The Alpha's Claim

23

Five hours later, the Eyeless men returned. All energy had been drained from my body. I watched passively as they unstrapped me and gently pulled the octopus things off my hands. I was too tired to see the damage they had done. One of the Eyeless picked me up and carried me across the road to the cells. He picked one and set me on one of the cots.

"Let me know if you need anything," he said kindly. "Water and dinner will be here in a few minutes."

I lay there. Exhaustion had passed hours ago. Pain echoed around my head. Every breath was a labor that took everything in me to complete.

Sam came with the food and water. He saw me and sighed. "Good work today," he asked. "We'll begin again tomorrow morning. Sleep well."

Tears flooded down my face.

"Remember the people you saved," he said kindly.

+++++

"Alpha Daria!" Berry called. Daria turned as she heard her name and glanced at Berry.

"Yes?" she asked tiredly.

"Do you know where Naomi went?" Berry asked. "I can't find her anywhere. I didn't see her at dinner and she's not anywhere else. I'm afraid she went out to get some medicine."

Daria shook her head. "She did. Last night. She should be doing exercises with Daniel. Check with him. And please," she said, "stay close to camp."

Berry nodded as a nervous energy ran through her. She ran out of the hall and looked around until she caught a glimpse of Daniel beginning his training with the guards. Naomi got the medicine? Berry sighed. Of course. Naomi would be training.

Berry jogged over and stood at a distance, scanning for Naomi. Her first scan revealed nothing she looked around again. Naomi wasn't there.

"Beta Daniel?" Berry called. Daniel glanced over and walked over.

"Yes, Berry?" he asked. He looked tired.

"Do you know where Naomi is?" she asked. "I've checked pretty such everywhere. She's not sleeping or training and she wasn't at the meeting—"

"My suggestion is to stop looking," he said sharply.

"What?" Berry asked.

"She left," Daniel said. "She took off. Flew away."

Berry shook her head. "Wait, why? What happened?"

"Well, the betakind tried to act like a fighter and got one of our real fighters kidnapped."

Berry shook her head. "Are you talking in metaphors?" she asked. "Stop. Why did she leave?"

"Probably crying to mommy and daddy that this pack was too difficult."

"What?" Berry asked. None of this was making sense. "Naomi's not a beta."

"Not anymore. She's not even a werewolf."

Berry shook her head. "Naomi's never been a beta. She grew up as an omega after her parents abandoned her as a kid. Then, she never shifted, so she was under omegas. The people who raised her cast her out at fourteen."

Now, it was time for Daniel to be confused. "No? Damien told me..."

"She's not a beta," Berry said sarcastically. "We grew up together. I would know. Did you never wonder how she got those scars on her arms? Those were burns when she messed up in the kitchen. Then, they put her through a Hunt because she never shifted, and the only reason she's alive is because Damien got to her first."

Realization began to dawn over Daniel.

"She's not a great fighter because she never got the chance, not because she was pampered! What the hell is wrong with you?" Berry spat out. "Did you think she sat by herself because she was stuck up?" Daniel's conflicted eyes betrayed it all. "She was terrified. Of you. Of the wolves. She ran to 'the mailbox' and almost got herself killed because she was trying to prove herself to you. She risked her life to get medicine without taking any credit because she cares about this pack. You know the number of times I woke up in the middle of the night to find her gone? Where do you think her sleepwalking nightmares sent her? To the kitchen. To clean the floor with her bare hands. You know nothing about her, and you accuse her of flying away because she was a brat?!" Berry raged.

Daniel stood up at that. The Beta in him didn't like being talked to like that.

Berry rose to meet him. He forgot that she was a Beta, too.

"You made her feel guilty for Gregg's decision. But that was his to make. You are no better than your brother," she spat.

Daniel narrowed his eyes and was about to make a comeback when shouting got their attention. Daniel's phone began to buzz wildly.

He looked up at the northern dunes. "How?" he asked. Then, he sprinted toward one of the ATVs and glanced at Berry. "Get to the clinic. You and Amy are about to have an influx of patients. We will bring them to you."

Berry nodded and began shouting for Amy outside the clinic.

Daniel called his crew to come with him and revved the engine. He drove up to where a group of nineteen werewolves walked down toward them.

"Gregg?!" Daniel called as the group came into clearer focus. Gregg smiled, stumbling, but holding a woman tightly in his arms. "What happened?"

They group looked beyond exhausted. A young girl was passed out.

"Get them to the clinic!" Daniel shouted to his fighters. Daniel gently took the unconscious girl and started back down the dune.