Alpha's Protective Pup

12

Even Lukas, who prided himself on his understanding of others, couldn’t comprehend the magnitude of my father’s hardships. I kept various details from Lukas, leaving me uncertain if I would ever disclose them.

CHAPTER 6

JOSEPH

H

ushed whispers replaced the usual sounds of camaraderie in the pack, making it obvious that things were awry. People may think I’m paranoid after my partner’s death, but I sensed something was wrong. The absence of a mate jeopardized my status as the pack’s leader.

A mate brought stature to your position, whether one wanted to admit it. My mate possessed the qualities of decency that set them apart from others. She bore me several children and was always willing to call me out when the time called for it.

After she passed, I only grieved a little because I could hear the faint whispers behind my back. Our bloodline had been the leader of the Sabretail Pride for some time now. People still talked of my mother, the former alpha leader of the pack. Her ability to foster a sense of unity among others was remarkable.

Having devoted years to the pack, I believed I had earned the respect that was due to me. The whole thing had been a charade, a cunning scheme to wait for the right moment to challenge me and take my position.

My eldest son, Oscar, was next in line. I didn’t suspect him because the boy lacked the audacity to challenge me without fear of repercussions. At the moment, my trust in him remained, albeit not to the extent I had hoped for. The inability to trust your children was a significant concern.

I became determined to earn the pack’s respect back, with an unwavering resolve. To some, it may appear harsh, but to me, it was merely a necessary measure.

When my son came to me with a strange request, my initial instinct was to refuse. Even after he told me the injured wolf was a hybrid of two breeds. Our pack wasn’t in dire straits, and we were surviving fine, but another mouth to feed never bode well.

In addition, she was a half-breed who most likely wasn’t even aware of her Lycan blood. I didn’t want to deal with the problems that would cause for the Sabretail Pride.

However, as our conversation progressed, I became convinced that I should agree to it. I granted him permission, then returned to ensuring the pack’s strength for the upcoming winter.

I kept an eye out, of course, wanting to know what was going on with this woman. Despite my insistence that it would cause problems, it was quite an interesting situation. The exact number of half-breeds in the world remained a mystery. Either they were unaware of their Lycan bloodline, or they preferred the freedom of living without pack ties.

Living in a pack offered exclusive advantages that solitary living couldn’t match. Her decision to stay or leave after she healed held little importance to me. The task at hand would be less burdensome if she left.

There was no need to be concerned about her exposing our secret. It offered the same level of safety as a locked vault. Humans wouldn’t buy into her stories of werewolf packs.

Another incident drove Oscar to seek me out under the cover of darkness. From that moment, I knew the woman would stay, as she had no other viable choices. This signified it was time for me to make my presence known to her.

If she could prove her dedication to the pack by always putting them first, she would be more than welcome to stay and we would embrace her. She’d be under the supervision of my son and Lukas. If something went wrong, then it would fall on them. I would not hesitate to punish either of them should the situation call for it.

When I told Oscar I was going to introduce myself to this new member of the pack, he seemed to hesitate. This was a quirk of my son’s. He showed his emotion with complete disregard for what anyone else thought about him. If he were to assume my role one day, then this behavior would need to be restrained, as it would render him vulnerable.

A weak leader would soon trickle down onto the pack, making them susceptible to attacks from others. Oscar’s immediate tensing up showed he had noticed.

“Is there something you’d like to tell me?” I asked, voice holding steady. “Don’t deny it, Oscar. I know there is something you’re hiding from me.”

He winced. “Father, I’m not hiding anything from you. I was going to inform you once Margaret confirmed it.”

I scowled. “So, Margaret knew?”

“She did, but said she preferred to be sure for the sake of her patient.”

With reluctance, I accepted Margaret’s judgment. She was our pack's finest healer, a title well-deserved as the oldest alpha. I never liked that old bag and she made it clear the feeling was mutual, but I respected her. In order to maintain the status quo and uphold appearances, we kept things neutral.

Another reason I tolerated Margaret’s presence here was because of her friendship with my mother, our former leader. She had been a strong confidant of my mother and served as a second in command until Margaret started dedicating more of her time and attention to medicine.

The woman was fortunate that I still held my mother in high regard otherwise, she would have been more trouble than she was worth.

“So, are you going to waste my time or tell me what it is already?”

He nodded without flinching, his unwavering gaze making me feel proud that he didn’t show any signs of discomfort standing in front of me.

“Besides presenting as a half-breed after the wolf attack, Isla is also showing as an omega. Margaret believes her omega status remains dormant since it’s tied to her Lycan blood. With it being awakened, so is the fact that she is an omega.”

“An omega?” I asked, though I was speaking out loud more than expecting an answer from Oscar. “Hmm, well, it’s been some time since we had an omega come into our pack. This will bode well for our future.”

It seemed with every year, omegas were becoming more and more rare. The reason behind this phenomenon remained a mystery, but it increased the demand for the scarce omegas. One could always have a child with a beta, but having a child with an omega brought prestige, which was important to keep one’s position.

“Bring her here. I’d like to talk with her,” I said, lifting a brow when my son’s body stiffened. “Bonded with her already, have you?” I grinned.

He blinked. “No, father. It’s simply an innate reaction from being near an omega, as you understand. Nothing of the sort has happened.”

Oscar was quick to deny what I thought was obvious. Whether my son pursued such a match was on him, though.

“I understand that more than you know,” I said, my voice taking on a menacing tone.

My deceased mate may have been Oscar’s mother, but she was my mate before we even considered having pups. Her absence weighed on me, like a dark cloud that refused to lift. There could be no true replacement for her. No omega could ever live up to what she was.

However, this didn’t mean I didn’t understand the benefits of such a match. She would be an ideal match for my son, both in the present and in the future, when he assumed control. At the moment, he was not prepared enough to handle this much responsibility.

“Do you want to meet her now?”

I sighed and raked a hand through my hair. “Oscar, did I not tell you to bring her here so I could speak with her?”

“You didn’t specify a time, Father,” he answered, shrugging.

I offered a scowl in response, considering it as a cheeky comeback, even if Oscar didn’t mean it to be.

“Fine, then I want you to bring her here now. I assume you’ve explained some things to her since she realized the error of her ways by foolishly running away as she did?”