The Making of a Dark Gamma - Book 1

Still here, honestly, I thought you’d have something better to do than watch the shit show that is my life?

Well since you’ve stuck around let me expand a little, I think I left you at the age of five, just got my initial Gamma brand and was happy.

At that age, it’s about pleasing your parents, so you work hard, don’t cry and do what they tell you right?

At night my mum would talk about my mate, leaving the pack and about my brother who was bound to come, so I’d need to train less and could play more.

I didn’t understand the concept of playing, to me, playing was training, I guess when I look back, my childhood, while not unhappy, was messed up.

The day my parents died in the car crash was the day I became the last of the direct Gamma bloodline, which meant I was to be protected, but not coddled.

Placed in my extended family's care, it was like a dream come true for them, they were nurturing the next Gamma, that raised their status in the pack, and trust me, they thrived on that.

I was figuratively their golden goose and I guess they hoped their son, who is a major ‘creepazoid’, and I would be mates, that idea is only one step down from Delta Cole and I being mates - yuck.

Worse than that, they placed me above their two children as I gave them status, which was shit and not of my doing, but therein lay the animosity between us.

Anyway, my training continued and I excelled, it wasn’t a game after my parents passed; my training was moved directly to be supervised under the Beta and Alpha, always fighting others stronger and older than me, taking a beating if I failed to meet their standards, I learnt how to survive and grow.

At eleven, I was made a hunted in the annual competition; I didn’t get caught and got my favourite meal made for me, it was a really fun day, no training just a game, and being small, I could hide where they couldn’t look.

Over the following week, I was tested and pushed to my limits, the Alpha and Beta were finally pleased with me, not that I was allowed to show that I was happy, I knew the punishment for showing emotions.

A few days later they came to eat with my cousin and his wife, which sent them into a sycophantic heaven, trust me they told everyone who was coming to dinner.

As kids, we were sent to bed after the food, but as I left, I heard my name mentioned, so I did what all self-respecting kids would do, I eavesdropped.

Some of the information from that dinner was their plans for me being mated, which you know already, the part you don’t know yet was that when I got my wolf, they planned on completing my testing and making me the pack Gamma, with an adult Delta to help if needed.

I know my second cousin hoped they would rank him up as my advisor, but that was never going to happen, but everyone has dreams right? Well apart from me, I know that now, even if I didn’t then.

So if you noticed Alpha Vincent didn’t ask me if I wanted to become the next Gamma, I don’t have an option in this, my training is so much different to others, I am, from tomorrow, going to be the pack enforcer.

Shit just got real.

I’m going to admit, I feel disillusioned, the Royal Pack is supposed to be the protector pack, they don’t allow whipping for those under eighteen′s and the competition today, well wolves my age aren’t allowed to fight so brutally against adults, and yet the Beta and Delta stood and watched it all... once again!

Oh, and if you are wondering how I don’t feel pain, I do, I feel it just like you do, the difference is in my response.

My training from my dad as a child has been to alter the pain response, it takes training and repetition but it’s possible to change the immediate response your body has to the stimuli, so while it looks like I feel no pain, hell yes I do, I’m not some superhero wolf, just I use it to fight back, channel it into energy.

It’s easier with Tyra as we can share the pain between us, the key thing is, because we don’t allow the normal pain responses to be shown, that scares people and puts them on the defensive.

And how did I deal with the Delta?

He never hunts as a wolf, more fool him, hunting and having to hold onto the large prey as it swings you around, not only a thrill but great jaw training if I could give you one piece of advice, screw leg day every once in a while, if that’s what you want, but never, ever, skip jaw day.

Finally, I knew he’d underestimated me, he’s never seen me train, and he thought the rank was purely by nature of my parents, she-wolves aren’t strong in his eyes and I’ve never chosen to change that view, one of my fathers rules – rule six if you remember, it’s the one about letting them underestimate you.

So, fuck them, fuck them all, you can rely on one person in this life, yourself, never forget that.

The morning dawns and Tyra has been hard at work as she slept, most of her injuries had healed up, maybe a few small scars on her arm from the Delta’s jaws but nothing that will be obvious or permanent.

Throwing on her combat uniform as usual, it’s the outward façade not that there’s a single wolf in this pack who doesn’t know her, the pack enforcer.

No other uniform is fully black in this pack, Deltas wear black tops, but camo legs, but also it solidifies in her mind the outward persona she has to wear.

Only when she sheds the uniform, in the privacy of her room, can she be herself, and even then, she never fully relaxes aware that the Alpha or Beta can walk in at any time, claiming a room inspection.

After the fighting yesterday, few will want to cross her, not that they would have thought about it anyway, but having taken down a Delta before adulthood, there will be fear; fear of not only her rank but what she has achieved as a minor.

The whole pack will be expected to watch her gain her final brand in a few hours, one of the few times they are expected to stare directly at her, the one time she won’t meet anyone’s eyes in a challenge, just staring at a point in the distance while the brand is applied.

Walking to breakfast everyone is bowing and moving out of her way, she hasn’t taken the oath, that’s in a few hours, but in the pack’s eyes she’s now the Gamma and therefore as bad as Alpha and his Beta, she hates it, but she plays the part.

Before she’d get a respectful nod as a trainee, but the first time each day you see the Alpha, Beta or Gamma in this pack, you are expected to bow, not the full bow you see in the movies but your shoulders need to drop briefly, after that you just drop your head.

As she walks to the breakfast counter, all the pack members take steps back to let her go before them, the leadership doesn’t queue, only trainees do, she doesn’t look at anyone, just keeps her eyes focussed ahead of her, wishing she could just disappear, into oblivion.

It doesn’t matter that there’s enough food to go around, it’s the rules of the pack, if she queues now, she’d be punished, but the pack don’t know that she’s just like the rest of the leadership in their eyes.

Taking her food, she leaves to go eat at the Junior leadership table for the last time, normally the table seats Robert, Michael, and the Deltas (Cole, George and Rufus) excluding the Chief Delta who sits on the top table.

Michael is yet to be punished so is still in the cells, although, she knows he’ll be brought out of the cells for the ceremony.

Once she gets her last brand, she moves to the top table if she eats in the pack house, the idea makes her sick, but she’s hoping she’s allowed to move into the Gamma’s house soon, which was her childhood home.

The day passes relatively quietly, at ten, the Alpha gathered the pack and she accepted the blood oath and final brand, standing still for the two minutes the red-hot brand is applied to her hip, sealing her fate.

Afterwards, the Alpha granted her the keys to the home she grew up in, the house belongs to the Gamma, allowing her to take residence from her fifteenth birthday, just two months away, giving them time to make improvements or change things to her liking.

Her role will take her off-pack land, having a house to come and go to at all hours, is her ‘reward’, but essentially, it’s to stop people from tracking her movements.

Did she want the role, not really, but it’s also a relief, that in two months she can have a space that is truly hers, where she can be herself, out of prying eyes.

At midday, a young girl comes up to her looking terrified.

“Gamma Antonia”

She bows her head speaking quietly, she can already hear the fear in her voice and this pup can’t be more than ten, but they are all brought up to fear her, no bogeyman will get you in this pack if you are bad as a pup, that role is reserved for the Gamma in all the stories the parents tell their pups.

“What is it?”

Toni’s words are curt and quickly spoken as if she’s interrupting her

“The Alpha needs you in his office.”

She blurts out head down still, the nerves evident in her voice

“Dismissed pup”

She strides off towards the Alpha’s office, out of the corner of her eye, she can see Delta Alek looking at her, concern reflected on his face.

“Thank you, Gamma Antonia,” she says quietly to Toni’s departing back.

Inside her head, Tyra is prowling, they’ve had this conversation a thousand times, and she cannot allow herself to be polite or encouraging under the watchful eyes of Alpha Vincent or Beta John, the part she has to play is the hard-assed enforcer, friendships were not allowed.

It was part of the reason she was home-schooled; dad could laugh with her in the house, never outside, outside smiles, laughter or excitement brought punishment from an early age.

Knocking once on the Alpha’s door, she waits

“Come” Alpha Vincent’s voice calls out

Entering and closing the door, she stands to attention but with her head bowed in respect

“Alpha.” The Royal Beta’s eyes hadn’t left her as she walked in.

“Gamma Antonia.

The Royal Beta has requested that you take his Delta around the pack lines, and show him our boundary and the patrol system we use.”

“Yes Alpha, any areas they wish to see specifically”

Her comments are directed purely to the Alpha as if no one else exists in the office.

Alpha Vincent looks to Beta Dan

“Pack borders are key for us; I believe you have one where the border has fifteen feet (five meters) of no-mans-land between you and the Mountain Peak pack.

Make sure it covers that area”

She makes no answer, nor looks in the Beta’s direction, emphasising she takes only orders from Alpha Vincent.

“Cover the whole border, but pay attention to that strip and we’ve had several crossings in the last week, deal with it if needed, however, you see fit.”

“Yes Alpha”

“Dismissed”

Bowing her head again, she does an about-turn before walking out.