The Alpha of The Blue Moon Pack

The "We" Factor

Brawn stood in Au's Chamber with his head buried in regrets. Sparkle stood almost beside him while Au sat on a chair facing them. The atmosphere was tense and there was a deafening silence in the air.

Au's gaze was focused on Brawn and she had a straight face on. He tried to look up but met with her unwelcoming gaze so he returned his eyes to his feet. She finally broke the silence with a question.

"What did you say your name is again?" Au inquired.

"Raw, ma'am," Brawn informed her with his eyes still staring at his shoes. He was hoping that she did not accuse him of attempting to break into her room. He had gone to report himself to Nathan to seek advice. Nathan suggested that he told Sparkle which he did when she returned with Au from work. Sparkle said it was best he told Au before she discovered it herself. So there he was in front of Au looking pathetic. He could almost promise not to ever chase any lizard again till he died.

"Raw, tell me how you broke my window," Au said resting her elbows on the arms of her executive chair and placing her palms together. She did not remove her gaze from Brawn nor did she soften it. It was almost like she was waiting for him to bring up a silly reason.

Brawn wondered in his head how he was going to start the story. He contemplated within himself if he was going to tell her about the lizard. No! That would be very embarrassing! He thought that he should probably lie saying he fell and hit his hand on the glass of the window. He remembered that the foundation of the pack building was high and the windows were higher from the outside. Au would want to know the kind of ''super fall'' he fell that sent his hand flying to her window which was at his head level from outside the building.

"f**k it!" he said under his breath. He was going to tell her the truth. "I – I wanted to – I wanted to kill a lizard . . ." he started not too well with a stutter as his insides seemed to shrivel with the embarrassment of the words that were coming out of his mouth. "so I mistakenly hit the window with a stone, " He finished in a low voice filled with shame.

Au pounced on his words as a hungry lion would on its prey. "Congratulations then! So you were hunting lizards to add to your dinner, right? That was why you broke my window. Because you were hungry and could not control yourself around your favourite meal so you broke my window?" Au threw questions at him.

Brawn wondered where in his explanation he mentioned that he ate lizards. The fact that she called it his favourite meal, made him feel like throwing up. He wanted to correct her but remembered his previous attempt the previous morning so he saved his saliva.

"Answer me please!" Au barked.

"No, ma'am," Brawn said in a low voice.

"Then how can you explain this?"

Brawn did not reply to her. Then she said, "You will have to pay for a new one."

"I wish I could but I have no money, ma'am."

"Oh! You don't have money but you can break my window? Okay then, let us go and tell the Alpha that my window is broken. I am sure he has money to repair it," Au said and placed her palms on the arms of her chair to assist herself up.

Brawn did not know when he rush to her, grabbed her hand in an attempt to stop her from going to the Alpha and begged,

"Please ma'am, The Alpha would have me killed immediately. He doesn't like me because my wolf did not emerge. Please give me some time, I will run around to borrow the money." He forgot that he was not supposed to hold her by the hand. All that was in his mind was stopping her from going to the Alpha. He had his heart in his mouth.

Au freed her hand from his almost immediately he held her.

"Don't you ever touch me again!" she yelled.

Sparkle who had been quiet all the while suddenly knelt in front of Au and joined Brawn in begging.

"Please ma'am. Don't tell the Alpha. Give him some time," Sparkle begged.

Brawn was surprised at the extent Sparkle was going for him. He could see the emotions glaring in her eyes. It was clear that she was not just begging casually but from her heart. He did not know why but he was grateful it was in his favour.

Au quickly pulled Sparkle up. It was as if seeing Sparkle on her knees melted her heart.

"The Alpha will ask. You know, right? And I will have to tell him the truth," Au said to Sparkle in a low voice.

"Please ma'am," Sparkle pleaded with her and Brawn echoed.

"What do you want me to do? " Au asked Sparkle ignoring Brawn.

"You are wise and you know the best decisions to make per time. But I want to beg you not to tell the Alpha as it would mean trouble for him, ma'am," Sparkle pleaded again. Her eyes were a bit teary.

"Give me a suggestion, Sparkle," Au insisted.

"If you can fix the window without mentioning his name, we will be most grateful . . . We can repay you little by little," Sparkle said slowly.

Brawn seemed to be lost in Sparkle's words. We? Who were the "we"? He was very sure she did not join him in throwing the stone that broke the window neither was she the stone he threw. So where was the "We'' coming from? He decided to play along with her though he was puzzled. Probably she said it so that Au would reconsider since she was getting involved.

Au pulled Sparkle closer and whispered sharply, "What do you mean by "we"?! Do you plan to pay for him?"

Sparkle raised her eyes to Au and said, "Isn't it better than letting the Alpha kill him?"

Au stared at her, looked at Brawn who was looking very miserable and then cast her eyes back to Sparkle. She pulled away from Sparkle, went silent for a while like she was contemplating and went back to sit on her chair. She took another look at Sparkle and then at Brawn again.

"Sparkle, check if any other thing was broken apart from the glass," Au instructed with her gaze fixed on Brawn.

Sparkle went to the location, and observed everything behind the window that was broken. There were pieces of shattered glasses on the floor but nothing was damaged. Sparkle returned to Au and said gently, "Nothing else, ma'am."

Au took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. She then said, "Okay. I will get the glass replaced."

"Thank you, ma'am!" Brawn said automatically and Sparkle gave a sigh of relief. The next thing on Brawn's mind was who he would borrow the money to repay Au from.

"But! . . ." Au said and the other two looked at her. "You will have to work for me in my business for a month. I will not be paying you for your labour throughout the one month. . .agreed?" Au proposed.

Brawn raised his head and looked at Sparkle who gave him a slight nod suggesting he should agree with the terms. He returned his eyes to the floor and said, "Agreed ma'am." He felt a feeling of relief move down his spine. Two of his worries had been solved. He was not going to be reported to the Alpha and the window was going to be fixed without him worrying about who would lend him –a non working werewolf – the money to repay Au. He was grateful to Sparkle and the "we" factor she introduced.

"Let me see your face so I can be sure of your agreement," Au instructed Brawn with a firm voice.

Brawn raised his head but did not look up. His face had the look of a puppy being scolded for pooing on some shoe. Au seemed satisfied with the expression on his face. It was like that was exactly what she was expecting to get.

"Good!" Au said. Turning to Sparkle, Au's face softened and her voice lowered as she asked, "I think this is fine or is there anything else you would like me to add?"

"Yes ma'am. It is fine. I don't have anything else to add. Thank you ma'am for your compassion," Sparkle answered.

"You can take your leave now, Raw," Au ordered.

Sparkle wanted to follow him to try to pacify him but Au called her back, "Sparkle, remain here, I want to discuss something with you."

"Thank you, ma'am," Brawn thanked and left Au's room immediately. He felt so stupid. He was angry with himself for throwing the stone, angrier with the stone for bouncing and most angry with the ugly lizard for not running at his first chase. It had only been a few days since he was moved to the pack house and he had gotten into trouble already. He was grateful it was Au's window and not someone else's. He imagined what would have happened if it was the Alpha's window or the Luna's window or even the Alpha's pup's window with the stone injuring any of them. He would have probably been bidding everyone goodbye. He shook his head and looked back at Au's room door as he left. He was most grateful to Sparkle who played a prominent role in his escape from this great trouble.