The Abandoned Alpha

Training Grounds

Beta Lucas

"Good morning sunshine!" I shout as I knock on Leo's door.

"Dad, don't be so obnoxious." Sammi is beyond excited to see Elise, but she is in for quite a surprise when she sees that Leo's here. My daughter is persistent, and it has been an absolute nightmare trying to keep such a big secret from her. Sammi is the future Beta of this pack, and she has been driving me crazy with questions.

When the door opens, Leo is standing there and Sammi just stares up at him in shock.

"I believe you two have met once before?" I say and Leo smiles shyly.

"I'm gonna kill her. I can't believe she didn't tell me." Sammi says to herself under her breadth. "My God, your eyes are even more incredible than she said."

"Sammi?" I hear Elise call from behind the door, and within seconds the two girls are squealing and hugging each other, and Leo and I are standing on the sideline.

Sammi smoothes her hair back and then turns properly to Leo.

"It is a pleasure to meet you properly Leo." She says and smiles. "I have many questions."

"Sammi, Leo is actually Alpha Leo, he is the future king of the southern territories. It turns out he is Luna Queen Aria and Alpha King Augusta's son." Her eyes go wide and she just stares at me for a moment. Her face turns red and she turns back to Leo and bows to him.

"I'm so sorry. It is an honor." She respects position and status as much as I do, and I can tell she is surprised and a bit embarrased.

"Sammi, I have a million things to tell you."

"He's your mate? Holy s**t, you're mated to the king of the south? My God, he's gorgeous!!!"

"Okay you two, why don't you spend the day together, Elise you can catch Sammi up on things. Try and keep things quiet, though. We have our council meeting tonight and we will be introducing Leo to them. I'd prefer it if you stayed in the pack house, here on Alpha Roman's floor."

Elise wraps her arms around Leo and kisses him on the cheek. "Don't let Beta Lucas kick your butt too bad. Don't worry, we'll go to the entertainment room by daddy's office." She says and grabs Sammi's hand as they head out, excited chatter between them as they make their way down the hallway.

I take a good look at Leo and he looks different. He is standing taller and he looks older somehow, his face is serious and he is very quiet.

"You okay?" I ask him and he nods.

"I accepted my wolf last night." He says and smiles.

"That's great news. It must be very odd for you, most kids grow up with their wolves. I imagine that it feels very strange." I feel for this kid. His life has been hard and so much has changed for him. It's only going to get harder and I'm worried about him. Roman takes for granted that he has always been an Alpha. He was born into this position, and I don't feel like he really understands that Leo might not be ready for all this.

"It's definitely strange," he chuckles. "His name is Giddeon, and he is... intense."

"He's a warrior, all Alphas, and especially kings are given the strongest and fiercest of wolves. It's interesting too, your eyes, they are actually your wolfs. They don't transform back into your human form. It is a very rare trait. One that your father had as well. It is said that when that happens, the pairing of wolf and human is stronger than a normal bond. That the line between the existence of you both is blurred and that there is magic within the holder of such a trait."

"Well, I know that he is very passionate about taking back what he says is ours. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it honestly." Leo admits, and I appreciate his honesty.

"Well, today we are going to the training grounds. Get on a t-shirt and shoes. We are going to see what you can do today." I slap him on the back and he gets ready to go. I'm curious about what he will be like.

As we walk to the training grounds people are definitely noticing him, and he isn't saying a word. But he's definitely taking in his surroundings. It dawns on me that he hasn't been out of the pack house since he got here.

"So, that building over there, that's the hospital. The school is right across the street. All the houses in that direction are reserved for visiting guests. We don't have a hotel here, we really don't want strangers coming and staying. Visitors need to make themselves known before they step foot on the pack grounds. With the royal family living here, we take security very seriously."

As we make our way to the training grounds, I see one of our cadets, Jack, bent over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breadth.

"Jack. You gonna make it there buddy?" I laugh. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Beta Lucas, Henry has us doing speed drills this morning, but he won't let us shift. I swear he's gonna kill us one day."

"Leo, I'd like you to meet Jack. He is one of the cadets training in our warrior program."

"Nice to meet you, Jack," Leo extends his hand and Jack stands to take it, but hesitates and then bows to him. Jack looks at me curiously and I know that he senses Leo's Alpha aura. Leo has no idea that he projects power the way he does, and now that he has accepted his wolf, even those in the human world will feel it. I don't reveal Leo's rank or title, I just nod at Jack, acknowledging what he is already thinking.

"Leo here could use a friend or two, Jack. He's new to the pack and it would be great if you could take some time to show him around?"

Jack is in his early twenties and has the thickest head of blond hair I've ever seen. He's a big guy, but his real talent is his IQ and ability to solve problems. In the academy, he is going to be working in our intelligence program, but everyone must go through warrior training first.

"I'd be happy to. We have training until five, but I can come find you after." Jack offers.

"Actually we have a council meeting at six that Leo needs to attend. But stop by the pack house around eight. I'll order pizzas and you can all get acquainted. Maybe ask Leia and the boys to join. Elise and Sammi will be there too."

"Sounds great. Where are you headed now?"

"Well, we are headed to the training grounds, I'm going to do a bit of a beginners class with Leo. He hasn't had any training yet."

"Good luck, man, Beta Lucas is unbeatable." Jack laughs. "Okay, I better get back over there before I end up getting extra laps. See you later Leo, pleasure to meet you!"

Jack takes off running again and we make our way to the grounds. Leo looks nervous as we enter.

"Wow. This place is big," he says as he stares at the stands that circle around us.

"We use it for different types of events, usually sparing events. Every pack has something similar. Our wolf side can get pretty crazy, so we make sure to have enough space between the sporting floor and the spectators," I walk to the center and I'm anxious to find out what Leo can do.

"Ok, no use wasting time. Leo, I want you to come at me as hard as you can. Try and knock me down. Okay?"

"You want me to tackle you?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, exactly. Come at me as hard as you can." I stand with my feet planted waiting for him to take me out. I watch as he hesitantly starts to run and he runs directly into me. I don't even wobble.

"Okay, um, let's try that again. Don't hold back Leo, you aren't going to hurt me. Get a good running start, and with everything you have try and take me down."

He goes to the other side of the grounds and starts to run, but again he collides into me and I barely move. This isn't what I expected.

"Jesus, what are you made of brick or something?" He asks me, rubbing his shoulder and walking away from me.

"Leo, you can do better. I can tell you are a strong kid. Come on, stop screwing around, and let's go."

Again and again, he comes at me and doesn't move me. I don't get it.

"Leo, have you ever actually got in a fight before?" I ask him and he rubs the back of his neck nervously.

"Only once, and I got tossed into juvi for months because of it. After that, I was sent to a group home and told that if I ever did anything like that again to anyone I would be tossed behind bars."

I tilt my head and stare at him in disbelief. "You were sent away for a fistfight? How old were you? Didn't the family you were with try and fight that?"

He looks at me like I've somehow offended him. I see anger flash in his eyes.

"You're kidding, right? The family I was with had their own kids. They told me when I went into foster care with them that I was just there so they could get the paycheck. They only planned to keep me until they were back on their feet. Six months tops. They were happy to see me go." He says and I see that I have found a source of pain for him. I'm not proud of what I'm about to do, but I plan to use that pain to ignite his anger.

"So no one has ever given a s**t about you. You have been a burden to everyone and just tossed aside like trash. No one has ever loved you. " The hurt that I just sparked in him is visible and I hate myself for causing him this pain. "Doesn't that make you mad? That you were abandoned and just dumped? That people thought so little of your life that they didn't give a s**t about you? It should. You should be mad, Leo. Get angry. Let all of it come to the surface."

"Stop it. Please." Leo pleads with me as I push him further.

"The kid at school, the one you told us about, you didn't even have the self-respect to fight back. Aren't you angry at him? Angry about what he put you through? For getting you locked up? Maybe you don't deserve love, Leo." I say and it's a knife in my gut.

"I'm begging you to stop," he says and I see his hands shaking as he brushes a tear from his face.

"Do you even deserve to be our leader? What would Frank think?" I say and the mention of his name stills the boy. "Come on, Alpha Leo, come at me. I am every person that ever wronged you. Do it! Stop being a coward Leo! Stop being a victim! Imagine that I'm one of the men who hurt and killed Frank!" I am shouting at him now.

I watch Leo close his eyes, tears coming harder now, and he screams out. I don't even know what hits me and I am knocked almost fifty feet in the air and slammed against the arena wall. I shake my head and Leo is still standing where he was. He never moved.

I get up and run to him and grab him in my arms as he starts to sob against my shoulder.

"It's okay, Leo." His body is shaking as I hold him.

"I - I'm sorry," he stutters out. "I asked you to stop. I don't know what happened."

"Come on, let's go sit down okay?" I guide him to the stands and Elise comes running through the entrance.

"Is he okay? Where is he?" She spots us and doesn't waste a second to get to Leo. "Are you okay?" She turns his face towards hers gently. "What happened? I was sitting with Sammi when a horrible wave of emotions flooded me, and then a burst of the most intense and pure anger hit me. I knew it was Leo." she explains to me.

"I provoked him, to get him to be more aggressive." I mind link Roman to let him know what just happened and he joins us within minutes.

"Leo, I need to speak to Giddeon." Roman doesn't waste any time and goes straight to the boy.

"I don't know what that means. Do you want me to tell him something?" Leo looks up confused.

"Giddeon, I know you can hear me, I want to speak with you now!" Roman's voice is demanding and dripping with Alpha power. I can't help but bow beside him.

"Dad, he doesn't know how to shift, he's never done it."

"He doesn't need to shift, do you Giddeon? I command that you come forward!"

I don't take my eyes off Leo, and suddenly his body looks like it is shocked, and Leo stands only to take a knee in front of Roman. When Leo speaks, it is clear that it is no longer him and I am in awe. Our wolf side is only able to come forward if we are in our wolf form. I have never heard of any of our kind able to share our physical existence in both forms.

"Alpha King Roman. It is indeed a pleasure to finally meet you. Please forgive Leo, there is much he does not know." He stands and extends his hand to Roman.

"Giddeon, I presume?" Roman asks and Giddeon nods.

"Would you care to explain how exactly that boy was able to throw down one of the greatest warriors of our time without even touching him? I'm sure my Beta and daughter would like to understand more about how you are able to come forward in human form as well." Roman says, and Elise and I are staring at him in awe.