My mother and father look lost right now. I don’t know why. They should be proud of me for standing up for the pack.
“Ok, everybody, just calm down. Nobody makes any rash decisions until we discuss this further.” My father says.
I don’t know why my dad is begging them. We don’t need them. “No dad. There is nothing to discuss. My mate and I do not want Seleste as our Gamma and I will not allow her to continue to influence my pack. As alpha. I hav
e decided. Her and the traitor warriors can leave. I don’t need her. I don’t want her and I don’t need anyone who follows her. She is nothing to this pack but trouble.”
Before I know it, Gamma True has broken free of Mrs. True and has me lifted off the floor with his hands around my throat.
“I have had enough of you, pup.” Gamma True says. “I have stayed quiet for this long because my daughter asked me to let her handle it, but you have gone too far now. It’s bad enough that you rejected her on your birthday, then you hurt her by being intimate with another female, knowing she would feel it. You stopped her on her way home from hanging out with her friends to insult her, and now you are trying to embarrass her in front of the whole pack. I will not stand for that.”
“What do you mean he rejected Seleste?” My father asked.
Both me and Mr. True ignored him. I was trying to get free, but Mr. True was not budging.
“Put me down,” I say in my alpha voice.
“Have you forgotten that your alpha command does not work on me and my family, pup? That’s right.” He said, looking at my shocked expression.
“So, when you tried to command Seleste not to tell anyone that you rejected her, it was ineffective. My mate and I have known since the night you rejected her.”
“Finnis, let him go. I will deal with him. I promise.” My dad said. I don’t know why my father is begging him.
“Daddy, let him go.” Seleste said. “He is not worth it. Do it for me and mom. Do it for your long-term friend alpha and luna. Please, daddy.”
Seleste continued to beg her father as she walked up to him. Mrs. True was also walking up to him. I can tell they were trying to calm him down. I don’t understand why my dad isn’t doing anything. He is the alpha. He can make him stop.
“Ok. Everyone out.” My father yells.
“We need to discuss this in private.”
“With all due respect alpha, we deserve to know if you are going to let that spoiled pup ruin our pack.” One of the ranked wolves yelled.
Several others made noises in agreement. They smell blood and they are all circling us like sharks.
“I will not repeat myself. Everyone out.” My father said in his alpha voice.
Everyone but the True family submitted, showing my father their necks.
“We will have a pack meeting tomorrow the update you all. That’s all.” My dad said to the crowd.
“Finnish, you can let him go now. We will discuss everything and find a resolution.”
Mr. True just looked at my dad. He was still not budging. I was seeing dots by this point. I would pass out soon if Mr. True does not let me go.
“Seleste, I told you if he hurt you again, I would end him. You know I am a man of my word. This pup has continued to hurt you, Sweet Pea. He does not deserve to live.” Mr. True said to Seleste.
“I’m sorry, Alpha, but no one gets to hurt my pup and continue living. You know I only have one bottom line and that is my family.” Mr. True said, speaking directly to my father.
“Daddy, please.” Seleste says. “I am ok. He cannot hurt me anymore after the rejection. I am angry with him, yes, but I am ok. Remember, I am your daughter. It takes more than a spoiled brat to hurt me.”
Did she just call me a spoiled brat? I guess that’s what she thinks of me. I will show her as soon as I get free. Well, maybe after I get my strength back. By this time, Seleste and her mom are both touching Mr. True. I can see him visibly relax at their touch. After a couple of minutes, Mr. True drops me to the ground. Not one time during all of this did Convel show himself. Is he really trying to leave me alone?
“Oh, I am very much here. I’m just enjoying the show. I warned you that things would not go as you planned, but you didn’t listen. So now you deal with your consequences.” Convel says.
I get up off the floor, rubbing my neck and go stand next to my father. My father looks tired. He looked at me with so much disappointment in his eyes. My mom won’t even look at me right now. She is just crying, and they are not happy tears.
“See, that’s why alpha males need their fated mate by our sides. When we are out of control, only our mate and our pups can calm us down. If Seleste and her mom were not here, you would be dead and there is nothing anyone in the pack could have down to stop it.” My dad says.
‘Wait, what do you mean no one could have stopped him, dad? You are the alpha. You are the strongest wolf in the pack.”
“There are some things you obviously still don’t understand. Some wolves in this pack submit to me out of respect, not out of brute force or me being a dictator.” Dad sighs.
“Gamma Finnis respects me and submits to me of his own free will. He is not subject to any alpha’s command. Not even the Alpha King.” My dad says.
“Do you have any idea what you have just done, son? Do you even comprehend the damage you have caused this pack?”
“Dad, I made a choice for what was right for the pack.”
“So you think weakening the pack, undermining everything that we have built and going against the moon goddess was for the good of the pack? I and your forefathers spent generations building this pack to what it is and you could destroy it in one night. I don’t know where I went wrong with you.”
“Dad, what do you mean. Everything I have done has been for the pack. Seleste is not the right person to be Luna. I wanted, and the pack needs, a Luna like mom. I did not want a warrior who would always put herself at risk. Mom doesn’t fight. Mom goes in the safe room with all the other women so we can keep her safe and protect the pack without worrying about her.”
“Is that really how you see me, son? As someone who needs protecting. Is that what you think a luna does?” My mother asks.
“That’s a good thing, mom. Dad can lead without worrying about your safety. He doesn’t have to worry about you challenging his authority that way Seleste does me. You saw how even the warriors are willing to leave because of her.”
I don’t understand why my mom seems offended but what I said. I gave her a compliment. I think she is the perfect Luna.
“Son, the warriors are willing to leave because you were making decisions that would have put them and the pack at risk. You are not behaving like an alpha and they lost all respect for you. That’s all on you. It has nothing to do with Seleste.” My dad says.
“Son, what you fail to realize is that no powerful wolf will follow a weak alpha or one who carelessly makes life-changing decisions because his feelings got hurt.” My dad said.
“What you have neglected to learn is that the reason no one has attacked us in many years is because of Seleste.” My dad says.
“Honey, before you get into that, let me address our son on his messed up view of me and women.” My mom says.
My dad nods and smiles at my mom.
“Son, I don’t know where you got such a mixed of concept of a Luna from. I am now and always have been an elite warrior.” My mom says.
“When have you ever seen me inside of the safe room? You’ve seen me get the pack members in the safe room, yes, but once they were in the safe room, me and several warriors guarded and secured the packhouse. I have never let your father fight any battle alone. A Luna’s job is to protect and defend her pack. That’s why the moon goddess always gives an alpha a strong mate. I know I did not raise you to look at women as weak and needing to be protected.”
“I know you are not weak, mom.”
My mom just looked at me in exasperation and walked off to the table where Seleste and her family were sitting. Ben and the guys had been telling me over the last year that I didn’t truly know my mom. That’s not true. I knew my mom was a warrior. I just thought she choose not to fight in battles. My entire view of things has been wrong. I looked at my mom. She was just sitting there with her head in her hands. I have never seen my mom looking so defeated. Did I cause that look on my mom’s face?
“Now, back to my question.” My father says.
“Son, do you have any idea what you have done to yourself and our pack?”
“What do you mean, dad?”
“Do you know what happens to any wolf that rejects his mate? Especially an alpha wolf?”
“I thought nothing would happen to me or Convel. I mean, I still chose a mate for Convel.”
Every wolf in the building with us looked at me with shock. Like I just gave the dumbest answer anyon could give.
“You did.” Convel says.
“I don’t know where I went wrong.” My father says, holding his head in his hands. He looks at my mom and says. “Times like this, he is your son.”
“Son,” My father sighs. “When a wolf rejects its mate, that wolf either becomes very weak and fades away or the wolf goes feral and must be put down. The risk of going feral is stronger in alpha wolves because we are already volatile. Its takes our fated mates to calm us and balance us. So by rejecting Seleste, you have condemned this pack to having to kill you one day or to having an alpha who cannot access his wolf. Either way, it weakens our pack and leaves the pack vulnerable to attacks.”
“But dad,” I tried to argue my point.
“Hold on, I’m not finished.” My dad says. “Then you tried to get rid of Seleste. Do you have any idea how important Seleste is to this pack and to the werewolf kingdom?”
“I am so tired of hearing about how great Seleste is.” I say.
I tried to walk off. I need to be by myself for a while and figure out my next step. Mr. True started growling. I think he is ready to grab me again.
“You will stand here and listen so that you will understand how royally you just fucked up!” My father yelled.
I don’t think I have heard my father cuss in a long time. He must really be angry with me.