Taking Down the Alpha

33 Wellbeing of the Pack

The next day, I was on pins and needles waiting for the pack supper and my huge announcement. Only a few more days to go, and then everything would be out in the open. In the meantime, Alard and I continued our silent campaign of having him charm pack members, which he did admirably. He already practically had a fan club amongst the pack fighters.

Overall, I generally enjoyed the experience of everyone admiring my amazing mate, but this was not one of those times. This time, it was Alice who was being charmed by him, and she was pulling all her irritating little tricks on Alard in an attempt to catch his attention. She fluttered her eyelashes and laughed at everything he said as if he was the funniest man on the planet.

The only thing that stopped me from dragging her away from him was the fact I was still trying to keep a low profile, and I wasn't looking forward to a repeat of my incident with the beta. Stick to the plan, stick to the plan. I was somewhat soothed by his expression of amusement. He clearly thought her over-the-top antics were humorous.

While I was trying to think of a diplomatic way to dislodge the little pest from my mate's vicinity, a welcome interruption came in the form of her minion Melissa running towards us. The speed she achieved sprinting in impractical heels was actually quite impressive.

"Alice!" she gasped. "Alice, that dirty, rogue is fighting the beta!" Even through her huffing her pleasure at delivering the newest juicy pack gossip was easily detectable.

"What!?" she asked, her high-pitched surprised voice reaching a note that irritated my sensitive ears. "Why? Where?"

"It's something about the slut, they're fighting. Across from the clinic"

Alice scoffed, her face contorting into an unattractive mask of haughty disgust. "What do they all see in her? Seriously?"

"I mean, she is pretty or whatever," Melissa pointed out, earning a glare from Alice.

"Well, lucky for that rogue they're next to the clinic. Beta Nate's going to destroy him." She smiled as if something wonderful was happening.

I didn't have time to waste with my disgust over her excitement as worry slammed my gut at the thought she might be right. Forgetting about the two nuisances, I shifted and ran in the direction of the clinic, carrying my clothing in my teeth. Alard did the same and ran beside me. Alice and Melissa did the same but without shifting, and we quickly left them in the dust.

When we reached the clinic, it seemed that the fight was already over. The iron tang of blood was in the air, and it took me only a frantic second to locate Denise and Andrew. Denise looked fine, but upset and angry as she tended to Andrew. The side of Andrew's face was puffed up and blood was streaming down into his eye from a cut above his eyebrow, but to my relief, Beta Nate didn't look much better with the beginning of a black eye forming. He stood a few feet away, looking as rigidly anal-retentive as ever, staring down my friends.

Since the conflict seemed to be at a temporary standstill, I took my chance to throw on my clothing before rushing forward to check on the situation more closely. I glared at the beta as I neared, subtly reminding him that I knew all his dirty little secrets.

He glared back, refusing to be cowed. I turned away from him. "What happened here?"

Denise opened her mouth to answer me, just as a commanding voice broke through the murmuring of the bystanders. "What's going on here?"

I stifled my groan at the fact that the alpha had arrived to interfere in the situation.

Beta Nate was quick to answer. "This dirty rogue attacked me, Alpha."

"Is this true?" he asked, advancing on Andrew like a predator advancing on his prey. To his credit, Andrew stubbornly didn't cower before the hulking man.