Crimson Ash Pack

Alpha?

I'd had a complete mind blank since everything went south with Morgan, which meant I'd forgotten a crucial part of what had occurred before we found her.

I'd killed my brother.

I know what you're thinking, but no I couldn't give a damn about my brother. I didn't feel bad about, not in the smallest amount. He deserved it. Neither of us had ever liked the other, we'd always fought non-stop and he always looked down on me. He wasn't someone I cared about and now he was dead, and I couldn't care less.

However I did need to check what happened to his body and the huge pool of blood that was surrounding him, and I needed to check where my parents were and figure out what I was going to do with them. They were involved in kidnapping my mate and that was not something I was not okay with. Not in the slightest.

Downing the rest of my coffee I went to search the dining room.

The first thing that I noticed was the stench, the scent of detergent burnt at my nose. It was deathly strong as it washed through the room. My eyes began to water as the smell became too potent for my new senses to handle, covering my nose I rounded the table in search of where his body was when I left yesterday. Nothing remains. The wooden floor was slightly lighter than before and in the shape of a large puddle, but there was no other signs of what had occurred.

Nodding my head I went in search of my parents.

I already knew they were not on the lower levels of the house, so making my way upstairs I began to search the endless rooms. They were absent from their own and all the spare rooms, but then I found them. They were in James' room. My mother had silent tears streaming down her face as my father slowly packed away any trace of my brothers existence.

The sound of my entrance caught their attention, my father's face turning down into a scowl as my mother glares at me in hatred. If looks could kill I'd be 6 feet under by now. Honestly I held no emotional attachment to the people that were in front of me. Not only had they not cared enough that I hadn't shifted, but throughout my childhood and teen years they basically despised my existence. Always trying to change any and every aspect they could.

James was always the prodigal son, and I had a feeling that would never change, and now. Now that their little prince was dead, killed by their disappointments' hands, well they had finally had enough. They hated me, just as I did them. Not only did they kill my mates family and drive her out of her own pack, they kidnapped my beautiful mate. And that was not someone I'd forgive them for.

But I was a decent person, decent enough that I would give them time to grieve for their favorite child. I'd give them time to bury him, but after that... They would receive no sympathy from me. Nodding my head at the two I left them to mourn. They were no longer my family, the only family I had were the twins and Aaron.

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"Do you know what you have done?" Kansas seethed at me in fury.

"To be honest I couldn't care less. What's done is done, he deserved the fate he received." I shrugged, my attention going back to the game I was playing.

"Your pack is suffering. They've just lost their Alpha. They are in complete chaos and disarray!" Kansas huffed in frustration. "I don't think you understand what I'm saying here, Cole. They felt the bond snap when James died. Every Alpha feels that when one of his pack dies, it's the most sickening feeling... But when an Alpha dies the entire pack feels it, twice as much."

My mind was just as chaotic as Kansas had described the Pack to be. My mind was solely on the issue of Morgan, but Kansas said my pack needed me. According to Hadley, Aaron didn't want the Alpha position, which meant I was next in line to receive the Alpha title.

This was all too much. I needed my mate. But my pack needed me, and if I was still the same old Cole St. Marks, then I'd never let my pack down. Now I had a decision to make.

Raking a hand down my face I turned to Kansas, who watched me in expectation. Huffing I nodded my head. I guess it was time I picked my shit up...

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I stood in a clearing in one of the nearby forests, according to Aaron this was the pack meeting place. He'd done me a favor and connected with the pack, mind linking them and telling them to meet here. It took 20 minutes for everyone to finally arrive, and then... Then I understood what Kansas was on about.

Many faces showed clear signs of emotional turmoil, some with tears still trailing down their faces, eyes puffy and red. Many were clearly angered by what had happened, some so much so that they broke out into random fights, with others trying to rip them off each other. The pack was in chaos without an Alpha.

There were roughly 500 people in the pack, meaning there were a huge number of wolves to control and calm. The noise was loud, the sounds of crying and yelling prominent. Sighing I ran a hand through my hair, glancing our at everyone I gave up trying to calmly get there attention. I'd tried everything from shouting to whistling and nothing worked. Giving up I eventually shouted

"SHUT UP!", I could feel the Alpha command coating my words, silence quickly descending as people turned to me.

Finding some higher ground I stood slightly above everyone, giving me a view of all of them, and them a view of me.

"Some of you may know me. Others may not. My name is Cole St. Marks, my brother was James." At my words I heard cries break out and a slight tension in the air. "My brother is dead. I'm sure you all know this." Heads nodded in answer.

Sighing I stared out at all the faces before me... "As you know Aaron is next in line for the Alpha title. However my brother has declined it."

Shocked faces were seen throughout the crowd.

"That means the title passes on to me. Now those of you who do know me, I'm sure you're shocked that I'm standing before you. Those of you who don't know me won't understand why that is. So I'll explain it to you."

Taking a breath I began.

"I didn't know Werewolves existed until roughly 2 months ago." Gasps echoed through the crowd. "Yes. My family hid it from me. How could they have done that? You ask. How is that possible when I should've shifted when I was 16? Well that's because I didn't shift at 16..."

Shocked gasps echoed louder than before, raising my hand I silenced them again. "I shifted for the first time yesterday morning. And do you know what the first thing was that I did when I shifted? I slit James' throat."

Chaos broke out at this, one woman launched herself at me, only to be pulled back by another man who nodded to me in greeting.

"Enough!" I didn't shout, the words were in fact rather quiet, but they carried so much power that everyone froze and turned towards me. "I don't care what you may think of me for that, my brother deserved what he got. He deserved it. Not only has he undermined me my entire life, but he kidnapped my m-" I stumbled over the word. No.

"Someone close to me. He kidnapped this person and threw them in the cells. He also proceeded to embarrass and harass a number of other people who are close to me. This kind of behavior is completely unacceptable. I hope that this is a lesson that doesn't have to be taught again. If you undermine me as the new Alpha, I will not hesitate to kill you. I hope I make myself clear?"

Necks bared in respect as people dropped down to their knees.

Now we only had to do the Alpha Ceremony to complete the process.