MARKED BY DECEPTION

6- NO ALPHA CAN STAND ABOVE ME

~Shadowpack~

I had expected Ryan to visit sooner or later. It was only a matter of time. I was certain he had heard of my plans, and Ofcourse came to give his unsolicited advice.

“Brother!”, we exchange hugs. I offer him a seat opposite mine and serve him the champagne I had been keeping for more important meetings.

I see the look in his eyes, they bore into my soul.“ Alright, that’s it. Go straight to why you came ?”,there was no need for this awkward silence between us.

He takes a sip of his champagne before speaking.

“Is it wise Brandon?” He asks “taking over Full Blood Moon pack now?”

I knew it.

“This is when they are the most distracted”, I reply swiftly.

If Crescent Moon pack, a low rank pack could try and almost succeed, why couldn’t I ?

“Darius is smarter than you think”, he says.

The mention of his name hit me sharp like a thorn pricking the flesh.

Darius. Darius. Darius.

Golden boy Darius.

All of a sudden he was so intelligent and wise.

Has everyone forgotten so soon that he was the very dude that never wanted to be alpha?

The boy that barely knew what it took to lead a club talk more of a pack?!

I was sick of his praises.

They didn’t know him like I did.

“ And maybe-” , I say calmly, offering him a crooked smile “you underestimate my intelligence”.

“It’s never that. I’m just looking out for you, I-”

“Don’t- ” I cut in sharply. “Do not stress brother.”

I was tired of it.

The pretense disguised as care.

If he was really looking out he would have offered his wisdom, strategy, something that could help us take over instead of filling my ears with sermons.

I steer the conversation into a different direction. The next developmental goals that needed to be achieved this year,a need for a Luna and what not.

Somehow, he finds a way to circle back to our first conversation.

Typical Ryan.

I knew he wouldn’t let it go so easily.

“What if they don’t succeed?”, he asked, emptying another bottle of champagne into his glass.

I let out a short throaty laughter. He should know me better by now.

The answer was very simple,“Then they die”. Why lose sleep over nobodies?

I see the colour that drains off his face at my reply. Perhaps not the answer he was expecting.

I take a sip from my glass, conversations with him always make me thirsty . Maybe it was the judgemental attitude? The uncomfortable silence or blank stares.

I cough,“There’s a reason I always use omegas, brother”

“I see”, he only says but I knew that he was thinking a thousand things. He wouldn’t speak unless he was pushed.

Ryan had always been the more morally conscious one amongst us and that was the exact reason why I sat on the throne and not him.

By right, being the older cousin he should have been the alpha, but his heart and mind were not strong enough. He didn’t have what it took.

“Their lives matter, whether omegas or not”, he says after a long pause.

Here comes our favorite preacher.

Irritation runs down my spine, I let out a loud exhale, dropping the wine glass on the wooden center table that separates us. It makes a loud noise.

I was sick and tired of his ‘do no evil’ attitude.

“There’s a reason they rank the lowest.”, if only grandfather knew he would grow up to be this pathetic.

I know he is rolling in his grave right now.

I sit back on my chair, eyes locked on his

“All lives matter. Some just happen to matter more than others”.

It was that simple.

I could see the grip on his glass tighten.

Was that anger? Did he care so much about bloody omegas?

I almost let out a cackle, this sight was comical.

“Not just their lives will be lost. This could lead to war! This pack could be wiped out”, I see beads of perspiration form on his forehead.

Why was he so scared of a small pack ruled by a newbie?

“I think you’ve had too much to drink, Ryan.”

This was unbelievable. Did he know how many packs I’d conquered in the last ten years?

He lets out a dry, short laughter. “ Very funny, Brandon.” He stands up , “Be wise, be content. I am sure you don’t want to lose all you’ve worked hard for”.

I stand up with him, he walks closer to me, a smile plastered on his face.

He pats my shoulder, too hard for a goodbye

“Don’t do something stupid because you’re power drunk!” I follow his eyes as he looks at all my awards laid on a table by the corner.

His gaze returns to me “The future of this pack lies in your hands”, he says calmly, then he storms off before I could say another word.

I sit back on my chair, tapping my foot restlessly. He always had a way of stirring up anger that I didn’t know I had in me.

That fckard.

It was only a matter of time. In thirty-nine days, I’d prove him wrong.

No alpha can stand above me.