The Making of a Dark Gamma - Book 1

“Gamma Antonia, I’d like to talk to you”

Beta Dan’s voice breaks the tension in the air, he pauses briefly, a small smile showing on his face

“For old times’ sake.

Find out how you have been these last five years, while Beta Wilson refers to his Alpha over the contract”

Dan’s voice is clear, dismissing the other Beta.

She moves to stand with the Royal Beta, clearly, he wants to talk to her and not ‘for old times sake’ using the same words she’d used a few days earlier isn’t a coincidence and she knows it, he leads her a short distance into the forest.

“How did you cross the Royal pack boundary undetected?”

His words are quiet, only just loud enough for her to hear, but the command is evident, although curiously not pulling hard on Tyra.

Confused, Toni doesn't understand the lack of desire to submit, wolves peak into their command at nineteen, which is when most Alphas take over the pack, and as a Gamma, the Royal Beta should be so much stronger.

“I didn’t cross undetected”

Her answer surprises him and he stops walking, looking at her carefully, but she knows he won’t detect a lie, she’s answered honestly but has no intention of elaborating her answer.

She jumps in before he can ask more questions.

“Beta, are you going to help this girl or condemn her to a fate within our pack?”

Her question is blunt and to the point but she sees resignation in his eyes.

“Paperwork was the first thing we checked on arrival, but you knew that right?”

Toni nods, she’d been schooled well on the audits and pack procedures, punishments can make you not want to need to be told twice.

“They refused our offer of a loan.

The Alpha doesn’t value his female offspring as much as he does the money in his account, he has three strong male children.”

Dan is shaking his head as he talks

“So be it.”

Toni mutters, her heart sinking as she turned, making her way back towards their pack house, not wanting to talk about it any longer.

She’s unhappy that the girl cannot be kept safe in the pack, not that it’s Beta Dan’s fault, but her distaste and anger are turned towards the Alpha, she can’t bring himself to refer to him as the girl’s father.

“Toni”

He calls out to her; she stops turning to face him.

“You aren’t completely lost if you wanted to save this girl, with your skills and now you are of age, why don’t you leave the pack, you could disappear.” He says simply

“Not completely lost” she repeats quietly

Those words burn her, the irony she thinks shaking her head, but if she were lost, exactly whose fault would that be, her mind that was already raging at the Alpha of this pack is further enraged at his words, and her eyes flick to amber and she sees the Beta flinch slightly before she reels in her aura.

“What pack would have me?”

She spits out in quiet controlled anger

“What pack could face the wrath of Alpha Vincent or the risk of having me on their pack land, would the Royal Pack take me in?”

He breaks eye contact at her question, looking slightly embarrassed, but she doesn’t leave him a chance to answer.

“and I can’t run, you all saw to that five years ago.”

She turns and walks away, not seeing the confusion evident on his face.

“Oh, and it’s Antonia, Toni died five years ago” she calls out without turning around

It’s been thirty minutes since she walked away from Beta Dan, but standing outside the pack house gives her a chance to think, no one approaches her, but she can feel the stares, this is her most distasteful task, to take a minor child from the only pack she’s known, is wrong.

She sees the Alpha coming out with his family, the girl looks distraught, but she looks just like her mother and the youngest brother and importantly, exactly like the photos Toni had found, her tear-stained face isn’t the hardest thing to see, it’s the fear in her eyes.

Looking at her critically, Toni can see she’s not trained a day in her life the trip back is going to take longer than it needed to, but it’s not surprising if her father didn’t value female pups.

Two suitcases have been brought out with her, taking her own lightweight bag off, she pulls out a spare backpack.

“You can take only what fits in here, anything else can be sent for if you need it.”

She holds out the pack to her voice calm but authoritative

“Why so little” the youngest of her brothers demands

Fixing her eyes on him, she doesn’t answer immediately, just taking in his stance and demeanour, he also favours his mother, but unlike his sister, he has the darker olive skin and eye colour of his father, that his sister doesn’t have, until he finally drops his eyes, he’s got balls at least, she can respect that.

Normally she wouldn’t respond but can see he has clear concern for his sister, all the brothers do, but there was a warmth and concern in his eyes, one that wasn’t afraid of Toni, he was more curious than anything, and that’s something unusual for her to find.

Someone treating her normally.

“We run back, but I guarantee she is safe with me.”

Her voice is softer than she’s ever known it to be, Tyra took over briefly giving the younger brother the comfort he needs.

One of the twin brothers scoffs at her.

“You are female and barely an adult, you seriously think you can keep her safe”.

She lets her bag casually drop, knowing the two eldest are twins at seventeen, almost eighteen, the sister is sixteen and the youngest lad is fourteen, she was half expecting a challenge, just not sure who it would be from.

“You’d be surprised at what I can do, I’m not wet behind the ears like some.”

She answers, looking him straight in the eye, letting the unspoken challenge pass between them.

Knowing he will reply, his body language is screaming at her that he intends to attack, the only unknown is when, probably, she thinks, when his words run out, leaving her to wonder just how clear thinking this would be Alpha is.

“You may be a Gamma, but you’re a fucking female and from the looks of it, probably not even as old as me.

Yet you think you can even defend yourself, let alone our sister, you are a joke and your Alpha is an evil sadist.” he spits out

“Kade”

His father cautions, his tone low.

Toni notices he’s not using his command, he can’t seriously think his son stands a chance against her, she gives him a quick assessment, he clearly trains, but he seems focused on bulk not agility, like most young male wolves, he's all testosterone no brains.

In truth, as she looks around, the hardest-looking fighter is the Beta, the way he carries himself implies he’s light on his feet and he’s not going to attack as much as he wants to, he knows the reality of the situation.

“I may only be a little older, but trust me when I say I have a lifetime more experience.

Don’t let your mouth write a debt your ass can’t pay... pup”

Her calmly spoken words delivered with no emotion, she knows it’s going to wind him up, especially her use of ‘pup’ to a legal adult, but since she knows where this will end up, she’s adding fuel to the fire, the sooner it’s over the better.

He just has to make the first move, she can never be the aggressor, not when she is on another pack’s lands.

That doesn’t mean she can’t provoke him, to let him vent his initial anger on her, she knows it will be the path that will eventually lead him to heal from this. Living with the anger and self-hatred of doing nothing while his sister is taken away would be a bigger burden for him.

If he attacked, even if it fails, he will be able to accept that he tried, it may even push him to train harder in the future, all things that can help him move on from what Toni has to do and remain a whole, unbroken person, all she has to do is push him a little more, she can see that he’s on the edge of the precipice and could go either way.

“Not all packs and families fail to see value in females”

She pauses, her tone slightly dismissive, staring Kade in the eyes, letting him know she thinks little of his family.

“Maybe she’ll do better in our pack”

Letting her lips turn up at the sides into a smirk, she shrugs her shoulders dismissively, allowing the mocking tone in her voice to eat into him

Toni has let him know she’s seeing him as no challenge, without saying a word more, knowing her body language is goading him when he’s already on edge, she half turns away from him as if he’s no threat, but keeping him in her peripheral vision.

Before his dad can stop him, he’s lunged at her, trying to land a punch.

Catching his hand in hers, she ducks down, getting her shoulder onto his stomach, before kicking out his legs as she pushes up.

His momentum causes him to somersault over her, his arm twisting as he lands with a loud thud on his back, a subtle change in her position and his arm is bent awkwardly, shoulder raised from the floor, her foot resting on his neck, his back arched away from the ground, disabling him, yet locking him in place.

Toni can see the warriors and guards are all ready to jump in, visibly held back by their Alpha’s raised hand, his twin brother is frozen, shock registered on his face.

“Imagine what I could have done if I’d intended to hurt you and not just defend myself.”

Her voice loud enough to be heard, still has a quiet quality, demanding attention, silencing the murmurs of those that are gathering around, ready to engage, she can see Royal Beta watching her with interest.

“Your anger is misdirected.

Your assessment of my ability is poor.

For most, either of those is a fatal mistake to make, but I will not leave this family to mourn the loss of two children this day.”

Toni remains calm and still as she delivers the lesson to Kade

Releasing her hold she walks away, picking up her bag, knowing that in his head, he will know he tried, tried to stop his sister being taken, he’ll still feel guilt and sadness, but it will help him grieve and move on.

She looks at the girl who has a few things she can’t cram into her bag that she clearly wants to take with her.

“Give them to me”

She watches her walk over timidly, allowing her to get a better look at her bag, resting inside is a teddy, the Alpha will not approve of that, something Toni will have to deal with later.

Taking out another travel cloak, similar to her own she places the girls remaining items into her bag, before putting the cloak over the girl adjusting it slightly to fit her better.

“Say your goodbyes, you have five minutes”

She tells her calmly, there’s no emotion in her face or voice, but there’s a bitter taste in her mouth.

As she watches on, she sees Beta Dan coming off the phone

“Gamma Woodfield, please be aware that the Prince is making her a ward until she’s eighteen, she has the same protection that was afforded you.

Alpha Vincent will be informed directly.”

His voice is clear and she nods in response, not trusting herself to answer.

“Additionally, she may not take the pack insignia until the end of her wardship, do you understand”

“Yes Beta”

Toni bows her head in respect, knowing the Beta tried, she has at least some protection however minimal that may be.