One True Alpha

Chapter 15

The collar was irritating the skin along my throat as I laid in the dirt with my females. My stomach rumbled again as the clouds came in. It would rain soon. I saw Terrance looking down on us as I growled at his form. My wolf was hungry and her mate refused to provide for her. It would not have irked me if it was just me he was not feeding. My mother had trouble accepting my father and refused to eat before her wolf finally took control. This dance of acceptance was expected of the less accepting pairs. Lifted lips and snarls were not uncommon but now he was just being cruel.

I looked at the field of females. Their throats were raw as the collar held held them to the tree we were all tethered to. All of us were hungry and my omegas were having the worst of it. Their fat reserves were depleting and a few wouldn't make it through the winter trials if they didn't start fattening up again. The higher ranked wolves surrounded them, wrapping them in the warmth they could provide. Terrance had been tearing into any male that went near us with food. The wolf had a bloated stomach as our stomachs growled in jealousy. He ordered wolves around, demanding us to go hungry until I accepted him as above me. His sandy colored wolf looked miserable at the way Terrance made him treat his mate and pack. As soon as I was let go, I would give him a hard lesson in etiquette. I snapped at him to feed his pack, our future. My wolf making it known that she was disgusted by his behavior.

After the first week, his wolf refused to shift. My feelings of disdain were too great for the wolf to meet my eyes as he kept his eyes focused on my nose when he talked to me. He didn't think I would notice, but I did. The wolf knew better than the human to starve a pack's females, a pack's future. Without bloated breeding females, a pack would not survive. If any of our females were to have any pups by their new mates, they needed food now. Our heat would approach. We needed food to prepare. Even the ones not ready for pups would need reserves while they were locked away from mates.

"I'll let you all eat, once your Alpha's pup submits to me," Terrance growled out. "She needs to know her proper place as nature intended. She thinks she is more than she is," he said as my fur rose. None of the other wolves dared to show their displeasure. Not yet. Terrance had already made himself known as the strongest male here. Going against him one-on-one would not be wise. Ironclaw's males would be coming to discipline this young pup in the proper way to gain position. They were just waiting for the orders by the highest ranking wolf. I just wished my father was here to teach him. These wolves had mate's and future pups that were in danger, there would be little control once their teeth sank into flesh. Their wolves wanted blood, I was worried for my own future and held back. It was selfish but he was my mate.

My father had left with my mother. When the future alpha brings their mate home, it is the job of the Heir and Luna-to-be to run the Hunger. I am sure he knew about the stubbornness of my Eastern male but not to this extent. My father would never allow our wolves to starve. The burning in my throat prevented any howl from forming. No calls to our father would be made for a while.

Several of the wolves lifted a lip as Terrance's back was turned. The males were approaching again. The last week they have been eager to fill the female's stomachs with meat. All they wanted was the okay from the alpha of our pack.

A few wolves were missing which I doubted Terrance noticed. They were likely in search of my father and inform him of what was happening. Alphas don't like their wolves' bellies to rumble. If my father came back to see this, he would be disappointed in his offspring. My shoulders felt like slumping in defeat as I prepared myself for what I needed to do. I couldn't show weakness though, I had to be strong for my pack. The collar seemed to tighten as I swallowed nothing because nothing had been provided.

As I looked at my females I felt my heart drop. I wasn't sure how much longer some of my females would last. They were starving for food. I was worried there wouldn't be enough fat reserves on them to keep warm once the rains came. I doubted Terrance would allow their mates to even hold an umbrella over them. His smirk drove me to pull on the burning metal encircling my throat. He jumped back as my teeth snapped shut. My bark was crisp and short as I snarled at him. "Careful, my future Luna. Before I put you in your place now," Terrance said. Dishonorable wolf. I gave him a final warning bark as he rolled his eyes. The fur on my tail rose to their points as my teeth were placed on display. Ears melted into my neck as my wolf growled and snapped. He was a danger to our pack.

Sarah was the first to growl as the other females joined. My stance had no question on what needed to be done. Her fur arched high as her teeth pointed at Terrance. He was the cause of their suffering, not me. Thick saliva spilled from their fangs as we growled. I was their Heir. Not him. I make the rules when the Alpha is away. He was supposed to help me, not hurt the pack. With a deep breath, I looked towards the male wolves. Desperation to feed their mate's was plain on their face as they nodded. Stomachs growled again, I pushed through the burn in my throat and let out a howl. It was raspy and quick before I started to have a coughing fit but the message was clear.

It was time to show the Luna-to-be, a hard lesson in how our pack expected to be treated. How our pack expected a Luna to act when the alpha was away. I would not punish them for this act of rebellion. It was a necessary shift of power. The females all stood on shaky limbs as they pointed their teeth in my mate's direction. I saw the desperation in his wolf's eyes for the human to submit to his place honorably. To fall away from what he was told he would be and to take his new path with some decorum. A shake of a head and the wolf was thrust into the back of my mate's mind. He stood and prepared for the fight of all of Ironclaw's wolves.

The other males shifted into their wolves as they lunged at Terrance. His flesh was torn open by claws as he attempted to fight off all the males. Many were aiming for his shoulder and legs. His body shivered as his wolf fought to stay beneath. His skin side needed to learn a lesson in our etiquette. We do not starve many for the sake of pride. We do not risk our entire future to be what is not our right to be.

His fists flew as wolves were knocked into darkness. Their bodies were unmoving in the dirt but they still breathed. The females barked and growled, cheering on their males as I watched. Many of our omega wolves made up the first wave as older females joined in for the sake of their daughters and sisters. The onslaught of wolves wore him down quickly. Several teeth hit the dirt as Terrance's fists made contact. A few bit into his neck but were quickly pulled off by the Alpha born's natural strength. The waves of wolves taking turns, pushing him closer to the hungry females.

I saw the large form of Philip as he made up yet another wave of wolves. The muddy brown wolf was large and in his full prime as he charged into battle. Philip managed to wrap his teeth around his throat. The swarm of fur was too great even for my alpha born mate as he was pushed and held to the ground by older and fresher wolves. Terrance couldn't pull Philip off as he bit down, clinging to his throat for his mate. He cried out as blood fell to the ground. I couldn't stop the sharp whine as my mate's injuries felt like my own. I felt powerless as my mate felt pain and humiliation. The bond demanded that I comfort him but the collar around my throat prevented such actions. My omega females stopped their barking as they wrapped their bodies around me. Comforting their alpha in a time of need. They were the blood of the pack after all. I felt a wave of shame hit me from my mate as he relaxed and submitted to a lesser born wolf. The first of my tears was quickly licked away by my omegas as I snuggled into their fur.

My wolf whined as she curled herself into a ball. We heard the crack of bones that would make him immobile for the last week of our Hunger by a beta born male. I occasionally peeked from underneath tails as the bond squirmed. The bond begged us to protect our mate. I howled my disappointment into the air as my Luna was thrust into disgrace. My omegas rubbed their fur against mine as I sank to the ground. No sound left my throat as I rubbed tears into their fur. My physical body hurt from the attack to my mate.

I felt his sadness and regret as it slammed into my wolf. He would be among the lowest ranked wolves until he could fight his way back honorably. Wolf after wolf took position as they took his neck into their jaws and soaked him in their scent, just as Jessica did to Rafael in the woods. The amount of teeth to his neck would forever scar his skin to show what he has been through. My wolf cried out as the wolves got closer to her mark.

The stink that was coating my male wrinkled my snout even as the savoryscent of fresh meat came our way. My hunger disappeared as I watched my malelie on the ground. No one would be helping him up from the puddle he made. Icontinued to stay on the ground, even as Philip placed a piece of meat near me.I wasn't hungry, not anymore. Wolves around me whined out as they pushed theirown meat closer to my jaws. Tails swung apologetically, not for what they didbut for what he allowed to happen.