The carcass was nothing but bone and blood-soaked grass as Aceso stood up. “We need to find a suitable den.” Aceso lifted her nose to air and inhaled. The white patch of fur on her chest expanded with her lungs. “I don’t sense anybody near us.” Aceso looked down at the rest of her pack. “We split up and find ourselves a home. We have a lot of daylight left.” She turned and focused all of her attention on Nicolas. “That includes you.”
Nicolas shrugged his shoulders and unsuccessfully on purpose tried to hide a smile. “Anything you say, babe.”
William started to rise and Aceso shook her head at him.
“Ah, isn’t that cute. What’s that matter tough guy, don’t want to upset your woman?”
William charged. His anger took over and all he wanted was blood. Nicolas was weak and inexperienced. William tackled him to the ground and pinned him to the dirt while levering his arm into the air in a painfull way. William buried his knee into the blonde werewolf’s neck and applied pressure. Nicolas was caught off guard by the attack and he was quickly subdued. William could feet his feeble attempts to free his face from the dirt and ease the pressure from the knee on his neck. William grinned and pressed even harder. He felt the energy drain from his opponent, and he felt the life leaving Nicolas just as air was leaving his lungs and brains. William smiled at his defeated opponent.
He felt large and strong hands grip him from under the armpits and yank him off his prey. The unknown hands dragged him back through the tall grass several paces away from the blonde werewolf. He felt the pressure go for an instant than vise grips locked onto his arms, and he felt a severe pressure in his spine. William was being held in a seated position looking up. Aceso was moving toward him. He wasn’t sure what happened, but his face and stomach erupted in pain. The pain ebbed and left a stinging sensation all over his body. Aceso stood over him. The pressure was released on his back and arms, and he bowed his head to his Alpha. William felt a new pain surge through his neck. He felt Aceso’s warmth close to him and he could feel her teeth digging into his flesh. The pain was welcome, and he accepted the punishment. After long moments Aceso let go and William was able to stand up again.
He stood over Aceso, his head still bowed, his tail low and between his legs. She nodded to whoever was behind him. William glanced to find Charles standing behind him. William nodded to the man and the nod was returned. William knew that Charles had done the right thing and he was grateful that he had pulled him off Nicolas.
He looked over at the blonde werewolf. A werewolf that he hadn’t been introduced to was tending to his wounds. She is a healer also, whoever she is. He looked over to see the cream-colored werewolf sitting back on her haunches, watching and waiting to see what happened next.
Aceso stalked to the center of the gathering. “We have more important things to do than fight with each other.” She glanced at Nicolas.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
The blonde was lounging on the grass. Even though William could have killed him he still carried that air of arrogance and condescension about him as if he was king of the world. William wanted to tear him apart. But he was bound by the will of his Alpha. She had ordered him not to fight, and so he would follow her orders. He wondered if Ares, or the Elders or whoever was responsible for putting this pack together knew what a complete and utter shit Nicolas was and how much trouble he was going to cause them.
“We need to find a den.” Aceso looked at the cream-colored werewolf then. “Katherine, you and Achelois search north.” Katherine nodded. She and Achelois stood up and ran off into the forest. Aceso turned to the man standing behind William. “Charles take Nicolas and head west.”
Charles moved to where Nicolas was lounging on the grass. Charles stood over him. Nicolas seemed to be amused by the whole thing and stretched. To William, it appeared as if the man was going to lie down on the grass. Charles gripped Nicolas’s claw and heaved him to a weak, swaying, standing position. This may have surprised Nicolas because he stood there a moment, blinking at the larger black werewolf. Charles motioned in a westward direction with his arm. Nicolas turned his head and began to walk in the direction indicated. Charles turned back toward Aceso and bowed his head. Aceso returned the gesture and with a shrug of his tall broad shoulders Charles followed the slowly moving Nicolas back into the forest.
When they were alone Aceso turned back to William. “What was that?”
“He insulted you and he insulted me. I don’t know what happened I just acted.”
“You would risk our pack over words, spoken by a petulant pup?” Aceso took a few steps toward William. William hung his head in resignation. His tail drooped even lower and seemed to swing between his legs. “We have to learn to live with each other. We don’t get to choose who our pack mates are.” Aceso grabbed William snout with her claw and forced it up so that his eyes met hers. “William, I need you to be better than that. You are our pack Enforcer. I need you to start thinking clearly and if that means taking a few insults from a grass eating pup, then I need for you to take them.” Aceso let go of William’s snout and he stood up straight, keeping eye contact with Aceso the whole time.
“I don’t like him, but I will do as you ask. I have followed you this far, Aceso, I will continue to follow, no matter what happens.”
Aceso nodded and a slight smile touched her lips. “Thank you. Now let’s go, we have a den to find.” She turned but William stopped her with a question.
“What happened to you?”
Aceso turned back around and looked at him as if she had no idea what he was saying.
William continued, “When we first got here, they took you. I… I asked everyone I met where you were, what was happening to you, and all I ever got was, ‘you can’t see her, she’s being punished’.”
Aceso stood silently looking at him with even, almost emotionless eyes. “I was being punished.” Her eyes seemed to drift far away as she sank into her memories.
“What happened to you?”
Aceso’s eyes slowly focused on him as she spoke softly, barely above a whisper, “I was taken to a very old, very dark, and very quiet place in the mountain. I was given pain, and loneliness. I was there for days, but it might have been years. Do you have any idea what it feels like to welcome the pain of a tormentor just so you don’t have to be alone anymore? So that you can know that you are not the only living thing left on earth?”
William stared wide eyed in disbelief, “They… they can do that? Without cause or trial?”