Cruel Alpha

Chapter 20

Robin spent nearly the whole of the next day hiding in her house. She was going over the 4 points she has written down for her future self the previous night. 3 out of 4 of them could be regarded as her paranoia. Lucien is, well, Lucien. She saw no reason for him to have to convince her to stay, she was going to stay anyways. Oak Tails was her home, she wanted to be part of it and its future. 

But there was one point that Robin couldn’t tie to her paranoia. Lucien knew about Margo and the nature of her relationship with Robin. Even knew how long it lasted. Robin was sure that she never told him that. It was the only thing she chose to keep private; it was too intimate and pointless in the large scale of things. She also didn’t want to face judgement for her dating a woman and let alone a half-human. 

So, how did he know all this? Robin remembered how Lucien used Derek to reach out to her and others, using the pretence of research. Exactly how long has he spied and gathered information before officially meeting her? How long was she under surveillance and how much did they know? 

There was a knock on her bedroom door, Robin locked her phone, clutching it tightly in her hands. “Miss Robin? The breakfast is ready.” Her maid's voice spoke from the other side of the door and Robin sighed. “Thank you. Leave it in the kitchen.” She spoke and got up from her bed. She was determined to figure out what was going on, was Lucien really using his Alpha tone on her every time? If so, how far can his power stretch? What can he make her do? 

Robin had her breakfast and went for a run to clear her head. This time when she entered the Pack House she tried to be more attentive to everything. What else has she been ignorant about? The pack members were following their duties, she saw the boy responsible for setting the table he scurried along as soon as he spotted her. Fear was evident in his eyes. Robin felt bad as she remembered her treatment of him. That wasn’t an order from Lucien, that was fully her own doing. 

As she passed among the pack members she noticed the fear in their eyes followed with a bow. A long time ago, her father told her that Respect is born from Fear. She was coming to understand his words. She saw Lucien on the second floor, overseeing the progress of the renovation. As he looked around, she noted how one of the builders had a shake in his hand, he kept looking down, afraid of even looking towards the Alpha. So, that’s what he meant. Robin thought. That’s what Oak Tails is. Respect born from fear.  She felt guilty, she felt like puking but most of all she felt disappointed. 

Still, she marched forward and stood a step behind Lucien. “You notice anything that needs fixing?” he asked her. She shook her head. “They have been working hard, Alpha.” Robin offered. A memory filled her mind. Lucien asking her to call him Alpha. He justified it as displaying proper etiquette to pack members. He spoke it in his Alpha tone as well and Robin followed the order without any question. Lucien’s clap bought her back to reality. “Well, you have 2 days. I will expect everything to be completed and cleaned by Tuesday.” He said and heard a chorus of ‘yes Alpha’s before turning to Robin. “Shall we go to armoury? You will be surprised by what we have there.” 

Robin nodded, she has just realized that she has never seen the armoury, it was either Derek or Lucien’s daily responsibility to see that everything was being done to ‘high standards’. Why was she never assigned to it? She is the Beta it should be her responsibility to oversee the building of Armoury. Robin followed Lucien’s lead as they left the Pack House and walked towards the Armoury. 

“From now on, we will have active-duty soldiers all across the border, they will report to Derek, as he is the Gamma and traditionally Gamma’s have been responsible for defence,” Lucien spoke will still looking forward. “But, I would rather you keep a close eye on it and Derek as well. Sometimes he needs to be reminded of his place.” Robin didn’t notice how the green of his eyes decreased, she was focused on the silver in it. Maybe, Derek needs to be paid a visit.

“He is one mistake away from a punch,” Robin said and Lucien laughed. “One punch is a way of amateurs, show him your strength, Robin. Fight him like a pure-blooded Beta you are.” Robin nodded as an eager child, her hands were itching for a fight. Recently her temper has been stretched thin and at some point, someone was going to get beaten pretty bad. Robin rather it be Derek. 

They stopped in front of the big, black building. It was huge and took up the better half of the west territory of the pack. At the sight of Lucien, soldiers guarding the door stood taller, after bowing to both Lucien and Robin, they opened the doors. They progressed among the corridors, they had changing rooms, gym, showers. It all stretched across multiple floors, full of soldiers’ training, getting ready for a practise, just done with training. Why are you training so much? Robin found herself thinking but didn’t want to sound dumb and ask it. 

Lucien stopped in front of the large double doors, Robin could feel the excitement in the air, whatever it was there it made Lucien’s green eyes shine more than usual. “This… this is the future, Robs.” He said and opened the doors. 

At first, Robin didn’t even know what she was looking at. But then her eyes focused on the large table full of maps, the walls had similar maps and posters as well. There was one of Oak Tails area, one of the human cities near them, and a huge poster titled The Northern Forest Packs. “War room,” Robin whispered and Lucien clapped his hands together. “Exactly, and I made sure it is way more advanced than in any of the neighbouring packs.” He spoke proudly. Robin walked around from one end of the room towards the other, while slowly scanning the maps, begging her hand to not shake and herself to not panic.

She has lost some memories and might have erased a detail or two about her childhood from her mind. But she never forgot that her pack was never involved in wars. It never attacked, it never started an attack. If provoked, yes, they would attack and win most of the time. They were always prepared to defend themselves but as Robin looked around the room, she realized that all this wasn’t for defence. It was for the attack. Old Oak Tails didn’t even have a war room. Old Oak Tails didn’t have the biggest Armoury in the North Forests. 

Lucien’s gaze followed her as Robin reached the central part of the room. There were big screens across the wall, one corner showed the security cameras around the borders. The rest weren’t functional yet. In their dark screen’s Robin saw her reflection, Lucien was standing behind her. He was looking at her, waiting for a reaction. “You are preparing for a war,” Robin said and he nodded. “The great comeback of Oak Tails starts with earning our old reputation back.” Robin turned around to face him and raised her brow. “What happened to defend and not attack?” She recalled their old rules.

“They started it, Robin. All the packs in that list started it when the first bomb landed on our doorstep. They begged for us to join them, to fight their war. Now, we shall give them the war they asked for.” Lucien pointed towards the poster with the names of northern packs. Robin easily found River Banes in that list. 

“We already know enough about them, thanks to Professor Declan and his research. All those war heroes were so eager to show off their technology and plans of years ago that they didn’t even notice how Declan took note of the current state of their warfare and not past.” Lucien said and walked around the room, recalling all the steps it took to get here and make this room. “You should have heard them, boasting about the deaths and their tactics. None mentioned Oak Tails, none took the blame for what happened. Now, we will make them remember, make them pay.” 

Robin leaned back on the control table connected to the screens. She knew she was supposed to say something but she had so many thoughts both for and against Lucien and his idea that she didn’t even know which one, to begin with. “What happened to not getting involved? That’s war is long dead. We can’t get involved and start a fight.” Robin spoke at once and Lucien smirked. “We are not getting involved, we are simply finishing what they started. They messed with us, erased our name from their books, killed our families. It’s time we pay back the favour.” 

Lucien started walking towards her. “And I think I know who we will start with first.” He took one of the maps from the table and held it open for Robin to see, she easily recognized the River Banes layout. “With your skilful input and knowledge about it, we will get them to surrender in no time,” Lucien said and Robin found herself shaking her head. Lucien put the map down and shot her a look. “They are the enemy, they helped the ruination of Oak Tails, they attacked, killed. The only good they have done is rescuing and raising you.” 

She recognized the truth in his words, she saw herself in his words, she thought like this too, but she has come to accept it and learn to live past it. That war was a dark time, all the packs acted on anger and greed. But she accepted River Banes with all its mistakes because it also had people like Iris, Blair and Hope that were always there for her. It had people like Wren, Axel and Sierra that were working towards a better future for the pack. It had Wilder. 

“But, Alpha, a war? Just when we are getting on our feet?” Robin decided to take a different approach, Lucien was in front of her within a second. “Are you doubting my leadership?” He hissed, moving closer. Robin was pressed to the table, its side digging into her back. She looked at him and he growled. Robin looked down and shook her head. “Do not forget your place, Beta.” He said, his voice having the double edge of his wolf. 

Robin’s breath was caught on her throat, she kept staring at the ground, waiting for Lucien to step back. She heard him sigh, his fingers grazed her cheek, stopping on her chin. He turned her face towards him. Robin looked at him, he looked softer now. “It’s okay, Robin.” He started eyes landing on hers. “They aren’t important. What’s important is us. We are home, in Oak Tails, working towards its future.” She found herself nodding, letting his calm words soothe over the panic. 

He using the Alpha Tone, Robin. Focus! Her wolf spoke, Robin gulped, she tried not to show her panic. “We will do it, just like we always did,” He stood taller and kissed her temple. “Together,” Lucien spoke in his Alpha tone.