Pennies For Peace

chapter 13

Shouts were flying around the room as I stood frozen, staring incredulously at Christina. The sounds of the room seemed oddly muffled. At the same time, I could hear every objection.

"She can't be alpha! She's female!"

"A half-breed can't lead a pack!"

"That is impossible! There's never been an alpha that wasn't male!"

And the list goes on. Eventually, Christina strode over to my stiff form and asked me,"Would you please tell them to shut up?!"

Numbly following her request, I ordered over the shouts,"Stop talking." In barely a moment, all chatter from every single wolf in the new pack screeched to a shuddering stop. Realizing what just happened, we all stared at each other in shock as disbelieving stares from the other people in the room found me.

Everyone was struck by surprise, muttering to each other and looking around and at me, and that was what Jake saw when he suddenly walked in the door, wearing fresh jeans and a t-shirt.

He paused, taking in the obvious tension in the room before asking,"Why is everyone so strung up?"

"She's al-" shouted one of my wolves (And wasn't that weird to say.), but I cut him off.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, Jake," I stated. I waited for him to unravel what I said, and, when he failed, I just sighed and told him,"I'm not in your problem list or pack anymore. So now you have only one reason to talk to me."

"And what would that be?" Jake questioned nervously.

"Alpha business," I replied, then announced,"I'm going. I would prefer that my pack followed me, and any Alliance members or their friends are welcome to come as well." And I turned to leave.

However, I didn't get the chance to before the door exploded inward and a horde of PFP members stood there, battle-ready.

For barely a moment, the wolves froze. Then all the alphas started shouting, including me.

"Defensive formation 6!" I ordered my pack, and they all smoothly retreated into the Pennies For Peace formation. I slid into my position and called, "Attack form 13!" And various wolves darted out of the formation to strike at the hunters before falling back to the group. After a minute or two of this, almost all of The Alliance was in the formation. The weaker elements and the wounded were hidden in the center, and the dart, strike, and retreat routine was still going. Soon enough, all the hunters were dead, immovably injured, or gone.

"Is everyone alright?" I asked, and got affirmative mutters, mostly. "OK," I called,"If you're uninjured, go help someone that's hurt. If you are injured, don't be a brave idiot and try to help. Injured get help, uninjured give it." After that, I set the example and went to Bria to get a gash on my leg checked.

After a "You're good" from the doctor-nymph, I went to check my pack and other friends. But I couldn't find one of them, even though I found her other half in shock on the floor.

"Where's Christina?" I asked Leo worriedly, and he looked up at me blankly.

"Hey!" I urged, gently shaking his shoulders,"Leo! Where is Christina?"

I snapped my fingers a couple of times in front of Leo's face, and he jumped, as though he'd been startled. Then he looked at me despairingly and muttered,"They took her."

I was off and running before he finished his sentence. I darted past my startled pack and was almost out the door when strong arms circled me from behind. I tried to break free, but the person held tight and shouted at me, "Laney, stop! Laney! What's wrong with you?"