THE TRIBID'S DILEMMA

Chapter 3

Aubrey's POV

When I got there, I saw that all the other members of the pack had gathered from their dwelling and were gathered around Daniel; they had wasted no time to tie in chains. From their expression, I could tell that some were disappointed – they had not had expected this from him. But even more so, many were surprised. How could he do this to us? I heard someone say. Daniel was going through this rough time and it was all my fault, but as it stood, I will not accept the fault, not yet, until I was in safe distance of the very place I had the most dominance. I strutted regally to the stand in front of Daniel, towering over him and looking down at him as if he was a child I was about to scold.

From left and right, front and back, I heard suggestions on the certain punishments that I should meet out on Daniel. I laughed inside of me. If only some of those people know what I had in plan for him, they would not be shouting out curses. I raised my hands and all the speaking mouths felt dumb. “Aariv once said, it was the most unwise to mete out judgement instantaneous after the offence is committed. There are more variables out play in your mind than you are currently aware of. As such, I will allow the morrow to arrive before any judgement is meted out to anyone. I urge you all now to retire to your dwellings and have a good night's rest. We have a very busy day ahead of us by tomorrow. Any more objects anyone would like me to be aware of?” In truth, no one would dare to object, but that was a calculated move on my path to make the pack feel as if their opinions were needed for me to make any decision.

As everyone went into their Abode, I could tell that there was still a lingering sense of unease. Daniel had been dragged off and Aubrey had retired back to her dwelling with the rest of the pack leaving just me and the Three White Wolves, the ones that acted as interim guard, manning the entrance that led to the Abode.

“Alright, boys. Off you go,” I said to the three of them. “There was a fight. I believe you are aware?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“There would be other Alphas looking for territory, there would be rogue wolves searching for honour and an adventure to make a name from. Make sure you deal with them ruthlessly.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Good. Now off you go.” All three men transmuted into the white wolves from which they got their name while I, the Alpha in the pack, retired to my dwelling. On my way there, a very familiar voice called out to me.

“Why so conflicted, boy?” It was Aariv, the oldest member of the pack. He was so old he had seen three separate Alphas of this pack. Me being the third he would see and if I were to bore a child, then he might as well live to see four.

“It’s about Daniel,” I said.

“Is it?”

“It is.”

“I believe the first problem a person faces, especially a leader, is when they are incapable of identifying their problems.”

“What do you mean?”

“What’s the problem?”

“Daniel. He had rebelled and they expected me to kill him but I couldn't.”

The old man chuckled. “Why?”

“Because it was my fault he had rebelled in the first place. I ought to take the fall for that, not pushing it to him for no reason,” I said defensively.

He shuffled a little where he stood. He always said that standing in a particular spot gave his feet stale blood. “No reason? OK let’s say you finally take care of Daniel in the way that suits you and the rest of the pack agrees. What then?”

I itched my head, thinking of a reply. “There is still the issue of whether or whether not he will do it again.”

“OK. There. Daniel would not do it again, that I’m sure of.” There was certainty in his eyes, but I, however, was not so sure.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“I just do.”

“Did you speak to me?”

He smiled. “No. Not me.” He shuffled his feet again. “Back to my questions, boy. Now that you are certain that he would not try it again, what next?”

At this point, I could guess where he was going, yet answering him was hard. “Then… err… I don’t particularly know. It’s complicated.”

Aariv leaned in closer, resting on his walking stick. “I’ve always known from the start that Daniel was never the problem. He can’t be. Perhaps the problem in truth was someone else. A certain pack member who can’t alter her appearance like the rest of us do. Is it her?”

I knew this old man would eventually diagnose the issue. Deep down I knew that too was the problem and not that I particularly hated Daniel or held anything against him. I just did not want him to get in the way of Aubrey and I knew that I would be doing anything to stop it from happening. “I don’t know,” I lied to Aariv even though I knew that in the end he would see right through the lie.

Aariv just smiled and waved me off. “You will figure it out I’m sure but know that there is always a balance in this life. Everything that happens has a corresponding entry somewhere else. It is the same logic as action and consequence and if you want to maintain a good balance between Samantha and being Alpha of this pack, you will have to make concessions on both sides. Goodbye, my boy. Good night.”

“Good night, Aariv.”

With that, I went into my dwelling.

Waiting for me at the other end was Minnie. She was one of the servants of the pack but she was also attractive. Over her stay in the pack she had become attracted to me and for a long time I had charged her with the task of cleaning my room during the course of which we had had a little affair a very few times. Not that I was proud of it, it was just our urge getting the better of us and as I walked in on her quickly changing from her messy work clothes to her night gown which I had no idea why she had decided to pull that stunt in my room, I became turned on and closed my eyes trying to shake off the heat I was feeling in my head.

She turned around and stumbled to the ground in surprise. “I’m sorry!” she blurted out.

She was beautiful, not as much as Aubrey but she did have a nice body and unfortunately, that was all that I valued her for right now.

“I…err… was…err… just leaving,” she stammered.

“Already?” I blurted out without thinking.

“Do you want me to do something else?” she asked.

“Not really. No.”

Minnie walked closer a little. “If I am so bold to speak, I notice you have been in a different mode lately.”

“No. I am me,” I denied.

She placed a hand on my biceps. “Why did he attack us? Daniel, I mean.”

“I don’t know. We had a little misunderstanding.”

“Will you kill him? Or banish him?”

“I don’t know. I doubt I will.”

“What about Aubrey?”

I withdrew my hand from hers with a force I had not intended. She shifted back a bit, startled, I could tell that she was frightened of me now and as I watched her expression, I could see her eyes hover towards the door of my dwelling. I had frightened her. She was not feeling safe. I wondered how many more members of the pack had noticed a change in my behaviour and how many more were scared of me. I walked closer to Minnie, she shifted back a little.

“Minnie. Don’t run,” I said. It was not uncommon for members of a pack to run away if they felt like their lives were at risk. I had no idea if that was how Minnie felt right now but I was not ready to take the chance of having to find out the hard way to wake up to a call from the Three White Wolves that a certain pack member was missing. “I did not mean to frighten you.”

“Why are you anxious?” she asked.

I wanted to yell at her that I was not anxious but that was going to be counterproductive from the outcome I so desired of the pack. “I don’t know. I really don’t. Pack matters have been very demanding.”

“I know. I can’t really relate but I know it must be hard,” she said. I could tell that she wanted to say some more but was holding it back. I did not know how to urge her to go on so I just reached for her arms and held them. Then she continued. “I know I'm just a service wolf and I don’t fight, or hunt that much or deal with pack affairs but I feel you need to take a break.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” I asked in confusion. “My duty lies here with the pack. I cannot go off to some vacation island or anything.”

“I’m just saying, why don’t you start with the most obvious distraction?”

“Are you talking about Aubrey?” I really did not know why Minnie would want to talk about Aubrey with me but I felt oddly comfortable talking about her with Minnie. Maybe she was right. Maybe all I needed was a quick distraction that would distract me from the distraction which would in the grand scheme, bring me back on track as the leader I once was and I have always been.

Weirdly enough, or perhaps not weird at all, I looked down at Minnie, imagining things. She was not that slender in a way you would consider beautiful and she was not particularly blessed with very good curves either. But the yearning of the flesh made one see things in a different light. Like the old man, Aariv had said: “making concessions on both sides.”

“Thank you for your advice,” I said as we pulled each other into a tight hug.

“I just wish I could help you more,” she whispered. Perhaps what I was thinking was not what she intended to say but all in all, I felt the front of my trouser tighten as a bulge began to appear. I pulled away. “Don’t mind me. It’s nothing.”

“I know. You are just stressed,” she said.

“I need a distraction from all this,” I finally admitted.

“Is there any way I can help?” she offered.

My rational thinking ability, if I had any left, was gone at the moment, yet, the image of Aubrey floated in my head. I needed this distraction, I told myself. I cannot keep on slacking at my duties. “Maybe…” I whispered and in that instant, Minnie took the hint. She came closer and I leaned in. Our lips met and we kissed for about a minute, swapping saliva, this was not enough, I needed something more canal. I became touchy immediately. My hands were originally on both sides of Minnie’s face, steadying it for a more comfortable kiss but my mind had other plans and one of my hands went astray at its silent command: it began to hover down, tracing lines on Minnie’s body as she kissed me deeply. I caressed her neck, retracted my lips from hers and began to use it as an instrument for building up the moment. I sucked on her neck, before letting my hands drop to her breast. I felt her move closer, her breathing began to quicken a little and her heart beat also. Massaging her n*****s with my index and thumb finger, they stiffened immediately. I fondled her breasts intricately, palpating it and occasionally giving it gentle squeezes switching from the right to the left and back which her body language expressed her approval over. Minnie moved closer and I could tell that she was craving even more so I took it a step further. I moved my left hand from her breast and crawled down to her stomach, her body gave an involuntary flinch and I knew I was getting it right. My hands wandered from her midsection to her legs, dancing around and sending butterflies throughout her body. When I had had enough of that, I slipped my hands into her inner thigh and the moment I made contact with her slit, her legs turned to jam and almost melted away as her whole body shivered with pleasure. She was completely soaked underneath. It truly had been a long time since she did this. She thawed away in my arms, resting her head on my shoulder as her legs tightened together against themselves, trapping my fingers on her minge. I rubbed against them slowly, lost in the moment as I listened to Minnie’s gentle hums of excitement. I picked up the pace, gradually increasing my tempo until I was frantically rubbing against her organ. She let out a loud moan and a projectile of liquid began spilling everywhere from between her legs. She fell onto my bed, letting out a tired breath. There was a mutual pause and as if she was just and seductively pathing her legs for me.