I’ve been dying for this day!

I rushed up the stairs waiting for my time in the sun. All those times of being knocked around with weights crushing me was finally over for one precious day!

My first thought was the Alpha Den and getting something to eat.

The guy at the door handed me a pair of glasses then grumbled, “You are to return when the sun sets. After that the door locks until the Sun rises.”

I put the glasses on and was familiar with the usual darkness until the door opened and despite the glasses, they did not block out the white blinding light that nearly had me growling. After a few moments I stepped out quickly and the door shut behind me. I was amazed at how bright everything was until it dimmed and I sighed that my eyes weren’t burning as much.

I started heading for the Alpha Den and noticed that wolves were angry. Every time I pass someone they didn’t greet me with a shoulder bump or a tail tap that I’m used too. Not even a gruff growl.

Rude.

I walked into the familiar halls and it smelled of old blood. Worried I picked up my pace and found that the wolves gathered were silent and staring at each other with hostility. Looking over to the kitchen I noticed how bare it looked.

I guess when I suffer everyone else does too.

I gave a soft growl and that triggered a fight. I shifted quickly and put an end to it slamming an Alpha down with a bit too much force. Looking around I wondered where the Alpha of the Alpha Den was and gave a Challenging howl to force them to show themselves.

Unless they were cowards and left the Pack to bloodshed.

I stepped into the circle where Challenges for Alpha was taken.

No one stepped up.

They sat in their seats looking thin and beaten but angry.

I gave another howl to force the Alpha out.

No one came forward.

Folding my ears back in a growl I turned to my friends, I growled loudly to break the silence furious of how the Alpha Den was. “What happened?”

That started a reaction I didn’t want and every Alpha was out for themselves. Alpha’s shifted and started tearing at the Alpha’s that were just shifting. I watched in horror for a moment at the scatter of blood and fur. Then stepped forward with my left paw and gave the Alpha’s howl.

The Alpha’s settled quickly recognizing my howl for silence and my claim of the Pack. I stopped and looked around for anyone to Challenge my position and found that there was none. They waited for me to speak. So I asked again slowly but still held command in my voice, “What happened?”

“You’re not the Alpha anymore,” a voice sounded behind me and I turned to face them and was punched in the face by a strong hand. Not wanting to break them I moved along with the force. The Alpha faltered taking a shaky step back, then it seems out of fear shifted into a large brown wolf lowering his head and growling. “Omega-Born’s are not permitted here.”

So I’m still thought of as an Omega-Born. Or this Alpha is trying to provoke me. Well it’s working and he won’t like me when I’m mad.

He was nothing but a joke to me.

Not wanting him to feel superior I lifted my head and raised my tail. Just from his posture alone I can tell that he was weak no matter how fat he was. Folding my ears back I growled deeply.

The Alpha laughed and tried to mimic me but he held no threat to me. Baring my fangs I waited for him to make the first move.

He wasted no time and charged at me full force, he left himself wide open and I grabbed his scruff and threw him down with a crack and held him down by his neck with my paw. Growling in his face to force a submission.

He struggled but my hold was firm and strong. I stopped growling and just stared him down as he continued to struggle. I started to wonder if this wolf wanted blood and folded my ears back at the thought of an Alpha of the Alpha Den wanting blood.

Lifting my paw finally he threw himself against a table and knocked himself out. I gave a sound and a Delta Medic showed up before I even finished the sound. I turned and looked at the now calm skinny Pack. “I’ll ask again, what happened?”

“We barely have any food left, we also can’t go into town since their supplies are also low.” Jayden spoke up, I shifted and folded my arms. So much for my plan to eat until I can’t anymore.

“It’s not winter, what happened to our game?” I asked and Knox only growled. I knew that it was Gone.

“We can’t go out to hunt,” Lake said and I started thinking. Delta’s would have been sent out already to figure it out. Anything that happens to the Pack that the Alpha’s can’t deal with it’s dealt with by the Delta’s. “I don’t know why.”

“This is a problem,” I stated and now understood why Love was thin and short the last few days. Yet he always brought me something to eat no matter what, I’ve been selfish. I’m used to not eating but not the Pack, if anything they are eating more than me. They get a full plate of food while I only get jerky just so I can focus and have a bit of energy.

No, I can’t be jealous of my Pack.

They are suffering.

“We think it might be the Rouge’s,” an Alpha spoke up revealing my worst thought. I thought they were dealt with, it seems my threat was viewed as a Challenge. But I still need to make sure, I need the solid information that it was the Rouge’s.

“You are sure it’s the Rouge’s? Has there been any updates from Up Top?” The Pack was silent and I knew that this was only Whispers. I need a reliable source of information and that is through the Alpha of the Pack and Delta Christopher. So far both had been silent about this. The next best source was the Alpha Patrol and the Hunting Party. If I can meet them for a few moments I’ll know more about the current situation.

“Alpha?” they sounded so scared.

“I have failed as your Alpha,” I don’t deserve to be an Alpha after abandoning them like this. To fend for themselves the last few weeks while I was away, I lowered my head, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Are you stepping down?” an Alpha asked nervously and the scent from the other Alpha’s told me that they didn’t want me to leave.

“If it’s what the Pack chooses I will, I don’t deserve to be your Alpha not after what’s happened so far.” I kept my self low, this felt like my very first loss. Silence followed my words then soft murmurs.

“Our Alpha stands tall.”

“Our Alpha hunts for the Pack.”

“Our Alpha checks on us.”

“Our Alpha understands us.”

“Our Alpha is strong.”

“Our Alpha is humble.” They were saying what kind of Alpha they want to lead them. It feels like I don’t meet any of these characteristics.

How can I stand tall when I’m smaller than any wolf here?

How can I hunt for the Pack when I’m under darkness training?

How can I check on them for the very same reason as hunting?

How can I understand any of these wolves if I’ve never talked to them?

How can I be strong now when I’ve let these wolves down.

This is probably the only thing I check off on this list, I can’t look after a Pack. I felt the disappointment in these Alpha’s and it weighed on me heavily.

“Our Alpha is Angel!” The Alpha’s said together, the same weight that was crushing me lifted. I looked at these wolves and seen admiration from them, they still wanted me as their Alpha.

“Alpha Angel,” I looked over to the Delta Medic, “I looked your Pack over, they are malnourished with some still healing wounds from previous Challenges.”

“How is the rest of the Pack? The Omega District?” I asked wanting all of the information not just here. I seen him look at me with the same admiration and hid it quickly.

“The rest of the Pack is in the same condition but the Omega District.” I nodded in understanding, relieved that the Omega District was well taken care of but also worried because of how many Omega-Born’s we have.

“What is the situation outside of the Den? How does the Hunting Party fair?”

“They bring little back, the Alpha is looking into it right now.”

“Thank you for taking care of my Pack, please look out for them while I’m training.”

“Of course, Delta.” The Delta Medic then vanished and I turned to the Alpha’s.

“Let’s sort out our Pack,” I said and looked at the wolves and decided who was strong enough to lead in my place. “Alpha Flag, will you be my Beta? I’ve fought against you before and out of the Alpha’s that I’ve fought against, you were one of the Alpha’s I’ve lost to. You have the Pack’s interests in heart and have the mind to act on it.”

“I’d be honored, Alpha.” Alpha Flag a tall Alpha with brown hair walked forward. I looked to the other Alpha’s and needed someone with a cool head to act as my second Beta.

“Alpha Knox, will you be my second Beta? Your strong presence alone gives me peace and you are not afraid to correct bad behavior.”

“I trust you,” Knox said and walked to my side. I brought the two to an empty table and started a meeting on what to do.

“I can’t be here every day, my training won’t allow it. I can only come up once a month to check on you. Once a week I get visits from Omega Love,”

“So that’s who I smelled on you,” Alpha Flag said and gently ruffled my hair with a smirk.

“Give Omega Love a quick update of our Pack and I’ll tell him my instructions of what to do next. This isn’t ideal but it’s the best solution for now. I’ll speak with the Alpha to ask about sending us on Hunts, it is most likely that each Hunting Party will be escorted. What I want you to do while on Hunt is to bring your share back to the Alpha Den.”

“What? But we’ve earned-”

“Bring it back. You bring it back you’ll get more from it, any wolf that holds their share will not eat. The cooks will know who is who, I’ll make sure of it. They will also decide what punishment to place if the wolf talks back.”

“Understood Alpha.”

“Any Challenges that happen will be supervised, Coach will be the one that decides who had won. Anyone who disrespects this rule will meet my fangs when I come back and I assure you I won’t be nice like today.”

“Yes Alpha.”

“I’ll place a few wolves to make sure that a fight won’t break out if it’s not a Challenge.”

“Who will be those wolves?” I looked to the pack and seen five that stood out the most.