The Gamma's Birthright - Book 2

Delta Asher had travelled with her from the military area, where she’d met the Alpha, back to the packhouse she’d stayed to get to her car.

He’d tried to make conversation with her, picking up on where they had left off before she visited the Alpha, but she barely acknowledged him, seeming to be a completely different person than the one he had left at the Alpha’s office not that long before, even when she did answer him, it was with one-word answers making it clear she was no longer in the mood to talk.

He wasn’t sure why a meeting to release her from her wardship could have left her like this, but it was clear that whatever had happened hadn’t been news that she wanted.

She threw her bag into the boot of her car with barely restrained anger, focussed at this point, solely on getting onto no-mans-land. She needed space to run, to quieten the questions that were rampaging through her mind, to try and find the answers from within herself that would make her life liveable.

Her mind was a raging mess of emotions and Tyra was pacing like a caged animal, neither side of her calm nor focussed, neither able to concentrate on anything but her current anger, she needs space and time, is what she is telling herself, space and time to work out how she can fight this.

“Gamma Woodfield?”

The loud angry voice finally broke its way through the fog of her anger-filled mind.

“Yes?”

She snapped back, anger evident, her eyes flashing to Amber.

Turning, she sees a man she doesn’t recognise, but she can feel his power and his anger radiating off him, probably an Alpha, she needs this now, like a hole in her head.

Growling he lunges forward trying to grab her, she spins away taking a defensive posture, barely holding back her anger, but slowly in her mind, she is focusing on a new target if he doesn’t back down, neither will she and pack laws be dammed.

Delta Asher moves in front of the unknown man.

“Get out of my way” he spits at Delta Asher

“With respect Alpha, you need to stand down and step back.”

Delta Asher comes across as firm and far more confident than she’d seen him be the day before and a part of her wonders if it's just her that unsettled him, or whether it was the adrenaline of the situation that is giving him the confidence now.

“Just as I thought, a fucking chicken, won’t even take on a fight face to face relying on other people to defend you?” he growls out

“Trust me, I can defend myself, but we are guests of the Royal Pack, so show some respect and don’t start a street brawl, especially one you may not win!”

She counters sharply making him pause, she may not be all that confident, but her anger is giving her a fire and making your opponent doubt themselves goes a long way to securing a win!

“And remember, strike that Delta and you will have to face the Royal pack's judgement, not mine!”

Her tone is only calm on the outside, internally Tyra is pushing to come out, supporting Toni with her strength and speed, but the rational side of her knows starting a fight here has consequences, but then does she still care?

It’s not an answer she can give at this point, but honestly, she’ll be happy to go for it, technically he threw the first punch, so she has a right to defend herself.

The Alpha stills, scowling at her

“Like you care about the rules of our society”

He gives her a disdainful look, behind him is a wolf who is shifting from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable, probably from his pack.

Toni, hearing the sound of running feet, smiles, betting that people were on call in case of her, not her unknown assailant, oh the poetic justice of it all, she thinks to herself.

“I don’t even think I’ve had the ‘pleasure’ of meeting you before and yet the first thing you try and do is throw a punch, then try and talk about me caring for the rules of our society – the irony!”

She says loudly and slightly sarcastically as Chief Delta Alek turns up with a group of warriors,

‘Tell me why should I play nicely?’ she sends that thought up to the Goddess, seriously her life has been one mess after another, so why does she need to continue to play by the rules of this messed up society?

There’s something inside her that just wants justice and laws be dammed, in Toni’s head, that’s her desire for freedom, fighting back.

Antonia has her hands up in front of her, still in a defensive stance, realising, she drops her hands and turns to Delta Asher.

“Am I required to have an escort to the edge of the pack land or can I drive myself, you seem to have your hands full here”

She waves vaguely to the enraged man who is now being physically restrained after her little taunt.

“I Alpha Joseph Kent, challenge you Gamma Woodfield to fight to the death, under the rules of Sanguis-pro-Sanguine”

He all but shouts, bringing more onlookers out of the nearby buildings, and those passing to a halt forming what she’d only describe as, a schoolyard fighting ring, around the oddly matched group, who are now divided only by a line of warriors.

A hush falls over the assembled group, to reject the official challenge would mark her as a coward, but also if he can prove his claim and she declines it; it disgraces the pack and marks the pack as a Rogue pack for going against the Pack Laws, potentially allowing others to attack with impunity.

While she doesn’t care if Alpha Vincent gets into trouble, there are plenty of innocents in the Nightshade pack whose lives would be worse for the change in pack status.

Blood-for-blood challenges are used where an innocent life has been taken and is a formal challenge recognised by all packs. She’s killed innocents before, at the command of her Alpha, so this may be a valid challenge, those deaths were all made to look like accidents, but it’s possible she made a mistake.

She looks at the Alpha in front of her, taking a deep breath, she won’t hide from her actions, she has at least that much self-respect.

“Whose innocent blood do you seek vengeance for?”

She asks calmly and confidently, her voice slicing through the uneasy silence that has fallen on the crowd, she will own this moment in her life, her anger from before has all but dissipated, the challenge sobering and centring her, now it’s about facing her past.

Dying to a challenge was always a potential outcome to her life story, she’d accepted that, but then she’d never expected a long or happy life while she was tethered to the Nightshade pack and in reality, earlier today she’d contemplated letting herself get caught, was this the Moon Goddess answering her prayers?

It isn’t the way she wants to end her life, with this kind of challenge, but, as long as he names an innocent she has killed, then she’ll accept that as proof, a form of atonement on her dark soul, not asking how he is related.

But she wants to at least know who he wants to avenge, which stain can be washed from her soul by her death, but the man in front of her is strangely silent.

“Come on, name your innocent Alpha”

She pushes no longer taunting him, just wanting to get this over with.

“Roy Evans”

She has to work hard not to laugh but her eyes shine with amusement and a little contempt.

“Alpha Joseph of the Lowlands pack, of course”

Her words gave her a metaphorical slap on the head, and she nodded, finally, placing him.

“Beta Oliver I presume?”

She looks to the man behind her who nods briefly, slightly embarrassed, there’s a small family resemblance to the whimpering wretch she remembers scarring.

“Roy Evans is alive to the best of my knowledge, he received a punishment for attacking and scarring a 17-year-old, and for stealing his kill and by extension stealing from the Nightshade pack.

For that, he was left with a scar to remind him that actions have consequences, he is not innocent and importantly, was left alive by me, and in no immediate danger of death.

I’m pretty sure your Beta, can confirm that.” she motions towards him

“Therefore, Sanguis-pro-Sanguine cannot apply.”

She turns to leave, but cannot decide if she’s upset that she hasn’t been able to atone for one of her sins, or happy that she will live a little longer.

The tension in the area is high, Delta Asher is by her side, watching her carefully, assuming he is ready to try and restrain her, Chief Delta Alek has placed himself close to Alpha Joseph, who is no longer restrained by the warriors, but in reality, if she and the Alpha were to go at it, would they want to step in? While the thought is tempting, jail time served in the Royal Pack would eat into her time off pack land.

She listens carefully, all the heartbeats are elevated around her from their adrenaline, so many innocents who are just doing their job could get hurt if something started here, it’s given her focus, a reminder that it wasn’t just those two involved.

Turning back to her car, time to leave this area she thinks.

“Bitch don’t turn your back on me, too cowardly to face your fate?” Alpha Joseph shouts

Amber eyes are burning in her face as she turns back to face the Alpha, she’s aware of the fact Tyra is on the surface, being called a coward for the second time, as well as a bitch has triggered her, she turns slowly, her Aura coming out controlled by Tyra, not her, she’s a proud wolf but not likely to lose control, Toni trusts her in that.

“I am many things”

She pauses to take a calming breath

“Some of the rumours you’ve heard are probably true… but let me be very clear about two things.

I am no coward.

I have and will put my life on the line to protect those who need protecting, and face anyone my Alpha commands me to, I will not shirk from a fight, nor the consequences of my actions if that’s what’s required.

But I do not, and will not, take a life unless I am commanded to, or have to for my own survival, nor will I go into a fight to the death on a whim, life is precious.”

She’s trying to keep her voice calm, but there’s an undercurrent of anger that has silenced all those watching.

She holds Alpha Joseph’s eyes as she makes her little speech, a silent unspoken challenge passes between them and there’s the smallest hint of respect in his eyes, not many would stare at an Alpha like that.

“But let me be very clear, that’s the only time you get to call me ‘Bitch’ without consequences, Alpha.

Even if you judge me on rumours alone, no part of my reputation is that of a ‘bitch’ and you would be wise to remember that.”

She spits out the last line, not realising just how many around her have bared their necks from her command aura nor seeing the surprise on the face of Chief Delta Alek at the force of her command

While technically females are bitches, the polite term is a she-wolf, bitch is the same as calling a wolf a slut and one she does not and will not stand for.

“Challenge me for a valid reason and I will accept.

I will not, however, accept a false challenge over someone I know, and I’m pretty sure you do too, is neither an innocent, nor dead.”

She takes a deep breath to calm herself and pulls back her command aura, Tyra is growling at her, she wants people to know she is strong

“Trial by combat” He states

“And what am I on trial for?

I have admitted to injuring Roy Evans, and the injury was justified under werewolf law, things that I can prove without fighting, therefore your challenge is once again declined.

Unless, of course, you have another crime, one that I have committed against you or your pack and, personally, I am not aware of any, trust me, I own all my actions, do you?

But let me ask you this, do you want to kill me so much you will grasp at any option to do so?”

Her eyes narrow towards the Alpha, who chooses not to answer in words, but his body tenses at her question, giving her an unspoken answer.

“I should be so honoured, that I’ve generated such a fire in an Alpha I haven’t met!”

She turns away, sarcasm dripping from her every word.

Looking to Chief Delta Alek, knowing he is the highest ranked wolf from the Royal pack in the area, ready to ask for her escort off their pack land

She knows it’s time to leave, already on edge from her meeting with the Alpha, she needs to be able to run off her frustration.