Russian Alpha Queen

05

The pack run had been euphoric for Mila. It'd been so long since she'd felt the ground under her paws and the wind whistling through her fur. Looking down at her pack lounging around the lake, her heart felt lighter than it had in years. She'd not only killed Ivan and avenged her parents, but she'd seen the look on the Omega's faces when she said they were regular pack members. It was a mix of shock, relief, and happy tears. Even the regular pack members looked excited for the most part. Ivan must have really done a number on everyone here.

After deciding the pack had enough time to lounge around and catch their breath, she stood from her spot and let out a long howl. The cool night air filled with the symphony of her pack's response. Those who had shifted back to human form took a second to transform, their song reaching a crescendo as they all began the trek back home.

As soon as the pack arrived home and began shifting back to their human forms, Mila found herself cornered by the pack doctor, Yelena Korozova. She was a thin older woman with frizzy caramel brown hair and hazel eyes nesting in crows feet. She seemed nice enough, a large smile on her face as she excitedly hugged her Alpha.

"Alpha Petrova, it's so nice to see you again! You're all grown up and you look beautiful my dear, so much like your mother when she was young. Oh I'm sure you don't remember me, but I was a pack doctor in your father's pack before everything went down. I'm so sorry for your loss."

Goosebumps crossed Mila's skin as she felt her muscles tighten and her hair stand on end. She wasn't used to physical contact like this, and why was this woman being so open when talking to her? Mila highly doubted the doctor would have treated a male Alpha like this, and the thought had her eyes growing darker. She cleared her throat in an attempt to be casual, but both wolves clearly heard the growl behind it.

Dr. Korozova quickly stepped back, her eyes on the ground and head bowed. "My apologies Alpha, I got ahead of myself." Receiving a curt nod in response, she swallowed hard as she turned around to grab her supplies.

"Well I'll need to take a look at your arm and leg please Alpha. We'll get them cleaned out and see if you need stitches, those were some nasty bites. There's a shower in the room behind you, so go ahead and get cleaned up. Karine's coming by with some clothes, and there's shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in there for you to use."

"Thank you," Mila said, trying to give the doctor a reassuring smile. It felt... off in a way. Sort of like she was just mashing her face around in an attempt to convey herself. It'd been so long since she'd had any real interact that portraying emotions had to be calculated almost.

"Smile bigger, now open your eyes. What are you doing with your eyebrows? You look ridiculous. Never mind girl, just nod at her."

Mila's eyes darted around the room, her breath catching in her throat."She's not here, she's not here. It's okay. Just breathe."

Dr. Korozova's brow furrowed as she watched her Alpha. Mila's eyes were bouncing around the room frantically while the rest of her face remained emotionless. It scared the doctor a little, her brain jumping to the horror movie she'd watched with her son recently. Her own eyes were locked on Mila as she stiffly turned away, her moves stiff yet quick as she hurried to the bathroom, giving the room one last look around through the closing door.

The hot water burned more than Mila expected as she stepped into a shower for the first time in over six years. The water quickly turned brown and red as it flowed over her body. Her skin peeled off in flakes as she rubbed the sudsy wash cloth over herself, and her scalp burned when she tried to massage the shampoo in. The closest thing she'd had to a shower was Ivan spraying her off with a hose whenever he thought she was starting to smell bad. Despite the pain that came with it, she had to admit it was far nicer than her previous hygiene practice.

While waiting for the conditioner to soak in, Mila took the opportunity to mind link her top elites to schedule a quick meeting after dinner and a meeting with the pack lawyer in the morning. Responses trickled through her brain as she rinsed the conditioner, and she was glad to hear the rest of the pack was treating her with respect.

Stepping out of the shower, Mila was greeted by the sight of an extremely fluffy towel, a dark green t shirt, and some black denim shorts. Next to the stack on the sink was a note, held down by a wide toothed comb.

I'm sorry I don't have more professional clothes to offer you Alpha. You're a lot taller than me so it was hard to find anything I think would fit you. I hope these help though. - Karine

Mila smiled a bit to herself, glad to see the pack seemed to be welcoming the change of leadership. She quickly dried her hair a bit and getting dressed before deciding to skip on the comb. That was going to be a whole ass process she didn't have the time for right now.

Dr. Korozova was waiting at the hospital bed when Mila came out, looking a bit lost in thought at first but smiling when she noticed the Alpha.

"Go ahead and take a seat," the doctor said, waving her hand towards the bed. Mila obliged, wincing a bit as her broken leg bounced against the frame. "Let's take a look at that first."

A frown crossed the doctor's face as she poked slightly at the wound. "It appears your femur is broken, and even with your wolf's help it's going to take a few days to heal. I'll stitch the cut up, but I do recommend a cast for the next three days, and lots of rest. Your arm looks alright though, a few stitches and it'll be back to normal in no time."

"Thank you Doctor," Mila replied, feeling a twinge of guilt for being so rude earlier. "I apologize for my attitude earlier, I shouldn't have been so rude."

"Oh it's quite alright Alpha! I'm sure you haven't been able to talk about them yet, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Mila simply waved her good hand to brush it off, and the two women sat in a peaceful silence as the Doctor stitched up Mila's wounds and put the cast on her leg.

"Thank you again," Mila said as she slowly slid off the hospital bed. Her blue covered cast was clunky and felt unnatural as she tried to shake her leg a bit, a frown on her face. She wouldn't be able to do much training until it came off, much to her dismay.

"Anytime Alpha. You have a good night, alright?" Dr. Korozova replied, a smile on her face that Mila was starting to realize was almost a given when you saw her.

"You as well."

Mila took her leave, waving goodbye to the Doctor over her shoulder as she started making her way back towards the pack house.

Alexi, is everyone ready for our meeting?

Yes Alpha. We're in the meeting room on the third floor, just waiting for a few more of the fighters to come back from patrol.

Great, thank you. I will be there momentarily.

Ten minutes later, the rest of the requested members were ready for the meeting, each of the high ranked members standing behind their chairs while the top fighters stood along the walls. It was customary to let the Alpha be seated first, and the others to follow after. Mila thought this was stupid, and wasted no time with formalities when she entered the room.

"Please, take your seats. No need to make yourselves uncomfortable on my account." She didn't miss the worried looks the other wolves shot each other. "Really, it's fine. I told y'all things are gonna be different from here on out."

Everyone took their seats and Mila continued. "It's nice to meet you all. I know you guys know each other, but I haven't gotten the chance to meet all of you yet. Why don't we go around and introduce ourselves? Name, rank, and current responsibilities please."

Alexi decided to stand and go first. His short blonde hair was trimmed like a member of the military, and his brown eyes were focused solely on Mila's face. "I'm Alexi, our pack's Beta. I've been taking care of most exchanges with other packs, though in the past few years we haven't really been friendly with any other packs. I also handle patrol scheduling and help lead training."

Mila nodded, her hands moving slowly as she tried to take notes. It'd been so long since she'd last read or written that it felt foreign now. Mila tried to force down the disappointment as she realized just how illiterate she'd become. She was just starting middle school when her parents had been killed, yes that was sure to put her back, but there was no reason for her to be this far behind.

A growl slipped out before she could stop it, and she tore the page from the pad, wadding it up and throwing it into a nearby trash can. "Alexi, Beta, pack interactions, patrol, and group training. Got it. Who's next?"

"Mm, I am," a man said, clearing his throat before standing. He was tall, at least 6'4, with muscles for days. Thick brown hair hung around his face, his blue eyes beamed out from underneath. He looked to be in his mid 30s from Mila's guess, meaning he'd been around for a while in terms of pack hierarchy. It was normal for Alpha's support to be rotated every few years as they aged and stronger wolves emerged. "I'm Dimitri, Gamma to the pack, in charge of training elite pack members and running supply trades."

"Dimitri, Gamma, elite pack training and supply runs," Mila repeated, trying to make sure she remembered all that later. "Alright, next?"

"I'm Zeno," stated the next man, not moving from his seat. His copper hair was a stack of curls, neatly laying on top of his head, stopping just short of his golden brown eyes. A lazy yet friendly smile adorned his freckled face. Staring at him intently, Mila found she had this itching at her brain. The man in front of her held this sense of familiarity, but she couldn't pin down any way of knowing him. Zeno continued on before she had a chance to really think about it.

"Delta here. I'm in charge of data collection and handling applications for houses. I also pick up whatever responsibilities Alexi and Dimitri are too lazy to handle." He let out a laugh as Dimitri's face immediately reddened.

"Be serious boy," he barked, sending a punch towards Zeno's gut. The younger man just laughed, side stepping his friend's fist before sitting down.

"Alright fighters, your turn. Name, rank, and preferred fighting style."

Mila listened intently as the remaining 16 guards gave their responses. They almost exclusively answered "in my wolf form?" as if it was a question.

At least a couple of them know what fighting style means, Mila thought to herself. It wasn't exactly where she wanted to be in terms of core pack strength, but at least now she knew what to expect in terms of training. After having the group fill her in on their current training system, she took a few minutes to tweak her original plan before speaking.

"Alright, I'm sure we're all tired, so I'll make this quick. We're going to have a physical for every pack member to take here in a few days. I want to test for strengths that may not be immediately noticeable, like stamina, tracking, human form strength and fighting ability, stuff like that. We're also going to set up a child training program. Once they shift, they'll start attending classes to communicate with and control their wolves. Once they've got it under control they can start taking endurance classes in both their human and wolf forms, and as they get older start learning to fight in both forms. Once they hit high school they can start studying specialized techniques that work for them, and if they do well enough they can start applying to join patrols when they turn 16.

"We'll meet again soon to discuss it further; I just wanted to meet each of you and touch base in case you notice anyone seeming worried or upset. I need you guys to help me ease them through this transition phase. Any questions?" The room remained quiet. "Alright, let's get some sleep then. I'll see y'all tomorrow." The pack members stood as their Alpha did, following customs in waiting for her to leave the room before they left themselves.

However after leaving the room, Mila found she didn't know where she should go. She certainly couldn't go back to the room Ivan had kept her in, but she didn't want to start entering rooms and hoping they were empty. A frown lined her face just as a voice spoke up from behind her.

"You lost, Alpha?"

Mila jumped a bit, not expecting to find Zeno so close behind her when she turned. Taking a step back, she shook her head. "Can't really be lost if you never knew where you were going." A wry smile crossed her face as she turned back around and started making her way down the hall.

"Could you help me find a bedroom?" Mila asked as Zeno caught stride with her.

"It's a little soon for that, don't you think?" he asked with a wink. Mila's cheeks immediately darkened, causing him to chuckle. "I'm just teasin' ya. It's this way," Zeno said, pointing his thumb towards the right. There was a slightly awkward silence between the two as they walked until Zeno finally let out a breath and turned towards Mila.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable back there. I was just trying to be friendly and break the ice a bit. I didn't mean to offend you or anything."

Mila shook her head slightly in response. "I apologize, I haven't had much conversation lately. I'm honestly not too sure how to just chat with people; I wasn't great at it as a kid either I don't think."

"Think of it like a muscle, you just have to keep using it to get better. Don't sweat it," he replied, shooting Mila a smile. As if on que, he lead them to a stop at a door to his left. "Well, this is you," he said, pushing open the door.

It was clearly meant to be a couple's room with two walk in closets on either side of a large square area with a circle seat lined with windows. The room was empty aside from a queen bed with thin white sheets on it.

"There's a bathroom in there on the left. I know it's pretty empty but-" Zeno started, seeing a look on Mila's face that he wasn't quite sure how to read.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. She stared around the room, jumping in surprise when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"What are you doing? Don't touch me," she snarled, jumping away from her offender.

Zeno was quick to put his hands up and step back towards the hallway. "I'm sorry, it's just you were crying and I wanted to see if you were okay. You weren't answering me. I'm sorry Alpha."

"Oh." Mila touched a hand to her face and was surprised to find that it was in fact wet. "I- I'm sorry. Please excuse me, it's been a long day," she said, her face becoming stoic.

Zeno bit his lip for a moment before turning to the door. "Of course Alpha. I'm right across the hall if you need anything."

"Thank you Zeno. Good night."

"Good night Alpha."

A sigh escaped Zeno's lips as he closed the door. Well I made a great impression.