Page 36 of Fated to the Rogue

Before I could dwell in the matter, I noticed the car come to a stop. As the driver opened the door for me and my friends, I decided to shake off the weird sensation. I had come here on a mission that required full focus; I wouldn’t let a minor distraction get in my way.

“Alpha Zephyr.” As soon as I hopped out of the limousine, I was greeted by a very tall man who looked to be in his nineties. I immediately knew he was Silent Rivers’ Elder. Once I bowed my head to him, he turned to my friends. “Beta Malin. Gamma Zachari. Welcome to our territory. I am Elder Cassius. I’ll take you to the main square, where the pack is already gathered and waiting for you.”

It didn’t take us more than five minutes to get there. The moment the wolves noticed our presence, they started eyeing us with caution. It was evident the only reason why they allowed us to walk past them was because they were familiar with ourlaws, and the consequences of disrespecting their possible future Alpha. The former Beta and Gamma, who were standing before the crowd, looked even more distrustful of us. I shook their hands out of respect, not missing the way the older second-in-command grasped it a little too tight.

As soon as the Elder gave me the signal, I held my head high and looked at the crowd to recite the speech I had prepared.

“Members of the former Silent Rivers Pack, thank you for welcoming me here today.” I greeted them with a nod. “I am Alpha Zephyr Wyndham of Wind Howlers Pack. As most of you probably already know, I was challenged by your former leader and won. According to our laws, I have the right to claim you and your home. I am no tyrant though; I promise to take your wishes into consideration to make adjustments as comfortable as possible for you all. I believe our union will make us stronger. Follow me, and together, we will thrive.”

As I waited for their reaction, I could hear them gossiping. Those were the same whispers that made me think I was weak when I first took the position of Alpha, the rumors I had grown to hate. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck bristle as Dawn begged me to let her out so she could prove them wrong. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to lose focus.

“For any of you who might have heard the rumors, let me confirm them for you,” I spoke once again. “Yes, my wolf is a female, but she was strong enough to beat your old Alpha. Please, take that into consideration before challenging me. I’d like to keep the bloodshed to a minimum.” I faked a smile, trying to conceal my anger.

“Alpha Ryder was immature and unprepared, and his father was too ambitious for his own good.” I was surprised to hear the voice of Breno, the former Beta of Silent Rivers. “I strongly advised them not to propose a challenge.”

“Yet the way you look at me suggests you would like to make the same mistake he did,” I pointed out, staring right back into his eyes.

He didn’t back down either, taking a step forward instead. It was clearly a challenge. “I will be damned if I let this pack fall in the hands of an outsider.”

“Alpha Zephyr has defeated Ryder in fair combat. You cannot demand a new challenge before he even claims Silent Rivers,” Elder Cassius, who was standing right behind me, chimed in. The displeasure in his expression spoke volumes. “Unless Alpha Zephyr shows you mercy by banishing you, your only choices right now are to submit or die a traitor.”

“I choose death.” Breno didn’t even stutter, his cold gaze still locked on me.

“Alpha Zephyr, you may execute him as you please,” the Elder commanded, and I froze.

I knew it could come to this. But was I really ready to kill another man?

“I’ll do it,” Dawn affirmed without breaking a sweat.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded.“Don’t you see the way the members look at him?” I took a moment to try and understand what she meant. “They look up to him. He seems to have more influence over the pack than that moron of an Alpha did. Let me out, and tell him to shift. If we defeat them in fair combat, we will earn the pack’s respect. They’ll submit to us, and we won’t have to kill anyone else.”

“Don’t you think you’re getting a bit cocky?”

“Are you scared again, kitten? I thought you said you’d trust me.”

With a sigh, I shut our connection, closing my eyes. I took a deep breath to collect myself, and when I looked at the second-in-command again, I was back in Alpha-mode.

“My wolf will do it,” I told the Elder. “Beta Breno, you can shift, too. I’ll give you the chance to defend yourself.”

The man’s confidence flickered away for a moment as confusion hit him, but he quickly shook it off. He exchanged looks with the Gamma, who proceeded to instruct the crowd to back away to allow enough room for our clash. Breno took a few steps back too as he prepared himself. I was ready to do the same when I felt a hand grasping my arm.

“Dude, you can’t fight yet. The doctor told you to rest until tomorrow!” Malin reminded me.

“I’m fine. So what if it leaves a scar? We have more important things at stake here,” I reassured him. Reluctantly, he let me go.

“Whenever you’re ready, Alpha Zephyr,” Elder Cassius called from a distance.

My skin itched as Dawn readied herself to come out, and I didn’t fight her. The second our transformation started, Breno followed our lead, also releasing his beast like I had instructed him to do. His wolf was a dark shade of gray with white markings. He was not as tall as Ryder’s wolf, being just a few inches taller than Dawn, but he still eyed her with disdain. My she-wolf growled in response, gesturing for her opponent to move first. He immediately did.

As I had learned from our previous combat, Dawn was incredibly fast. She had no trouble dodging the adversary’s headbutt, proceeding to push him down with her paws. The wolf fell to the ground, but before she could strike, he jumped back to his feet. Although he was seething with anger, it was clear he was a lot more prudent than his former Alpha.

And a lot more intelligent too, as he proved with his next move.

Expecting another attack, Dawn gained some distance from the male to better defend herself. However, we both failed tosee he had already realized that he was no match for her speed. When my she-wolf dodged him, he was quick to bite her neck, forcing her to release a gasp in surprise.

Getting a grasp of the opponent’s neck was considered game over, as it made it almost impossible for the prisoner to escape. That alone made the crowd explode with cheers, thinking the battle had been won. I could feel Dawn’s pain as blood dripped from her open wounds, but she was resilient. I knew she would never give up so easily.

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