing Chris to prompt, "that was a joke." Chris heard a snort next to her as Alpha Terrant attempted to hold in his laughter. Chris smiled at the group. "To all the other rumors mentioned the answer is yes." Chris saw a look of surprise and confusion run across the Alphas faces.
"....yes?" Alpha Gray said slowly his face appeared to be turning an ashen gray color.
Chris turned to face him. "Since becoming Alpha I have defeated 3 separate packs, my army is over 5,000 wolves, and due to the extent of my pack land I have had to make nice with.... All creatures in it."
Silence, again, as all the Alphas processed this information. Then loud, mocking laughter came from Alpha Freeman. "Sure! I'm sure that is true. I am sure that 12 years is long enough to claim such an outrageous feat! Especially for someone who was only 15 and had no formal training, and only started out with 200 wolves. Yeah! Of course!"
"Will you shut up!" Everyone looked around to see Alpha Amari standing glaring at Alpha Freeman. "You mock and mock this person because your accomplishments have not been so great! I understand why she didn't want to come today. It is because of bull head men like you. Maybe if you shut up and listen you will understand." Alpha Freeman sat there in complete shock. "She has not even finished with her story." Alpha Amari sat back down and motioned to Chris. "I would like to hear what happened after you became Alpha. That way we may be able to understand the great accomplishments you have told us."
Chris looked around the table. everyone seemed eager to hear her, except for Alpha Freeman who was looking sullen for being shut down, and Alpha Gray who was looking like he might be sick. She felt nervous again, this time it felt different as they all looked up at her patiently waiting for her to speak.
She put her hands on the table not expecting to get this far into the story, clearing her throat she began again. "After I phased for a second time, I was immediately accepted by my small pack of 212 wolves. We began to rebuild and reform the pack. I knew immediately that my pack would not survive without more members... so we did what no one else had done. We started recruiting. Most of our members where cast offs from other packs. Some were cast out and labeled criminals for the most ridiculous reasons. Our numbers began to swell and that is when I decided to make changes from the traditional pack. I started a business to help provide for my pack, which quickly grew and has become very well known in the human and wolf communities. Shortly after that I attracted the attention of Alpha Smoke, who had a large neighboring pack to the West. He began to study my pack and as soon as he found out I was female he attacked. After the massacre of the Winters pack I ensured that, under my new regime, my pack was well prepared in every possible way. We defeated him soundly with few casualties on our part."
Chris decided from the beginning that she was going to give as little information as possible to this group of men. So she kept her sentences short and to the point. "That is when I decided to start hiding my identity. However, to some, it was too late. Alpha Warren was apparently Alpha Smoke's cousin. He decided that the defeat of Alpha Smoke was a great insult. He came at us with more wolves and he was defeated just like Alpha Smoke."
"What about Alpha Roads?" asked Alpha Black looking around at the other Alphas. There was a general nod as everyone agreed for her to continue. Joseph shifted tensely in his chair. Joseph knew her story through and through, but he was very uncomfortable with this part.
Chris cracked her neck and then said angrily. "Alpha Roads attempted to sabotage my pack. In the end he failed and caused my mate to be killed in the process. After I defeated him and eradicated the filth of his council and army. I set with the task of recouping his people who... for so long had been crushed under his boot." A tense silence reverberated around the room as her eyes shifted behind her glasses, anger rolled off of her in waves. "Alpha Roads was the most evil person I have ever met. The things he did to his pack..." She paused gripping the table "There is no way to explain-" There was a crack and she jumped looking down. She had snapped off a piece of the wood table.
Everyone seemed surprised and Joseph said sadly, "Now there is no saving this table."
Chris shook her head to clear it. "I am sorry. I didn't mean-"
"I met Alpha Roads once," said Alpha Woodland. Everyone's attention turned toward him. "He was.... A piece of work."
"I heard that he was a great Alpha." Alpha Gray said smugly.
"I guess that depends on what you consider great." Alpha Woodland grunted angrily. "Did he have a large and fierce army? Yes. Was he very resourceful? Yes. Was he rich and powerful? Yes. However, anything pertaining to the welfare of his pack was sacrificed for himself and his friends." A shadow passed over Alpha Woodlands face as he shifted uncomfortably, looking down at the table.
Chris examined him closely before saying, "The Casino."
Alpha Woodland looked up immediately and stared at her before he nodded.
"What is The Casino?" Alpha Black asked looking between Chris and Alpha Woodland.
Alpha Woodland shook his head unwilling to continue, so Chris took over still watching him curiously as she spoke. "It was the place where Alpha Roads hid his many indiscretions. It was burned to the ground when I took over." Alpha Woodland nodded, as a silent token of appreciation. Chris made a mental note to inquire further into Alpha Woodlands knowledge of the Casino.
Chris was so lost in her own thoughts she barely heard Alpha Amari start speaking. "I want to know how you kept everyone quiet about your gender?" The whole group turned toward him and Chris refocused to the conversation at hand. "I mean even the Alpha command can be overridden. How are you able to keep everyone in your pack quiet?"
"I used blood contracts." Chris said plainly.
There was another silence as everyone took that in. "You used blood contracts on all of your pack members?!" said Alpha Black in disbelief.
"Yes." Chris said looking around at the shocked faces. Joseph was picking at his nails, apparently not paying attention.
"And...How many members are in your pack?" Asked Alpha Gray.
Chris paused for a few seconds wondering if it was a good idea to reveal the full number of her pack. Figuring she would be asked one way or another she continued. "All together there are around 20,000 members."
Another silence, then a scoff of disbelief. "20,000 members? You really expect us to believe that you were able to hold 20,000 members under blood contracts?!" said Alpha Freeman laughing quietly to himself as other Alphas began to mutter in disbelief.
"No. I don't expect you to believe that." Another silence as everyone waited for her to finish. "I don't have the children sign the blood pacts until they turn 18. So it is closer to 13,000 signed contracts."
More muttering broke out at this. Alpha Freeman was going on about how unbelievable and humiliating it was to use so many blood contracts. Some were shaking their head in disbelief and others started arguing certain points with other Alphas. Even Joseph got wrangled into being the mediator in an argument between Alpha Black and Alpha Gray.
Chris noticed only one who remained silent through the whole thing. Alpha Terrant didn't seem surprised or distressed by the new information. He actually looked bored leaning back in his chair with his arms folded over his chest. However, she could see his eyes moving, calculating, as the Alphas continued to converse about blood pacts. He glanced up at Chris, realizing she was staring at him, he smirked and cleared his throat loudly.
The Alphas began to quiet down which Chris took as her cue. "I know that it may seem crazy and a complete overuse of the pacts, however-"
"That is not why they are upset." Alpha Terrant said looking down at the broken table curiously. "No one has ever heard of that many contracts being used. It takes physical effort for the contractor to keep it in place. An effort, I assume has been wearing you down for years. Just the fact that you are sustaining 13,000 contracts by yourself... I am wondering how you are even standing in front of us." He looked up at her, a blank expression on his face while his eyes were calculating, eventually he looked away and continued. "It is difficult to hold two contracts between Alphas, granted they are stronger, but 13,000 contracts seem.... Impossible."
*Thanks for reading! Please vote and comment! I love constructive criticism, however if it becomes mean I will take you down.*
-LostArrow-