Ensnare

Chapter 22

                That night my dreams were haunted by the Black Alpha. I was still terrified that his pack was after me, but the fact that their scent hadn’t been detected in three days helped. I woke up unsure whether to dismiss the dream entirely or to be on high alert. I settled for dismissal after remembering the amount of energy worry consumed. I had the pack watching over me, I should be safe.

                Apparently I was late waking up once again. Today I was supposed to meet with Merlin to talk about beta responsibilities. With all that had been going on lately, I completely forgot about being the Beta. Merlin was still carrying out the beta duties, but I was supposed to be in training.

                Outside it was raining like there was no tomorrow. Sheets of water fell from the sky and coated everything in sight. Merlin was waiting for me in the kitchen, sipping a mug of coffee. He pushed a plate of waffles in front of me as I sat down. I ate while he began to talk.

                “There is a great amount of responsibility that comes with being Beta,” Merlin began. His blue eyes seemed to deepen, giving him the presence of a wise old man. He seemed to be plentiful in knowledge.

                “Beta is the second in command. The pack looks to you for commands when the alpha is not present or in smaller, less important matters. You will fill in for the Alpha whenever it is needed and is anything happens to him, you take over the pack.

                “Also, as Beta, you are there to make the Alpha’s life easier. The alpha is under a tremendous amount of stress, having to lead his pack every day. There are no days off. This means that whenever you can, you pick up the extra work load, lightening the burden.”

                “As beta you are still under the Alpha’s authority, but you have more sway with him than other pack members. This doesn’t mean you don’t follow his orders, just that you may occasionally suggest an alternative to a certain situation. But the alpha’s decision is final. It becomes law to the pack. “

                I nodded, taking in all this information.

                “It’s uncommon for a female to be beta. I’ve never seen it before. I guess that just means you’re the Alpha’s right hand woman instead of man.” Merlin finished his coffee and set his mug in the sink. I smiled at his take on the circumstance.

                “Any questions?” Merlin asked.

                “What about werewolf laws? Do I need to know those?”

                “All werewolves do. But don’t worry about that, you’ll learn them soon enough. For now, how about I give you a tour of Oak Lodge territory?”

                I nodded, looking out the window above the sink. The rain wasn’t down pouring but it still was showering outside. Merlin headed out the front door. Without a chance to ask about the weather, I jumped up and hurried after him.

                We walked toward the pavilion, the rain soaking me to the bone. My hair clung to my face as Merlin went inside. I looked back to the house, wishing I was inside and dry. I shivered and turned back around to find Merlin as a wolf staring back at me.

                He looked almost exactly like Zeph except taller and skinnier. His thin face made him look threatening whereas Zeph looked friendlier. I hurried into the pavilion to change. I hated this part, I always felt so exposed.

                I stashed my clothes in the same cubby I had used before. There were six walls, four of which had storage space, one had a door and the other was a cushioned bench made of dark orange material. I pushed my reluctance out of my mind and jumped out the door, shifting as soon as possible. I hit the ground on all fours and shook out my golden pelt. I was already wet from the rain.