Prove it, Alpha

One

Eve Hoall

The wind curled around her, pushing against her and biting viciously at her vulnerable human flesh. The SnowTree Pack's alpha and beta stood in front of her--both of them large and intimidating. Her skin reddened, and her lips hardened into a grimace at the injustice of it. They stood at least thirty feet away from each other, but could hear each other as if they were standing a few inches apart.

"I came upon your request," Her voice competed with the wind for the coolest thing on the mountain, "with the impression that I was to be convinced to ally my pack with yours."

"You were correct." The beta nodded once, arms crossed in front of her, a typical Northern stance. Her slick blonde hair whipped around her face and she flicked it away, her expression revealing the annoyance that came with the human form. Her alpha stood to her left. He was a classic example of an alpha on the mountain. Large, a hulk of a man. His chest was bare, covered only with a thick mat of his blonde hair. His blue eyes bore coolly into the icy green orbs thirty feet away.

"I find I have been lied to, and the trend only continues," Green eyes narrowed, a growl behind her words. The force of it moved through her body, causing the hair to stand on end. 

"Such accusations could viewed by some as offensive, Hoall." The alpha's voice lowered. "The SnowTree Pack does not tolerate such disrespect," His teeth were already enlarged, and the cool woman's quickly followed suit.

"And I do not tolerate any waste of my time," She snarled back at him. The beta observed the interaction with an almost neutral curiosity. "I came with three requests. You have denied me on all fronts."

"Unreasonable." The alpha dismissed. She narrowed my eyes. Her limbs began to elongate, and the slow transformation only put her on edge. Irritating.

"I requested you enforce the kill policy on any wandering humans."

"They are inedible, and therefore it is unnecessary."

"No matter that that is not your decision to make? What of the fact that the entire Summit insisted it be implemented?"

"Unnecessary." The alpha reiterated sharply. Immediately a snarl ripped out of her throat. His dismissal of her reasoning made the hair on the back of her neck stand straight on end. Her baser nature's influence, that which the uninformed might call her "inner wolf" or "innate dominance," lowered her voice.

"I requested you come to our aid should we need it."

"We will not ally ourselves with wolves so weak as those who require assistance in simple skirmishes." The alpha sneered at her, and her legs snapped, effectively raising her above his head. Her skin tingled with relief, unused to and unwilling to remain in a human skin for much longer. The alpha's eyes flashed for a moment, the light blue typical of a mountain wolf. But he did not challenge her. No one had truly challenged her in a long time, and for good reason. They all knew what would happen should they attempt it.

"In terms of supply!" She snarled. "In terms of shelter for my young! For my females with pups in their stomachs!"

"Surely you misunderstood. We would have agreed to those such terms," The beta smiled down  at her. Her alpha sent her a sharp look, but the beta ignored it.

"Surely you overestimate your alpha." The green-eyed female's chest vibrated continuously with her never-ending growl. 

"And third?" The beta questioned her, voice low and soothing--the way one speaks to a wounded or scared pup.

"Tone, beta," The female alpha pulled her lips back. The beta took a step back, and the female alpha smiled at her. The beta averted her gaze and looked down, baring the back of her neck for the alpha, should she desire it. The female alpha's gums puffed out to accommodate the teeth shifting in her mouth. The pain would only be satisfying if something were in her mouth for her to chew on. Something warm, with bones to snap, with blood to coat her tongue. As it was, the pain was only an irritation, and it shortened her already limited patience. "You would do well to stay away." She warned the beta, voice lowering further because of the transformation. The alpha turned back to the primary source of her aggravation.