d..、，.. #MY_BLACK_KNIGHT d..、，..
Happen 35
As Produced By Sheriff Squinty
Theme: A New Old Alpha
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I knew I had put myself in an incredibly dangerous position. I was just
hoping that Gabriel cared about me enough to at least think this through. Gabriel growled yet again, frustrated and torn. He lowered his head,
muscles bunching and claws digging into the ground. The impulse to kill was definitely strong.
“Skylar, what the Hell are you doing? You can’t interrupt an Alpha’s battle!” That was Eli. He had stepped forth, an angry look creasing his brows. I
whined softly and Gabriel growled, glaring at his Beta and clearly not liking the way Eli was talking to me.
Then, to my shock, Gabriel started to Shift back into human form. I tried not to stare, averting my gaze as his fur and claws receded and he stood there as a naked human man. Thankfully his clothes were close by and he quickly stepped into shorts before I lost all sense of self-control and openly ogled him. My Wolf was purring in appreciation.
Stop! We have more important things to worry about right now! I snapped at her.
As a human, I could more clearly see the deep gashes on Gabriel’s shoulder and leg. They were worse than I’d realized. I whined softly, my Wolf worried, but Gabriel ignored me.
“Move out of the way, Skylar,” Gabriel said impatiently. His eyes were
emotionless again. I crouched lower, not wanting to move. Dimly I noticed that behind me, Alpha Brett had shifted back into his human form, naked and bleeding. This meant he and his Wolf were both unconscious.
“Dammit Skylar, if you don’t move I might lose it again!” Wincing at his
tone I slowly stepped away. I could feel my three packmates staring at me intently but I ignored them.
Gabriel huffed and ran a hand through his hair. “He trespassed on my
territory, insulted me and you, and challenged me. I have the right to kill him. Even now, I’m fighting my Wolf. He’s a rival Alpha, Skylar!”
I whined again. Couldn’t he see what was happening here? I had to speak
to him in person. I indicated the woods with a jerk of my head, running into the tree shelter and Shifting back in record time before putting my clothes back on. I knew Gabriel wouldn’t want his packmates seeing my unclothed form.
Upon returning, I tried not to stare at Gabriel’s lack of upper body clothing. Focus! I berated myself for being so easily distracted at a time like this.
Alpha Brett was not moving but blood was still oozing out of his cuts. Beaten to a pulp he didn’t look nearly as intimidating.
“Gabriel…” I started, not missing the way he tensed when I said his name. He stared at me intently. I hoped the bruise from Alpha Brett’s punch had faded over the last couple hours, I didn’t want him any more pissed off.
“What happened to your face?”
Apparently it hadn’t faded altogether.
“Nothing, just a minor battle wound while trying to get here,” I replied. It wasn’t entirely a lie and Gabriel would kill Brett if he found out the truth. Gabriel narrowed his eyes but I quickly changed the subject.
“The Alpha’s grieving. His daughter….Anne just died.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “This is what Cain wants. He wasn’t originally targeting Anne, but he saw the opportunity and seized it. He wants to create a rift between our packs. You’re playing into his hands!”
Gabriel stiffened. “You met Cain?”
“Yes.”
His jaw clenched. Knowing Gabriel, he was thinking about how it was his
fault, how he shouldn’t have let me go.
“Did he say anything else?”
“He was mainly just taunting me. He attacked my father though.” I neglected to mention the ‘coma’ part.
Gabriel looked down then, but not before I caught the guilt in his expression.
“It’s not your fault,” I said softly. Judging by his posture, I had correctly guessed his train of thought.
“Look, it doesn’t matter!” I continued before he could argue. “Please just…don’t kill Alpha Brett. His family has suffered enough. And my
packmates…I don’t want them hating your pack when the vampires are the real enemy here.”
“He isn’t fit to be Alpha, Skylar. He’s as good as dead.”
I knew he was right. Alpha Brett couldn’t lead us in a time like this. “But still-“
“His recklessness will get you all killed.”
I didn’t see how I could get out of this, but I tried to anyways. “Please,
Gabriel. I’m begging you. My pack is begging you.” I felt pathetic, groveling in front of my own Mate, but what else could I do?
“I’m not doing it for your pack.” I felt my stomach drop, but there was a
strange expression in Gabriel’s eyes, as if he was pondering something. He glanced at Eli, and the two seemed to have a silent conversation. I tried to wait patiently as they spoke but I couldn’t help but shift position every two seconds. What could they possibly be discussing right now? My pack
members looked equally confused, the three of them watching Gabriel and Eli with blank faces. I got the impression that some sort of big decision was being made.
Another minute passed before Gabriel finally sighed, long and drawn out. “It was going to happen eventually, for one reason or another,” Eli mused aloud. I blinked, completely bewildered.
Gabriel nodded once, and his dark eyes found mine. I felt my heart rate increase just at the eye contact with him. “I’m doing this for you, Skylar. Don’t forget that.” His voice was quieter, tone serious. I suddenly found it hard to breathe.
Gabriel slowly walked until he stood directly over Alpha Brett’s naked body. Eli and another wolf, on silent command, came over and heaved up his
unconscious body, each one with an arm around Brett’s waist. His head lolled and eyelids flickered.
“Wake up,” Gabriel snapped. Brett didn’t respond. Gabriel said it again,
louder, and this time there must’ve been some sort of Command in his tone because Alpha Brett’s eyes slowly opened and flicked around lethargically. His face was mottled with bruises and swelling, but I was more concerned
about the way some of his bones were oddly contorted. He must have been in an abominable amount of pain but he said nothing as Gabriel stared him down.
“You don’t deserve to carry on living, in my opinion, but someone in your
pack thinks otherwise.” Gabriel indicated me with a jerk of his head. “So, I’m giving you a choice. I can kill you, or I can Purge you.”
I stared, completely lost. I had never heard of a Purge and I had no clue what it meant. Alpha Brett obviously did, though, for I could see a look of horror and regret pass through his eyes.
“You can’t-“
“Yes, I can. You challenged me, and you lost, and the penalty is death. But this is your one chance to avoid that. I won’t ask again.”
Alpha Brett began to struggle and thrash but to no avail. A pained grimace appeared on his face as he stared at Gabriel mutinously.
I didn’t know what a Purge was but it looked like Gabriel was quickly losing his patience. “Alpha Brett,” I said quietly. His bleary eyes turned on me.
“You can’t die. You have a Mate and a son back home. I know you miss
Anne but the rest of your family needs you. They miss you and how could they go on without you?”
My Alpha glared at me but did not speak.
“Please, Alpha Brett. I know you’re feeling a lot of rage right now but think of them waiting for you to come home. Your son will need your guidance. Your Mate can’t do it all without your help. I don’t know what the Purge is, but anything is better than leaving them forever.”
There were several seconds of tense, drawn-out silence, before Alpha Brett finally bowed his head. It seemed like all of the fight left him as his
shoulders sagged and his body drooped even further. I tried not to stare at the festering wounds and broken bones.
“Now are you going to do this willingly? You know the Purge won’twork if
you don’t do it willingly, and if it goes wrong, I will kill you.” Gabriel growled impatiently. “I’m sure you know the words.”
Alpha Brett grunted. “Everything I’ve worked for…it’ll be gone. ”
“You willingly sacrificed it as soon as you crossed into my territory.”
“But I…” He subsided into silence as he seemed to realize there really was not much of a choice here. Death or Purge.
Brett looked absolutely humiliated, while I could only stare there in
bewilderment as he took a deep breath, steeled himself, and began to mumble a fast string of words that I barely caught,
“I, Alpha Brett, hereby submit to you. I state that I am no longer fit or able to be an Alpha and I am no longer fit or able to lead the Silver Woods Pack. I reject my bloodline and hereby terminate my Alpha line. I knowingly
relinquish and divest all control to you.”
My mouth dropped open. Wait…so did that mean…?
“Let this scar be a reminder of what I have forsaken.” With those words, Alpha Brett proceeded to elongate his claws and with a jerking motion
created a gash, right over his heart. The blood welled up and dripped down his exposed torso as Gabriel began to speak.
“I, Alpha Gabriel, hereby accept your Alpha entitlement to the Silver Woods Pack. I acknowledge that I have received all of your former responsibilities as Alpha and I will lead the Silver Woods pack as long as I am fit and able. I knowingly continue the bloodline that you have relinquished. Let this scar be a reminder of what I have undertaken.”
With a similar jerking motion, Gabriel created a gash over his heart. I
winced as I felt the smarting pain. So this was a Purge, where one Alpha
took on another’s responsibilities. Of course it would come down to blood. All werewolf ceremonies came down to blood.
Gabriel put a hand over his bloody chest as Brett did the same. Then, in a simultaneous motion, Gabriel lifted his blood-smeared palm and placed it against Brett’s.
I felt something in the back of my mind snap and break, as if a connection had been severed. It was so sudden and so intense that I staggered
backwards, taken off guard, trying not to fall to my knees. I noticed my
packmates were having similar reactions. I placed hands to my temple as I felt a pressure, an unfamiliar presence in the back of my mind. I realized
with a start that it was Gabriel. I could not reach him, as there was still a
barrier between our minds, but somehow I knew he was still… there. And
Alpha Brett’s presence had been erased completely. I stood there, clutching my head as I tried to adjust to the new development.
Gabriel turned to face us. He stood straight, his eyes burning with energy, and he absolutely radiated power. I actually felt intimidated by my own
Mate.
“The Purge will completed tomorrow night at moonrise, and our mental link will be established.” His eyes focused on my face, boring into mine with a
disconcerting intensity. “Welcome to the pack,” he said, although I felt the last words were directed only at me.
It was then that everything finally clicked and I could only gape at him, my Wolf as shocked as I was. Instead of killing Alpha Brett, Gabriel had used
the Purge to remove him of his responsibilities. As another Alpha, Gabriel had the capabilities of absorbing Brett’s former responsibilities. Which
meant… .
Gabriel was my new Alpha.
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#Tobecontinued…..
_ _-Agboola-_ _