The Alpha and Omega

Chapter 31

~~~~~Nashoba~~~~~

I heard the growl before I realized it had come from me, but not once did I move. I just stared at Zander, barely hearing Earl's words. Dani, finally grabbed me, pulling me back by the collar and whispering in my ear, so that only I could hear her, "Stop...You're out numbered. You can't win in a fight, especially when the vamps are hell bent on keeping the peace. Stop now." I took a step back standing beside Dakota and Alix.

Dani had replaced me standing now towards the middle, Zander glaring at her, but I could tell that he still wouldn't hurt her. Dani cleared her throat, "Earl, Linda, may I have a word? I need to ask you something." The two vampires stood up and Zalia continued holding Zander back, Billy watching me closely, the two vampires easily keeping the peace, for now.

~~~~~Dani~~~~~

I walked off to the side and whispered, "How do you plan on keeping the peace in such a close proximity? It's impossible, there's only a few minutes before one of them blows up, and it's not gonna be a very beautiful sight when it happens. Explain your plan to me please."

Linda just gave me a small smile, "Child, who said we ever had a plan. We've been alive for so long now, we just go with our gut, you would be wise to do the same." Earl and Linda turned heading back over sitting down, once more talking amongst themselves.

I sighed in frustration, but walked back over, keeping my back to Nashoba and glaring at Zander, "You need to leave. What you did, there was no reason for it. I hate you, so quit trying to cause a war, all you're gonna do is get wolves killed."

Zander answered, hostility obvious in his words, "You, hate me? I don't care at this point. All I care about is killing Nashoba, and if I have to go through a thousand vampires, then so help me Gods, I will. You left me, your pack, for a whiny little brat with a whole bunch of old men backing him. My pack is strong, my pack is young, and we can eradicate you all if we wished it..."

I looked down, sure I was brave and spoke my mind, but I was an omega, I didn't have all the resolve of someone like Zander. I couldn't hold his gaze, listen to his criticism without flinching. But, I had to try, had to force myself not to back down, and hope that the vampires could keep the peace for now.

~~~~~Nashoba~~~~~

I listened to Zander and Dani talking for a second before I turned my attention to the numbers Zander had on his side at the moment. There was no way I could protect myself and Dani with only the four of us, so I linked to my pack saying quickly "I need reinforcements at the mall. Now! Emergency, come in through any open area you find. Vampires, and Zander, only four of our pack."

I heard Kaleb's frantic thoughts as he worked to get people organized. So far it was Kaleb, Kane and Kale, Devante, and a few others I had known when I was younger. Kaleb and the others were hurrying here, but it would take a bit longer for the others in the pack, the young members who could fight.

Dakota and Alix both narrowed their eyes at me and I just gave them a challenging look. Both looked away quickly not daring to question their alpha despite my obvious disregards to the vampire's orders. I growled low in my throat and took a few steps forward. Billy was quickly alerted watching my movements, ready to pounce if I went for Zander, but I just reached forward grabbing Dani's hand and pulled her back to the other two werewolves who were on my side.

I heard Kaleb telling me that he was just outside, trying to find a way in. I responded with a quick "Ok" and left it at that. My eyes once more traveled across the opening to Zander. I wanted to run across and just start tearing him apart, but I knew I couldn't, it wasn't sensible, Billy and Zalia would stop me before I could get two feet, so I just settled for talking.

"Zander, why are you mad? If you're over Dani, why can't you just leave us alone? My pack and I were causing you no harm, we have done absolutely nothing, yet here you are trying to kill us. This mall is not in your territory, you are trespassing, your mall is over with your club, and you know that." I was glaring hard, he returned the stare, it was obvious that neither of us were going to back down.

Zander was quick to respond though "I'm here because you and your pack have been breaching our treaty for a very long time now. It started with Devante, then Dani, and then you. I trusted you Nashoba, I wanted you to have a good life in my pack, I would have made you my beta, but now look at you. You've completely lost everything, you and I both know your pack is just made up of old men who have long since passed retirement. You have only a handful of young capable wolves, and you have no idea how to strategize. So, now that you have violated the treaty, in more ways than one, I have decided to start a full on siege of your lands. My pack and I are going to take over every last inch you own, and we will not hesitate to kill any of you."

My eyes narrowed and then shifted from Zander to my friends. Wesley, Jayden, and Spencer, all crowded behind Zander, ashamed of their betrayal to an old friend, but unable to miss this. The three were obviously trying to make a decision, and I knew it. I quickly called "Wes! Jay! Spence! You three, you aren't like them, like any of them. You are kind, you just want to be teens, y'all want a life that sembles normalcy, and you will never find it with Zander. He's too possessive. Wesley, you want to play professional baseball, I've listened to you, I know how much you long to do something with your life, and I respect that. Jayden, you want to be an actor, I know you take drama classes at school, despite how well you tried to hide them. Dani and I saw you in the auxiliary theatre during classes. And Spencer, I don't know a lot about you, but I know you take guitar classes on the side, and I've heard you in your chorus class. I'm guessing that one day you want to be a singer, and man that's great, I respect that one-hundred percent. But, with Zander, you'll never get freedom enough to do it. You'll always be locked away in his pack,unable to go out and be something. He'll-"

Zander cut me short saying "Oh shut up with your sappy speech, these three are my most loyal, they would never betray me. They would die for me, and I would die for them."

I shook my head and answered "That's complete horse crap Zander, and you know it. An Alpha like you, wouldn't give his life even for his beta. Wouldn't protect his lands with everything he had...Kumar! You're afraid of Zander, I can see it in your eyes, but for what, you're stronger, you have a will to win, but yet, you could never bring yourself to challenge him. Kumar does not control you, he's not a proper Alpha. He's a fluke, got his title by luck, and by cheating. My so called old men are good at what they do, Zander. They're older yes, but they can defend themselves, and they can remember the past. They told me a story, about a month ago. About how if a pack member killed his Alpha, he could replace him with as much power and strength as a true alpha. Most members challenge their Alpha first, but with the right words and enough surprise, you never even have to have a face-to-face kill. Zander, you killed your Alpha in a back alley, slashed his throat from behind, and said a few magic words, and because of that you magically an Alpha. But, you're a fluke, you'll never be the real deal, and that's your worst fear. That you'll lose your power, and then what will you have?...Nothing."