The Alpha's Expectations

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Ace threw the dress back on the bed and scoffed at it. She grabbed her practice sword and began her trek down to the field for training. When she arrived, she was greeted by her friends Bruno and Marcella. The warriors in the pack were their own kind of brotherhood. She clung to this despite not really being a part of the warrior class. Alphas were often trained in many different ways. In a traditional pack with one Alpha, training with the warriors had two positive outcomes. It not only taught the Alphas necessary fighting skills, but it also generated a sense of loyalty and comradery between the Alpha and some of his most trusted pack members. In packs with more than one, you often saw division, and division in a pack will almost always lead to it’s destruction. The strength of the pack relies on the strength of it’s loyalty. Ace noted the division between them and the simple way the pack migrated left or right. James or Ace.

James was across the way with his own crew. Their eyes met briefly. James nodded curtly and moved back to his conversation. Anger swelled up within her. She could sense he was having a similar reaction. It was a strange dynamic. She didn't actually hate her brother at all. And she didn't really think he hated her either. They had certainly had their ups and downs with more downs than ups. And no one would have said they had ever been friendly- Yet, she understood his angst. She understood that there was this looming animosity between them because of their joint position as potential Alpha... and, of course, there was the rift between their mothers. She tried to set it aside knowing full well one day that only one of them would rule the Shadow Pack and the other would have to accept that. She swallowed hard. Too bad the days of traditional dog fights were gone and over. She suddenly imagined at least a dozen different way to rip his throat from his smirking body. She shook her head and smiled, finally returning her attention to a confused Bruno.

“Don't let him get to you." Bruno stated simply.

“I'm not." Ace smiled curtly.

“I heard the King is coming today to verify your Alphaness.” Bruno joked while pretending to bow.

“Something like that,” Ace rolled her eyes and lifted her sword

“So maybe we won’t have to deal with James too much longer” Bruno scoffed.

Ace looked away. Something in her gut told her this wasn’t a battle she was going to win. And she despised loosing. She angrily swong her sword and it clashed against Bruno’s. All around them the warrior class danced to the harmony of the clinking metal. Ace had bested Bruno 3 times and moved on to Marcella. She was a little trickier simply because she used her agility not just her strength but it wasn’t long before she had bested her as well. Vernon, the headmaster of the warrior class stepped in and rearranged groups putting Ace against some of James’ companions. They weren’t as kind on the field but she was an Alpha and eventually defeated even some of the largest warriors in the pack. James did too. Vernon almost never pit Ace against James and today was no exception. The moment their eyes locked on the field. Vernon stepped in. He was very large yet very old. His vintage betrayed him. He wore an eye patch over his left eye with deep scars down his face.

“That’s enough!” He bellowed. “Take a lap, bring back dinner. We have a distinguished guest tonight! Make it something good.”

With that the entirety of the field broke free of their human form, shedding clothes as they transformed. Brown, black, grey, and silver wolves burst into being. And among them was one platinum white wolf- Ace.

Ace darted out into the woods with the pack at her side, her wolf, Solange, swiftly taking over. The wind in her hair as she ran, the fresh smell of dew and moss in the woods, and the cool sensation of trampled ground on her paws were some of her favorite things about transformation. She breathed it in, panting heavily, with Bruno and Marcella flanking her.

Bruno was a light brown wolf with brown eyes. He was large and shaggy just as he was in real life. Marcella had a silver coat that emphasized her real life green eyes. She glanced ahead at James. His wolf form was large and intimidating. He was a deep brown and reminded her of her father. She breathed deeply and the pack began the hunt.

The hunt took less than two hours, a fact that Ace took pride in. Shadow pack worked hard together and accomplished a hunt in a fairly short amount of time. They had killed two boars and 3 deer which should be plenty for tonights feast. They came out of the woods laughing and jesting and completely naked. There was a shed at the edge of the woods with cloaks just for this occasion. Each warrior wolf had their own robe - they just had to remember to bring it back. Or in Ace’s case, get it laundered by the Omega’s who would put it back for you. And yet, her hook remained empty.

“s**t!” She silently scoffed. She had forgotten to do all of the above. And now, she would have to do the walk of shame home.

Almost as if he could read her mind, Bruno reached up and grabbed his robe.

“Here, take mine” he replied.

“I can’t do that.”

“Of course you can.” Bruno pretended to bow again angling towards James who was laughing at her misfortune with his friends. When Ace did not take the robe Bruno draped it around her shoulders. “I live at the end of the woods, remember? I’ll just shift back and sneak through the forest to get home. You would literally have to walk though the town and into Alpha John’s place to get clothes. And while I am sure everyone would really like that- James would get the biggest kick out of it and would probably twist it in someway to suggest you aren’t a good match for Alpha.

Ace sighed and slipped her arms through the robe winching it in the front. ‘“I don’t really care what people think of me.” She reminded him, “but thank you.”

Ace began her track back home in the too large robe trying not to trip and fall all along the way. As she entered into the great entrance through the wide oak doors she was suddenly accosted by the most pleasing smell. Her eyes darkened, wild and bemused by the thought of the hunt. She followed it down the hall to the study, stopping just shy of the door because she heard voices.

“And what do you know of her parentage?” She heard an unfamiliar voice bequest.

“I’m her father. Her mother…” Her father was interrupted by the bellowing voice she could not place.”

“So the Luna is her mother? They are twins then?”

“No.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand. How could you sire two children less than a year apart, as is indicated by being in the same naming class, without them being twins?”

“It’s complicated, and to be honest there is something I probably need to tell you about Chastity’s mother.”

Ace froze, he never spoke about her mother. But she was almost certain she already knew what he was going to say. Her mother, an Omega, would certianly cast doubt on her parentage, abilities as Alpha, and her own strength.

“You see, Chastity’s mother and I had been in a long term relationship prior to me finding my Luna and current wife. The way it all kind of overlapped was pretty tragic. I had already marked and mated with Giselle- that was her name- we intended to be wed and then Felisha walked into town and changed everything”

“Fixed everything.” Felisha replied tartly. “Giselle, after all was an Omega.”

“I see.” The voice was pensive.

“That’s not exactly…” her father’s voice trailed off as he tried to frame his words.

Ace could hear what she presumed was regret and sadness soaking her father’s voice and tried to get closer to the door without being seen. No one would have typically called her clumsy but just then she stumbled on the too long robe, knocking into the wall with an audible thud. Before she even had time to steady herself the source of the bellowing voice appeared before her, her father just behind him. Ace looked up at two angry blue eyes glaring back at her, they softened for just one second and then sharpened into two glass-like glowing black orbs as though he had just seen his prey and was about to pounce. She imagined her eyes looked similar. She took a deep breath sucking in the sweetest scent she’d ever smelled. Solange whimpered inside of her. Mine.