Gasoline
1209 Words
E͟t͟h͟a͟n͟
"Alpha."
I turn my head towards the voice calling to me before holding up a hand towards my sparring partner. I squint against the sunlight and see Samuel, my beta, walking towards me across the training field.
I clap, drawing the attention of the trainees.
"10 minutes."
Samuel weaves through the crowd of departing wolves, his steps quick and sure. It's not until he's closer to me that I see how serious his face is. The hair on my neck stands up. He's not the most serious wolf, normally taking things in stride and not bothered by much.
I wipe the sweat off of my brow. I bring a bottle of water to my lips and chug the entire thing before effortlessly crushing it in my hand. He steps up to me and speaks in a low voice, which puzzles me as we are in an open field. It must be serious.
"Alpha, there's been an attack by the Brookshire pack."
This is bad. Very bad. The Brookshire pack has been labeled as troublemakers by the 5 largest packs in the area. They're not the smallest pack but they're the dumbest I've ever seen.
I start walking back towards the packhouse, training be damned. I send a mindlink to all my warriors. {Training is cancelled for the remainder of the day but be vigilant and double up the patrols. Gamma Chris will run point.}
I hear cheers and laughter from the trainees as I break into a jog. Samuel keeps right up beside me. He can tell I'm agitated.
"Damage report."
"They hit outside a school shortly after the children were released to their parents," Samuel explains. I stop in my tracks.
"They attacked a school. Trying to harm our pups," my wolf snaps his jaw shut, itching to hunt down those responsible.
Seeing the look on my face, Samuel hurries to add, "There were no young children hurt. Just some of the older ones who decided to fight back." He glances at me. "No deaths."
I let out a sigh of relief and continue jogging, slowing down once we reach the packhouse. I can tell he's holding something back. We walk to my office in silence until we lock the door behind us. I sit on the edge of my desk, not wanting to hear what else Samuel has to say.
"Spit it out!" I snap impatiently.
He measures his words before speaking. "The patrols made extra rounds and captured some of the attackers."
"Where are they now?" I feel my canines begin to extend, but I fight it. I must stay cool headed, I remind myself.
"Locked up."
I cross my arms across my chest and stare at the wall, letting the delicious thought of decapitating the attackers run through my head. I stare at the nearly decorated bookcase, losing myself in fantasizing about different punishments I can mete out.
I hear garbled sounds and suddenly realize it's Samuel talking. He hurriedly lays out every detail of the attack. I guess the plan was to kidnap some of the children and then demand ransom.
"Off with their heads," I feel my wolf in the forefront of my mind. I can tell Jaxon is grinning wickedly.
"Jaxon, as much as I'm fantasizing about beheading them, I need to know that their motive is."
I feel him grumble. "Fine," he huffs. "Party pooper." We're 28 and he throws fits like a 5 year old. He's the equivalent of a frat boy who wants to party all day and get absolutely hammered while I'm the more serious one who wants to get s**t done.
I call in my Gamma and Delta as well as my most seasoned warriors. We sit around the conference table, stone faced, as I break down the plan to them.
Double patrols, extra guards, and keeping the most vulnerable close to home. No trips outside pack lands unless absolutely necessary. We will contact the other four large packs in the area and formulate a plan to take care of Brookshire.
They went too far this time.
You can't take too many precautions with Brookshire. I consider them to be barely above rogues, what with the stories I've heard about their Alpha. There is no order. It's all pomp and circumstance. A big show and it's to the detriment of the entire pack.
We've seen several pack members who abandoned them and came to us, begging to be let in; willing to swear allegiance without hesitation. The things they told us had shocked me to the core. The wealthiest families are the most powerful and what they say goes, even to the point of abuse, torture, and r**e.
No one else is allowed a say and if they stand up against the bourgeois enough, they're cast out and hunted down by fellow pack members who are thirsty for blood. This includes women and children. Pregnant women and new mothers with newborns have been chased out and hunted because they fell out of favor.
Women are held hostage in their own homes, unable to leave. It's the thing nightmares are made of. I shudder, unable to imagine being trapped like that. I am overwhelmed with the sudden desire to find my mother and sister and hold them, just to make sure they're safe. Just to remind myself that they're not in the same situation.
People call me a heartless bastard and I suppose I am. But women and children I have a soft spot for. I can't imagine not protecting the ones in my pack, especially the pups.
Pups
I have long since given up on having my own. 28 years old and no mate. I'm sure as hell not taking a chosen mate. There are too many women throwing themselves at me. I will occasionally bed one but choosing one of these easy women to be my Luna? They'd be likely to sleep with anyone for power.
"Alpha?" the voice of Chris, my Gamma, interrupts my thoughts.
I nod at him, "What was the question?"
"What is our plan of action? Will we only be defending or will there be an offensive push to punish them?" He looks at me expectantly.
I think for a moment. Then a wicked thought crosses my mind.
My fangs lengthen and I smile. I stand and slam my hands on the table, shaking it and startling everyone. I lean forward. "We're going to wait until the celebration of the 5 moons and pull away the innocents before we hunt down the guilty as rogues."
I motion to the pictures of the Brookshire pack lands that are laying on the table.
"We will burn them to the ground." I find a picture of the pack leader, the "Alpha." I extend a claw and slowly scratch an X on his face before stabbing it through.
"And THIS one will suffer the most," I smile in
satisfaction at the thought. "I will personally set his ass on fire with gasoline."
I feel Jaxon in my head, deliriously happy. He howls in agreement.
"Then we will destroy every remembrance of them off the face of the earth."
And I will enjoy every moment of it.
- Writer
