Chapter 9
“Shapiro, Dolls, good work.” Nicole said approvingly as the two wolves walked the edge of the training area to sit with the others and called the next pair she wanted up. She had them fighting as wolves as well as in human form and she called each pair up, stopping to correct anything as everyone listened.
They had been at this for many hours and Nicole was ready to go back to her cottage, light the fire and relax. The Alpha had been working very hard on the fighters skills every day and the Pack had gotten used to her presence. Wynonna made it a point to invite her for drinks with her friends often and the Pack members left her in peace. She never caused any issues in the weeks she was now with the Pack
“Doc, Champ, you’re up next.” She said and saw the older moustache man stand and shift into his black and white wolf. Champ scoffed as he pulled off his tunic before dropping it on Waverly’s head.
“fold my clothes.” He ordered the omega sitting beside him and strutted towards Doc, dumping his breeches a few feet put of Waverly’s reach, puffing himself up and showing off his muscles, showing off his physic to all the women of the Pack as he smirked arrogantly.
“Knock seven shade of shit out of him or I will.” The female Alpha muttered to the black and white beast as Champ slightly faltered. Most of the watching fenrir had begun to jeer and boo the male Alpha and Doc looked determined.
“How come you aren’t ever in wolf form?” Champ asked Nicole suddenly, desperate to distract from himself and delay the fight. He saw Nicole furrow her brow and he grinned. He had hit a nerve. “it’s probably some pathetic mongrel with you being a Rogue and all.” He goaded. A few pack members shouted at him to shut up.
Nicole shrugged and indicated to the training area. “Shift and get into position.” She ordered easily, never rising to the man’s daily taunts.
“Nah, see! You’re only strong as a human. You probably aren’t even a wolf shifter. Your probably a coyote or mangy fox shifter.”
Nicole had to hold back Rua who was eager to shift and show the man how wrong he was but Nicole didn’t want anyone to know just how different she was. This wasn’t her pack.
“Champ, please stop.” Waverly said. Her boyfriend was on thin ice and she was surprised Nicole hadn’t shut him up already. The man glared at the omega over his shoulder before turning back to Nicole.
“why don’t you show us your wolf? Huh? Do you even have one?”
Nicole tutted and rolled her eyes. “Champ, if you aren’t going to train please leave. I’m not being paid to stand here and listen to your nonsense.” She said evenly.
That’s when Champ decided to force her hand but Nicole saw it coming. As fast as he could he shifted and lunged at her with his fawn coloured wolf but she swung and punched him square in the muzzle, cracking bone and making the wolf yelp and whimper in pain but he turned and ploughed into the female Alpha who was still in human form and the soldiers around either cheered on their favoured fighter or yelled in protest at Champ’s actions.
Nicole grabbed onto his thick coat and leapt on his back easily, as if he was the pony he matched in size. She wrapped her arms around his throat in a choke hold as he tried to get her off but she growled in his ear. “If I make you piss your breeches in my human form you better pray you never meet my wolf. I could kill you right now, like this. It’s not even difficult.”
The man shifted back to human and lay panting on the ground as Nicole released him and walked back to Doc.
“Pete. You’re up against Doc. You two,” she pointed to the men closest to where Champ was laying still, exhausted, out of breath and humiliated once again, “pull him outta the circle.”
Waverly hung her head as Angel praised the female Alpha loudly in her mind. She had to agree with her wolf. Nicole beating an Alpha wolf while in human form should have been impossible but she had done it with ease. Some of the others were muttering about the fight and Wynonna elbowed her.
“Fucking hell, Baby Girl. I’m asking Doc for a free pass...” the beta joked, expecting a chuckle or eye roll from her sister but to her surprise and Waverly’s, the omega growled at her. “Waves, relax. Champ had it coming.”
Waverly bit on her lip and turned to watch the new fight (really she just stared at Nicole) but she fell deep into her thoughts. Champ hadn’t been why she growled. Angel took great offence to Wynonna talking about the Alpha like that but what was truly shocking was the spike of jealousy Waverly experienced. She suddenly felt hot and uncomfortable, listening to Angel as she took in every detail of the woman’s face.
Nicole looked completely unbothered by the entire situation as she closely watched the fighters but Waverly started when the Alpha’s eyes rose and met hers. The omega felt frozen and unable as she was unwilling to look away from rich, warm mahogany that flashed gold.
Nicole fought to keep her face neutral as she struggled to break the intense eye contact with the omega but for once the brunette wasn’t looking at her with anger or weariness. There was something else in that look that made Nicole feel a little hot under the collar.
‘You have her attention.’ Rua thrilled as Nicole prayed she didn’t blush.
The Alpha ignored her wolf and dismissed the soldiers for the day.
Waverly jumped to her feet and hurried home to wash and change. Her father had said he wanted a family meal that evening and she didn’t want to be late. She shook Nicole from her mind but Angel noticed with glee that the omega seemed to have forgotten to check on Champ.
A short while later she sat beside her sisters at the table. The Pack House had been closed off to the other pack members so Julian could speak to his family privately. He had something important to tell them.
Julian seemed uncharacteristically quite and serious as the other ate and talked. Michelle knew her mate was troubled it had come to this but he had to make sure he put the Pack first.
“Daddy, are you ok?” Waverly asked her sire and he gave her a sad smile.
“I have something difficult to say and I appreciate that it will seen unfair but I must put the pack first.” The man started, sounding grave. Waverly’s chest tightened unpleasantly, worried about what the man was going to say. Her breath caught in her throat. Was he about to make Champ a Rogue.
“Waverly, you are my heir, the only one I have but I will not allow this pack to fall into the wrong hands when I am no longer here.”
Waverly gasped, affronted, she was supposed to be the next pack omega. “Daddy, how could you say that? I do so much for the Pack-“ her protests were cut off by the man’s growl.
“Waverly, you are not who I was talking about. If you insist on mating with Champ then I will find another heir.” He said with a tone of finality but Waverly whimpered and he sighed.
“You promised-“
“I promised to let you find your own mate, choose your own mate, a suitable mate to help you lead. If Champ really is your mate and you insist on binding yourself to him then understand the Pack comes first and you are destined to be dragged down with him.”
Waverly looked at her mother and sisters, aghast by her father’s words and looking for an ally but none of them looked like they were going to jump to her defence.
“I can’t believe you are holding the pack over my head-“
“Its my pack.” Julian growled as he slammed a fist on the table, startling his daughter. “If I had known you would make such an unsuitable choice I would have never given you the freedom to choose! If I wanted to truly be cruel I would break by promise and find you a decent mate myself!” he yelled. “After his actions in training today is enough for me to kick him out of this pack and I am sorely tempted.”
Waverly was in shock. Her father had never spoken to her like that before and she felt like the rug had been pulled out from her. She got to from the table and ran out of the Long house, ignoring Wynonna who was trying to chase her but the omega was too quick and managed to lose her sister. She stripped when she was deep enough in the forest and shifted to her wolf. She needed to run and think. She needed to be alone to overanalyse the situation to death before she made any decisions.
She was so hurt by her father but her wolf gave her no sympathy.
‘Even you cannot be surprised by our sires decision. Champ is pathetic and our father is right.’ The wolf said.
‘We only have one True Mate!’ Waverly protested weakly.
‘We only have one pack!’ the wolf retorted before Waverly blocked her out and ran on to find somewhere she couldn’t be easily found.
Back in the long house, everyone sat in awkward silence until Wynonna returned and shook her head to let them know she hadn’t caught up to Waverly. Julian groaned and wiped his face in frustration.
“I should have approached that better.” He wiped his face in frustration as Michelle rubbed his back.
“I don’t think there was ever going to be a good way to approach that, My Love.” The omega said sadly as her other daughters and Doc made noises of agreement. Robert kept eating but said nothing, his mate warning him to not react through their mindlink.
“I feel like an asshole.” Julian groaned again. He never wanted to upset his daughter and maybe he had come in a little hot and been harsher than he intended.
“Waverly will make the right choice, Julian.” Willa reassured him but he didn’t answer before he left the table and went for a drink in the Ale house. He would try and speak to Waverly in the morning and hopefully explain himself better and in a calmer manner when they both had time to decompress.
He adored his daughter but he was resolved. Champ would never be pack Alpha. He would let Waverly mate with him if she was so determined but he really didn’t want that either.
That boy would ruin her life and as a father he wanted to protect her but at this point she had to face the consequences of her own choices, good or bad. He couldn’t save her from everything.