“Hail is actually stronger than you, your mate and your son. I will punish you if I hear that word even uttered under your or their breath, on the grapevine even.”
Anders was just staring at him now, more than shocked by the full threat to him, his mate and his son. Didn’t say anything at all, just stared at him, actually understood he really did mean it. They had no idea how angry he really was for what they’d done and the fall-out that had now been caused.
“No one is to go near her until the full moon sets, and I will not be standing in front of her when the time comes either, you all will, and I will let her scent me, if we are Mates, and come to me of her own accord. Deal with the ramifications if that happens. If not, I’ll go back to Alpha College, and you’ll all still leave her alone.”
He turned and headed upstairs to his suite. Looked at the Beta Suite door across from his room, and knew that Hayden would be in there. Didn’t like it at all. Maybe it was time to rid the Vales from the Beta bloodline, seeing as none of the current Alpha Unit thought the actual heir to the Beta bloodline was acceptable at all.
He did not want Hayden as his Beta, and he wondered, though only for a moment, how Anders would feel about him kicking his son from the ascension of the pack Beta. Walked into his suite, realising he didn’t actually care what Anders thought. That smug bastard currently in the Beta suite didn’t deserve to be there.
Hayden had shown that he didn’t deserve it, he thought he was entitled to it because he was Beta-blooded. Because both his mother and father wanted him to be the Beta, had raised him to believe it was his right to be the packs future Beta. That Ori was a girl, so would be stepped down, and he’d get the position, or Ori would mate off out of the pack, and he’d get it that way.
Hayden actually believed he was entitled to be the pack Beta, but that boy had done nothing to actually deserve it at all. Not been pushed hard like she had, not made to jump through all the hoops Ori had been made to. No, he was simply entitled to it in their eyes because he was the firstborn son in the Beta line.
Slade stepped into his shower and stood under the running water, if Ori was his Mate and he could get her to accept him after this shit show. He also knew he would not be keeping Hayden as his Beta. No, he could find a new one, a Beta-blooded wolf from another pack, a second or third heir from an allied pack. There were actually a few of them that he knew, that he could approach. He would even let Ori put that man through the Beta paces and help to make the decision.
Involve her in the creation of a new Beta bloodline for their pack, show her that he did actually care and value her opinion, respected her choice and believed in her judgment and leadership skills. If she opted for a female Beta, he would accept one, if she demanded a female Beta to prove to their fathers and this pack that it was not something to be dismissed, he would let her do so, help her pick one, and would not do what the council said; not to bring in one that wasn’t already mated yet.
To prove a bloody point to them all, that any mate they had, could bloody well move here to be with her, look after the pups once they had them, and stay here inside this pack while pregnant, run the pack with Ori herself, while he was off pack territory defending other allied packs.
Have her and his Beta build a good strong bond and show everyone here they were wrong. He would tell that Beta he’d love for her firstborn to be a daughter, to follow in her footsteps even.
Sleep was not going to come easy tonight, and he knew it, likely wasn’t going to be easy for a long time, especially after the full moon, regardless of if he did or didn’t scent her out.
Because if he didn’t, all of this was for naught, and he was going to beat everyone in the Alpha Unit, with Hale behind every hit. Because doing this, what they had done, and he and Ori not scenting each other out, would only compound on Ori’s pain and feelings of betrayal, when she found out why they had done this, and he was going to tell her.
He would delay going back to Alpha College himself, in the hope that he could get her alone to talk to her. Tell her why he’d let her go; to stop her family being banished. He did want to sort that out before he went back. He knew that much.
Oriana
She’d just known that the pack’s Beta had been keeping tabs on her, and for weeks now, why would tonight be any different? It was highly likely that he had in fact been the one to send Slade down here to talk to her or try to.
She’d actually not let loose upon him with all her anger, but not for the reason that her father likely thought, she’d just not wanted to look at the man or hear his voice at that moment in time.
It was likely that he’d sent Slade down here to make sure she wasn’t embarrassing his bloodline, being irresponsible for all to see, but what did it even matter anymore? He’d gotten what he wanted finally. Hayden ascended to the pack’s future Beta. That had been his goal now for 18 long years, and he’d finally gotten what he wanted. Hayden was in, and she was out. Ori looked up at the sky sometime later and just sighed, her sobs had stopped, and her tears had dried on her face.
She no longer wanted to be here, and she knew it, didn’t want to be mated to anyone inside this pack, wanted in fact, to be mated off and out of it; just like the Alpha and his unit had said she would be. Getting out of here could only be a good thing right now.
Though there was no mating ball being held tomorrow, not with Dariah getting her first shift when the moon set, that was more important than a mating ball. Everyone in the pack would be up at the packhouse; outside the back of it.
Where Dariah would shift for the first time, a privacy screen set up for her to stand behind, her young naked body naked body protected from prying eyes, but so that once her shift was over, her wolf could step out from the screen and the entire pack could get a look at their Alpha’s daughter’s wolf, and find out her name even.
Everyone was going to be there to see her shift. It was the pack’s tradition. The only ones not actually going would be those on border patrol. Everyone else was expected to attend. The preparations for the night would be underway from sunrise and likely take all day to set up. Most of the pack’s omegas would be all there, to set up chairs and tables, cook food and decorate.
No expense would be spared, it was the same for her brother’s shift, only he’d not had that privacy screen he hadn’t cared about being naked in front of others, though all girls got the option for it. She had stood behind one herself.
Though she already knew that Dariah’s would be much more flashy and the area lit up with twinkling lights, she was getting a massive party prior to it, and it would continue on while she and her family ran in wolf form together for the first time. Ori thought Dariah was lucky, to be born in the correct order, the second heir to the pack, if she’d been born first, likely to be passed over as easily as Ori herself had been.
She was not going to attend that pack event; she knew it was expected of her as part of the Beta family, but she was not going anywhere near that packhouse or the leaders of the pack. Didn’t want to be anywhere near them. Didn’t think she’d feel any different at 9pm tonight either.
Likely actually want to be as far away from the packhouse and the celebration as was possible. She didn’t actually think that anyone would notice her missing either. Ori thought about that for a long moment as she stared up at the sky; they all had what they wanted now, the ascension line to the pack was as they expected it to be.
Ori stood herself up and walked to the other side of the nightclub rooftop. The place was winding down, nearly 4am, she thought. Hopped over the edge of the roof and dropped to the ground, landed on her feet and headed for Lindal’s house. Her suitcase was out there exactly where she had left it, as was the note from her own mother, putting her down once more.
Ori picked it up and took it with her as she collected her suitcase and went inside, found her bedroom, it had an ensuite, she showered and changed, then just stood looking at herself in the mirror, she really did look like shit, she realised.
She stared at her reflection, long and hard, at her hair, how long it was, how much of a girl it actually made her look like when it was out, and around her face. That was, in fact, why she always wore it up in a ponytail or a plait, kept it pulled back severely tight at all times to try and make her less like a girl, and she knew it.
She had always been quick to yank it up and pull it back after shifting from China, she didn’t want people seeing her as the girl she actually was. Hated being a girl most of the time. “No more.” She told herself “Do we put up with this.” She looked down at that note from her mother, ‘really Oriana, you think this is appropriate for your status.’ And turned and walked away from it, headed for the kitchen, and hunted through all the draws until she found a pair of scissors, if they wanted her to be a boy, she’d give them what they wanted. Ori found a box on a shelf in the lounge room and upended the items in it.
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