The Alpha's Queen

Chapter 3: Show and Tell

Beckett

I sensed the moment Devany returned to consciousness, even before the rhythm in her breathing changed. It was as if light returned to the darkness. Leaning over the bed, I waited for her to open her eyes and wondered what the hell was wrong with me.

At least now I understood part of why I'd been so drawn to her. I wasn't one of the elitist assholes who thought humans should be kept in cages and used as slaves, but I also rarely wanted to fuck them. It made a lot more sense that the little lavender haired bartender was a wolf. But it also made things far more complicated.

The bedroom door opened. Jack and his father, General Lawson, stepped inside, followed by my stepmother, Leann. All the uncouth words that I had been about to say fizzled on the tip of my tongue, but from Jack's fidgeting and downcast eyes, my face did enough talking for me.

"Why is he not locked up?" I demanded. His father was the only reason I hadn't killed him tonight. "General's son or not, he committed a crime."

Lawson huffed and grabbed Jack by the scruff of his neck. It reminded me of the way she-wolves grabbed their pups. Jack was no pup, though. He was a loose cannon. Next time he would go too far, and I wouldn't be there to stop him.

I touched Devany's face. Thank god, I'd been there tonight.

"My son will face his punishment in due course, but he shared some interesting information with us about the girl. Information you left out."

Of course he did. My molars clenched together, and I struggled to hold my wolf at bay. It wasn't like I'd planned on keeping the truth about Devany a secret forever, but I'd hoped she would have time to heal first.

"It's true then?" Leann asked, licking her overfilled lips and eying Devany with a hint of distaste. "She's a wolf."

"Her blood doesn't lie. Blood I would like to point out that was only spilled because Jack tried to kill her."

Jack whimpered. "It's not my fault. Her arrogance angered my wolf, and I had to show her where she ranked. It makes sense now that we know she's a wolf."

A bitter laugh escaped me. "You're full of shit, Jack. Everyone here knows the only way to identify wolves who have never shifted is by blood. Until their wolf emerges, they have no scent."

"Maybe I'm special."

"Shut up, son," Lawson said. "You're lucky the Alpha didn't kill you."

Leann sniffed and waved at the bed. "I'll send someone to clean her up when she wakes."

"No."

"Beckett." I might be the Alpha of the Black Fang pack, the largest pack in the country, but she still spoke to me like I was a seven-year-old boy caught in the snack pantry before dinner. "This is how things are done."

"It's barbaric and outdated."

"It's necessary. She's packless–"

"We don't know that."

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "We do. There is not a single pack on this continent that would allow her to go through puberty without initiating the change. If she doesn't have a pack, then she's a rogue, and rogues are killed."

I growled. "If she doesn't have a wolf, then she's not a rogue. Only transitioned wolves go mad when they go rogue."

Lawson and Leann shared an uneasy look. The General cleared his throat and added, "You know why she's got to go through the auction if she doesn't shift. And none of that matters. It's the Council's law."