Sylvia hunched forward, ashamed of her weakness but helpless against it. How could she claim the title Beta when she couldn’t protect herself, never mind her pack? Attack again and she’d crumple.
“These thoughts and fears are normal. I’d be more concerned if you weren’t experiencing any of this. You had a trigger, an external stimulation that recreated part of your captivity. I wish I could say this would be easy and painless to overcome, but that’s simply not true. A lot of it also depends on you. How much effort you’re willing to put into managing the triggers.” His soft voice held no recrimination or judgment.
She peered at him through a screen of her hair. Confused, she settled deeper into the chair and pushed several curls from her face, looping them behind her ears. “I never had anything like this happen with the Academy training. And they tortured me. Did the same with all recruits to make sure we didn’t crack if captured.”
“But you knew it would end. You knew they wouldn’t keep you indefinitely or kill you. It was a training exercise and nothing more in your mind, wasn’t it?” An ankle resting on opposite knee, he had the air of someone discussing a fancy restaurant. He scribbled a few notes in his notepad. Did nothing faze him?
“Of course. They didn’t want to kill us, just make us stronger.” The calming atmosphere seeped into her bones, relaxing her. His words echoed in her mind, untangling some of her chaotic thoughts. “It wasn’t real, what the Academy put us through. Sure, they hurt us, but everything was quick to heal from. The pain was negligible compared to what the scientists did. I was free to leave whenever I wanted. I can’t escape the scientists.”
“But you did. You’re not their prisoner anymore. The facility is closed, and they’re all in prison themselves. How about we work on some coping skills? It will take time and a lot of work, but you can learn to manage the triggers.”
“Yes, please. I don’t want to live like this. They still have a hold on me, and I hate it.”
***
Sylvia leaned against the concrete wall, hands balled in her jacket pockets. Davis should show up soon. Probably enjoying a coffee somewhere. She closed her eyes and let the sounds of the street wash over her. The constant babble comforted her, so different from the hushed tones and lack of animation at the facility.
Dr. Zayler had suggested a few different techniques, and they had practiced them in his office. Deep breathing without hyperventilating. It had taken her a few tries before the lightheadedness faded. Relax the muscles. Tensing built anxiety and created a negative feedback loop.
A plan, even this small one, filled her with hope.
“Hey look, it’s the Alpha’s whore.”
Her eyes snapped open and zeroed in on the speaker. “Excuse me. Are you speaking to me?”
The male werewolf nudged his friend, and they both chuckled. “I don’t see any other whores around right now, do you?”
Sylvia straightened and glared at the two men. Neither one belonged to her personal pack in Toronto. The speaker carried himself with an air of confidence that bordered on arrogant. Blonde hair that probably cost more to maintain than hers fell past his shoulders. His smile should’ve been charming, but coupled with the flat stare, it became creepy.
His friend seemed out of place, a pale geeky guy more suited to arguing over which style of video game he preferred than harassing a woman. He rubbed his hand on his shaved head then dropped it quickly, as if afraid he’d betrayed something important to her.
“Who are you?” she demanded, placing all the authority of a Beta into her voice. It might not have the power of an Alpha, forcing submission on another, but it still caused many to quake before her. She ignored her own inner quaking, the intense desire to cower. They can’t hurt me. They aren’t the scientists.
“We don’t answer to you, Beta,” the cocky one jeered. He stepped closer, and his breath fanned against her cheek. She suppressed her shudder of revulsion. “You are nothing but a weak, useless wolf. Lame. Broken. Someone should put a bullet in your head.”
She jerked back, stunned at the brutality. The blood drained from her face, and her mind went numb. No thoughts at all as she stared into his cold eyes.
“You’re right, Ian, she is useless. No way did she become a Beta through skill. She must’ve been fucking the Alpha for years. My Beta wouldn’t let such an insult pass,” the other one spat out. “Derek’s soft. His time is done.”
Sylvia’s head whipped around to the geeky one, and she hissed, “Derek will slaughter you. Neither of you would stand a chance at challenging him.”
Ian laughed. “I don’t want his position. I want yours, little bitch. Someone else, someone more qualified for the job, will become Alpha. And your precious Derek will become worm food. It’s time Ontario had a change in leadership.”
“Hey, what’s going on here?” A male voice intruded. Another unfamiliar one. “Why are you harassing… oh, I see.” Self-satisfied slyness oozed with those last three words. “Hello again, little wolf.”
The two in front of her shifted to the side, revealing the newcomer. Sawyer.
Lips pressed together, Sylvia drew up to her full height, looking down at Ian and the other one. Sawyer, however, had a few inches on her. These Alphas wouldn’t make her cower. At least, not outwardly.
“Let me pass,” she demanded with no hint of shakiness.
“Ooh, look at the little wolf, trying to be tough. Do you see that, Dan? She thinks she can order us around,” Ian sneered, crowding in closer. The other two followed suit until her back was pressed against the wall, no place for retreat.
Dan snickered. “She’s used to a weak Alpha, one she can push around. Won’t find that here, little dog.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll keep you around, if you play nice.” Ian grabbed a fistful of hair and twisted her head towards him. She froze. Flight or fight? Instincts and her conditioned responses warred within her. “You can clean our toilets. It’s all you’re fit for.”
A loud growl from behind the men broke through Sylvia’s paralysis, and she punched Ian in the chest. He released her hair, spinning around to confront the new threat.
Davis, furious and close to changing, jumped at Dan, smashing his body into the Alpha. Sylvia, using the heel of her foot, kicked Ian in the back of the knee. He stumbled, but didn’t go down.
Sylvia pushed past the Alphas and grabbed hold of Davis arm. “Come on, no brawling in the alley.”
The Coterie heavily frowned upon the supernaturals fighting anywhere humans could get harmed. And an alley near her shrink’s office in downtown Toronto constituted such a place. Plus it reflected badly on Derek if his high-ranking officers couldn’t follow the rules they enforced.
“Expect to hear from Derek. Don’t leave town.” Davis snarled at the other three werewolves.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Promptly at four o’clock the next day, three Lesser Alphas arrived at Derek’s house. After Sylvia and Davis had explained their run-in, he’d sent a summoning to the werewolves. Attacking a Beta, three against one, in the city streets... they had finally overreached. Derek was within his right as Top Alpha to either take their positions from them if they didn’t show up, or challenge them.
Zmitro brought them to the backyard where Derek waited for them. Even with the cold autumn air, he wore just a pair of low-slung jeans. His chest and feet were bare.
Sneering at the three men, he pinned each of them with his dark, deadly gaze. They thought to take him down? Attack his mate in his city. Colluding together, acting like devious humans instead of werewolves. They’d soon learn why he was a Top Alpha and they weren’t.
A shame he couldn’t nail Shawn with a directive to appear. Bastard still hadn’t stepped out of line.
One of the men flinched and took a step back. Hmm, a weak link and therefore the first one to take down. Derek wanted to save the challenging ones until the end. It made it more sporting for them.
“I’ve heard rumours you men think I’m not fit to
rule as Top Alpha. You’ve been summoned here to fight me, all three against me. If you win, I’ll step down, and you can appoint an Alpha. If I win, you three lose your Alpha status and perhaps your lives. It depends on how merciful I’m feeling.” He grinned savagely at them.
The Werewolf Coterie leaders were the only ones able to take his Alpha status and abilities away unless someone defeated him during a challenge. At that point, it would automatically shift to the winner.
As a Top Alpha, he could siphon the powers from the Alphas below him and demote them without resorting to a challenge. Which he planned on doing, once he kicked these bastards’ asses. He had tasked Zmitro with finding replacement packs for the soon-to-be displaced Alphas, confident in his ability to win. Once the fight was over, Zmitro would have them delivered to their new home, far from each other.
Fear wafted from the Lessers, a scent that roused his wolf. He shook his head in disgust. How had they become Alphas? Pitiful. They weren’t fit to rule their own packs, never mind Derek’s.
“Alpha,” Zmitro said as he bowed his head. “I’ll watch from the porch as a witness.”
Derek nodded then set his sights back on these worthless challengers.
“Ian Summers, Alpha for North Bay, Dan Brosum, Alpha for Cornwall, and Sawyer Lavens, Alpha for Algonquin, you have all conspired against your Top Alpha. You know the rules for challenges. We fight as wolves, and to submit is to lose. It’s my right to take your life if I win. I will not use my Alpha abilities to command submission. Now, strip and shift.” Derek waited for the others to remove their clothes and change.
Dan, the twitchy alpha, was the first to shift. He was scrawnier than the other two, weighing in at perhaps 200 pounds and just shy of six feet tall. Bald and pale, he had the air of a computer geek, more comfortable hunched over a keyboard.
When he transformed, his fur was pure black with a small patch of white on his chest. As a wolf, he stood just over three feet tall at the shoulders. He danced around on his paws, nervousness pouring off him.
Ian shifted next. He tossed his clothes aside, not caring where they landed. Arrogance oozed from him. He waited a few moments before giving himself over to the wolf, proud of his body and wanting to show off. A bulky man, his biceps and legs rippled with muscle. His long blonde hair, well cared for and perfectly styled, refused to move in the wind. Within moments, a pale brown wolf stood in his place, a scant inch taller than Dan.
He turned his attention to the last alpha, Sawyer, and waited as the dark-haired, dark-skinned male removed his jeans and long-sleeve shirt. Each of them had dressed accordingly in easy-to-remove clothes. Derek raised an eyebrow, astonished to see him shift into an extremely large white wolf. Not many came close to Derek’s size, as he was near four feet at the shoulders. Sawyer was about an inch or two shorter than that.
This just might be an interesting fight after all.
Grinning in anticipation and riding the bloodlust that sang through his veins, Derek removed his jeans and promptly became his alter ego. The cracking and rearranging of bones was a pleasant pain, one he perversely enjoyed. Claws burst from his fingers, and fur sprouted from every inch of his skin. A thunderous howl erupted from his throat and ended with a menacing growl.
He wanted blood.
Derek lunged toward Dan. The other wolf skittered backwards, and Derek chuffed at him. He didn’t want to attack him yet. Scare him a little, make him sloppy. Ian took the opportunity to pounce, heading for a quick kill by focusing on Derek’s neck. Derek, however, wasn’t an untried wolf and swung his head around, snapping at Ian’s snout. He tasted the coppery fluid as his teeth grazed the sensitive skin.
Snarling, Ian fell back a step, caution tensing his body.
Derek swung his head around, searching for Sawyer, and found him a few feet off to the side. In addition to his size, it appeared he also had experience on his side.
The other wolf was absorbing the situation, watching how Derek reacted to the other two. He bumped up the threat assessment and lunged carelessly at Dan.
Predictably, Dan stepped back then snapped his teeth. Derek allowed him to get a hit in, and fangs punctured his foreleg. Blood scented the air, and the wolves went wild. They howled in triumph, assuming the bite was deeper than it had been.
Derek played it up, a slight limp hampering his gait.
The wound had already healed. A faint scratch he’d scarcely noticed.
It made the other wolves bolder. Dan puffed up with his own importance, the first to draw the blood of the Top Alpha. Derek curled his lip, exposing his sharp canines. They took it as bravado and attacked as one.
Ian hit him first, slamming into his side and raking him with his claws. Dan took him head on, even though he didn’t reach past Derek’s chest. The smaller wolf hit hard breastbone and bounced backwards. Dazed, he shook his head and wobbled on his feet.
Sawyer launched himself onto Derek’s back, snapping at his neck and digging his claws into Derek’s sides. Furious, Derek tried to buck him off. Never before had a wolf gotten on his back. His height had always been an advantage.
Teeth clamped tight on the back of his neck. His opponent shifted and nearly slid off but regained his footing.
Taking a chance, Derek flung himself onto his back and smashed Sawyer into the ground. He had to move fast, though. His exposed, tender underside was a temptation to the other Alphas. Ian tried to take advantage, moving in to rip at Derek’s belly. One vicious swipe with Derek’s front paw had him backing off.
Dan snuck in low near Derek’s hind legs and received a nasty kick to the face for his troubles.
In a move of sheer brilliance and stupidity, Derek banged his head backwards. It drove Sawyer’s teeth even deeper into his neck. Agony erupted and dimmed his eyesight. He ground his teeth to keep from howling.
He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.
Again, he bashed his head backwards, and this time Sawyer let go. Blood poured from his neck. The deep gashes were taking longer to heal. Sawyer laid motionless beneath him, stunned from the pounding his head and back had received.
He flipped himself over and landed on his paws. Eyeing his two standing opponents, Derek licked some blood from his snout. Blood dripped from his neck and landed on his paws.
Ears back, he shifted his weight and rushed Dan. Before the Lesser Alpha could respond, Derek had his powerful jaw clamped around the smaller wolf’s throat. A quick shake and he flung the wolf into a nearby tree. A resounding thud echoed in the backyard, and Derek chuffed in satisfaction. Dan twitched but didn’t get up.
Light rustling to his left and he whipped his head around. The other two had fallen back to regroup. As if working together would change the outcome.
He gave them a nasty grin, showing off his sharp canines, and swiped his tongue across his upper lip. With a feigned attack against Ian, he tested the other’s response. He didn’t flinch. Grown a pair, has he?
Wouldn’t help in him in the end.
Racing toward Ian, he jumped and twisted mid-air to smash into Sawyer. As they’d expected him to hit Ian, Sawyer wasn’t ready for the weight of a 500-pound wolf crashing into him. His feet skidded out from under him, and he landed on his side. Air rushed from his body as he took the full brunt of Derek’s weight.
Derek took advantage of his stunned opponent and clamped down hard on his throat. Viciously tearing at the tender flesh, blood flooded his mouth, and he had a hard time remembering why he shouldn’t eat this prey. It was his right as Alpha to enjoy the tender, tasty bits, to nuzzle into the belly and savour the sweet morsels inside. Forcing away his animal instincts, he released Sawyer’s throat and licked the sticky liquid from his mouth.
Throwing a sideways glance towards Ian, he found the remaining Alpha frozen in place. In a matter of minutes, Derek had taken down a wolf nearly as large as himself, and he wasn’t even winded. Poor Ian had no clue what to do, and Derek savoured the fear pouring off him.
A shame he’d defeated with li
ttle effort the only one who might have given him a challenge. No matter, maybe he’d have some fun toying with Ian.
Growling low in his throat, he advanced on Ian then nipped at him. Finally Ian flinched and tried to make himself smaller. Derek huffed a laugh. Obviously this Alpha was now realizing he had a tiger by the tail.
He wouldn’t escape punishment. Derek couldn’t allow any mercy, as the pack relied on strong leadership. It needed an iron fist, or wolf instinct would rule, causing chaos and death.
Derek circled around him and slammed his shoulder into the smaller wolf’s side. Wheezing in pain, Ian swung his head around to snap at Derek. Nimbly dancing out of the way, Derek darted in for another hit and pushed the Lesser Alpha back several feet. Ian’s claws dug into the grass, leaving furrows in the lawn.
Enjoying this strange game of chase, he leapt over Ian and did a one-eighty in the air. The moment his paws touched the ground, he rushed his bewildered opponent. This hit sent Ian flying through the air, and he crashed to the ground, his chest heaving in fear.
Done toying with the remaining Alpha, Derek stalked toward him. The spike in fear smelled so sweet, intoxicating.
A deep growl rumbled in his chest, and he tensed his muscles, ready to spring onto Ian.
Pain exploded in his hind leg, distracting him from his prey. Teeth ground into his bones. With a furious snarl, he whipped his head around.
Dan had recovered. Somehow he’d found the courage, or stupidity, to attack.
Using his free hind leg, he kicked backwards to dislodge Dan. To his amazement, Dan held on, sinking his teeth in deeper and growling low in his throat before shaking his head. Fangs scraped across bone while muscle and flesh tore from the vicious move.
An odd sense of pride flared in Derek. The Lesser Alpha didn’t attack to save himself, but he put himself in the line of fire for another Alpha that was down and weakened.
Interesting.
It wasn’t enough to save the Alpha from a good thrashing, though. They needed to learn respect, especially since they would all lose their status. A disgraced Alpha could be very dangerous to the rest of the pack. If they didn’t learn now that he was a force they didn’t want to fuck with, they would nip at the pack, tearing it apart until he killed them. And contrary to popular opinion, he didn’t relish killing his packmates.
Sylvia's Torment (Enforcers and Coterie Book 2) Page 19