Chapter 14
Nicole waited for Julian outside the Pack Alpha’s quarters and she worried her lip nervously. She didn’t want to let the man down when she had made a commitment to him but she wasn’t sure he would want her around anymore.
She now had a target on her back and he was an Alpha who had his pack’s best interest in heart. Nicole would leave immediately, her bag was already packed.
Julian appeared and much to her surprise he gave her a fatherly smile before he sighed.
“I do not accept your resignation.” He said knowingly before he patted her arm and indicated for her to sit on the nearest bench. “that is unless you no longer feel comfortable here?”
“No... uh... it’s not that...it’s....i thought you wouldn’t want me here anymore?” She was a little perplexed by his reaction and he shook his head.
“Nicole, I’ve known you were something special from the moment we met. It wasn’t even your wolf or the fact you saved us. Something told me to keep you around for a while. That you were important and all you needed was an opportunity to rest and get on your feet. Truthfully even if you hadn’t agreed to work for me I would have still offered you the cottage.” He said.
“I didn’t know it was true. The stories.” Nicole said, giving the man a pleading look begging him to understand. “I still don’t believe all of it. My pack is dead and gone now anyway so what does it matter?” Nicole said, more emotion in her voice than Julian was used to hearing. “I’m just a Rogue now.” and Julian shook his head. He had thought a lot about this long into the night.
“Go speak to Isa. She will have more answers for you than I ever could but please don’t leave yet. I couldn’t bear to see you walk off into the cold.” He grunted affectionately and playfully punched her arm. “Now, get out of here”
Nicole was relieved he hadn’t wanted her to go yet and she appreciated that he was always kind. She stood and left to patrol.
Julian’s shoulders slumped as he watched her go before he heard Waverly come out of her room and give her father a sad look before sitting beside him.
“I don’t know how she stands the loneliness...” Waverly said. She had slept very little and had done nothing but think about the female Alpha in a multitude of new ways. She had thought Nicole was just some Rogue, lying about being orphaned to cover some crime or like she was at fault in some way. But seeing how the Alpha had broken down and opened up she realised Nicole truly had lost more than Waverly could ever know.
Julian put an arm around her shoulders and sighed. “What other choice does she have? She’s the last of the First.” He said before he went to get ready for the day, leaving his daughter alone with her thoughts.
Once Waverly dressed she grabbed an apple as she went about her morning duties. She joined Jeremy near the store house to take inventory. The winter was far from over and that meant they had to carefully monitor their supplies. The male omega tried speaking about what had happened at the feast the night before but Waverly shut him down.
Waverly didn’t want to gossip about Nicole so she told him to go count the barrels while she went to count the sacks of grain, trying to distract herself from thinking about the woman until it was time to go to training.
She noticed a few of the omegas who had never trained were sitting in a group, eagerly looking around while other pack members were also approaching the training yard. It was like the first day of training all over again. They wanted answers they were not entitled to and Waverly was worried Nicole would feel cornered but when the Alpha finally did appear she was back looking as stoic and unbothered as she did everyday. She had a thin scar on her face where the wound was and the brunette couldn’t help think the redhead really was very attractive.
Waverly watched Nicole look around at the gathered people, furrowed her brow before the Alpha spoke up. “Anyone who’s not meant to be here please leave. Everyone else, grab swords and shields and the pair off.” She ordered but arched a brow when no one moved. Her eyes met Waverly’s for the briefest of moments as she scanned the crowd. “What?”
“Show us your really from the Red Wolf Pack!” someone shouted and others made noises of agreement but Nicole just shrugged.
“No.” She said as she pulled her own sword from its scabbard and examined the blade’s edge.
“NO!” Robert shouted as he stepped forward. “If we are to believe you, it’s time you show us why!”
“I don’t care if you believe me or not. I’m here to train you not entertain you and you already know my qualifications for that.” Nicole said sounding bored. Waverly bit her lip to hold back a small smile, Nicole really was quite quick witted and hard to get a rise out of and the omega was impressed. Normal Alphas were always react first, ask questions later.
“No!” Willa shouted from beside her Mate and pointed at Nicole. “The Priestess told us all! We deserve to know the truth!” others cheered the omega's words and Waverly growled and stood up.
“stop it.” The omega said to her eldest sister. “Nicole does not have to show any of us her wolf is she doesn’t want to!”
Willa glared at Waverly as Wynonna and those who liked the Rogue shouted in agreement. Nicole was touched by Waverly’s support and surprised she had spoken up but she instantly turned her focus to a couple of the younger men stepping forward with bows and arrows pointing them at the Redhead who carefully took Waverly’s arm and pulled her back behind her as Champ stepped into view.
“Hey, What the fuck?!” Wynonna barked as she and others stood to join Nicole. “what do you fuckers think your doing?!” She shouted as Doc ran to get Julian. Nicole could smell the rising tension and began to wonder why the hell this was getting so out of hand and worried about the pack members getting her.
She took a deep breath and released the most powerful snarl she had ever done and everyone before her fell back, exposing their throats and whimpering. A moment later Julian and Doc appeared in wolf form and Nicole bowed to him.
“What the hell happened?!” Julian shouted when he shifted and found more than half his pack on their knees, completely cowed. Nicole sighed and was about to speak when Willa, Wynonna and Waverly all began to shout their version of events at Julian who looked startled. “STOP!” he barked but others started shouting too. He looked at Nicole who had her head down and was looking at the ground.
Julian walked towards her and put a hand on her shoulder.
“What happened?” he whispered.
“They took offense to my refusal to show them my wolf. They wanted me to prove what Isa said was true. Some of them pulled out bows and arrows and some were on my side. I had to deescalate it.” She muttered and he growled. “I’m sorry.” She added but he shook his head.
“Dont be. It is I who should apologise, I should have been here.” He looked at his pack and growled again when Willa began to shriek about how the pack needed to see the truth. Many Pack members spoke up in agreement with Willa and everyone began to shout again.
Julian was about to shout at everyone to shut up but Nicole-feeling guilty- got his attention.
“I can just shift. It will be easier than sowing resentment if you take a Rogue’s side. Pretend to order me instead to regain peace.” Nicole growled in his ear and the man nodded before turning back to his arguing Pack.
“Everyone, Quiet!” he ordered and everyone did, looking at him. “Stand back and shut up! Haught,” he pointed at Nicole. “shift.”
“Daddy, no!” Waverly gasped and looked at Julian with a betrayed expression.
“No.” Nicole winked at Julian in such a way no-one saw but Julian squared his shoulders.
“I order you to shift.” Julian Repeated and Nicole lowered her head and nodded, beginning to strip and everyone backed up. Nicole turned her back on the crowd as she kicked off her boots as Waverly went to her side.
“Nicole, if you don’t want-“
“It is ok, Omega.” Nicole said softly as she pulled down her breeches, ignoring Wynonna’s wolf whistle at seeing the Alpha’s ass. “You better stand back.”
Waverly hurried away and turned back just in time to see Nicole instantly transform into the enormous, red wolf that had take Waverly’s breath away the first time she had seen it. Nicole’s beast shook out its shaggy, long coat, the animal’s tail curled proudly over her back, standing at her full height.
The omega had never seen anything as magnificent as the huge wolf and the rest of the Pack were awestruck as the animal took a step forward. Again some pack members fell to their knees in shock.
Nicole sat and glared at Willa, Robert and Champ, curling her lip at the agog trio, as if to say ‘Happy now?’
Some of the Pack broke into cheers as they realised the stories were true and they were bearing witness to a legend in the flesh. Nicole shook her head of the sound and went back to her clothes, shifted and dressed before turning around again. Everyone was staring at her but she growled.
“Now get back to work!” she ordered and sighed when everyone began to dissipate.
“Thank you.” Julian whispered to her before Waverly approached them and poked her father will her expression was thunderous.
“How could you do that? Nicole, are you ok?” the omega asked the redhead as she put hand on Nicole’s arm.
“Its fine, Waverly, we had a plan. Nicole knew it was the only way to calm everyone down and make me look strong.” Julian assured his daughter and Nicole nodded.
“they weren’t going to let it go.” The Alpha said. “but thank you.”
Julian smirked as the wind went out of his daughters sails before she squeezed her arm again before she went to join Jeremy who was babbling excitedly to himself about what he had just seen.
“Some of the soldiers will be absent for a fortnight while they work the mines for pulling out weapons on you.” Julian said and shifted back to his sandy coloured wolf to trot back to the pack house.
Wynonna ran over to her and punched her arm as she laughed in disbelief. “Holy Shit! You’re wolf is crazy big!”
Nicole couldnt help it and chuckled despite herself while nodding. “ I’m aware.”
“I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t that! I just thought you would be a bit bigger. It’s bad ass.” Wynonna rambled and Nicole rolled her eyes as Rua puffed out proudly.
On the other side of the training area Waverly heard her sister calling her and found Willa striding towards her, looking angry and making the younger omega break out in a cold sweat as she flashed back to her childhood and she flinched when the older woman stopped in front of her.
“Why the hell did you back up that freak against Robert and I? We deserved to know and it’s not a good look to go against m- the pack.” Willa growled but Waverly shook her head.
“She shouldn’t have to do what you want, Willa, just because she’s different.” She bit back but her older sister sneered in response.
“Dont be ridiculous! She’s not special she’s a freak. You need to grow up.” Willa spat before stomping away, leaving Waverly angry, shaken and confused.
She forgot about her altercation pretty quickly when the Alpha appeared and told her to get back to training before the redhead observed them and gave them small corrections until she moved on. Waverly watched her go before she went back to sparring with Jeremy