The Alpha and Her Beta

Chapter Twenty-Three: Meat Shields

Chapter Twenty-Three:

Meat Shields

Screams pierced the air as the wolves who had been searching a room a few yards down the hall booked it like hell hounds were nipping at their heels. I had seen four of them enter the room earlier, but now, only two returned. The explosion that followed their quick exit pretty much answered any questions I had.

"Grenades!" One of the wolves exclaimed as he came to a stop just before me, the other wolves who had been searching other rooms also returning to our group. "There was one wolf in that room. He shot the knees out of the first two and then tossed a grenade. We weren't able to help them."

"A suicide soldier?" I questioned, a little surprised.

He nodded. Acts like that just weren't our way. We prefer to fight a battle head on, honor and glory to the one who survives. Lower Alpha Reed sure was running things a little oddly.

"Well, let's be a little more careful then. Unless someone is blatantly surrendering shoot first. Don't want any more of us exploding today." I stated, loud enough for everyone to hear.

I un-holstered my pistols once more, take the forefront of the march once more. Behind me Cerys made a disapproving noise at the back of her throat.

"A few people just got blown up and you want to be on the frontlines again?" She questioned, and she didn't seem all too happy either.

I just shrugged, continuing onwards. "I'm not going to stand behind my warriors like they're just meat shields. If I'm here to lead my people into a battle then I'll do exactly that; lead."

Coming to a stop before another door, I motioned with one pistol for someone to sling open the door. Cerys begrudgingly did my bidding, allowing me to scan the room easier and quicker. I didn't even hesitate once I saw the two wolves, two shots popped off. One bullet in each of their skulls before they could even pull the pins on their grenades.

"More grenades?" I questioned aloud to no one in particular, frowning down at their corpses.

If these wolves wanted to die, they should do so with honor and integrity by dying during a battle. Not like this. I thought to myself as I returned to my position in the center of the hall.

"I'll say this once more for your benefit." I stated loudly, speaking to any enemy who hid within the rooms down this hall. "If you surrender you will not be harmed, and you will not be imprisoned forever. Only until this war is over. Do you really want to give your life for a man like Lower Alpha Reed? For a man who happily locked the doors to his compound and let his people die like nothing but cannon fodder in that courtyard without even sending them reinforcements?

"A man who hides deep within his fortress as his men fight and die for him? I, Alpha Konstantin, fight side by side with my warriors on the frontlines. I do not cower in fear from a battle like Lower Alpha Reed, I do whatever I can to protect my wolves. Surrendering to fight another day will always be better than throwing your life away, it is not a sign of cowardice. Especially when you'll be throwing your life away for someone who doesn't even care about yours." I finished, hoping that some of the wolves would decide to surrender.

We waited a few minutes, and just when I thought that I was going to have to kill everyone after all I heard some scuffling down the hall. Some doors opened and people started filing out of the rooms slowly and cautiously. Without having to order them a few of my warriors left the lineup to encircle Cerys and I, guns trained on the wolves who had come out of hiding.

"Halt!" The he-wolf at the front yelled. "If you wish to surrender get on your knees and raise your hands in the air! Until you are detained and deemed no threat you will not take another step towards our Alpha!"