wolves.”
Fred sighed and followed his friend out. The wolves would hear
them as soon as the door shut, but he didn’t tell Kyle that. He’d learned that
the pack saw, smelled, and heard everything. Maybe James wouldn’t mind? Fred
was James’s mate, part of the pack. He should be right by James’s side.
Kyle and Fred both crouched like naughty children at the door to
the meeting hall. It was a large room that sometimes hosted parties or fancy
ballroom dances. Wolves were pretty light on their feet when they wanted to be.
Fred had been to a pack ball once where the wolves had twirled at dizzying
speeds and he’d kissed James with champagne on his tongue.
Fred heard Gavin’s voice. “I’m sorry. I encouraged the boy.”
“You’ve been encouraging more than Thomas, brother,” James said.
“I think I have given you too little responsibility in the pack. It is time
that you learned what happens when order is not kept.”
Fred had seen Gavin and Thomas speaking regularly and Thomas’s
body language had seemed odd, almost intimate. He wondered if they’d been more
than friends and if so, how Gavin had felt when he’d seen Thomas die.
Kyle shifted from foot to foot mouthing questions at Fred, who
waved him off.
“Gavin McKenzie, you are now Theta, enforcer and protector of
all in the pack. This includes my mate and any human we choose to welcome.”
Fred gasped. Theta was a rarely used title. The Theta was
responsible for killing those who broke rules within the pack and hunting the
pack’s enemies.
“You will find the rest of this rival pack and make sure they do
no more harm to us. This is your penance.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Gavin replied.
“Melanie, step up.”
Fred heard a rustling as wolves moved around.
“You, too, have been accused of breaking pack law. You have
conspired with Thomas to help the Thorn Hill pack. What say you to these
charges?”
“You picked a human over me. Me! I am the strongest female in
the pack. I should have your young. Instead, your seed will wither inside that
human,” Melanie said bitterly.
“Your crime was not violence, but deception, and so you will not
face Thomas’s fate. You are Outcast. No pack member will acknowledge you,
welcome you, or speak to you. If you are seen on pack land after two days, you
will be hunted and harried to the border. If you trespass again, you will die.”
Fred heard her start to cry.
“No, my family is here. My brothers!”
“Anyone who chooses to leave with you may do so, but they will
not be able to return,” James said.
There was a moment of silence.
“Harvey? Ian? Mack?” Melanie asked.
Silence.
Melanie sobbed and Fred couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed
Kyle’s arm, dragging him away.
“We can’t get caught. James will spank me.”
“Oooh, kinky,” Kyle said.
They went back to James’s room after Kyle picked up some nail
polish from his room. James found them innocently sitting on the bed, painting
their toenails red.
“Is it my color?” Fred asked.
James rolled his eyes. “Deception is your color. I know you were
listening.”
“Well, am I pack or aren’t I?”
“Kyle, go tease Angel,” James said.
Kyle scowled. “Tell me everything,” he whispered to Fred as he
left.
“I should have included you,” James said to Fred. “I came to ask
you to speak with Gavin.”
“Is he going to be okay?” Fred asked. Thetas went mad sometimes.
They began hunting for pleasure rather than food or justice. There were old
tales of Theta wolves going feral and killing whole towns. Gavin was already an
angry wolf. How much angrier would he be as a Theta?
“Don’t worry about him.” James said. “He’s a strong wolf.”
“What about Melanie?”
James shrugged. “She made her choice as we all do. She is female
and might find a pack to take her in. They’re rarer
Fred sighed and followed his friend out. The wolves would hear
them as soon as the door shut, but he didn’t tell Kyle that. He’d learned that
the pack saw, smelled, and heard everything. Maybe James wouldn’t mind? Fred
was James’s mate, part of the pack. He should be right by James’s side.
Kyle and Fred both crouched like naughty children at the door to
the meeting hall. It was a large room that sometimes hosted parties or fancy
ballroom dances. Wolves were pretty light on their feet when they wanted to be.
Fred had been to a pack ball once where the wolves had twirled at dizzying
speeds and he’d kissed James with champagne on his tongue.
Fred heard Gavin’s voice. “I’m sorry. I encouraged the boy.”
“You’ve been encouraging more than Thomas, brother,” James said.
“I think I have given you too little responsibility in the pack. It is time
that you learned what happens when order is not kept.”
Fred had seen Gavin and Thomas speaking regularly and Thomas’s
body language had seemed odd, almost intimate. He wondered if they’d been more
than friends and if so, how Gavin had felt when he’d seen Thomas die.
Kyle shifted from foot to foot mouthing questions at Fred, who
waved him off.
“Gavin McKenzie, you are now Theta, enforcer and protector of
all in the pack. This includes my mate and any human we choose to welcome.”
Fred gasped. Theta was a rarely used title. The Theta was
responsible for killing those who broke rules within the pack and hunting the
pack’s enemies.
“You will find the rest of this rival pack and make sure they do
no more harm to us. This is your penance.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Gavin replied.
“Melanie, step up.”
Fred heard a rustling as wolves moved around.
“You, too, have been accused of breaking pack law. You have
conspired with Thomas to help the Thorn Hill pack. What say you to these
charges?”
“You picked a human over me. Me! I am the strongest female in
the pack. I should have your young. Instead, your seed will wither inside that
human,” Melanie said bitterly.
“Your crime was not violence, but deception, and so you will not
face Thomas’s fate. You are Outcast. No pack member will acknowledge you,
welcome you, or speak to you. If you are seen on pack land after two days, you
will be hunted and harried to the border. If you trespass again, you will die.”
Fred heard her start to cry.
“No, my family is here. My brothers!”
“Anyone who chooses to leave with you may do so, but they will
not be able to return,” James said.
There was a moment of silence.
“Harvey? Ian? Mack?” Melanie asked.
Silence.
Melanie sobbed and Fred couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed
Kyle’s arm, dragging him away.
“We can’t get caught. James will spank me.”
“Oooh, kinky,” Kyle said.
They went back to James’s room after Kyle picked up some nail
polish from his room. James found them innocently sitting on the bed, painting
their toenails red.
“Is it my color?” Fred asked.
James rolled his eyes. “Deception is your color. I know you were
listening.”
“Well, am I pack or aren’t I?”
“Kyle, go tease Angel,” James said.
Kyle scowled. “Tell me everything,” he whispered to Fred as he
left.
“I should have included you,” James said to Fred. “I came to ask
you to speak with Gavin.”
“Is he going to be okay?” Fred asked. Thetas went mad sometimes.
They began hunting for pleasure rather than food or justice. There were old
tales of Theta wolves going feral and killing whole towns. Gavin was already an
angry wolf. How much angrier would he be as a Theta?
“Don’t worry about him.” James said. “He’s a strong wolf.”
“What about Melanie?”
James shrugged. “She made her choice as we all do. She is female
and might find a pack to take her in. They’re rarer
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