Chapter Twenty-One
Iwanted to stay in bed, but the fact someone else was in here made me get up from the bed and pull out my bags. I packed up my stuff, as soon as I was done, I pulled it down to my truck and packed it into the back.
I was starving by the time I was done, but I pushed myself to keep going. The truck was full, and I needed to grab food to fill the apartment. So I was going to head to the cafeteria, but Rowan’s words stopped me. I needed to be weak, hurt, isolated. So I slid into my truck and rubbed my eyes.
I sat there, and I remembered my first life.
My death. And the anger came, but so did my loss.
My baby was gone and there was nothing I could do.
I placed my hand on my belly and I remembered the feeling of his first kicks, his butterfly-like movement in my stomach.
And then I remembered the feeling of having him ripped from me.
The only time I got to hold his tiny body. And then the tears came.
Once I had cried for my lost child, I sent a prayer to the moon goddess to tell my boy how much I love him and I got out to run into the cafeteria.
I headed straight to the store section. I could hear the sniffles of some of the affected students.
The ones that had lost their families. But I remembered my son, and I wiped a tear away as I silently filled my basket with the pre-made dinners and grabbed drinks.
I stood in line as I heard another wail come from the tables.
I glanced over and I saw Toya throwing her head back, and Rowan comforting her. I guess I was the only one getting the truth because I had a part in this.
These kids won’t find out for years that their families might still be alive. My heart ached for her. But we all needed to play along and at least their pain will be real.
I made it to the checkout without any issues and paid for my food. I made my way out of the room when Toya rushed up to me. “They are gone…”
I just nodded as I focused on my loss, my boy, and another tear spilled over. “They are gone.” I hated lying to her, but we all had a part to play in this farce.
“How?”
“I don’t know yet. But I promise I will do everything I can to find out.”
She wobbled on her feet and I wrapped my arm around her waist right before she fell. “How could they all be gone?”
“Because they were weak.” A voice snapped our heads up, and I nearly shifted, even knowing that everyone was still alive. But Toya didn’t know, and cinnamon colored fur spurted from her skin as her eyes shifted to a dark black. I couldn’t even see their color. They were so dark from her anger.
I turned to face Nina and her newest pawns. “I would suggest you leave right now, or I will allow Toya to shift.”
“What is she going to do? She is just as weak as her father.” A vicious growl slipped from her throat and I knew she couldn’t be left in the dark. She would kill someone.
“Let me make myself clear. She is an Alpha, your minions are low-ranking Betas and a Gamma if you're lucky.”
“That’s not entirely true.” An unfamiliar voice stepped over. The aura rippling off of the new woman was stronger than anyone else there, but still not impressive. She was tall, brown-haired, with black eyes. She looked nearly identical to Nina.
I laughed. “Nina, tell your sister that if she doesn’t tuck her aura away, I will shift and help Toya here rip all of you to shreds. And I won’t fucking bat an eye.” I let Nix come closer and I felt my eyes shift to their golden hue.
“You wouldn’t dare.” The unknown woman called smugger than she had any right to be. “I’m being trained to take a seat on the council.”
“I honestly don’t give a fuck right this second.” I called out as I met her eyes. “Press your luck with me one more time and the only seat you will take is in a wheelchair, because I will rip the legs from your body and command your wolf to heal over the stumps.”
I watched her eyes widen and everyone else took a step back. “You wouldn’t dare. I’ll be on the council and my sister is going to be queen.”
I turned to face them both. “I want you two to look at us and really ask yourself the question. Do these two women, who just lost everything, look like the type of wolves who give a fuck about who you might be in the future?”
The silence that followed was deafening. And I waited until the girls standing with Nina and her sister all fled. “If you don’t move, I will scar you so badly that no one will mate with you.” Toya’s voice was deadly. She meant every word.
“What’s going on here?” Vince’s voice was like nails on the chalk board right this second. I could not deal with his bullshit right now.
I felt Toya tremble, and I looked at her. She faced me and I could see a little fear in her eyes. But I just squeezed her side, and she straightened her back. We would face this together.
“Alpha Vince, these two threatened my sister and I.” Nina’s sister was toeing a line she wasn’t ready to face.
I felt my face harden, and I turned to face Vince. Even he flinched back from me. “What do you mean?” He hedged his bet, hoping not to get involved.
“What do I mean? Exactly that. They threatened us.” She nudged Nina, and she jumped in with a smirk.
“Nadine is telling the truth. I was just coming here to give them both my condolences about losing their packs, and they just threatened me. My sister came over when she saw Toya start to shift.” Nina turned to face us.
“If you can’t control your wolves, maybe you aren’t fit to be at school and you should leave.
” Her mouth dropped open, and she slapped her hand over her mouth.
“Oh my. I’m so sorry. I forgot you don’t have anywhere to go. ”
Toya lunged, but I held her back. “Toya, Nina is right. If you can’t control your wolf, you will have to leave. She has done nothing to provoke you.”
Toya stumbled back into me as if she had been slapped. Her head snapped at Vince. “She didn’t provoke me?”
Vince stepped closer. “I understand your family is gone, but this is unacceptable.” He turned to face me and I could see a little triumph in his eyes.
“Amy, I know you lost your father, but you still have Morgan and your mother. You are still a member of my pack. So you should conduct yourself better than this.”
I felt my eyes narrow and Vince could feel my anger.
But I held my tongue. “You are right. I should conduct myself better. But you will have to excuse us. We just lost our family and then we have to deal with lesser wolves coming up to us, and making fun of that loss. Alpha Vince, how should I respond to someone enjoying the loss of life?”
“What?” Vince turned to face the sisters. But a voice called out that settled me a little.
“Yes, Alpha Vince. How should two Alpha wolves respond to their jabs?” Rowan walked from around the corner with crossed arms.
“My king, we didn’t-”
“Nadine, I would keep your lies for the rest of the council. I heard everything you and your sister said. I heard Alpha Toya’s and Amy’s responses.”
Her mouth snapped shut with a clink of teeth. “I wasn’t…” Her words trailed off and she looked down.
“As a representative of my council, I expected better of someone in your position. But I realized that after everything that happened today, I really shouldn’t. Your family has proven to be less than reliable.”
“My king. That isn’t true.” Nina rushed to his side and grabbed his arm. “We were-”
“Being bitches.” Toya finished.
Nadine walked over to Toya and slapped her. Neither Rowan and Vince stopped her, and I felt my anger peak.
“You don’t get to speak to us that way, orphan.” Nadine smirked as she finished, and I snapped my clawed hand out and wrapped it around her throat. Nadine gasped.
“What did you just say?” My voice was deadly.
“I was just-” she started, but I squeezed my hand to silence her.
“You and your sister were just strutting around here, using your close position with the king to lord over other students. Lying to get what you want. And using your rank and future positions to bully other students. Even ones that have just lost their families. And you do it with no repercussions because you allow it to happen.” I finished for her, looking between both men.
“Both of you.” My words were cutting but truthful.
“But I stand by my promise.” I refocused on Nadine and allowed Nix even closer so that her words combined with my own.
I squeezed Nadine’s throat as I stared at Nina and.
“If either of you so much as look at Toya or me in any way that I find offensive. I will rip your limbs from your body and command your wolves to heal over the wounds so you are a torso, and then I will throw you into a river.”
Both girls cried out as I tossed Nadine to the floor. Vince looked pale, but Rowan turned away.
Nina wrapped her arms around her sister and looked between Vince and Rowan. “Are you going to let her threaten us?”
I laughed as I let go of Toya for a moment and crouched down to be level with them. “You have it very confused.”
Nadine looked at Nina and then back at me. “What are you talking about?”
“They aren’t letting me do anything. If you hadn’t noticed, I’m a very strong Alpha, stronger than any female alive today and most men.
Vince and the king do not let me do anything.
I do it, and then I deal with the repercussions.
And let me be frank. The way you two lord over everyone, when let’s be honest, you are actually pretty weak for Alphas. Toya is stronger than you.”
“No, she isn’t.” Nina shot back and glared at us. “She couldn’t measure up to me and Nadine is stronger than me.”
“See, that is where you got it wrong.” I looked back at Toya and she straightened her shoulders.
But I could feel I was right. Her wolf, even being an Alpha, was like Cass’s.
She would rather put her strength into her shifted form than her aura.
“She is a stronger wolf. And I will train my girls to realize their full potential.”
The words hit the two women like physical blows. Even both men turned to look at me. “What do you mean?” It was Toya who wanted to know.
“I refuse to allow this loss to define us, Toya. And I refuse to let it make us weak.” I stood and faced her. “Starting this week, all of us, we will train between classes. I refuse to lose any more of my people, and now my wolf has claimed you as mine.”
Rowan’s face shifted, and he pointed at me. “You are right.”
“What?” I turned to face him.
“You should train. Everyone should train.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.
“Hey, who is our best trainer that we can spare?” He listened for a few minutes.
“Uh huh, uh huh, okay. Send Dunn.” He pulled his phone away from his ear and clicked a few buttons.
“I put him on the floor below the penthouses. I’ll have the details ironed out and in place by the time he gets here.
Tell him he’ll be staying indefinitely. If we need to switch him out, we will, but I would rather slot him into a permanent placement here at the school.
I think Yenna will enjoy that.” He was quiet, and he nodded.
“I know she told me last week. I’ll make sure they have one of the biggest apartments, so the pup will have a room.
Let me know what he says.” Rowan hung up his phone and then turned to Vince.
“We will start training here. I’ll have one of my best trainers here and everyone will have a session during the day.
Work with your secretary to find the best time to slot for everyone during the day.
I’ll come to the office to help you make a plan as soon as I am done telling everyone. ”
“That isn’t what I meant, my king.” I stood. I stepped closer to him. “Even if there is a new training course, I will still have my own training for my people.”
“And that is entirely your choice. But you were right. We have been neglecting a vital part of your growth while you are at school, and I am baffled that it took this long for anyone to point it out.” He turned to Vince.
“We are wolves, and we have trained our packs every day, so why would we stop when our next generation comes to school?”
I didn’t want to discuss school courses right this second and my anger was weaning. I grabbed Toya’s hand. “Come with me to my room?”
“Of course.” Toya smiled, but I saw her lip quiver.
I turned and gave a quick bow to Rowan. “We will take our leave.”
Rowan nodded, but Nina screeched. “You can’t seriously let them go with no punishment.”
I turned away from her and grabbed my food from the floor, where I dropped it. Toya glared at the two women still cowering on the floor, but she followed as I turned to leave.
“What do they need to be punished for?” Rowan’s question had me slowing down.
“They threatened us!” Nadine nearly shrieked.
“From what I gathered, and my king, you can tell me if you feel the same, it seems like you two initiated the interaction. You came up to these two women after they lost their families and decided it was a good idea to make fun of them. Is that about right?”
“Alpha Vince.” Nina stammered.
“Answer him.” Rowan growled.
“Yes.” Nadine answered.
“Then I guess their punishment is not attacking you and putting you in your place.” Vince turned away. “I think that is punishment enough.” Rowan nodded and we all left them on the floor.