Cruel Alpha

Chapter 22

Robin was stressed and angry and couldn’t find a solution to her problem. At this point, she was about to write a pros and cons list for…. She doesn’t even know how to frame her thoughts. Betraying Oak Tails? Warning River Banes?

Robin walked in circles around the forest. She had spent the last 11 years of her life in River Banes, no matter how much she liked to rebel against the thought of it being her home, she had friends there. They were her current family. But Oak Tails was her old family. Her parents were from here, they died by the fault of River Banes and other northern packs. 

All Robin knew of the war was that northern packs were divided into 2 sides: ones helping humans defeat their enemy and thus building an alliance with the human world and the others who fought the packs that helped humans, hoping to use this as a moment to gain more land and resources from fellow packs. 

The northern packs were small only 3 of them stood out: Imperial Pride, River Banes, and Oak Tails. She knew that River Banes were helping humans as their borders are close to human cities. Robin remembered the Alpha from Imperial Pride, Alpha Roland. She remembered the look of disgust on his face when he looked at her mark and the way he knew it was from Oak Tails. Most clearly, she remembered the threat he made towards her. 

Oak Tails didn’t want to join either side of the war, it isn’t close to human cities and it had enough land and resources on its own. But some packs wanted to win over Oak Tails land. Robin was sure that one of those packs was Imperial Pride. Because now they were the biggest pack in Northern forest, River Banes has fallen behind many years ago. 

Focus, Robin. She scolded herself. Lucien wants a war so that he could prove Oak Tails superiority. He keeps saying it’s just to prove and earn respect and one pack would be enough. But as Robin nearly killed Derek over a minor inconvenience today, she understood that once you have power, you keep wanting more. Power affected her in a negative way, it allowed all of her actions to be justified, it allowed her to scare her opponent to submission, it let her threaten the pack members she should be protecting. It made Lucien use his Alpha voice on her, it made Lucien crave supremacy. It made Robin hate her life. 

She groaned and marched back home. There was no way she would leave Oak Tails behind, no matter what happened she could never turn her back on it, it was her home, it was her childhood, and maybe even her future. But her friends were in River Banes just a few hours’ drives away and Lucien was going to make war on them. Iris just found her mate. Hope is pregnant. What would happen if they are taken over? What would happen if Lucien reaches the River Banes and fights with Axel, to win a war you need to kill the Alpha. But what of the Alpha family? What of Wren, Sierra and Wilder? She is pregnant. Oh, Wilder can’t even fight properly. I can’t let it happen. I can’t let Lucien attack them. Robin marched forward with purpose.

When she got back her maid informed her that Lucien wanted to speak with her. Good, I can say a piece of my mind to him. Robin thought but as she drew closer to Lucien’s office she realized that she couldn’t. Lucien would never listen, at best he will just soothe her fears over with his Alpha tone, and at worst… She didn’t even want to think about it. If she wanted to stop him, she would need to find another way. 

She knocked on the door and heard the usual answer. “So, what’s this about?” Robin asked as she sat down. It was a Saturday evening, they never discussed Pack work on the weekends. My gods, another week has passed, Robin realized. How long since she actually went to River Banes. Lucien smiled his usual smile but Robin felt a knot form in her stomach. “Friendly chat with my favorite Beta. I heard you fought Derek.” Robin faked a chuckle, “he deserved it. Should have seen his face when I smashed it to the ground.” Robin didn’t even feel ashamed for her words, the anger and power-thirsty part of her was very satisfied with the fight. 

Lucien nodded in encouragement, “finally, I was starting to think all this time in River Banes made you go soft. You wouldn’t even show his place to scum like Derek. How could I expect you to lead the battle?” Robin barely contained her scream. “Lead the battle? Wasn’t it Gamma’s responsibility?” Robin asked with a raised brow. Lucien leaned back, “Gamma’s work is being responsible for the armoury. I wouldn’t take Derek to a war. He would be responsible for keeping things calm in here. I want you next to me on the field, towards River Banes.” His eyes shone, Robin was trying to keep her heart from not bursting out of her chest. He wants me to attack them. What if he uses his tone on me and I do something I will regret forever?

“That’s why,” Lucien continued as he flipped through the pages on his notebook. “We need to cut some ties, Robs.” Robin’s brow scrunched. Lucien stopped on the page and read the names. “Blair, Hope, Iris, 2 of their mates and stuff, they are unimportant. You should just drop them. Ignore them.” Lucien’s tone was easy to listen to, easy to accept. But Robin was done accepting the easy way. She wouldn’t let him dictate her life. However, Lucien couldn’t know it just yet. “Done and done, they were kind of annoying anyway,” Robin said with a nod. 

“Now, now, we still need the Alpha family's trust though.” Robin couldn’t help but chuckle. “I don’t think they would be very happy to trust their attacker. Do you expect them to hand the control over just because of me?” Lucien laughed. “Man, that would be funny though. I bet if it was for that ex-mate of yours he would hand the keys to the city just to get on your good graces.” Robin tried to keep the act going so she just chuckled. Her situation was stressful already no need to add the worry of Wilder on top of it. 

“I need something from them, from the Alpha of River Banes. Rather someone.” Lucien said with a wink. “Gods and Goddesses.” Robin couldn’t stop herself and Lucien raised his brow. “You want to get Wren? I didn’t know your taste was this basic.” She recovered quickly and Lucien laughed. “Yes, Robs. It is that basic. From what I heard of her she sounds intelligent and looks good enough so why not? We need the next generation of Oak Tailers as soon as possible.” Robin made a fake gagging sound but she pretty much wanted to puke. Wren was so much better than him. He didn’t deserve to be around her and Wren would never agree. But then again Robin doubted she would have much of a choice if there is a war and Lucien wins it. 

“Speaking of Alphas and Wren.” Robin started, she was trying to be casual while still figuring out her plan. “She keeps asking for me, asking for progress on ‘research’.” Robin did fake air quotes and Lucien chuckled. “I was thinking of going back for a week, making an appearance, seeing what Wren and the pack are up to. You know, keeping tabs.” She said and Lucien nodded while considering it. “Yeah, you have been gone awfully long for someone doing research into history. You should go back. But don’t contact me or anything like that during that week. I do not want them to suspect anything.” Robin nodded with a genuine smile. “No problem.” 

Robin cleared her throat. “Another issue is the lack of well actual research. She wants to see papers or reports or anything I have done during a month. Her museum is expecting work from us.” Robin tried to sound as believable as she could. Lucien groaned. “Ugh sounds like a lot of work to sell a lie.” Robin just shrugged. “They will suspect something if I arrive empty handed.” She added. 

Lucien checked the time and stood up from his place. “Fine, fine. You are right. Come here.” He called Robin over. “I have gathered all the old articles that reported on Oak Tails and had proof of war. Just make something believable out of those.” He sounded dismissive he wasn’t very interested in faking an academic paper. This is just what Robin needed. 

“Are you hungry? I am going to eat, when you are done, come join me.” Lucien spoke and turned around to leave. “And, Robin, remember, they don’t matter, what matters is Oak Tails and our future.” He was using his tone again and Robin wanted to punch him. “Of course, Alpha.” She said dutifully and Lucien smiled as he closed the door behind him. 

Robin sighed as she heard his footsteps go down. She immediately went to snoop around his computer and get everything she could. She needed proof of his existence. She needed to see his plans and get a copy of everything. Robin connected her phone to the computer and copied few folders she found. One was titled armoury and had all the receipts for the weapons and plans of the building. The other was called Research and include private information about all the packs he sent a so-called fake research team into to gather information. The third was titled Oak Tails and included documents about Lucien himself and to Robin’s surprise, about her. 

Robin went through the ones that had her name on them. It was her birth certificate, a scanned picture of her with her parents and what looked like a profile about her. It included information about her life; about Margo about her education. It was updated as recently as a month ago. Someone was stalking her and reporting back to Lucien. This made her blood boil. She felt like she was being watched even now, she needed to run away. 

Luckily files finished being transferred in the next few minutes. Unluckily, Lucien was back around the same time. Robin heard his footsteps and closed everything she searched through, only keeping the file he showed her open. As Lucien entered she disconnected her phone and looked at him. “Done, even emailed it to her from the phone.” She made sure to lock her phone and wave it around for Lucien to see. Please be dumb and don’t care about technology. 

Lucien nodded. “Great then, you should leave tomorrow and I will see you next Sunday.” Robin got up and nodded. They stood in front of each other, Lucien kept staring at her. “So, I should get going,” Robin concluded and Lucien nodded, surprisingly he pulled her into the hug. Robin initially panicked but he just hugged her and sighed. Maybe, it was a friendly goodbye. 

“We are doing this together, Robin. Us and not them.” Lucien spoke and Robin felt her heart shatter. Not a friendly goodbye after all.