The Alpha's Match

First Kiss

Lauren's POV

"My father was a cruel man, he ruled our pack through fear, enslaving wolves rather than standing by his duty to protect them." The disgust in his voice was strong. "Alpha Lewis had no choice, killing him was the only way to end all of the suffering." Shayne's eyes glistened with moisture. I put an arm over his wide frame.

"Life isn't that black and white. He may have done bad things but he was your father. It's okay to miss him." I couldn't imagine having a father the world hated. Everyone back home loved my dad - he was respected even held a little in awe for his successful reputation.

"Thank you."  I began to feel a little awkward holding a grown man who I really didn't know that well. A blush heated my ears but it didn't feel right to suddenly move away.

"But you could be Alpha now. Why don't you challenge Lewis?" I questioned.

"My father didn't start off evil but it must have been in him all along. The same evil could be lurking within me." Shayne explained in a hushed voice. 

"You can't inherit an evil gene." I argued. Shayne gently moved out of my embrace, to the relief of us both.

"You don't know that, besides, Lewis is a great leader. I can't lead the people, I don't trust myself to."

"But it's your birth right." I persisted. Shayne laughed without humour. "What?"

"You do realise that if I challenge Lewis one of us would have to kill the other right?"

"Oh." I sagged and looked away toward the house.

"Don't worry, I won't and neither will Immy."

"What about the rest of the pack, if Connor chose a side..." My voice trailed away.

"Lewis should have killed Immy and me." My head whipped round and I stared at him in horror. "Now the Alpha blood will live on, eventually one of our descendants will challenge one of his. Blood will be spilt and civil war will tear apart the pack. It's what the other Alpha's are counting on." Other Alpha's?

"How many werewolf packs are there?" I still don't understand how this entire world of pack politics and Alpha's could be hidden from the media.

"Not many, a single pack tends to cover a large region and we only settle in heavily wooded territories." His answer was vague.

"Do all wolves live in a pack?"

"It's not impossible to leave but our kind like to be in a group, we're very social creatures and there's safety in numbers."

"But also the risk of exposure," I mused.

"We're careful." He replied simply.

"I guess it's handy to be able to blame the local wildlife, authorities tidy it away nicely for you as an animal attack." He frowned.

"What?"

"The animal attacks on hikers it was what brought me here." Shayne was already shaking his head.

"That wasn't our kind. We pose no threat to humans." Result! I had been right and now all I needed was proof to convince Tom. It was a relief to know that they weren't monsters. I know that Lewis is a murderer but a man who led his pack, protected the offspring of his enemies and listened to what I had to say surely wouldn't kill without very good reason. I would find out what it was. "Why were you interested in the animal attacks?"

"I thought they were done by a vampire so I came to meet them." Shayne's eyes boggled. "Ah right, you had left the room when we covered the vampire thing." Shayne's expression was priceless! I erupted into a fit of giggles. Shayne didn't join me.