The Making of a Dark Gamma - Book 1

At twenty-three, Robert has been more than eligible to take the pack over for at least the last three years, he’s finally starting to realise that his father will not step down, every year on his assessment he’s deemed to not meet the standards.

Toni knows that the Alpha stacks the odds against both him and Michael refusing to let either of them step up, usually dosing them both with wolfsbane, without their knowledge, before the assessments.

Robert is slowly learning this, the only way would be to challenge Alpha Vincent, but he won’t do it and she can’t work out why.

Part of her used to dream of the day when Robert took over, but the longer he delays, the more she knows that even when it happens, she will not have a pleasant place in this pack, five years of being the resident hard-ass, doling out punishments under the command of Alpha Vincent has cemented her into first place on the packs most feared, even above the Alpha and Beta, right where she is supposed to be in Alpha Vincent’s eyes.

When Robert takes over, he dreams of making the pack a nicer place to live in, while it’s the ideal, Toni knows that they have bullied enough packs that he’s going to have to keep up some of the external gruffness for a while, something she has counselled him on in the private moments; he understands her reasons, what he will do if that time comes, is a different matter.

In reality, he and Michael are the only ones who understand that she fulfils her duties because there is no other option, they are the closest things she has to friends, but, even then, it’s more like acquaintances, she doesn’t get to mix with them socially, the Alpha would not approve.

Her attention comes back to the present and the boundary they’re stopped at, watching as Delta Rufus opens his window to talk to the border guard, who is looking around the car.

“There are four warriors in the next car” he says simply although Toni, glancing up to her rear-view mirror, can see another wolf at that car already.

“I thought the Gamma was coming with you?

Or did he send her in his stead, she could be prettier if she’s being used as a sweetener, but at least she's young!”

The guard winks but the car falls silent, Robert and Rufus know better than to answer for her.

Even after five years, not all the packs they deal with expect the Gamma to be a female, and with everything that has happened, she doesn’t look old, if you ignore her height, she looks more sixteen or seventeen than almost twenty, which works to her advantage, especially when travelling.

Externally from the pack, she is only ever referred to as Gamma Woodfield and as an automatic reaction people assume the Gamma is male, that and the fact her wolf’s power is usually buried, allows her to travel unnoticed.

In her cloak, albeit with the hood down, he can’t see her build or uniform, but that comment was completely uncalled for, suggesting any female from the pack would be sent as a bitch to be used is worth punishing.

The silence hangs heavily in the air

“Is it your job to personally disrespect me, or to inform your Alpha we’ve arrived?”

Her eyes haven’t left the road ahead, her voice quiet but sharp, it’s cutting through the heavy silence of the car, as she lets her command aura seep out towards him like the cloak of death it’s known for.

Finally, she turns her head to take his gaze, her cold eyes boring into him, seeking out his wolf, his face freezes in shock and fear, baring his neck to her he knows of her reputation even if not that she was female.

“Are we to be disrespected more, by being kept waiting?”

She knows he’s scared, the smell of his fear fills the car, Tyra likes it, licking her lips in Toni’s head, she hates disrespect of that level, suggesting she’s some kind of easy lay is not to be borne.

“Apologies Gamma, the Alpha is waiting for you all.” He steps aside realising his mistake too late

As they arrive outside the pack house, their full leadership is waiting to welcome them, Toni is aware that this pack wants a trade agreement, so while they are technically welcome, their patrols and guards will still be on high alert.

It amazes her that so many want to deal with the Nightshade pack, even if the terms aren't great, and that the Royal pack haven’t stepped in on some of the deals, but then she has no real respect for the Royals anymore.

Stepping out of the car, she gives the slightest nod to Robert, out of sight of anyone else, silently telling him she’s got his back.

“Alpha Williams” He strides forward, welcoming and friendly.

Taking his lead she keeps two steps behind him, showing the difference in rank, but also leaving her in position to defend him if needed, her face emotionless, the Delta and warriors spreading out around behind them, almost protectively.

“My father has sent me to help set up the trade agreement between our packs”

They shake hands warmly

“May I introduce Gamma Woodfield and Delta Rufus”

They incline their heads, Toni the briefest of nods, the Delta’s is done respectfully.

“Gamma Woodfield, please accept my sincere apologies for the guard’s disrespectful comments to you earlier, he owned up to them, but will be dealt with.”

Usually, she just nods and allows the matter to drop, but there’s a risk others heard and if she lets it pass, Alpha Vincent would find out, his command would be to do worse than just teach him a lesson.

Inwardly she sighs, sometimes it’s important to make a point, to save people from a worse fate, not that anyone will see it that way, it will just add to the hard image.

“Fine, or.…”

she pauses, feeling the tension rise

“we can take it to the field”

Alpha Williams shouldn’t play poker, the concern and worry flicked across his face, maybe only for two seconds but it was there, inwardly Toni smiled, his guard had placed him in an awkward situation, one she’d help him to resolve in her own way.

“Don’t worry, I’ll leave him alive…”

She pauses once more, making the pack go even quieter to hear the rest of her sentence

“and able to work tomorrow, but the choice, is, of course, yours.”

Her words are calm and delivered with an underlying threat, but the implicit meaning is clear and with careful emphasis he understands there is an expectation from her, no real choice, his guard disrespected her and will be the lesson to the pack.

Better than him ‘disappearing’ into the night if the Alpha found out, she thinks

She may look harmless from a distance, but underestimating how deadly she can be is usually a painful mistake at best.

The Alpha pauses before he speaks again.

“He will be here shortly.

Let me get someone to show you to your rooms?”

“I’ll wait”

She answers curtly and can feel the shock rising in the pack, this isn’t how you talk to an Alpha, but since his guard has put him in a difficult position, he swallows it down.

“Jack, take the Gamma’s bags to her room” Delta Rufus takes over directing one of the warriors to step in, diffusing the tension slightly.

Some may say it’s a reckless move, this isn’t a weak pack and they are outnumbered, but she knows, this Alpha doesn’t just want the trade agreement, he wants an alliance, which means Toni would be here more often.

With that level of disrespect, even if the guard meant it jokingly, would not persuade her to recommend the alliance and while Robert is supposed to be in charge, Alpha Williams is no fool and knows as the face of the pack, if she wasn’t happy, it’s unlikely the alliance would be approved, something she can, at least respect.

As the guard comes at Toni again, she ducks under his feeble attempt to punch her in the face, letting his speed increase the force that her hand meets his stomach, before sweeping his feet from under him, he drops once more to the floor.

He’s been here for an hour on the field, watched by an increasing number of Alpha Williams pack and the warrior escort that came with them, the latter taking bets at the start on how long Toni will toy with him, the guard is bruised, cut and has failed to put a hand on her once.

Since she took her place as Gamma, she’s become even more battle-honed, each year she gets stronger, faster, and deadlier.

“Get up Pup” her voice carries loudly

“We’re done”

Words designed to embarrass him further, he’s clearly in his late twenties, far older than Toni.

Watching him drag his weary body to stand up, he hasn’t earned enough respect for her to be offered a hand up, it’s rare anyone does. She knows her hair is probably a little messed up, but apart from that, she won’t look like she’s worked out.

His attacks were easy to dodge, sweeping his feet from under him, kneeing him in the ribs, or punching him down, it’s not been pretty, but it’s been a lesson he won’t forget, no bone broken, well maybe a few cracked ribs that will heal in no time, but a hundred bruises will be reminding him of his mistake at this point.

All things that will physically be gone by the morning, mentally though, well she intends to make sure that’s a different matter.

Walking slowly to him she has a trademark action that she uses to good effect, Delta Rufus smiles wryly, he knows her well; if he were single, he would have been her chosen mate, walking up to the guard she whispers quietly in his ear, his eyes widening in shock mixed with a healthy dose of fear.

He bows his head as she walks away.

“That was scarily impressive,” Alpha Williams says

“Thank you for not killing him”

“I gave my word Alpha, that’s something I will always keep”

Her eyes follow the guard from the field, she knows he heard her comment, seeing the flash of fear hitting his face, but no harm will come to him as long as he doesn’t disrespect her or anyone from their pack again.

Since fighting Cole, Toni had come to find a final whispered threat, one only they hear, as long as they believe she will follow through on it, goes a long way to continued respect and obedience, regardless of the pack they serve.

While it seems harsh, it means she has to deal out less violence in the long term, she has to be cruel to be kind after all.

“I don’t suppose we could come to some form of training agreement, after seeing your skills, that would be worth paying for.”

There’s definitely respect in that request from this Alpha

“That would be for Alpha Robert to agree” she states non committedly

Realistically, Alpha Vincent wouldn’t allow her to train others, and she knows Robert is also aware of that, but it doesn’t hurt to see what he’d offer and get an idea of how much he’d be willing to give.

“I need someone to show me my room”

She rarely uses pleasantries, no please or thank you, can’t have it become a habit that gets people thinking she’s soft, the irony isn’t lost on her that she goes out purposely to make her reputation so much darker, to stop herself from having to be the person everyone already thinks she is.

Alpha Williams signals a young girl who looks terrified.

“My daughter will take you.”

Toni bows her head to the Alpha, this time it’s a longer, deeper, respectful nod, it’s the closest she comes to saying thanks, before following the child off the field.

The shit she gets away with in front of Alphas is rarely pulled up, a glimpse of how much the pack, or maybe her role is feared, but as Robert is taking all the negotiations, she doesn’t have to build the relationship in this pack, just maintain it going forward and the foundations for her not tolerating any disrespect have been set.

Two days later, slightly longer than expected, the negotiations are done and they are leaving, for the most part, Robert has driven a harder bargain than had been expected to achieve, exceeding the minimum terms Alpha Vincent wanted.

He and Toni had chatted via mind link congratulating him, but never publicly, he knows why and over the last five years he’s come to be the closest thing to a ‘friend’ in that pack that she has, Michael and Toni get on, but he’s rarely allowed off pack land.

Robert’s pretty sure her cold, calculated lesson had an impact on getting better terms, but more than that, the lesson would get around the packs in this locality, she’d seen guests from other packs all trying to catch a glimpse, without staring at her. If their pack needs anything from those packs, it’s just got a whole lot easier.

They drive for fifteen minutes before Toni tells Rufus to stop.

“I have some additional visits to make.

Ensure my main bag is returned to my house and ask Marla to stock it with food six days from today, unless my plans are changed, but I’ll keep the Alpha informed.”

“Yes Gamma” Rufus nods

“You need Whisky?”

She nods

He is aware of her need to drink after some of her trips away, guessing what she’s required to do, it’s odd, her ability to fight and kill is exceptional, but it sits badly in her mind and on her soul.

Rufus knows this, she can see sorrow in his eyes at times as he looks at her.

This is what she ran from before.

This is what she is trained for.

This is what she struggles with.

She talks to the Goddess in her prayers about her pain, seeking guidance but getting silence as a reply.

He nods.

She places her hand on his shoulder briefly, the closest she will come to saying thanks, he knows her well and gives her a small smile

“Stay safe out there, Gamma”

He adds as she walks to the boot, he’s also one of the few that gets to use just her title, a sign of the respect she has for him.

No one in the car questions her actions, grabbing the light backpack she packed and smacking the top of the SUV twice, she heads into the forest, away from the pack they’ve just visited.