Red Claw

The Pack Meeting

Sam stood in front of his pack and waited for them to settle down.

He was getting annoyed that it was taking so long so he allowed his wolf to growl lowly, getting everyone's attention pretty quickly. As soon as everyone was silent and he was sure that he had their full attention he began.

"Some of you may be wondering why this meeting was called, others may have an idea." He heard some murmurs and saw a few heads bobbing in agreement. "I would like you to know that I did not call for this meeting. My mother, your former Luna did. In the past few days, she has been made aware of the former Alphas transgressions." He refused to call the man father, nothing he had done had ever been fatherly, so he did not deserve that moniker. "Some of you will know all too well what I am speaking about, and some will have no clue. But now all of you will know. I will begin with what he has done to myself and my mate, Ava." He paused as there was a sudden outburst of exclamations. Not many people knew who his mate had been, only that she had left and he wouldn't talk about it. But now they all knew that his mate was human. "The former Alpha commanded me to mate with Susan, his Beta's daughter. He wanted a heir, and thought she would be perfect. We were both commanded to mate every month during the time she was ovulating. No matter what I said, what I told him about finding my mate, he wouldn't relent. And every month he stood by his command. Ava was to be kept in the dark, and every month I was forced by the command to fuck Susan. I hated it, hated what I was doing to the other half of my soul. But he didn't care, he also didn't care about the physical pain I was in due to betraying the bond. Then the worst happened. Ava walked in on us. We were still bound by the command so I couldn't even try and explain it all to her. Then she left, not just the house but the pack and our town. But what I didn't know was that she was pregnant." The gasps echoed across the clearing.

He looked towards Ava and the kids and motioned for them to come up. "The former Alpha knew about Ava being pregnant. He knew and he told her that I wanted nothing to do with them all. He kept my pups from me, knowing the dangers he was putting them all in." He turned to his mother. "He kept them from his mate, lied about everything as he held her while she cried over the loss of Ava. My mother had no idea anything like this had happened, and I apologize to a few of you, but I have also shared with her a few of the other horrendous things that that man has done to his own pack. And that was why she asked for the pack meeting to be arranged. We are here to decided the fate of the former Alpha, for his betrayal of not only his pack members, but me, his own son, my mate, children and his own mate as well. So, I'd like to ask my mother to take over from here."

He nodded at the woman who given him life and walked over to where Ava and the kids were standing.

He noticed Ava was frowning as she looked at Delilah, and as he looked he noticed that she was once again glaring at Susan.

"Sweetheart," He said as he gently touched his daughters shoulder. "What's wrong?"

She didn't take her eyes off of the woman when she responded. "I don't like her. She wants more than she has and doesn't care about anyone but herself."

Ava sighed. "Baby, you can't judge people based on what they have done to others in the past."

"I'm not mama, it's clear in her eyes. She wants dad. And she has evil in her, an evil that even scares her wolf. She cries for help but no one can hear her, she won't let anyone."

The words themselves were clear but the meaning behind them were a bit confusing. How could she know what Susan's wolf was thinking and feeling? But if he had to guess about the situation , Susan's wolf wasn't in tune with Susan herself, and she was suffering for it.

He had never heard of such a thing before.

Can a wolf truly be at odds with their human?

'Yes.' Was all his wolf would say on the matter.

Hmm, interesting. He had never thought that it would have been possible, but given that his wolf said that it was then he had no reason to think otherwise.

He may have to have a talk with a few of the elders about this. Maybe even Matilda, if she allowed him to get close enough to her that is.

Ava was stunned for a moment.

To think that her daughter had taken an instant dislike to her former friend was shocking. But then again this was her daughter she was talking about, and she had always been very intuitive, ever since she had been a small child.

She looked around and noticed that Cassie was still looking at Terry, Susan's mate. She was shocked for a moment, thinking that her friend was going to get hurt again. But then she noticed that he was also looking at Cassie, a strange look of longing in his eyes. They couldn't seem to keep their eyes off of each other, apparently. And Susan hadn't even noticed anything wrong with him.

It reminded her of when she had been younger, and would always catch Sam looking at her. But why would he be looking at her like that when he has a mate already. A mate he was standing next to at that very moment.

"He likes her mama." Delilah whispered in her ear. "But he is confused as to why he is feeling like that when he is still connected to that horrid woman."

"Really?" Cassie said, her head snapping to the girl, when she heard what Delilah had said.. "Sorry, I probably should stay away from him. He's taken, and I wont be the other woman." She sounded so sad that Ava's heart broke a little.

"I'm not sure that you would be." Delilah said. "It seems like he is torn but almost has his mind made up."

They looked at the girl in confusion.

Devon, sighed and placed his arm around his sister as he said. "He wants to end it with her, but can't figure out how to go about it. And is most likely confused about his feelings for Cass."

Shock was written on all of their faces. Devon had never been this observant before.

"Don't look at me like that, we were talking about it earlier is all."

Ava heard Daisy call for the former Alpha to be brought out, and her attention returned to the matter at hand. She watched as the man who had ruined so many lives, including her own, was dragged into the clearing. The chains holding him glinting in the light.

"Former Alpha Mitch, you are hereby charged with the crimes of 'Damaging the mate bond of your pack members', 'Keeping your Luna in the dark about matters within the pack', 'Causing unnecessary pain to your heir', 'Forcing mating's that were unwanted'. And finally 'Endangering the future Luna of this pack as well as her children, the heirs', how do you plead?" No one could tell that this must be tearing her up inside, her words were sure and strong. But Ava could see the slight tremor in her hands.

Everyone turned and waited for the former Alpha to say something.