The Making of a Dark Gamma - Book 1

The sharp clip of shoes on marble echoes as Crown Prince Darius strides down the corridor, staff moving out of the way head bowed as he makes his way from his last meeting.

Displeasure is written across his face; nobody wants to get in his way today or in reality any day.

He’s the epitome of a strong wolf, taller than the rest of them at just over six feet six inches tall (about two meters), with deep green eyes surrounded by long thick lashes, that most women would kill for, his hair is short, slicked back and as black as the darkest night.

As usual, there isn’t a single strand out of place.

Chiselled features grace his face, all of which should leave him looking breathtakingly handsome, however, the haughty prideful look he usually carries leaves him looking mean and unpleasant, he does however, radiate strength and confidence.

His brightest achievement to date had been being named Crown Prince instead of his older, quieter brother, which in itself had taken over a year of planning and another year of execution, but Kai, four years older, hadn’t appeared bothered when his father named Darius as the heir apparent.

It still irked Darius that he had been so calm about it all, he’d wanted to see jealousy or anger, but all he’d got was a pat on his shoulder and one sentence

‘You have my commiserations and support brother.’

His brother was weak and foolish to give up all that power so easily, the only downside, even at twenty his father wasn’t for handing over the throne, it was the one Alpha position that wasn’t handed down until the heir was so much older usually into their thirties, sometimes later.

Darius loved his father, but he couldn’t help but wish that King Petrus would fall ill, the idea that maybe another decade would need to pass before he would be considered ready was at best tiresome.

His father also kept insinuating that he needed to find his mate before he’d consider handing over the throne, often hinting at re-instating the mating ball if his sons showed no interest in finding their mates.

But he knew it was a double-edged sword, the sooner he found his mate, then he’d be expected to produce pups and the sooner pups came into his life, the shorter his reign would be.

He pitied all the Alpha’s out there mated and with pups before they hit twenty, fools, the lot of them, after all, power meant privilege and pups limited that.

No, he was happy to be single, for now, bedding women away from his father’s eyes was more than satisfactory for him, he was always careful, no she-wolf would trap him that’s for sure.

She-wolves!

They were currently the bane of his life but only because he had to deal with this runaway, he’d managed to keep this off his father’s radar, but the last meeting he’d had about her had left him annoyed.

None of the historians could come up with a reason why some nobody pup would gain their wolf at fourteen, technically it was unheard of, they’d looked into her history and if they went back enough generations, there was a link to a minor Royal, but they had been a void, a wolf without a wolf, a shame the Royal Family had been happy to see mated off respectably, a blot on their otherwise perfect history as leaders.

over six hundred years of history and not a single record the historians had found referenced an early wolf, which, Darius believed, in retrospect, was a good thing, it could be played down and brushed off as an anomaly rather than some sort of omen, still, it had annoyed him in the last meeting, something he may need to smooth over later.

The historians had been visibly terrified when he shouted at them, but the apology could wait for a week or so, they had promised to look at the old scrolls, but each would need to be painstakingly translated from the dead language, but in reality, if no shifter in recorded history had such an early wolf, this was just a mistake.

A pang of jealousy hit him, had it been him, his father would have probably named him Crown Prince for that reason alone, he reminded Darius regularly that Kai’s wolf came a month after his fifteenth Birthday, while his didn’t arrive until six months later, but it didn’t matter, he’d played the long game and beaten his brother, far more satisfying than gaining the position just because of an early wolf.

Slowing his pace, he composed himself.

He was due to see the pack leaders, for an update, she’d been on their land for a week now being tested and he had to admit, he was curious about what they’d found.

“Your Highness”

The wolves in the room stand and acknowledge the crown prince as he joins them in their discussions.

“Sit, relax this is an informal meeting”

Darius answers, acknowledging Alpha Nate, Beta Dan and Delta Alek as they do so.

The one thing he’d learnt from his father was informality at times solidified allegiance, unlike his father he didn’t care in depth about the people below him, but he knew if they were mated or not, so he could ask about their families never actually interested in their replies, all statesmanship.

After five minutes of small talk, he begins on the real reason they are gathered.

“So, Nate set this meeting a week ago over the pup that went missing from the Nightshade pack?”

He smiles making himself comfortable.

“Tell me about her”

He turns to Alek smiling, but the smile briefly touches his face, as if he’s slightly awkward about the action.

“Sir” Delta Alek starts

“Just call me Darius in this room”

The Crown Prince responds pleasantly, but the smile doesn’t fully hit his eyes

“Darius, I was sent to oversee the Deadfalls Hunter competition, their Junior Leadership had trained under us for three months for the last two years, so we know they are good, not exceptional but above average for their age and ranks.

Anyway, they were all caught by this pup.

She’s already got her wolf, and although it was well hidden, I almost missed it, she also knew to hide her brands from me, although I didn’t realise that was what she was doing at the time.

Anyway, she evaded the hunt part by using a flooded tunnel and swam through it into a cave she’d found, effectively hiding her scent and tracks in one go.”

“Really?”

Darius’ interest was piqued

“The tunnel is always flooded, and I know of no wolf, child or adult, that would risk swimming in a place like that.

Plus, she used the trees to keep herself hidden on the way back to the pack house, knowing she was light enough to move through the forest that way.”

Darius nods, contemplating the information.

“She was hesitant in answering me, when I used the command on her, less than a minute, but all the signs are that she has a strong wolf.” Alek stills.

“And her parentage?” Darius asks but it’s Alpha Nate who answers, reading off his notebook.

Gamma born Father, although his mother was Alpha born, her mother was also the daughter of a nearby Alpha, one they hold an uneasy peace with, so the bloodline has always been strong.”

“So nothing in her history that would suggest a wolf coming that early?”

Curiosity cannot be hidden from Darius’ words.

“Nothing, if she’d been in the Nightshade pack, I may have suspected some kind of forced drug, but even then, at fourteen, it would have damaged them both, weakening her wolf, making it runt like and she definitely is not a runt.”

Alpha Nate adds before Delta Alek clears his throat continuing

“Over the last week, I’ve taken her for three runs in wolf form, she’s fast, I’m not sure I would be able to match her if she went for it.

However fast I go, she just matches it and doesn’t appear to struggle to keep up, but she hasn’t tried to lose me at all, keeping a step or two behind, but to my side, so she’s always visible.

She’s light on her feet with no training, and barely any tracks left, so she’s got an intelligent wolf, that’s already normal-sized.

With four more years of growing and training to muscle it out, it’s going to be big.

Yet, Gamma born don’t get increased wolf size by parentage, but it seems that pack maybe has an infused bloodline now from years of holding the same position.”

Alek finishes

Darius nods as the background information is provided, ideas forming as he digests what he’d heard.

“Dan, how about her performance on the field, you’ve spoken to all the Delta’s?”

“She’s beaten all the people in her age group over the last week in the pack training here, yesterday she was pitched against the sixteen and seventeen-year-olds hand to hand, she beat most of those as well, only three beat her and honestly, at least one of those appeared to be thrown by her, or possibly a mistake.”

“Has she made any friends here?”

He turns back to Delta Alek

“No, I’ve tasked a number of the people around her age to try and form a friendship with her, she’s polite but distant.

She eats alone unless someone joins her, picks empty tables, or distances herself as much as possible.

Yesterday I assigned seating in the pack house, for everyone bar her, to make it so she had to sit next to someone by choice.

She picked the quietest group and said nothing beyond basic pleasantries.

Caused no issues, no problems, most teenagers have some settling-in issues in the pack house, but she’s diffused every issue, real or concocted, without making any attachments, nor ruffled any feathers.

Keeps her head down and nose clean.”

“What does she do in between school, training and meals?”

Darius asks and it's now Beta Dan who answers

“Mostly she spends time in the pack house library or her room, avoiding the other common rooms.

She isn’t allowed out of the pack house without an escort, she’s never once tried, follows every rule, respectful, almost too perfect.” Beta Dan explains

“Tested her on weapons?”

“Not yet, but the speed she can fire two arrows accurately, according to Alek, is impressive.

Which makes me think the rumours are true” Beta Dan concludes

“Dan”

Darius turns to fully face the Beta

“I want her assessed with weapons next week and throw her into wolf training, but with a more advanced group, but make sure you are there.

Since she was able to hesitate before answering Delta Alek’s command.

We want no accidents with failed submission since she’s not in our pack.”

“Also, keep two trackers on her, but give her the band that shows she’s a guest and gives her some freedom.

The Eastern quadrant should do, harder to escape from, take her around the area she’s allowed to run in and then see what she does, clearly keep the trackers discreet.

We’ll meet this time next week and make a final decision on her future.”

Darius gets up, signifying the meeting has ended.