‘Yes Oriana,’ Ethan had stated. And she’d dropped the mind-link herself. Connected to Art and told him to head off to the packhouse she’d be there in a few minutes.
Then she had headed there herself, trailed her suitcase with her, didn’t bother to hide it from him, he’d stared right at it and then frowned at her. “I’m currently without a home and living out of it.” She told him with a shrug. “Gotta take it everywhere till I get allocated new housing, probably be in the single dorms by tomorrow.”
He’d sighed at her words; she knew he would understand, he, like all the rest, had been told about her demotion. “Don’t say it Art.” She murmured when that look of pity hit his face,” honestly, I just want everyone here to blip over it. I am. I also got my freedom and with it a new look.” She half smiled at him and ran her hand through her new hairstyle, “It’s kind of freeing, actually. No pressure anymore, and I can do whatever I want now. 18 and clear of all responsibilities and protocols.”
“Ori?”
“I’m fine Art. Pitched a hell of a fit last night, and now I’m over it.” She stated simply.
“Really, just like that?” he queried.
“Yep, and you know me, I yell, roll my eyes and get over everything.” And that was what most people actually did see, when she was upset. She internalised her pain and then just didn’t show it at all. Couldn’t, that would be seen as weakness and a Beta couldn’t be weak.
She placed her suitcase by a tree and waved him off, “Go and ogle your dream girl, I know for a fact she’s got a beautiful dress for tonight, bought it months ago.” She told him “is even, I believe, your favourite colour. Maybe the girl likes you too.”
She saw him smiling now and chuckled even “Thanks Ori, but don’t do anything silly.”
“Like what exactly?” she asked him.
“Go rogue.”
“I’m not that stupid, and how will I be the bane of the new Beta’s existence if I’m not here? I’m going to show that boy up at every turn, and come training. I’m going to put him down every time, he’ll never be able to beat me, and I will make sure he knows I’m the stronger and better of the two of us.”
Art nodded his head. “We can all give him a beating if you like.”
“Only in training.” She nodded. “won’t get in trouble that way, but sure I’d like to watch it. Cheer you on I will.”
Art laughed and nodded “Alright, be good woman.” And then he was gone.
She walked the patrol like she was supposed to back and forth for a good hour and then took that suitcase of hers and strolled on out of the pack with it, just a few minutes, and then came back, could feel a mind-link trying to connect to her, knew it was her own father, and let China snarl at him all aggressively and answer him even ‘I’m patrolling, go away.’ as though her wolf was in control as she stalked the border once more, then she herself report that she’d chased of a rogue into the forest, it was gone.
She knew that Ethan would report it to the pack’s Beta or the Alpha even, and check the border patrollers’ movements, through their pack tethers. It was a lie, but so was her being out here on patrol until 10pm. She wasn’t overly concerned about leaving the border un-protected and walking away from it. This pack only ever saw the occasional rogue and there hadn’t been an actual attack on the pack for as long as she could remember.
She would patrol for 4 hours, showing them that she was doing what she’d said she would. She had two hours before, she enacted her plan to leave this pack. Was going to do her patrol and let everyone feel she was out there doing her job right up until she knew that party was in full swing. One hour before the moon set, she would stroll out of this pack, while everyone was in the middle of speeches and toasts, and were all focused on Dariah.
She knew how these things worked, and with her doing her actual job on the border patrol without issue for four solid hours, they would stop tracking her tether for that one hour, lead up to the full moon setting, and Dariah’s shift could take anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes, and all eyes of her family and the Alpha units would be on her, in case there were any complications.
Ori organised herself a taxi to pick her up from where the pack road turned in, off the main human road, knew it was only a 10-minute walk from here to there, and patiently waited for the time to tick away.
She nodded to the other patrols on the edge of her zone, they just nodded back and then, with an hour to go, and she felt that mind-link from Alpha Roman, so everyone could hear his speech, which she severed herself, wasn’t interested in listening to him inside her head. She simply turned and walked to the middle of her patrol zone, out of sight of the other border patrols and left the pack. Grabbed her suitcase, dumped her phone and was gone into the human world.
She did not sever herself from the pack as she walked away from it, wasn’t that stupid, that would just let them know she’d turned rogue the minute she did it. No, she had a plan in her mind and was going to stick to it. She had left her phone on the ground where she’d stashed her suitcase, so they couldn’t call her, and demand she come back, or track her with it either.
Slade
He was outside with everyone else behind the packhouse where important shifting events. happened, just as he was expected to be two hours prior to his little sister’s shift, he was dressed appropriately for his beast to rip out of him, in jeans and a simple plain short-sleeved dress shirt. No shoes, there was no point.
His father had frowned at his attire though and tried to send him back upstairs to put something formal on. Slade had questioned the man as to why he would do that, when his wolf was only going to rip through it anyway, to run with Dariah’s wolf for the first time.
His head, and thought process, were much clearer today than they had been last night with all the shit, that was going on around him. And he’d realised, that not only had he let his father and Ori’s father get inside his head, so had Alpha Gretta as well, and he’d been partially convinced by them all, into believing Ori was his Mate.
Today, talking to Audrey by text and phone, he’d realised he was happy talking to her, it actually took his mind off what was going on here, and he recalled back there in Alpha College. The girl herself was all consuming for him, and he didn’t much think about anyone else when he was with her, not even Ori.
That Audrey herself could feel the sparks of their mate bond, and he knew she wasn’t trying to coerce him into anything. That she had in fact gone out of her way to hide it from him, like she was supposed to. Hadn’t told him because she wasn’t allowed to. Stuck to the rules, and only stated it because he’d picked it up himself, and asked her if she could feel it already.
He even told her he couldn’t, and she’d just smiled and said it was a pity, he’d love it then had proceeded to touch him everywhere and then just get all turned on. She was a fun girl and everyone liked her. He didn’t believe she was the type of person to lie and try and trick him.
So, he’d come back down to reality and grounded himself, told his father that Audrey was going to be his Mate, and so he only needed to wear clothes that he didn’t care about Hail ripping out of. His father had not been very happy about his words, and Slade had grated out at him “If anyone is trying to coerce me, it’s you. Just stop it.”
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