Torn

Chapter Ten

“She is supposed to be the one! Are you going against the goddess's word?!” a pack member screamed. I put my head in my hands. This had been going on for at least three hours. We were in a huge conference room inside the pack house, none of us wanting to go home, not feeling safe enough to do that quite yet, even though the Hunters were long gone. Besides, the matter we were discussing was huge. We had to get a new Alpha. It affected the whole pack. Everyone had a right to vote. The thing is that Frank the Prophet had a vision as me for the Alpha and now everyone was going ape shit trying to figure out if they should give me the honor of having hundreds of lives on my shoulders, pack members who I barely even liked. What an honor (Note the sarcasm). Mason was by my side, fists clenched as he watched the fight for my destiny. If I was to become Alpha for this pack, I could never leave. I would never be able to go to art school and make a career in the thing that I loved most in the entire world. I would be trapped here, folding like a sheet under the weight of the pack. I was sure the responsibility would crush me. I wasn't meant to be Alpha. I didn't have a say in the matter apparently. I wanted the Beta to be Alpha, it only made sense but he blatantly refused. He led the 'Charlotte should be Alpha' movement, right along with Frank and Rachel. They were convinced I was meant to be Alpha but the others weren't sure.

“She has to have some sort of Alpha blood in her veins. She was picked to be Jacob's true mate. She was made to run the pack” the Beta, Steve, reasoned.

“It doesn't matter. She doesn't know the first thing about being Alpha” someone else argued. I was too tired and worn out to even notice who I should be thanking for trying to get me off as prime candidate for Alpha.

“That's what doesn't matter. It's in her blood. She'll learn easy enough. Besides, it's not like being an Alpha is preforming heart surgery. She'll do fine, even is she's only a woman” Steve said.

“How about we let her decide?” someone else said. Everyone turned to me. I opened my mouth but was rudely interrupted.

“It doesn't matter what she wants, it's about what's best for us!” Steve said. I gave him my best evil glare. He was such an ass.

“I guess so”

“Who would you rather as Alpha? Huh? The Beta who doesn't have a speck of Alpha blood in him or the woman who has at least half of it in her veins? The one who isn't made for the responsibility or the one who is? The goddess's wish is for Charlotte to be our Alpha. Don't go against the word of the one who rules over us all” Rachel said, shutting most of them up. The room was silent for a moment.

“I guess you're right” the man who ruthlessly didn't want me to be Alpha said. I sat up, eyes wide. Without him, everybody else would agree to the ridiculous notion that I should become Alpha. They did, nodding along.

“Say hello to our new Alpha” Frank said, kneeling and showing me his bare neck. No. This couldn't possibly be happening. The rest of the pack promptly got on their knees, showing me their necks in a show of respect and trust. No no no no no no! This couldn't be happening! The only one not kneeling was Mason. He shared a wide eyed look of shock with me before slowly kneeling down too. Oh goddess no. I watched my dreams fall down to a bloody heap at my feet. I was done for.

After about a minute, everybody got up and, chatting amongst themselves, left for their homes, reassured now that they had an Alpha. Rachel was smiling when she walked up to me.

“Congrats” she beamed at me, hugging me tight. She left. Soon I was alone with the Beta and Mason. I sent Steve a freezing look.

“I'm sure you'll do a fine job” he said, not sounding like he meant it, smiling as well. As if ruining my life and dreams were fun. As if he were granting me my fondest wish. I walked up to him.