Beyond Fate

Alpha meeting

I stood outside Alpha Mitchell’s office working myself up to knock on the door. I had to get a hold of myself, the images of what I’d seen on my laptop running through my head making me feel crazy. I had to keep reminding myself that everything was ok. Mina was safe and Alpha Mitchell’s female was dead. Save me ending up in the cells for doing it myself.

I wanted to go in there guns blazing and let him have it until Jasmine had calmed me down with one of her techniques. I wasn't sure what she had done but she’d put hands on my back and I’d instantly relaxed. Jas had said she hadn’t traveled thousands of miles just to see me be executed for attacking the alpha. This of course was after the grilling about Lucas, honestly I hadn’t known where to start with all that I was still trying to wrap my head around it myself, I couldn’t deny there was an obvious attraction there but Johnny had practically begged me not to get involved plus I was leaving the pack, what was really going to happen between the two of us when we didn’t even belong to the same continents let alone packs.

I groaned internally at how my life just seemed to be getting more complex as life went along lately. I looked down at my wrist checking my watch. It was almost five past I’d been standing here for ten minutes already. Ok let’s get a grip and deal with one problem at a time, the first was finding out why Alpha Mitchell wanted to see me and to ask for my family's pack transfer papers. I took a deep breath and knocked gently.

“ Come in” I heard a male voice shout from the office door.

You’ll be fine just get what you’ve come for and get out. Don’t argue, Don’t raise your voice, Don’t make him angry.

My wolf and I were talking again, she had apologised for the Nathan incident and had finally gotten on board with me wanting to leave. She didn’t want to leave our mate but she also believes we deserved to be treated far better than Nathan was prepared to offer. So for now we were on the same team.

Opening the office door I stepped into the room. I'd been in here a thousand times over the years but the place suddenly looked like a completely new office. The usual endless stacks of books and paperwork that dotted the room were now gone and I was actually surprised at the size of the place. Everything had been stripped including the tatty old carpet that probably dated back to the time when this place was first built. The alpha was stood leaning against the brand new mahogany desk that was twice as big as the last one but it needed to be with the brand new state of the art computer that sat atop of it. If I hadn’t known better I’d say alpha Mitchell had been a gamer judging buy the three flat screens that sat atop the desk to the left hand side with a very slick looking keyboard to match, it was an impressive bit of tech and I knew next to nothing about computers I’d had to get johnny to teach me how to use my laptop when I’d first had it.

I looked to the old bookcase behind the desk seeing several other men I didn’t recognise drilling and screwing. The alpha was watching them as they worked and it was only then I realised that part of the old bookcase was gone in its place sat even more screens one of the men began talking to alpha Mitchell explaining the system that sounded far to technical for me when he started talking about software and something called ‘ the cloud’ so I went back to the screens seeing they were projecting images of the pack house and grounds even the border patrols. It was amazing it seemed he had every vantage point of the pack grounds covered.

The man pointed to some buttons on the desk and the bookcase started reappearing, sliding down from a hidden compartment, hiding the screens behind it. He hit the same button a second later and the screens reappeared.

“ impressive isn’t it?” Someone said, catching my attention, I looked to see alpha Mitchell and the other man were watching me with amusement, I must look like a right moron staring with my mouth agape like I was looking at an alien. Closing my open mouth I looked down shuffling under their gaze. When I looked back up the alpha and man had turned back to the screens.

“ should I come back at a more convenient time Alpha?” I asked, feeling as though I was interrupting.

“ no, no, no, here I need you to read through these and sign” He absently dropped a file on his desk and turned back to the screens.

I stared at the file confused, I had been under the impression the alpha hadn’t seen the request form after Nathan had intercepted it, huh maybe he saw it before Nathan did. This could all go more smoothly than I originally thought. Alpha Mitchell had already gotten the paperwork ready for us to leave. Dad could contact the other alphas today and all being well we could be out of here within a couple of weeks.

I smiled picking up the file, however my face soon fell when I saw it was in fact not what transfer papers but a new work contract for me, there were a few papers in the file in fact I flicked through quickly seeing bits and pieces, some of the words jumping out at me….settlement for loss of earnings…… injuries sustained within the work place, was that what they called being almost beaten to death by my own pack members now a f*****g work place injury and he actally thought he could buy me off with what had happened.

Further inside was a contract for becoming Mina’s full time career again however it seemed it was with conditions…..I drew a shaky breath seeing another piece of paper behind the contract….pending a physiological evaluation from the pack counselor.

Was he for real he’d all but given the entire pack permission to beat me to a pulp and he was insisting I get checked to see that I was psychologically stable to do a job I’d done for the past three years while he’d conventintly forgot he had a pup so he could deal with his own f*****g issues.

Don’t go crazy, think. Just tell him thank you but you want to leave the pack.

Can you believe this s**t?

I say to her feeling outraged, was the fact I’d been perfectly capable of taking care of his daughter before he had me banned from her not enough for him. Who the f**k did he think he was.

Her father. The Alpha. Think Alisha, we still need him to sign off on the transfer.

She was right as angry and insulted as I was she was right if I didn’t keep my cool alpha Mitchell wouldn’t sign off on the transfer then the only way to leave would be to go rogue and hope that one of the other alphas would take pity on us and allow us to join but it would be a black mark against our names from the get go, so much for starting a fresh. I couldn’t do that to mom and dad. They had suffered enough because of me and my shitty luck in life. My parents were Beta warriors and I’d never let them stoop so low to have to become rouges.

Taking a deep breath once again to calm my everlasting shaky nerves……seriously where was Jasmine when you needed her.

I dropped the file back onto the desk hoping to draw alpha Mitchell’s attention but he was still checking out his new toy, men and their gadgets.

I coughed hoping to draw their attention but still nothing. I took the moment to take in his appearance and compare to how different he looked from the hobo looking drunk I’d seen in Mina’s nursery that day, my eyes gazing from his dark hair that had now been cut short to the strong clean shaven jaw that had been hidden by his shaggy looking beard.

He was wearing a suit no longer hiding in the baggy clothes he had worn the first time I met him. My eyes moved down noting his white dress shirt had been rolled up revealing some of his tattoos on his arms, his jacket to the suit lay over the back of his leather chair but he looked ever the powerful alpha he should, I looked to his torso wondering if his wound had now healed imediantly feeling stupid, of course it had he’s a werewolf, remembering the rippling chest of muscle combined with very nice set of abs and the infinity worrior tattoo that adorned that now hidden part of his body, that’s how he and Lucas must have met he’d said he spent a brief time at the council as an elite worrior but there were too many rules he said. made sense now, he was an alpha, alphas were built to lead not to follow.

Taking in the young handsome man in front of me it was hard to believe the broken drunk male from the nursery and the powerful alpha before me were one and the same. Thinking about it now I wondered if the man from the nursery was still hiding in there somewhere. I shook my head halting my thoughts, I was here for one thing and that wasn’t in that file.

“ Alpha, I think there’s been some misunderstanding” I said, raising my voice slightly, that seemed to draw their attention back to me. Alpha Mitchell and the male turned both frowning almost in irritation that I had interrupted them. Seriously, even if I had come here to get my position with Mina back, he really thought I’d sign on the dotted line to all his absurd demands and conditions without a discussion.

“ I’m here to discuss mine and my parents' request to transfer to another pack” I tried to sound as detached as possible when I spoke. I was a bit irritated at his and the other males' dismissive behaviour towards me. Seriously. If you request a meeting don’t arrange to have installation guys here at the same time. Rude.

Alpha Mitchell raised his eyebrows as if he’d been expecting something completely different to be said. So he had expected me to just sign away to his demands, probably thinking I’d agree to anything if it meant getting Mina back. Truth was if I hadn’t believed I wasn’t in for another beating from pack members, I probably would have agreed to anything if it meant having Mina back but whatever my new role would have been it wouldn’t be what I had before alpha Mitchell clearly wasn’t as laid back as alpha Felix was and quite frankly after what I saw on my laptop alpha Mitchell and I would have more clashes than agreements from what we both found to be appropriate behaviour around a pup.

“ all of you out now” alpha Mitchell stated standing straight and leaving no room for any argument, he shoved his hands in his pockets giving me his full attention now. The other males immediately stopped what they were doing, all eyeing me before silently leaving the room, some even gave me a cheeky wink as If to insinuate something which I just scowled back at them. Once they were gone, alpha Mitchell gestured for me to take a seat in front of the desk before doing the same. I waited for him to sit before I began to speak.

“ alpha I’m no longer safe in this pack, I wish to move to one I do feel safe in, after discussing it with my family, my parents decided to join me wherever I go however with my brothers position and chosen mate still being in the silver moon pack he has decided to stay. My father has spoken to several neighbouring packs already so we believe we can have the process settled quickly” I said my voice detached wanting to get this process moving. The alpha didn’t say anything for a long time, he just frowned at his new desk, deep in thought for a moment. Finally he looked up at me, his expression giving nothing away.

“ I see, well then as alpha of the silver moon pack I deny your request” he said simply leaning back in his chair, his aura of power coming off him in waves.

“ Excuse me?” It was now my turn to frown, he was denying my request. You think he’d be happy to see the back of me with how much he’d despised me a few weeks ago, the look of pure hate flashing through my mind from that day in Mina’s nursery. It seemed like such a long time ago now.

Stay calm, remember we need him on side to get out of here.

“ These contracts are to keep you safe” alpha Mitchell said picking up the paperwork on his desk waving them at me.

Think happy thoughts Alisha, don’t bite.

“ safe?” I scoffed at him. He must be joking, he had to be high again.

Don’t do it.

“ that’s right, safe” he repeated as if I was stupid.

“ really, because I call it a pay off to keep my mouth shut so the council don’t find out your negligence almost cost a pack member her life and you think that I’m so desperate to get Mina back I’d allow you to insult me by making out I’m psychologically Incapable of doing a job I’ve done perfectly well up until you forbid me from doing it” I was unhinged the words coming out if my mouth without any filter. I knew I was being foolish. He was the alpha and I was talking to him with complete and utter disrespect.

Well s**t now you’ve done it. We’re never getting out of here. Hope you enjoy a rogue life.

“ You can’t just leave Alisha, it would devastate Mina. How can you do that to her?” my eyes went wide at his statement, was he kidding me right now. How dare he.

“ All due respect alpha but you didn’t seem too concerned about Mina’s feelings when you banished me from the pack house” or after for that matter, I’d seen how Mina had cried for me every night after, he didn’t even try to ease her suffering.

“ That was different,” he whispered, actually having the decency to look ashamed for hurting his pup like that. He hadn’t thought twice about hurting her before though, his revenge on me had been too tempting for him to stop and think that it would hurt Mina too.

“ why? Because you assumed I’d somehow been involved in Rose’s death, did you really think that the alpha and Luna would have allowed me to care for Mina if they thought that for even a moment” I leaned forward slightly in the chair feeling my pulse racing at the rage I felt for this man.

Great so you told him straight and kissed goodbye to any chance we have of ever leaving this place. Feel better now?

Oh shut it, he said no already anyway.

Yes but if you stop now we might avoid a f*****g lashing.

I watched as the alpha appeared to take in a few deep breaths before sighing loudly, pointing to the file on his desk.

“ Alisha the evaluation is not for you to be deemed fit to care for Mina, it's there for you” I looked at him in complete confusion, I had no idea what he was talking about.

“the attack on you and the past abuse must have had an effect on you. I thought it might be beneficial for you to speak to someone about the traumas you’ve suffered over the years” the alpha stated calmly.

“ look I didn’t like the idea myself when I first went but after speaking with someone I found that it helped a lot with my grief, you’d be surprised how getting things off your chest and saying them out loud can help” he said not meeting my eye he shifted in his chair looking a little uncomfortable. Alpha Mitchell had spoken to someone about his grief with Rose.

I felt like an i***t, he had been offering me help with my difficulties. I wasn’t going to lie to myself and say I didn’t have them, any fool could see I did. After all, I didn't even feel safe in my home pack anymore, my own mate was trying to turn me into his s*x slave every time I turned around and I’d been accused of killing my best friend who I’d never really been alowed to grieve for. You’d have to be stupid if you didn’t have issues from that.

“ Clearly that was a misjudgment on my part, I apologise, you’ve had a traumatic few years thanks to gossip and lies from members of this pack none worse than in the past few weeks, I merely thought you might benefit from speaking with someone but if it’s not something your interested in that’s fine, as for the ‘payout’' he held his hands up doing air quotes. “ as you put it, it’s a standard payment, it’s just worded that way so the money came out of Gregor Magarvey’s pockets seeing as it was he who allowed such a awful act to happen on his property” he said, his eyes momentarily turning amber, but his anger surprisingly wasn’t aimed towards me.

Ok another boob on my part he hadn’t been dismissive he was just making sure the money came out of the guilty parties pockets to make them suffer. He wasn’t just punishing the attackers he was making sure everyone involved got their just desserts.

“ I’m sorry alpha, it’s very difficult for me to trust anyone is doing something for my benefit” I said squirming under his gaze feeling sheepish that I’d misunderstood his intentions.

“That’s understandable but I promise this contract is to help you to move forward safely, and aid me with Mina” I looked back up at him now remembering the footage on the laptop.

“ Trust me alpha you don’t want me to aid you with Mina” I said simply. It was the truth we would never be able to agree on Mina’s care, it had been hard enough with Alpha Felix and Luna Jamie and they had been stand off guardians aside from the obsessive safety precautions.

“ and why is that?” Alpha Mitchell folded his arms leaning back in his chair again.

“ let’s just say we have very different ideas of what’s appropriate behaviour involving her” I said trying very hard to hide my disdain at the type of behaviour I’d seen him display. I wasn’t sure why the footage of him and the omega angered me more, maybe it was loyalty to Rose, shouldn’t he be so distraught over her death that he wouldn’t want to be near another female.

Says the female who was dry humping a male that wasn’t her mate earlier.

Shut up, I thought we were on the same side now.

Not if you're going to sleep with males that aren’t our mate.

To be fair she had a point I was attracted to Lucas, having a mate hadn’t stopped that. I know mine and Nathan’s bond was in tatters now but it was still there.

“ Really and what kind of behaviour do you not approve of when it comes to how I am around my pup?” He asked, frowning at me. I could see he was angry but I couldn’t stop the image of him and the omega together running through my head making my anger boil over.

Don’t do it, please don’t do it.

“ screwing omegas in her nursery while she’s in the next room crying herself to sleep for one” he may think that kind of behaviour was harmless but it wasn’t, it was flat out disgusting this house had endless amount of rooms yet he couldn’t even walk ten feet to a more appropriate place to do that. I would never tolerate it as Mina’s guardian but Mitchell was alpha. I would have no say in it if he decided to. I couldn’t do it again. I had lived that life the last three years and although it would break my heart to leave Mina I would never lose touch with her. I had already learnt that I was too easily cast aside and what happens when she outgrows me she wouldn’t be a pup forever. It was best for us both if I separated now that way at least Mina would be spared in the long run eventually she wouldn’t even remember our time together but I would always cherish it. Loving Mina had saved me.

I stared at the floor unable to meet alpha Mitchell’s gaze had I really just called him out on his free s*x life.

You insulted him you i***t how will we ever leave now. He’s gonna have you put in the cells.

I felt tears rolling down my cheeks. Damn it. I felt like a stupid little girl letting my emotions get the better of me infront of the alpha.

I heard the approach of loud footsteps behind me coming towards the alphas office moments before the door opened. At that same moment I saw that alpha Mitchell had heard it too because he pushed something on the desk and the screens behind him disappeared. Obviously I’d been privileged to get a glimpse of his new security system, he clearly hadn’t planned on it being pack knowledge.

“ Alpha, I need to talk to you about…” Nathan stopped obviously at seeing me sitting in the chair. I kept my head down. I didn't need to lift my head to know it was Nathan. My wolf always knew when he was near it was like a homing beacon. I heard a distinctive growl come from behind the desk. On instinct I stood up immediately keeping my head down.

“ I won’t take up anymore of your time Alpha, I think you’ll agree the smoother a transition we can make it the better it will be for everyone when me and my family leave” I wasn’t sure if it made any sense I’d said it all so fast, I wanted to make myself perfectly clear to everyone that I wasn’t staying here.

I fumbled trying to move from the room tripping on the chair leg as I went but I caught myself in time, from the angle my head was. I saw Nathan's arms go out to catch me but I moved quickly so I was out of his reach running past him and out of the office.

As soon as I was out I took a deep breath wiping away the tears that had fallen, cursing myself for not staying strong.

You i***t now Nathan will be in there convincing him not to let us leave.

My wolf scalded and I cringed internally. She was right. I panicked and ran. I should have stayed to watch Alpha Mitchell fill out the paperwork. I shouldn’t have started anything, it wasn't my place anymore, it wasn’t my place anyway he was alpha, the alpha is law. Now he would likely deny my request or drag the paperwork out for a year or more. Hell after the way I talked to him I’d likely end up spending the rest of my days in the cells chained with silver.

My wolf was right. I was an i***t. What was it with that man that made me always fly off the deep end. I couldn’t help it every time he spoke. I couldn't help just letting my natural reaction out, Probably because of Mina. I wanted the alpha to succeed with raising her, for Mina’s sake she’d dreamed of this day for so long and Rose had always spoken so highly of him, I’d heard so many stories from her that made him sound like the most wonderful man in the world, but I guess the mate bond does that to you. Frustrated and angry at myself I clenched my fist taking out my anger on the wall in front of me punching it hearing the wood crack.

“OI!!” I jumped hearing someone behind me, instantly relaxing when I saw it was Johnny.

“ I take this as a sign it didn’t go well with Mitchell?” He sighed leaning against the wall inspecting the slight crack that I’d made.

“ he gave me a contract to be Mina’s career again.'' I signed, Johnny ran his finger along the crack in the wall, no one would know, it matched the rest of the cracks in this part of the house. When it registered what I’d said Johnny's head whipped back to me and his eyes lit up.

“ What but that’s great you can come back to taking care of Mina and you guys won’t have to leave” I felt awful at seeing the hope in my brother's eyes at the thought that we wouldn’t all move packs, it had been hitting him hard, the thought of us all leaving. I hung my head not wanting to tell him I needed to move now more than ever.

“ Oh goddess Alisha, what did you do?” He groaned knowing my expression all too well.

“ there were other documents in the file he gave me and I misunderstood their content” I all but whispered not meeting his gaze.

“ You shouted at him?” Johnny looked at me with such anger in his eyes I actually took a step back.

“ no I didn’t shout…exactly” I whined cringing, I hadn’t shouted maybe raised my voice slightly. I had definitely insulted him though.

Without warning Johnny grabbed my wrist and started dragging me back towards the alphas office when I realised what he was doing I pulled back trying to get my hand free but he was much stronger than Nathan.

“ what are you doing?” I shouted letting Johnny drag me as I tried to wretch my arm free but his hand was like a vice I had more chance of breaking my arm than breaking free.

“ if you apologise now and claim insanity then we might be able to salvage this” he said without looking back, not even breaking a stride.

“ what ? I can’t go back in there Johnny you don’t know what he did” I kept thinking back to that awful scene of him with the omega in Mina’s room. Johnny stopped suddenly without warning and I almost went flying at the sudden freedom. Johnny caught me before setting me back on my feet roughly.

“ Alisha this isn’t just about you, you think I liked having to apologise for giving him a beating, no, he deserved it, you almost got killed because of what he did but I had to, he’s my alpha no matter how much I may hate him right now, if everything was fair in this world we’d both be betas, you wouldn’t have been blamed for Rose’s death and I wouldn’t be about to marry some chick I knocked up and looking to face a life without my fated mate” he looked furious at me making me flinch but I also saw such sadness in his eyes. Yes I’d suffered but I wasn’t the only one and I was being selfish and insulting the alpha hadn’t helped anyone, it hadn’t even made me feel better. Johnny sighed heavily looking back up at me, his face softening.

“ life isn’t fair Alisha but Mitchell has changed things here, as much as I hate to admit it he hasn’t broken any of the promises he made, he said he would take care of the guilty parties responsible and he did, he said he would make you safe again and he is, he made sure everyone knew you weren't to blame for what happened and now everyone knows the truth” I looked down at the floor, ok maybe people's opinions aren't going to change over night but Johnny was right alpha Mitchell had done more to change my fortune for the better in the last few weeks than alpha Felix had in years. Of course if he hadn’t been such a gullible moron to begin with he wouldn’t have needed to right his wrongs. His jekyll and hide personality seemed untrustworthy it was hard to tell which male you’d get when you saw him.

Johnny continued to stare down at me and I squirmed under his glare, he’d have been a great Beta. Suddenly the sound of approaching footsteps filled the silent hallway, we both turned looking in the direction of the alphas office. I took a deep breath in, panicking that it was Alpha Mitchell coming to drag me to the cells for the way I'd spoken to him or possibly Nathan more than happy to do it for him.