The Gamma's Birthright - Book 2

“Chief Delta Alek, why did you take me from the Deadfalls pack all those years ago?”

Her voice finally breaks the silence.

“Your skills were too good and you were an orphan.

We were all tasked with looking out for a pup that was over and above what you’d expect for their age, specifically an orphan and to bring them back to the Royal Pack.”

“Why an Orphan?”

“Not everyone knew why, but for the ranked wolves, it was known that the Nightshade pack had lost a pup from the Gamma family, we were looking for them.” He answers

“That’s why the permanent transfer was offered as a prize?”

She questions

“Yes, it was thought it would be more appealing to an orphan”

“Was there ever the option of making the move permanently for me?”

Alek sits there quietly not answering.

“Answer me”

This time she brings her command aura to bear.

The surprise on their faces is worth seeing at the strength of her command.

“I thought there was at the time, but in reality, I don’t think so no” Alek responds.

“Did you know at the time, I was to be returned to the Nightshade pack?”

“Not at that time no, a meeting was held and I recommended that you stayed in our pack, to be trained with us.”

The sadness is clear in his voice.

“One final question, how many, roughly, have you killed in the name of defending your pack, or on the command of the Alpha.”

“I’ve never counted” he answers honestly

“less than 10, less than 25, less than 50 or more than 50, let’s get a rough estimate?”

“Probably less than 25”

“Thank you Chief Delta.

You’ll soon be reunited back to with your family and I wish you a long life together.

Honesty after all should be rewarded.”

Alek’s face is confused at her words

“How did you command him?” the Beta asks

She looks at him closely.

“Does it matter? But I’d guess it helps all your wolves are asleep.”

She shrugs making it an unimportant question.

“Beta, does the Royal pack allow whipping as a punishment for minors?”

“No, never”

Beta Dan moves uncomfortably in his chair

“I was officially made a ward of the Royal Pack until I was Twenty, was I not?”

“That’s correct”

The Beta is staring at the table, not wanting to meet Toni’s eyes

“So as a ward, the punishments are restricted to those the Royal pack would impose, correct?”

“Yes”

Toni moved so that she stood near the Beta, the scar on her neck was visible.

“And you witnessed me being whipped at fourteen on my return to the Nightshades pack, right, one in which I got this scar on my neck?

“Yes”

“So why did you let it go ahead?”

“It was decided we needed to let Alpha Vincent train you normally, including whatever punishment he saw fit, the Delta and I were told to not interfere.”

Beta Dan sighs, his words are filled with regret

“Train me for what?”

“We believed his Gammas were used almost like assassins to kill and if that was true you would be the next one.” Dan answers

“You were happy to let me be sacrificed after I had escaped his clutches once?”

“It was felt it was a necessary evil" The Beta's voice is low

“Why didn’t you use your command on me to explain my full role when you questioned me when I was here, you knew I was being evasive right?”

“I was told not to.”

“By the Alpha or the Prince?”

“The Alpha, he wanted to see how honest you were.”

Nodding, she looks him dead in his eye

“How old is your son?”

“Fifteen”

“Would you sacrifice him in this way to prove a point?”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“Did you ever assume I was commanded to keep quiet?"

The Beta nods

"It was discussed."

"Do you have anything else you want to add Beta?” Toni’s eyes hold his

“Nothing else, except, I’m sorry, I really am, what happened to you was wrong.

Something I’ve regretted many times over but I didn’t vote to send you back, while I could see the benefits, I thought you needed protecting.”

She gets up and walks behind them all again, except behind the prince and the Alpha, she pats their shoulders, surreptitiously using a blister pump to keep their wolves asleep, as she addresses them.

“Sorry gents, you’ll get your time to talk”

Resetting the timers, She looks up at the Beta.

“How many did you kill, roughly, at the command of your Alpha or to defend your pack?”

“Similar to the Chief Delta Alek I’d guess, but in the 25-50 range.”

“Beta Dan, when you see your son, cherish him every day, and encourage his friendships.

Give him the childhood that I was denied, and thank you for your honesty.”

“Alpha, anything you want to admit to, you know the drill.”

Sighing she wonders if he’ll dig his own grave.

“No one here made you kill, your need to find scapegoats is sad.”

He looks frustrated, and on the verge of anger, Toni just smiles before she answers him.

“Alpha Nate, no need to get angry, we are just talking.

I will freely admit that I killed Alpha Vincent.

Except, it was a legal trial, eighty per cent of the pack were there to witness it as per your own pack's rules for trials of an Alpha.

The people were given a chance to plead the Alpha's case, and they all declined, and yet you all found me guilty of Treason to my Alpha.

Additionally, I killed Delta Cole in a challenge fight, allowed under the werewolf law and both deaths were my choice and a debt I need to settle with the Moon Goddess when I pass from this world.

Every other life I took, I was under the command of Alpha Vincent, so I’d question how that differs from lives you have all taken.”

Getting up she walks around them.

“But all of you sat here, every one of you had had a hand in sending me back to be trained by Alpha Vincent, whether by direct actions or inaction.

And some of you had a hand in their deaths, imagine the lives that would have been saved if only you’d questioned me properly or allowed me the rights of any other adult wolf.

So, unburden yourself, who knows how it will clear your soul”

She stands arms crossed to one side of the room, just in view of the cameras.

“I proposed sending you back, watching and tracking your movements to gather the information we needed to take down Alpha Vincent.” Alpha Nate starts

“We thought he’d only start to use you from eighteen”

Alpha Nate finally, grudgingly concedes

“You thought that four years of putting a minor into an unsafe environment was better than commanding me to give you all the information on the Gamma role.” Surprise evident in her voice

“That would have been hearsay, on what your father had done.”

“At what point did you realise he wasn’t waiting until I was eighteen?” she presses

“We had our suspicions when you were given the rank at fourteen, but we believe you may have started at sixteen.”

“As a ward of your pack, I had to be checked yearly by one of your pack, always a ranked wolf from within this room, so why didn’t you just command me to tell you at that point?”

Alpha Nate sighs reluctantly

“We wanted more proof.”

She laughs out loud at the Alpha’s words

“What would have been more proof than a confession from me?

And you don’t feel you had any responsibility for the deaths that were caused?” her words filled with disgust

“At what point was there enough information that you could have taken me away from the life you forced me to live, using your command on me to reveal all, Sixteen? Seventeen maybe Eighteen?

Oh wait, you never did.

And how do I differ from anyone else here?

I killed on the command of my Alpha, but think about how many lives could you have saved if you had brought me in at Sixteen?”

Toni shakes her head; Tyra is pacing, her inner beast is growling but she holds it in.

“We made a mistake” Alpha Nate answers

“But why didn’t you run?” Beta Dan asks

“Good question” She glances at the timers.

“Your Highness, do you want to let everyone know why I didn’t run?”

Walking behind him, his silence is telling she thinks.

“Let me try this a different way.

Your Highness, did you issue a command, that left me unable to leave the pack or pack lands unless my Alpha gave me explicit permission to leave?”

Silence fills the room, there's a look of shock on the Beta’s and Chief Delta’s faces as she sits down, confirming to her that they weren’t aware of his command, but the Prince’s statement was the one she needed the most

“I did”

The Prince finally speaks.

“And did that include removing my right to terminate my pack bond without my alpha’s agreement?”

“It did”

“And were you aware that I was always commanded to kill, that it was never voluntary?”

“I had some suspicions, but I didn’t truly know until Alpha Vincent announced that you were under his direct command, but it didn’t matter.

His death and your execution order increased my popularity, getting me one step closer to taking the throne on my terms.”

The Prince almost seems proud of his work

She unfolds the paper she was given on her release from her wardship, the one that the Alpha had made sure she took.

“And you gave me access to evidence that linked Alpha Vincent to my parents’ death.

Look me in the eye and tell me you didn’t know what the impact would be in giving me that information.”

She watches as he fixes his eyes on her.

“Yes, when you were released from the wardship I made sure you got the evidence as I decided you were close to the edge.

I even tried getting the Iron Claw pack hunting you, to try and push you into going back early to the Nightshades pack, telling them you were involved in the death of two of their wolves, knowing you weren’t.

Disappointingly they failed.

Ultimately it solved two problems of mine, you killed the Alpha I wanted dead, allowing me to condemn you, an assassin that could enter our pack land without us knowing.” Prince Darius admits

“I don’t regret my actions!” he announces proudly

“Not that anyone else will ever know that”

He’s grinning at her and she intends on wiping the smug look off his face, but not quite yet

“You also must have known the evidence was fake then?”

She looks at the clock, she needs to bring this to a close

“Yes, and you swallowed it up, taking out the problem of Alpha Vincent and leaving yourself open to being sentenced for Treason, so do your worst.

The best offer you will get is life in prison, and everyone here will be commanded to never speak of this event, so I hope you find this cathartic because this is the only release you’ll ever get.”

’Thank you, all for your honesty.” I sigh “Closure is also good for the soul”

“But it’s time for us to part company.

One thing I may have forgotten to tell you, this conversation has been both recorded and transmitted on the main Royal Pack website, among a few other news outlets.”

She enjoyed seeing the shock in the Crown Prince’s face at that announcement.

“You see, in my year away from packs, I met some really interesting and talented people, who love a challenge and hacking your website was seen as exactly that.

Copies will be sent out to give me some final freedom from being hunted, I’d like a peaceful, natural death, although I am sure, you’ll try and hunt me for more personal reasons.

Beta Dan, Chief Delta Alek, I hope that you are treated well from any outcome of this ‘session’, I believe you were both innocents, like me, used and controlled.

I understand the pain of being forced to do things that are against your own wishes, and of having no control over the decisions.

And I don’t hold you responsible, you were both limited by the commands of the Alpha and Prince, but excuse me for not wishing to meet you both again.”

Smiling, she's more relaxed at what happens next, proof has been delivered.

“What are you going to do with Prince Darius and the Alpha, with the Chief Delta and I you told us we’d see our families again.” Beta Dan asks quietly

Toni gets up to leave, sending a message via her phone.

“I don’t intend to do anything, their fate is not for me to decide, a copy of this meeting is being emailed to His Majesty the King as we speak, I will leave it in his hands.” She winks

“But if they want that soft warm feeling you get from knowing the future is safe and theirs to control...

I can only suggest they shit in their own hands because I wouldn’t even give them that.”

Picking up capsules, she goes to administer another dose of the sleeping drug, giving her time to escape, as she goes to the Alpha first a voice fills the room.

“Antonia, release me”

The Prince’s command fills the room, she hadn’t noticed his wolf had awoken, too engrossed in getting him to admit what he’d done.

“Release me now”

Tyra had faltered on the first command, but there was a shift inside her, her beast rearing up in her mind, her eyes flashing blue, she smiled remembering Leif’s words, a Lone Wolf will not submit to any wolf they cannot respect.

“I guess the answer is no”

She injects the Prince, enjoying the shocked look on everyone’s faces, before doing the same to the Beta.

When she gets to the Delta who has been silent for a while, she just looks at him

“Trust in me Delta, I don’t kill willingly”

Toni winks and pats his back, giving him the same sleeping additive, the others have been given, before untying only him, when he wakes up, they will all be released.

Opening the basement door, she has just twenty minutes to escape from their pack lands.

The scent masker that had been going off every twenty minutes has been removed, so their scent will eventually be traceable and she intends on leaving no trace of her or the tools of her old trade lying around.

After all, the best place to hide is in plain sight, plus trying to move all four off pack land unseen would have been nigh on impossible, the risks were too high, so she’d used gas to knock three of them out in the meeting room and the Prince in the lift, using that to transport them into the basement.

Once they had all been reported as missing, the pack would have gone into lockdown.

With the Crown Prince and most of the pack leaders unaccounted for, they would be following a strict protocol.

She understood this would happen, doing the research she’d been trained to do, by now the lands would have been searched, the roads in and out locked down and trackers searching the surrounding areas, with groups sent out to every car, van and truck that had left the grounds since they were last seen.

Most helpfully, they followed the same quadrant searches, so she would be leaving via the first one that had been searched, all information available online thanks to the hackers she’d employed.

Now it’s time to run and as she runs off into the night, the final verse of a Robert Frost poem comes to mind.

’The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.’

Five days of travelling ahead of her in wolf form, if she doesn’t stop and takes the direct route, but at this moment, neither of those is an option.

In about an hour, ninety minutes tops, the Royal pack will find the start point of her trail and she’s embarrassed them, among a few other crimes, like taking a number of their leadership against their will, if you ignore the pending death sentence over her head, so she needs to run smart, run fast and run long.

And not towards her final destination, she will not be the arrow that guides an army to her destination, she has the speed, endurance and desire to survive, they have numbers, but for now, she runs.

It took her four days until she was satisfied that no one was following her, three more to be absolutely sure, then a further seven to take a meandering route to her destination, no matter how much she wanted to get back faster.