The Alpha and Her Beta

Chapter Seven: Elder Beccam

Chapter Seven: 

Elder Beccam

Silence was prominent within my office as I sat alone, Aaron long since having left. Mama and Otets have yet to arrive, and I've heard nothing of them. Yet I wasn't all too worried, I knew that they would be here by tonight to attend my ascension ceremony. 

A knock pulled me from my thoughts, causing me to cast a narrowed glance at my office door. "What?" 

The door pulled open, revealing someone that I didn't wish to see. "Alpha," the old wolf started, only to be cut off.

"Did I say you could come in?" I asked, glaring at the Elder. "I remember asking 'what' as in, who's there." 

The Elder sputtered, pausing in his striding steps. Like most Elders he was within his late sixties, brown hair graying at his roots. He was tall, like most werewolves, yet had a slight hunch in his back. I recognized him, Beccam, as one of the least annoying Elders within the pack.

He bowed slightly, not looking within my eyes. "Alpha Ruslan-Slava, I am Elder Beccam. Of the ten upper Elders and ten lower Elders I am the fourth lower Elder, apprentice to the second upper Elder." A thick Russian accent coated his words, as though he wasn't used to speaking English all too often. 

I waived off his rank with a sour look. "I care not for the ranks you Elders put yourselves in. To me an Elder is an Elder, no difference between the first or last. Get on with why you came here." 

Elder Beccam sent me a kind smile, taking a few steps forward. "I would like to congratulate you on your ascension. When the moon rises tonight you will officially have the title of Alpha that your father prepared you for." 

I cocked an eyebrow at him. Now this is unusual. Usually Elders don't care for flattery, thinking themselves better than an Alpha because they're a council of old wolves. For some reason they think it gives them more power than an Alpha. Even though, an Alpha still has more power than twenty old wolves. 

"Why?" I questioned, honestly curious why this Elder was being so... Pleasant. 

"Your father, Alpha Vasili, helped my family and I out a long time ago. He was the reason we were able to immigrate to the US. Alpha Vasili, although violent and rough, honestly cared for wolves. Whether they were his own or not. I can see this in you, you care for the pack just as an Alpha should. With your capabilities I'm sure you would be able to protect the Konstantin pack no matter the adversary." 

I motioned for Beccam to sit before me. "You do know I'm a half-breed, do you not?" 

As he sat he nodded before shrugging. "Of course. Everyone knows that Vasili's mate was a human woman worthy of any wolf. There hasn't been a mating between humans and werewolves in a rather long time, now no one is all too sure if the offspring of such a union would be weak or strong." 

I nearly growled, yet held myself back knowing that he hadn't meant it as any disrespect. Rather, he seemed to be explaining himself. 

"But," He continued, "it doesn't take a genius to know that you, despite being a half-breed, is quite worthy of being our Alpha. One needs only to watch you spar with your brothers or other wolves to see your strength. Similarly, by looking at your paperwork one would understand that you are capable of managing a pack. I have been watching you to determine your worth with my own eyes, after hearing what the upper Elders had to say." 

Now that peaked my interest. "Oh?" I asked, leaning forward on my mahogany desk. "And just what did those Elders say?"

The old wolf didn't flinch in the slightest, bringing a grin to my lips. "They were rather unflattering comments about you, in regards to both gender and bloodline. As a lower Elder I had no say in the matter so I kept my mouth shut, deciding to do something useful instead."