Tangled With The Fated Mates

PAINED ALPHA

Denzel frowned as he swerved to avoid a cyclist, damn cyclists."I really should focus on the road more." He breathed. The problem wasn't that he had difficulty driving at night. Even under the limited light of the waning full moon, he could see more than enough to be aware of his surroundings, and he wasn't new to driving. His father had taught him to drive just after he'd clocked fifteen. He'd gotten his license the week after he'd turned eighteen, and now, at twenty-five years old, he'd been driving for about ten years, so he could drive with headlamps at night like he breathed air, so having to drive with headlamps was not the problem either. The problem was that he was too preoccupied with his many tumultuous thoughts to focus on the present continuous task of driving, but how could he not be absent-minded?

From the moment Nira had spoken her vision to him till the present, his mind had gone into turmoil, thinking about the numerous "whys." "Why would Reid want to kill him?" "Jealousy? Why was he jealous of his position? He'd been born to be Alpha. Reid wasn't born to pack royalty," "If anybody, why Reid ?" 

They went way back. They had been friends from middle school, faced many foes together through school, and now, as an Alpha and Beta duo.Nira had sensed his distress, of course, and had tried to get him to calm down, telling him: "You've called for the meeting, haven't you? And you know what the meeting is about and what it will accomplish. He would be removed from the pack and banished. He'd be far away from you and the pack, neither unable to sabotage the pack nor hurt you.""Yes, I have called for the meeting, and I've made plans," he answered after a moment had passed. He had paused his spiralling thoughts to try and process what she'd said."So why are you still this agitated? I know you're hurt and angry, and you feel betrayed, and I know you're a good person, so you don't deserve to be stabbed in the back by your most trusted friend, but since you've begun to do something about it, I don't see why you should still be this agitated." She'd replied to him, walking around to the back of the sofa where she sat. They were communicating telepathically.

The thoughts of what Denzel wanted to do and how he was supposed to go about doing it had persisted then, and they stayed till now as he drove tonight to the pack meeting grounds deep in their territories. He'd asked that everyone be present at the meeting, Reid included. It would really be difficult not to give in to the intrusive thoughts that he knew would fill his mind as soon as he saw him. Tonight would test his self-control. As he turned away from the road that took him deep into the woods, he turned off his headlamps; he'd have to drive the rest of the way using just the light of the waning full moon; it was another precaution he took. He knew every inch of the dirt track by now and could see pretty well at night, thanks to his super lupine eyesight. If those were not enough, his truck was built with adequate off-road capabilities, so all was fine.

 As he parked his vehicle and stepped out, an idea struck him: perhaps a good run in the cold, lonely forest air with the scent of pines would do well to calm him down.He was right. The run had done well for his spirit and his mind, and now, as he headed to the meeting grounds, he could think much more clearly, and by the time he broke through the trees into the clearing of the meeting grounds, he had a clear idea of how he'd go about the business of that night."Welcome, Alpha," that was Reid, joining him as he moved from the edge of the woods to the centre of the pack.Denzel ignored him. The wolves gave way as he stepped into their midst, following him towards his ledge, stopping when they got to the bottom of the shelf, leaving only the Alpha and Beta to continue up."You stop here too," Denzel said gruffly over his shoulders at Reid, to which Reid paused."Hey Denzel, you didn't acknowledge nor return my greeting," Reid said, stepping up to Denzel, who didn't turn to face him.

 He continued. "Now you're saying I shouldn't follow you up as your Beta? What's going on?""You'll be seeing very soon." And with that, Denzel bounded upwards onto the ledge.The Pack had noticed this exchange, and even though everyone avoided acting like they hadn't observed anything, a murmur had begun to grow amidst them. 

The Beta always followed the Alpha to stand behind him as he addressed the pack, so why had he paused to ask Reid to stay behind? What was going on?"I will go straight to tonight's business, and very soon, we will all know what tonight's impromptu meeting is about," Denzel said sharply."Reid, step forward," Denzel said. His voice was icy. Reid glanced around as he walked forward from the foot of the ledge, stopping in front of the pack and looking up at Denzel on the ledge. He noticed out of the corner of his eyes that two senior elders had stepped up behind him, flanking him."You lied about your whereabouts on the night of the gathering. 

You weren't absent because you were following a Bluefur scent; you were absent because you had gone to conspire with Bluefur rogues on how to have me killed, along with five of the new elders. Step all five of you!"A murmur arose from the Pack again, much louder this time, and Reid shifted his weight, glancing around."Do you deny this?" Denzel snarled, baring his fangs"I do not," Reid replied, baring his fangs back. At the sight of Reid's fangs bared at him, Denzel lost it. "You dare!?" Denzel roared as he leapt forward and downwards from his ledge, muscles ripping at Reid. Slashing with his right paw, he left a long and deep gash on the left side of Reid's face, right through his left eye.

Reid hadn't had enough time to react."You are at this moment banished from this pack, never to return. If I ever lay my eyes on you, I'll kill you at sight and be grateful that I'm not killing you here now." But Reid knew as well as every pack member present that he might as well have killed him."As for the other five of you," Denzel said, turning to the five new elders. "You won't be seeing the sunrise."And turning to the pack, Denzel continued, "You all heard me?"Denzel turned his back to leave, and as he did, howls of frenzy and pain filled the air as the pack descended on the doomed wolves.In all the ensuing chaos, Reid slinked away into the darkness of the woods after taking a long, hateful look at Denzel's departing form with his remaining good eye. He'd hide away and nurse his wounds first. He would have his revenge!