The Alpha's Daughter

Chapter 12: The Alpha Challenge

The sun was setting as the prominent families began to gather. I could see from my window the bright red hues spread across the sky. The challenge would be starting soon as the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma had all gathered on the training field.

I felt tears prick my eyes, but now was no time for crying. Why was life so complicated?” Was it not enough that I had already lost my mother? Now, if my father's words were true, I would lose him today, too. I can hardly bear the thought. How had I missed all of the anger and hate that was building between my father, the Alpha, and his Beta? They used to be so close.

I slid the envelope my father had given me into my grab bag, along with a few other trinkets and two changes of clothes. I sensed that I could not leave the pack house with my grab bag; I threw it out the window, making sure it landed in the bushes beneath. Now, for the most challenging part: leaving the pack. This was my pack; it should have been mine. Now I am the one forced to leave.

As I walked out of my room, I heard people talking. This was odd since there was no one in the packhouse earlier. Everyone stayed in their own houses or was at the challenge field with my father. Rounding the corner to the stairs, I saw them. Zander, Victor, and Max were all pacing the floor at the bottom of the stairs. My heart leaped at the sight of them. I had not fully understood how hard it would be to leave them until this very moment. As soon as that thought left my mind, a more pressing issue hit me. How was I to get out of the pack house with them here? This was not right. What were they doing here? As if sensing me, Zander turned and smiled. I smirked at that. He had an insanely charming smile, which made his eyes twinkle.

“Stop drooling, Vivi, you can have me tomorrow,” he teased.

“I don't drool,” I exclaimed.

“That's okay, there's plenty of other stuff you can do,” he said cockily. This brought a growl from Victor, causing Zander to take a step back and hold his hands up defensively, “Okay, okay, man, I'm backing off,” he winked at me.

Victor met me at the bottom of the stairs. “I bet you wonder what we're doing here?” He glanced at the other three, “Gamma Ray instructed us to be here to watch over you.” Then over mind-link he added, “to comfort you and to make sure you don't leave the packhouse.”

I reached out and squeezed his hand. “Of course he did,” I mindlinked him back so the others would not hear. After letting go, I made my way to the kitchen.

I heard Max poking fun from behind, “Babysit is more like it.”

I ignored him, grabbing a bottle of water and twisting the cap. I downed half the bottle before looking at him, “No need for you to do either.” I snapped at him.

Zander came in and slouched along the countertop. Before speaking to me, “Gamma Ray is afraid you will run.” I just looked down at the bottle in my hands. He mindlinked me, “I will catch you if you do and bring you back. You can count on that!” He smiled coolly.

“Why, Zander,” I shouted, ignoring the fact that we were not alone and that he had messaged me privately. “What does it even matter anymore?”

“Oh, Vivi, you always forget we need you,” he responded aloud since I had already yelled at him openly.

I made a motion of puking that caused both he and Max to laugh.

“I cannot let you go, Vivi,” he added over mindlink.

This exasperated me, over my mind-link, I responded, “Not if Beta Rex wins, Zander. I will be nothing to you. You won't want me as your mate. Even being mated to me would put you in danger.”

Zander replied again over mind link, “If you are my mate, you will be my everything, Viviana, even more important to me than Beta Rex.”

I considered this for a moment before linking him back, “Zander, I know that you say that now, but you need to remember if Beta Rex wins this, he won't be Beta Rex anymore. He will be Alpha; are you prepared to put me ahead of your Alpha?”

Zander did not even think, just responded, “You'll still be the rightful heir in my eyes.” Then he left the kitchen. I knew it was hard for him to admit that he would not be in a position to defy the Alpha. Even a mate bond could not break the bond he would have with the Alpha.

I almost shed a tear as Max's voice interrupted the moment Zander and I had been having, “If you two must talk, can you at least speak out loud. That way we can all be in on the conversation.”

“Sure, Max,” is all I said. Then I, too, left the kitchen and went out to the living room. I curled up on the couch between Victor and Zander, while Max rested his head on my lap. Victor played with my hair, as Zander drew circles on my hand that he was holding while I ran my fingers through Max’s hair. Soothingly, it felt normal, forgetting the fact that a challenge threatens the pack. No worrying about mates and tournaments. Just a moment to relax and enjoy the company of friends. It’s funny how we could all be so relaxed at this moment. I could hear each of their heartbeats as we lay there. We had almost fallen asleep when Gamma Ray burst into the packhouse in anger.

“Get away from her,” he yelled.

We all shot up to a standing position. It was so out of character for him to raise his voice and not be as supportive of his son near me. I looked at Gamma Ray before crashing to the floor in tears, which came uncontrollably from my eyes. I knew the result without a word being spoken; my father, the Alpha, was dead. Victor and Zander each put a hand on my shoulder and tried to soothe me. Max ran out of the house, no doubt to congratulate his father.

Gamma Ray came close, “Viviana, you must leave the packhouse, as your father lost the challenge, and this is no longer your home.”

“Lost the challenge, is that all you care about! My father is dead!” I screamed. “How dare you!” I cried.

Victor mind-linked me, “Provoking the Gamma will not help you, Viv.”

I got up off the floor and pulled myself together. That was the last tear they would see from me. Any of them. How dare they treat me like this after the death of their Alpha and my father? Had they no sense of loyalty. I pushed away from Victor and Zander, refusing to acknowledge the pain in their eyes when I did so. I could not stomach looking at them any longer. My father had been right. I should have left. Instead, I am stuck, and I failed him. What a terrible daughter I am that I could not even fulfill his last wishes. He was wrong, I was not the daughter he thought I was.

Gamma Ray seemed unfazed, “You are no longer part of Alpha’s family and therefore must remove yourself from the packhouse. I have been instructed to remove you before the Alpha returns. I would rather not have to use force.”

“Try it,” Victor sneered defensively, coming to my side.

I wanted nothing more than to punch him in his smug face, but I just clenched my fists at my sides. Victor and Zander each grabbed a hand and stood with me.

Gamma Ray, as if adding fuel to a fire, continued, “Victor and Zander, return to your homes; I will escort Viviana out.”

Victor moved forward, and I grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “I will not fight this, Victor, and you will not fight him,” I declared as I held my head up high and moved towards the door. That is how I lost everything. I realized right away why my father was so determined for me to run. It was not just Rex who was against me as the new alpha; somehow, Gamma Ray was also tied into this. I was not safe here in this pack. I may not be safe anywhere. I lost my chance to run. I’m sorry, Father, I failed you.

Gamma Ray could not even look me in the eyes as we exited the packhouse. Alpha Rex approached, looking very proud of himself and disgusted at me; Max walked proudly behind him.

“Beta Rex,” I spoke without thinking, earning me a punch to the face.

“I'm your Alpha now, Viviana. You may never have learned how to show proper respect before, but I assure you that it is and will change. You will remember your place,” Alpha Rex shouted. Fire burned in Victor and Zander's eyes, but I mind-linked them both, pleading with them to stand down and not engage. Max looked a little taken aback by my bloody nose, but made no move to help. “You will leave the packhouse, Viviana, with nothing since everything you own belongs to the pack. If tomorrow you prove to be Max's mate, we'll decide your fate then.”

“Yes, Alpha,” was all I could say. I refuse to cry in front of him.

“Take her to the silver cottage, Gamma Ray, and make sure she knows her place for the future.” Alpha Rex’s orders rang out.

I held in my tears, refusing to give Alpha Rex or Gamma Ray the satisfaction of seeing me cry. As far as I was concerned, both of them had betrayed the pack in the most unimaginable way. I walked behind Gamma Ray silently through the woods. I cannot believe my luck of all the places they could have put me. I was deep in the mountains, about thirty minutes from the packhouse, and all alone.