Willing Sacrifice

by Cree Walker

  I looked over the pitted back lawn and took a deep breath, I felt better than I had in months. "Thanks for the talk Kyle."

  He shrugged, "You weren't the only one holding it all in. I'm glad I could say it all out loud. I never wanted Sarah to know everything. I guess I didn't want her to regret her choice."

  "She didn't make a mistake, and I don't think she would have chosen Jack over you in the end, even if she had known the truth." I shoved my hands in my pockets and went inside feeling ten pounds lighter.

  I went up to my room to await my punishment. I had acted badly and caused trauma to the pack, I knew it was coming so I sat on my bed and waited for the guillotine to fall.

  Robert knocked on my open bedroom door and had to duck before walking through it. "Sorry to bother you, Sugar." He lifted a hand to my trembling shoulder, "But Elder Coon is here to see you."

  Chapter Sixteen

  At this point I wasn't sure who was worse, but at least Elder Coon wouldn't have the same emotional leverage over me as Robert did.

  Downstairs Elder Coon was standing stoically, her frame iron straight with a grim look over her features. "Alpha Coon, please come with me." She turned on her heel and left the house without waiting to see if I would follow.

  I did after a short pause. She was standing at the furthest part of the driveway with Gage. I stopped just out of her reach.

  "I could expect something like this from Gage, Sugar but not you."

  I narrowed my eyes confused; from what I knew I was the one who let people down all the time and for them to expect anything from me was a little unnerving.

  "This is precisely the reason a male must be at least twenty-one before becoming Alpha." She snarled at Gage and he dropped his head further.

  "What?" I asked amazed. "He's only twenty?"

  She scoffed as if his age were obvious. "That's exactly why he couldn't attend last years Challenges and he's proven beyond a doubt his lack of maturity and self control, two qualities an Alpha male must have."

  She spun to face me, "I thought I made myself quite clear when we spoke last."

  "What you say and what you do are often two very different things, Elder Coon. Excuse my doubt as to exactly what you wanted from me."

  "I'll talk more slowly then, I want you in the position of Alpha female."

  "Why?"

  "Because you care about this pack. You care about this pack more than some man from Oregon with no family ties to it. He can't be beaten, and maybe he shouldn't. Thus far he's proven his worth to me far more than either of you, but he can’t be controlled. He’s a wild card and we can’t have a wild card this close to our strongest packs or to our political center." She stopped suddenly as if she’d said too much.

  "So, I'm the back up plan if baby face here can't beat him in the Challenges?"

  "Idiot girl, you were the plan. Now we will be lucky if Robert doesn't push you out of the pack forever. He will be more compliant if he has an emotional connection to this pack and you represented that." She shook her head in obvious disappointment. "Sugar you were meant to lead; Jack saw that in you but he's not coming back and you need to take your place as Alpha female and get these notions of romance out of your head."

  Seeing that I was properly chastised she turned her attention back to Gage. "From now on you will show some self control. She's not yours to have, ever, so you will get it out of your thick head if you ever plan to be Alpha." She cuffed him, surprising me and I backed away another step.

  "Now since I seem to have been too complex in my plans the first time around, this is it. You Sugar will take up your appointed post and you Gage will keep your dick in your pants and learn something from this pack's Alpha for the day when you are ready to lead your own. But if I may be frank, that day isn't anywhere in the near future. Unless you were ready to take Sugar on as a mate you should have stayed away from her. She is too vital for you to use as a sexual conquest, and that was all she was to you so don't you dare argue with me to save face!"

  She turned on me again, "You will not leave this pack without good cause. This pack was left to you by a man who on his death bed believed you would bring it back to its former glory, or die trying. He never intended that you lead it alone, but he knew you would fetch a high enough price to grant it a strong Alpha to replace him."

  I stared at the ground.

  She lifted my face gently and looked me in the eyes. "Do not let me down again, Sugar."

  "Yes, Elder." I averted my gaze as she dropped her hand away from my face.

  "Sugar, we just have to give him a reason to fight for his pack and protect it." She brushed one of my cheeks gently. "Your sacrifice is to the strongest comer, and that is Robert, not a twenty year old boy just because he's easily manipulated. Robert can protect you and your pack as well as Jack ever could."

  I nodded again but I couldn't look at her. I didn't know why she wanted me with Robert so much and it just made me want to fight it even more. I waited for her to leave before wiping away the memory of her touch; my skin crawled with it. She wasn’t hiding her intent any more. She was going to use me against Robert to turn him into her new Jack. She had to threaten him with something he cared about to control him. As it stood right now her plan had gone… badly to say the least.

  She and Gage went back to the house, but I wasn't ready and remained outside to lick my wounded pride in private.

  I heard someone crossing the driveway but I didn't look to see who it was until he was standing in front of me. "You hurt me, Sugar and I don't know yet if I'll ever be able to forgive you for that. I am looking for a mate and what you did last night tells me I may have been wrong about you being that person."

  I covered my face in shame. Robert lifted my head so he could look me in the eyes. "Tell me you really wanted him and I'll step aside."

  I shook my head and clutched my stomach at the memory. I realized in order to keep him safe I had to stay away from him so I turned my anger on him. "You've been able to test the waters; why can't I fuck anything that walks my way." I growled defiantly, trying to cover my real fear with anger. I had seen him in action and I’d hate to be on the receiving end of his wrath.

  "You have to be careful because you can get pregnant." He said matter-of-factly. "You are probably the only woman in this house who can without drugs and hormone therapy; but just so you know, I haven't fucked anything since I was informed you might be coming." His voice warmed with anger before he turned to leave but he stopped again and looked over his shoulder. "We've seen one another before you know. Remember the first Challenges you were in? Five men were on your dance card that day; Jack beat all of us except your father. He fought like a man about to lose his mate.” He paused, “But so did I.” He walked back towards the house, letting me absorb my punishment and questions alone.

  Sarah met him on the porch, "She made a mistake Robert, don‘t do this."

  He kept walking without answering her but the front door slammed shut hard enough to shake the glass in the panes.

  I stayed outside in the cool wind ’til the sun fell behind the trees of the distant horizon. Every instinct I had told me to run, and when I thought about it, that is exactly what I always did. It felt better somehow to run away when I messed up than having people tell me to leave. I guess being told when you’re a kid that people can't or don't love you enough to deal with your baggage affects a person. Now I had to face the music and grow up.

  I went to the house feeling as though I was about to face a firing squad when Sarah met me at the door looking anxious. "Sugar, he's stripped your title. He spoke with Elder Coon and they talked about how you should be punished."

  I nodded in agreement; it only made sense that since I acted like an ass that I be treated like one. "When can I Challenge?"

  "We don't know yet, but you’ll have to fight me and Kyle." She reminded me.

  I swallowed the hard lump in my throat. Everything about me told me to protect, not fight them. I skipped the ranks last ti
me by taking on the Alpha directly, but in truth I wasn't sure I could get back on top. I really wasn't sure I wanted to.

  She squeezed my arm sympathetically. "You're the pack Omega now." Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry Sugar."

  Chapter Seventeen

  It worried me that she would be so upset about this change of title. She was Born into this world and knew the importance of rank better than I did.

  She left me standing inside the door while I thought about my new predicament and I was somewhat surprised to find that I wasn't really too upset about it. This way I had to prove to myself and anyone else that I deserved to be at the top.

  I found the pack’s former Omega and smiled meekly. "What do you need me to do?"

  The girl's name was Britney, she was cute as a button with black hair, which today was ironed straight, and she had a sweet smile that always met her eyes. Her skin was that shade of perfectly creamed coffee and she had a build similar to mine but she was at least six inches taller, which to me translated to her reach was better than mine in a fight. Her eyes were her most striking feature because they were light baby blue, like a husky. At first it was almost shocking but anyone could appreciate how unique and beautiful she was. She showed me the run down and before too long I found out why the house was always sparkling clean. I didn't normally see very much of her because she was always elbow deep in one bucket of water or another and if she wasn't washing something she was putting something in the oven or peeling potatoes.

  We made a roast turkey for a late supper with all the trimmings. When I asked why we were eating so late, Britney said Robert hadn't been feeling well and stayed in his room the whole day. The guilt I was quickly forgetting washed over me like a cold bucket of water and I lost the smile I had acquired talking with the good spirited Britney.

  The pack arrived to the table after Britney told a few of them supper was ready. Everyone sat down and waited for Robert to take his share except for me. I wasn't hungry and hiding in the kitchen doing the dishes sounded better than public humiliation.

  "Sugar, it’s time for supper now. You can finish the dishes afterwards." Robert called to me.

  I wiped my hands and walked to the table with my head hanging, ignoring my natural impulse to walk straight and tall. The one chair remaining was between Donna, the redhead who had been pushing my buttons since the beginning, and Kyle. I sat down and waited, something was going to happen but I didn't know what.

  Robert took a deep breath and sat up straighter. "Sugar has been demoted to pack Omega. She will be able to Challenge the next person in line, one a day after sunset until she loses."

  My face was burning hot with unshed tears and embarrassment.

  Donna laughed, "Oh, how the mighty shall fall."

  I knew it was coming, being at the bottom of the pack meant that you were its weakest member, and a werewolf pack had little use for weakness, but after my show of extreme weakness from the night before I deserved no better.

  Though Donna's humiliation seemed an unnecessary cruelty, it was in some cases, quite necessary. It was normal for the Omega to take the brunt of the verbal and sometimes physical punishment from the pack’s higher ranking members. An Omega has little if no will to fight for anything and every member of the pack must be able to defend themselves and their offspring or at least a try. This was why most Omegas are not permitted to find a mate, or have children. For this reason the pack Omega was usually either elderly or very young and orphaned, like Max had been, but unlike Max, I wasn't being protected by Jack and I wasn’t a man.

  Donna spilled her water glass on the table and smiled. "Can you pick that up?"

  "Of course."

  I stood but she grabbed my left arm and squeezed her nails into the soft skin until she drew blood. "I don't remember asking you to speak."

  I glanced at Robert, but his face held only indifference; he was neither appalled nor entertained by my humiliation.

  "Sorry." I answered Donna.

  She shot to her feet and slapped me hard across the face. "I said shut up." She spat like an angry kitten.

  "Of course; my fault." I said quietly.

  She fisted her hand but Robert intervened. "Enough," he directed at Donna. "Sugar, go get something to pick up this mess." Before leaving I gave Donna the most subtle of smiles. She swung her angry clawed hand at my face but I dodged it; there was nothing that said I had to stand still for a beating.

  "Donna, sit down. I said that was enough." Robert's voice was filled with authority and the power of it was bitter enough to melt the paint.

  I returned with a kitchen towel and started sopping up the dripping mess.

  Robert watched me struggle to soak up nearly a litter of water in the towel without getting it on any of the food. "Sugar you will Challenge Britney after the dishes are finished."

  I didn't want to Challenge Britney, she was sweet and honest and a better person than Donna or even I would ever be. I vowed to train Britney to fight – right after I kicked her ass.

  After dinner we stood at the sink, I was washing and she was drying. "I don't want to fight you Britney."

  She shrugged and put a plate away with slow care. "It’s okay."

  "I'll teach you to fight." I said scrubbing a stubborn pot. "And buy non-stick cookware."

  She laughed, "I don't know if I want to leave this position."

  "Don't you want kids... you all want kids."

  She shrugged again but nodded.

  "Would you fight for your children?"

  "Yes." She answered without pause.

  "Well you need to learn to fight." I rinsed the last of the dishes and handed her the pot. "I really am sorry."

  "I could take a knee." She suggested.

  "If you don't mind, please don't. And when you hit me, hit me really hard."

  She laughed.

  The pack arranged themselves in a loose Circle in the driveway around Britney and me. We had removed our shoes as was the rules and I pulled my hair into a tight bun to avoid having my hair pulled.

  She fronted before me and swung hard, I didn't move and I was a little surprised when it connected and rung my bell. I shook my head and smiled, "Good girl."

  Then I hit her three times in quick succession.

  Pop, pop, pop.

  And it was over. The poor thing was laying on the ground knocked out cold.

  Sarah looked at Donna and snickered, "Oh and the mighty shall rise again." She went to the center of the Circle to help Britney to her feet. "I forgot you guys haven't seen Sugar fight before." Still shaking her head and laughing, she helped Britney inside the house.

  Robert's face held no emotion whatsoever and I felt my brief victory plummet further with the combination of his lack of concern and Britney's effortless yield to my fury.

  "Tomorrow you will spend the day with Kristy and learn her responsibilities around the house." Robert said over his shoulder as he went back inside.

  Gage was still standing unmoving in his spot in the now dissipated Circle. "I'm sorry I caused all this."

  "We both did." I left him standing there and went up to my room to rest. I hadn't had a decent night's sleep the night before and my body was weary from the work and the adrenaline caused by the fight.

  I barley got into a pair of sweat pants and a baggy tee-shirt before passing out on top of the covers.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The next morning a girl I assumed was Kristy was shaking me awake. "Get up."

  I sat up and scrubbed my hands over my face in an effort to wake up fully. She tossed some clothes at me. "Hurry up and shower so we can go into town before it gets too crazy at the stores."

  "What are we doing?" I stood up on unsteady legs.

  "Shopping idiot." She turned up her lip at me and scoffed.

  I stood in the shower for a few short moments when the water went icy cold. I gasped and hopped out of the high tub.

  Kristy walked in holding a pair of pliers. "The higher ups sleep later
and they like to take long hot showers, so we can't."

  "Did you shut off the hot water?" I asked shivering violently.

  "Yup." She stated flatly as if to say, what are you going to do about it?

  I smiled in return; I liked her. She wasn't stupid, she knew we were going to have an all out brawl at sundown and she wasn't here to kiss my demoted ass or hide the truth. "Why are you down here?" I indicated to our position. "In my last pack I was Alpha female. My father was the top dog, but the truth of the matter is that I was the only female in my pack and I didn't bother with fighting." She flashed me a brilliant smile. "I'm more of an intellectual."

  I raised my eyebrows at her in honest surprise. She was a bleach blonde with a high pitched voice and crystal blue eyes. She seemed like more of a Barbie than a genius. "Huh," Was all I said and she snorted rolling her eyes.

  "Anyway, I'm down here doing the lowly work Britney can't handle because brain power doesn't run a pack; muscle does." She handed me my brush to hurry me along. "We gotta go, I hate people and I hate lines and I hate shopping, so let’s get this over with."

  Downstairs, Britney was already sweeping the highly polished wood floor of the entryway. "Good morning." She smiled past her swollen lip and black eye.

  "I'm sorry about last night." I said averting my gaze away from her beaten face.

  "Hey it was the first time I ever hit anyone." She was still grinning happily. "Are you still going to teach me to fight?"

  I nodded and returned her smile, "If you’re willing to hit me again."

  "Oh, it’s on like Donkey Kong." She danced in place and punched the air. "I believe I owe you a busted lip."

  "What about the nose?" I asked.

  "Yeah that too."

  “I am so sorry," I breathed feeling horrible. Since I had been raised by humans, the whole aspect of fighting someone just to beat them hadn’t been instilled in me since birth, so I felt bad about hitting someone I liked.