The Beta's Justice

Chapter 29

Leon's POV

Nova disappeared with Audrey into the training facility. Part of me didn't believe Audrey's sudden change, while another part did, because it would be much easier. I continued my rounds around the grounds greeting pack members for the next twenty minutes, all the while glancing toward the door to see if Nova was coming out. When she finally returned, I made a beeline toward her. She appeared unharmed as well as calm. Before she had gone in, I could feel her nervousness.

“How was your practice?” I asked as I took her hand with my own. Sparks zipped up my arm, causing butterflies to erupt in my stomach. She looked confident and elegant. A memory flashed through my mind of her earlier this year. She was so beaten down, while the she-wolf in front of me seemed like a new she-wolf.

“It was hard,” she admitted.

“Why? What happened?”

She bit her lip as she thought. "Well, I didn't exactly plan my performance," she whispered sheepishly.

"Is it all planned now?" I asked, trying to keep my emotions calm. I knew she could feel them and if she was feeling stressed and worried, I didn't want to add to it.

"Audrey helped me plan it all out," she informed me with a smile.

"Want to tell me about it?" I prompted.

"Nope," she grinned mischievously.

"Why not?" I pouted.

She laughed as she kept walking while I stood still for a moment, which made continuing to walk difficult for her. Her hand was about to slip away from mine when I pulled her gently. She lost her balance and stumbled back into me. "You want to know that badly?" she laughed as she straightened herself.

"Of course," I responded as I laughed along with her.

She grabbed my hand and dragged me around with her. She didn't say another word about her performance and no amount of persuasion would convince her to. Every step we took together felt serial. The pack members recognized her as their future Luna and treated her as such. Then we heard a voice come over the speakers making an announcement. "The performance will begin in ten minutes. All performers please report to the stage. Those manning booths, other wolves will be sent to take over for you." The announcement finished and then there was a flurry of movements as booths switched workers and special wolves made their way inside the training facility.

"I've got to go," Nova said to me as she pulled her hand from mine.

"I can come with you," I responded as I tried to slide my hand back into hers.

"You've got to let this be a surprise," she grinned as she pulled her hand from mine.

"Fine," I grumbled, but couldn't stop the smile that spread across my lips.

Audrey's POV

It's time. I stood backstage with a clipboard in hand. This is it. Now this will either go over well or I'll face plant. It felt as though the world was beginning to spin. Breathing became harder. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Audrey, are you okay?" I heard Darren ask from behind me.

I tried to take a deep breath to respond, but the air wouldn't enter my lungs. "Audrey, sit down," he said as he pulled a folding chair up behind me. He helped me sit down. "Babe, you need to calm down."

He peered at me worriedly. He wanted to help me. I wanted to calm down, but the closer the clock ticked to the starting time, the more it felt like someone was lowering a weight onto my chest. If this didn't go well, then the special wolves may never be accepted. I tried to voice all this, but nothing would come out. "It's okay. This is all going to work. You've been working so hard. It's going to be wonderful," he tried to soothe me.

I felt his hands on my cheeks as he tried to get me to focus on him and forget about the performance which was going to start in a matter of minutes. "I am here with you. I will be your right hand. You tell me whatever you need."

Slowly, I felt air begin to enter my lungs. "Good, keep breathing. Keep looking at me. Focus on me," his voice was calming.

It took another minute before I felt like I could breathe more freely. "Okay, I'm good," I was finally able to get out.

I pushed myself to my feet. "I've told everyone that the list is upstairs for them to know when to be prepared. I have told them to have at least the next two after the current performer to be ready. Can you make sure they are paying attention and send them down?"

He jokingly raised his hand to his forehead and saluted me. "You've got it," he responded with a grin.

"Thank you," I said as I got up on my tip-toes and gave him a quick kiss. Then he was off and I was looking over my clipboard once more. It's all going to be okay.

I felt small arms wrap around my waist from behind. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Lila. I managed to spin myself around so I could see the top of her head. She was shaking. "What's wrong?" I asked as I patted the top of her head.

"I'm scared," she whimpered.

"There's nothing to be scared about," I tried to reassure her, even though I could understand her fear as I rubbed gentle circles on her back.

She sniffled a little before she looked up at me with a few tears running down her cheeks. "They are scared of me."

"Who is?" I asked as I bent down to put my knees on the ground so we could talk eye to eye.

"The other pups," she responded as she averted her gaze.

"The special pups?" I questioned. Something inside me was ready to break the leg of whoever had said anything remotely cruel to her.

"Regule pups," she mumbled.

"Point them out to me," I told her as I stood to walk around the curtain.

She grabbed my hand and pulled me back. "Please don't," he begged.

"They won't bother you again after I have a word with them," I informed her.

"No, I can take it," she tried to convince me. However, it was only when I saw her expression that I stopped moving forward.

"Fine, but if it happens again, you tell me or Darren right away," I instructed her.

She nodded. I wanted to continue this conversation to know exactly what was said, but it was time. Lila had asked to go first, but I was worried she wasn't in the mindset to be able to. I checked my watch. Letting out a sigh. "It's time. Can you go on? If not, I can move the schedule around to give you time to feel more up for it," I asked while I looked over my schedule, already working out how to switch up the schedule.

She shook her head. "I can do it," she responded with a look of determination.

I nodded, feeling a pride swell in my chest. "Then stand behind the curtain. Take a few deep breaths and I will tell you when we are about to raise the curtains," I told her as I wiped away her tears and then turned her toward the curtain.

She straightened up and walked to stand behind the curtain with her head held high. She had a look of determination. "I will make you proud," she announced to me, causing a few tears to begin to well up in my eyes.

"You already have," I beamed at her. Her gaze filled with pride and then the curtains went up.

She stepped onto the stage and the curtain dropped behind her. She stood alone on the stage, but I could see her from where I was. I watched as she appeared too nervous to do anything. Looking up to the second floor, I saw Darren watching as well. I could see it on his face, he was trying to will her to do something, anything. When I looked back at her, she was looking at me. I took a deep breath and motioned for her to do the same. She followed and I watched as she relaxed slightly. Then she turned her attention back to the audience. I pulled the mic down from my headset and announced her once more. She bowed and then raised her hands. As she did, things began to hover above the ground half a foot. She was shifting gravity, but only ever so slightly.

"Freak!" I heard a boy call from the audience.

Lila faltered and the things on the stage began to drop one by one. "See! She can't even use her so-called powers," the boy continued to jeer.

I took a few deep breaths trying to calm my anger. Lila could do this. I knew she could. However, every second that passed made it harder for me not to step on stage and destroy the pup. "You were a loser before and now you're an orphaned loser," he laughed.

Where is that pup's parent? I tried hard not to turn destructive. But I failed. I was about to step on stage when Lila glanced over at me and shook her head. She raised her hands again and, without a word, everyone on the stage rose back into the air. Then she took a deep breath. "Here are my powers. I am able to alter gravity," she informed the crowd in a calm voice.

The audience clapped while the pup tried to taunt her more. Then he suddenly stopped talking. She had gently dropped everyone on the stage and lifted him off the ground instead. "Put me down, you freak!" He growled at her.

Before she could do any more or go any further, I stepped onto the stage. "Wow!" I clapped. "Let's all give Lila another hand. She has an insane amount of focus," I complimented. "Let us thank the pup that doesn't know manners," I cheered sarcastically as I peered around the audience trying to locate his parents.

I saw two wolves stand up, grab the pup from the air and then head for the exit. They didn't get too far before they were met by Leon and Luna Lily. I wished I could hear what they were saying, but I needed to keep the show going. "Once more, let's applaud Lila and welcome our next performer." The audience clapped and Lila took a graceful bow.

covered the mic with my hand and leaned down to whisper into her ear. "Meet me backstage," I told her and watched as fear flashed across her face.

Taking my hand away from the mic, I announced the next pup and thanked the audience for their kindness, as our pups were not true performers and were all trying their best. Before I stepped off the stage, I glanced back to see that Leon and Luna Lily had finished speaking with the pup and the pup's parents. They had taken their seats again and appeared much more pleasant now.

I turned and saw Lila looking at me with tears in her eyes. "Are you mad? I wasn't going to hurt him. I just wanted him to stop," she whimpered.

I wrapped my arms around her, turning off my mic as I did. "No, I'm not mad," I responded softly. "I am just checking on you," I explained. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "It was hard, but I'm okay," she told me as she wrapped her arms around me and buried her face into my shirt.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, too," she sniffled.

"Now, why don't you go upstairs with Darren and watch from there," I instructed her.

"Okay," she said as she smiled at me. I wiped her tears and then she was heading up to Darren.

Turning, I refocused. I went through introducing, explaining, and overall announcing the show to the audience. Then it was my turn. I stepped onto the stage, alone. "Now it is my turn and then our future Luna will be ending the show."

I saw wolves looking from one to another appearing nervous. Smiling, I spoke again. "Stand up." I used my regular voice and watched as everyone looked around them confused. "My apologies, wrong voice." I took a breath and focused. Using my silky smooth voice I commanded them all once more. "Stand up." I watched as they did as I said. Fear played in their expressions. Out of all the powers they had witnessed today, mine was the one to fear. The power to control.

"Spin around two times and then shake your neighbor's hand," I sent out another command. Again they did as they were told. "Sit down on the ground," I gave my final command. They did it as they glanced from one to another.

I bowed my head and then looked out over the crowd. They were nervous. "Thank you all," I smiled. "Now sit as you please," I had shifted my voice back to my original tone. "Put your paws together and welcome our future Luna." I clapped as I stepped aside and Nova came out from behind the curtain. She had changed her dress and appeared nervous.

I covered the mic with my hand and spoke to her. "You've got this," I encouraged her.

She nodded and then I stepped off to the side out of sight. She stood silently in front of the crowd for a moment longer before the fire erupted around her hands. She quickly made a circle, backed up and then jumped through the fire circle she had created. As she did, she shifted. Her wings spread out and she took to the air. She flew over the crowd, did a few loops and then shot fireballs at the corner we had designated. Once she was done she landed gracefully back onto the stage, bowed to the crowd, and then slipped backstage where she would change.

I came back into view to stand at center stage. "Wow! Wasn’t she amazing!" I applauded, causing the crowd to do the same. "I hope you enjoyed tonight's show. There will be four more over the weekend to allow for the entire pack to have a chance to watch. We are working to bridge the special wolves and regular wolves together as they are still all one pack. Once more before you go, please give another round of applause to all those who performed tonight," I spoke proudly as I clapped and motioned to those standing above on the track. "Thank you and have a good night. Please exit to the back," I finished and then turned off my mic. I watched as the wolves stood and left. No one seemed to be more afraid than when they entered.

After about ten minutes, everyone had filed out and I turned to direct the wolves. We needed to clean up and prep for tomorrow's shows as well. I gave out commands and soon everything was in order and ready. I handed my mic to a wolf and then sat on the edge of the stage. I was exhausted.

"You were amazing," I heard Darren say. Looking up, I saw him and Lila walking toward me.

"What are you two still doing in here?" I smiled as I slipped off the stage and into his waiting arms.

"We were waiting for you, right Lila?"

"We can't have fun without you," she grinned up at me.

Instinctively, I pulled her to me and we made a Lila sandwich between Darren and myself. "Mo.... Audrey stop," she said in a fake annoyed voice.

My heart stopped for a moment at what she had almost called me. In an instant, I knew I wanted her to call me mom. I wanted to be her mom. I knew Darren felt the same. Well, he wanted to be called dad, of course. "Come on, let's go," I said as I pulled away. I took her hand and Darren took her other hand. We walked out of the training facility. I felt whole in this moment. There were other orphaned pups, but they had bonded with other wolves and she-wolves. But Lila had chosen us and we were choosing her. Soon we would be able to make it official. Another reason for my birthday to come quickly.