Rogue Wolf

Ch 23 Lone Wolf

I let out a relieved whine when it was Beta who finally opened the door. There were strange smells coming in with him. I could practically feel the submission coming from the guards in the hall.

My relief only lasted for a moment as Alpha came to stand behind Beta.

"Get your hands off of him," Alpha practically growled at Failure. "You don't even belong here anymore. I'll not harbor a spy for some foreign alpha in our den," snarled Alpha.

I cowered backward off of Failure, staying low to the ground. My tail was down but not tucked. Not growling at Alpha was one of the hardest things I'd ever done.

"Then stop scaring him," said Failure.

My eyes went wide. Not in a million years did I ever think the huge omega, who once was continually made to be so afraid that he would piss on himself, that the same man would stand up to Alpha and practically chew him out and give him commands!

"How long did you think he could hold out with all the pressure and demands you've put on him?" Failure, or Lone Wolf, continued. "You're obsessive behavior coupled with the drugs you give him is causing him anxiety attacks. You'd understand if you paid close enough attention to hear his heart racing. Keep it up and it will kill him."

Anxiety attacks? Is that what's been happening to me? Drugs, beyond the small pill he commanded me to swallow for the celebration? Alpha has been drugging me? It explained so much, and made me really, really angry.

"And as for me being a spy," Failure gave a little snorting laugh, "I guess I am, now."

Failure knelt before Alpha then, the way the guards usually did. He even lowered his head, but not as much as he once did.

"You commanded me to protect the pack. I have done so. Beta did nothing but follow your training methods, which resulted in his unintentionally insulting the Royal Council to the point they moved to attack him. I offered myself in his stead. I promised you I would give my life to protect Beta. It was my life the Alpha King accepted, not desiring my death. Now I belong to the Alpha who commands the pack of Alphas, the leader of the Royal Council.

Beta was going to say something, but didn't at a look from Fail... Lone Wolf. After what he just said, I wasn't going to call him Failure ever again.

Alpha sputtered, but couldn't come up with anything to say.

Lone Wolf stood and moved slightly toward Beta.

"If you are ready my lord, I will accompany you to your new quarters. Do the omegas need anything to begin cleaning?"

"No, my friend, not right away anyway. I'm eager to return to my ancestral rooms," Beta answered him. "Alpha, I'll be down the hall if you need me. I'll stop in later to check on our new one. He had best remain untouched. Come Scout."

Beta turned and left. Lone Wolf followed, the guards tight against the wall to make room for his bulk.

I slunk nervously past Alpha, tail curling in slightly. I couldn't look at him. I didn't feel bad about playing him anymore, not if he had been drugging me! I did feel like I was abandoning Michael. At least he was protected by Beta's command. I gave a nervous glance behind me. If Alpha obeyed Beta!

Beta was at the locked door! I tried to keep my breathing steady. My heart began pounding. He opened it easily, having already unlocked it. This was where the smells had come from. I was beside Beta without thinking about it as I literally followed my nose.

We went out into a wide hall, my nails clicking on the tiles. The hall ended on the right at a boarded up large window. Cracks of sunlight snuck through as if begging that the boards be taken down. I longed to see the view from that window. I lifted my snout up. I could smell a breeze... there were cleverly camouflaged vents in the woodwork above the window. I could smell the fresh outside air. My tail wagged at the scents.

Beta's hand landed on my head, idly scratching behind my ears.

"Wait until you see it, Scout. We will restore my home to its former glory!"

The hall was long. There were doors spaced out along both sides. I saw no exits, only the doors. Way down at the other end there was a set of fancy double doors. Beta strode that way with more authority than I had ever seen in him.

"Omegas!" Beta bellowed.

They came scurrying from where we had been, carrying the mop and broom, buckets with our cleaning supplies that were seldom used. They kept throwing terrified glances behind them as they hurried down to where Beta waited at the double doors.

The omegas lowered their burdens and themselves to the floor behind Beta. Their fear had a new twang to it. They were nervous about going through those doors.

Lone Wolf still stood across from our door. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking impressive as hell, when Alpha stood at the door. Alpha didn't even put the edge of his toes across the threshold. I slunk around behind Lone Wolf to rejoin Beta.

I could feel the excitement and anticipation coming from Beta as he looked down at me with such joy on his face. It reminded me of a kid at Christmas, but I knew how Christmases turned out.

I was almost afraid to look as Beta swung the doors open wide.