The Gamma's Birthright - Book 2

“What about a Moon Goddess trial.” A small voice pipes up.

This isn’t a challenge Toni has heard of before and looks a little confused, as does everyone else in the area, a calm silence settles over the growing masses, before the silence is shattered by a dozen questions, all thrown at the young girl simultaneously.

“Pup, what is this challenge”

Alpha Joseph snaps at the owner of the small voice, letting his frustration come into his voice turning his full command aura on her as he grasps for any straw.

Toni sees the pup physically shrink back, she’s probably only about ten or twelve, before collapsing to her knees crying, she can smell her fear from the force of the Alpha’s command.

Something strikes a chord deep inside her, she cannot and will not stand by and watch another child be hurt by an Alpha, not on her watch.

“Quiet” Toni commands loudly “You’re scaring her”

Her growl silences the crowd as her aura pulses out over the adults, staring down anyone who continues talking as Tyra takes over, she remembers seeing how adults in the Deadfalls pack dealt with scared pups by distracting them and hopes she can be as successful with this unknown pup.

She’s barely holding in her anger over how the little pup was being treated, the comments from the crowd as bad as the Alpha using his full command aura on such a young pup.

But for the sake of the cowering pup, she knows she needs to calm things down, but Tyra is ready to take on any adult that poses a risk to the girl, gradually, the crowd quietens.

She walks to the pup and helps her to her feet, she turns the girl so her back is to the main group, pushing her cloak hood further back to display her face a little, so wants to ensure she looks less foreboding she crouches down in front of the girl trying to make herself smaller.

Allowing a sigh to pass her lips she forces her body to relax, she can do this, she thinks, dealing softly with a pup as she’s seen countless mums doing before her, not that she has ever done it that way herself, but she has Tyra whispering in her ear, giving her all sorts of advice on how to be gentle, taking over a little.

“Hi there, can I try and guess your name?”

Her words come out gently as she smiles at the pup, who nods, trying to shrink back a little from Toni’s eyes, still scared as Toni reaches forward and wipes away her tears, gently.

“Ignore the rest of them, they are just too noisy aren’t they”

Aware the buzz in the group is probably now about her, not the girl but understanding they are still upsetting the pup, she glances over the girl’s shoulder, staring at the crowd until the sound quietens down again.

“And of course, boys smell”

She whispers conspiratorially getting a shy nod and giggle in answer

“Are you called Athena or Athene?”

The girl shakes her head

“Boadicea?”

Again, she shakes her head

“Artemis?”

The girl giggles again and shakes her head, relaxing a little as Toni watches

“I give up”

She raises her hands as if in defeat

“I would have sworn with the braveness you just showed, you would be named after a strong Goddess, or great warrior, because you aren’t easily scared and have a brave heart.

It seems I’m not very good at this guessing little one, so what’s your name?”

Toni asks with the gentleness of a lamb, fully aware of the shocked faces around her, so unlike her reputation, and if she’s honest, not at all like she’s ever dealt with someone before.

“Hazel” she whispers quietly

“Well, I see you have a very pretty name”

She fake palm slaps her head causing the pup to giggle

“And one that means wisdom of course, so that must be why you are so clever!”

Hazel smiles shyly at Toni

“See I’m nicer to deal with than that lot right”

She whispers and gives Hazel a wink, getting a broader smile from Hazel in return.

“Can you tell me what you know about this challenge you mentioned?”

Toni finally asks deciding the pup is calm enough now

“Well, Daddy was translating a book.

He’s always huffing as he reads books, but he also mutters under his breath as he does it, he mentioned it.”

Hazel stops looking puzzled

“But he didn’t know about it before, which is curious as he likes old stuff, I think it’s because he’s old, but that’s all I know”

Hazel drops her eyes at the end looking embarrassed.

“It just sounded like you were all naming challenges and I wanted to join in, but you weren’t, were you”

Her voice trailing off head dropping down, Toni smiles gently

“Well, I guess we were, in an adult way, but you don’t need to worry about that okay? You did nothing wrong”

She lifts Hazel’s head gently to look at her

“Do you think your Daddy would come over and talk to us if Chief Delta Alek finds us a room?” her voice gentle

Hazel nods

“He likes talking about old stuff, but…. it bores me”

She looks embarrassed at her admission making Toni smile a little at the corners of her mouth.

“You’re going to fight, aren’t you?”

She asks suddenly, a concerned look on her face, Tyra is telling Toni to comfort her, taking Hazel’s hands gently in her own.

“Hazel,

I know you are taught not to stare at ranked wolves, but I need you to look into my eyes as I tell you something.

You need to see my wolf and feel her comfort, to know what I’m about to tell you is the total truth, can you do that for me?”

Hazel raises her eyes to Toni, still nervous about doing as she’s been asked.

“We may fight, we may not, but all you need to know is whatever happens, it didn’t happen because of anything you said or did.

Everything that happens is because of Alpha Joseph and myself, ok?

Fighting isn’t always the best way to resolve things, but sometimes, when words or tempers fail, it’s the only way, it’s the wolf inside us that leads us there, it’s a dominance thing, usually, it can be sorted without fighting.

And the most important part, if we do fight, both parties will be doing so willingly, and nobody will be forced into it okay?

Do you understand and believe me?”

Hazel nods

“Now, if you get your daddy to come along that would be great, but I think it would be best for you to stay at home.

And tell your mummy, that Gamma Woodfield and Alpha Joseph, both visiting from other packs and Chief Delta Alek have asked nicely if you are allowed something nice to eat, because of how helpful and brave you are.”

Toni smiles at Hazel who starts to run off before coming back to Toni

“I really, really like you, more than them, I hope you win!” she whispers loudly, before turning once more and running off.

Pulling up her hood and crossing her arms, she lets a little of her command aura come to the surface, and eyes drop from her face almost immediately.

“You all scared a pup with your actions, and yet I’m the monster.

Shame on you all!”

Just because she isn’t normally gentle and soft with pups doesn’t mean that she can’t be in the right circumstances.

“Chief Delta, this is causing a scene, and not something that needs to be done in public”

Toni motions to the large crowds that have gathered around them.

“Is there somewhere more private we can take this….”

She pauses to stop herself from saying ‘fuckwittery’. This is the closest she’s come to swearing out loud, but to her, that is a loss of control and therefore a win for any opponent, she calms her breathing before continuing.

“…..discussion?”

Chief Delta Alek leads them into a conference room, along with his warriors, clearly not confident that there has been a de-escalation of tension.

“Why?” Alpha Joseph queries as he sits down.

“Why what?” Toni doesn’t bother looking at the alpha as she replies

“Why are you helping me to fight you?

Why were you kind to that girl?

That’s not who you are.”

He looks slightly conflicted as he vocalises his questions, not so confident anymore in his desire to kill her, suddenly aware of seeing a different side to her.

“I am continually judged before and after I meet people, but I’m used to it by now.

But you should all know that preconceived ideas do nothing but limit your own mind, and you and I Alpha, have never met directly before, so that’s what your view of me is, based on reputation and hearsay alone.”

She looks around the room, there are so many who seem to want to see her answer the question, but she doesn’t feel like obliging them, the irony is of course, she let her reputation be built into the monster it is now, this predicament, it partially of her own making.

“Alpha Joseph, you get to fight me or question me, but not both, what’s your poison?”

She holds his eyes, not backing down

“Fair enough, no questions”

His words feel deflated as if he’s not so sure he’s on the side of right any more

She can see that her words have hit home in a few people, but in truth, the question of why she is helping the Alpha and not just walking away is a question Toni has been asking herself.

The only answer she has come up with is maybe this is what the Goddess wanted.

Plus, if he’s that eager, it will either be an organised fight, where it will at least be fair, or out there in some ambush, she’s not stupid, there are plenty that would attack if they thought they could get away without Alpha Vincent finding out.

At least here, she feels she has some element of control, rather than being lynched in the dark somewhere else, which is, in reality how she always thought she’d pass away and a real possibility in her mind every time she steps off pack land.

Her father died at twenty-eight, albeit in an accident, but he didn’t take over the role until he was twenty, if she lives another eight years then she feels she will have done exceptionally well.

So if not then, maybe now is as good as any other option after her failed meeting with the Prince, there would at least be a form of release.

Toni takes a seat before staring directly at Alpha Joseph

“You and I both know this isn’t about Roy.

You have a vendetta against me for some reason, maybe you don’t want to admit the real reason, but Roy cannot be it, let’s at least be honest about that.

But, if this turns out to be a valid challenge reason, I will face it, if not I will leave and you will let this matter lie.”

She realises she’s practically issued a command with her speech, but Alpha Joseph does at least acknowledge her with a brief nod.

Toni isn’t sure if it’s an agreement about Roy, about letting the matter lie or to show a small amount of respect for her, but she feels at least, a little bit vindicated.