The Rejected Alpha

Chapter 6

The assault from Beta Charles and his wife continued for the next two years, and it was always the same, leaving William bleeding when he went home.

Today The Falls are playing rugby against Mt Drakensburg, and William wondered if he would see any of his old friends there. Unfortunately they all left the school and the day went quite well, considering they were a smaller school, they still managed a draw in their team. After the game William walked to the changing rooms to have a shower.

“William Von Tromp”, he heard a familiar voice call his name. William turned around and was greeted by a smiling Principal Roth.” How are you young man,” he asked. “I am good thanks”, William lied to him, not wanting to give away anything of the torment he was going through.

“Good game you had there today”, Principal Roth said. “Any chance of you making it into the young provincial team?”

“I don’t think so,” William said looking at the ground. “There are a lot of good talented young boys in our age group.”

“Well, I am sure you will make it, and good luck. Send my regards to your Father” Principal Roth said as he walked away.

“Tell him,” William heard a voice in his head, “tell him how you are treated!” William looked around to see who was talking to him but couldn’t see anyone close. “Crazy am I,” he thought as he walked away.

In South Africa, whenever a boy finishes School, he is conscripted into the military to do a 2 year mandatory military service.

Today, William is turning 18, and in 2 months he will leave home to start his military training. “The only place where he can be truly away from his father and this pack, with all the humiliation that he endured over the years”, William thought.

No-one however has prepared him for what is about to happen. He has heard a lot of people say that your first shift is painful, “but what can be worse than Beta Charles and his wife? What can be worse than being thrown relentlessly with tools, bricks, anything my parents could get their hands on to humiliate me? This is going to be a walk in the park for me” William thought as he walked to the waterfall just outside of town.

As the moon started to rise, William neatly packed his clothes on a rock as he felt his shift starting. “This isn’t so bad” he thought as he saw his hands deform, but then his back felt like it was being torn in half, his ribs burnt and ached all at the same time. He felt nauseous from the pain. This continued for what felt like an eternity, but William realised it was only 5 minutes.

As William lay on the floor, he heard footsteps coming closer to him. “Well, I see the Mutt has shifted” he heard his father say. “Just remember mutt, this does not change anything, and you will do as I please, as I tell you”. William felt a huge pain in his stomach as his father kicked him with full force, his body still aching from his first shift.

“I must have passed out,” William thought when he woke up. He has now shifted back into human form, and the sun was already rising. “I need to get home and get ready for school before any trouble comes my way,” he thought as he got dressed and hurriedly ran home.

“I love this”, was all William could hear in his head, and it was then that he realised it was his wolf talking to him. William got dressed and went to school, and he was surprised to find everything suddenly different at school. The wolves didn’t look at him anymore, just had their eyes to the ground as he walked past them. It was as if the world has done a 180 on him, “I wonder how long this is going to last,” he thought to himself. “Don’t you worry”, he heard his wolf speak again, “things will be different from now.”

“William Von Tromp, come to my office” said Principal Grahams on the intercom.

As William entered the office, he could see that the Principal suddenly looked unsettled, might even be nervous William thought to himself.

“Don’t think because you have had your first shift, things will change”, Principal Grahams said.

“I am sure there is some fear that I just heard”, thought William to himself.

“Yes, Principal Grahams”, William said.

“Well then, you are dismissed” said Principal Grahams.

As William returned to his class, he couldn’t stop thinking about Principal Grahams’ behaviour. The unsettled look, the fear, or was it nervousness in his voice, the strain of looking up at William?

The rest of the day and week seemed to go much better, and William felt thankful for that, because he was still healing from his first shift.

 “Beta Charles is waiting for you” William’s father snarled at him. “You think because you shifted you can be left alone? You are still a mutt and will stay one! Just because you refused to relinquish the Alpha title before your first shift does not mean we cannot make you relinquish it.”

As William walked over to Beta Charles’ house, he heard his wolf again. “This is going to be fun” he said, and William could only wonder why he said that.

“Please come in” Margaret said, as William finished his walk down the driveway, Beta Charles will be here shortly. As William sat down, he noticed that Margaret looked at him in a different light, she looked defeated, not her usual confident self when torturing him. As soon as Beta Charles walked in, he stopped in the doorway, “Margaret” he called, “bring the usual tools for William’s training.”

As Margaret walked into the room with the towels, water and other equipment they used on William, William got up and he could see the two of them tense up. Margaret had her eyes cast down, and he could see Beta Charles struggling to look at him.

“Tell them”, he heard his wolf, “tell them that if they ever lay a finger on you again that it will be their last time”. William suddenly felt nauseous again, and Margaret offered him some water.