The Aftermath of Her Challenge

Rikki SheWolf Naylor The pack was still in a rowdy mood the night after Rikki and Alcide’s fight. A few of them gave her looks of hatred for not winning the match against Alcide, Tiffany and Danielle didn’t even look at her. She could feel their shame just by their stares. She sat, by the fire, her body bruised all to hell, nearly broken. She hissed through her teeth as she stood up. She needed to step away from them, these mother fuckers. She was starting to hate each and every one of them. She allowed the women of the pack to fuel her doubts. She was starting to doubt her own leadership as she made her way a safe distance from the pack towards an area in the woods close by their farm. She sniffed the air, catching a familiar scent. It couldn’t be. He wouldn’t be so stupid to show his face around here after what happened.

A part of her though, felt relief. It was that part of her that stood by him as Packmaster what seemed ages ago.  Alcide had come back, for what she didn’t know. To finish her off? Part of her had hoped so.

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux The whiskey with Merlotte had given Alcide reckless courage. He pulled his truck up to a small clearing about a quarter of a mile away from where the Pack was; he didn’t want to draw any attention to himself when he arrived. So, Alcide decided her would park at a distance and he would hoof it the rest of the way. As he neared the entrance, memories of the events that occurred earlier flashed in Alcide’s mind. Rikki bucking up to him, pulling those human’s out like they were dogs, /challenging/ him. He shook his head. She has lost her damn mind, Alcide thought to himself. She was being bullheaded and utterly uncontrollable. He was the fuckin’ Packmaster and she was overstepping her position as second. His blood started to race again and the twinge of humiliation was still fresh.

He immediately caught Rikki’s scent. As worked up as she was, he could smell her from a mile away. She stood with her arms crossed. Alcide sauntered up to her, cautiously at first, and then with more arrogance as he got closer.

Rikki SheWolf Naylor She cocks a brow to herself as his scent becomes stronger the closer he gets, “Well, well. Look at who decided to stop on by. Ya back for round two are ya, Herveaux? Ya come back to finish me off?” She crosses her arms, still slightly sore. Hurt deep within by his lies, and disloyalty to her and the Pack. Wishing it hadn’t come to that, she says nothing of the sort though. She keeps a safe distance from him in case he’s got something up his sleeve.

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux  He nodded in her direction, avoiding the obvious awkwardness between them after what happened earlier. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.  “Shit got…out of control.”  He took a step towards her.  “Why the hell did you do that? What was I supposed to do? Back down? I would have lost any respect they had for me! And you fucking know that!”  Alcide snapped at her almost growling.

Rikki SheWolf Naylor She growls snapping back, “You wouldn’t hear my out, every time I tried to do my job as Second, you’d get pissy with me! Ya lost your own shit for a while there.” Getting more pissed off still that he would rather risk our kind being exposed for the lives of two humans, and a fuckin’ shifter. “I realize I got outta control and ya did what ya had to do. It’s what I wanted, at the time. You shoulda just finished me off, like I told ya to!”

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux He stared at her, knowing that she was right, but never willing to admit it a loud. This packmaster shit was getting to his head and he didn’t know how to fucking pull his shit together. But she was in the wrong too and he wasn’t going to let her get away with it that easily.  “Damnit Rikki, you’re ‘advise’ is undermining my authority. I /do/ value your opinion. But you contradict everything I say…”  He could have smacked her for even thinking the last sentence she said, “And you know fuckin’ good and well I wasn’t going to finish you off. Don’t, just don’t even say that…” his voice trailed off.

Rikki SheWolf Naylor She avoids his eyes, growling at herself for letting her emotions and feelings get away from her the other night. She knew he couldn’t finish her off, she cautiously looks around to make sure none of the pack was lurking in the shadows. The others would see her as weak if they saw her talking with Alcide.

A few of them were still a little pissed at her for taking Alcide on as Packmaster, a few others weren’t. It was what they wanted. She gave the Wolf within her free rein that night, panicked that the human’s would run to the authorities, pressured by her sister’s in her pack. She didn’t want her kind ending up the way the Vamps are. A part of her still wanted, to rip them to shreds just to be on the safe side. She found herself, fighting that part of her right now, for his sake, and her own.

“Alcide, they are this close to finding out, what we are. I’m fuckin’ freaked! You want one of us, to end up in the same predicament that the fuckin’ fangers are in? It wasn’t my intention to undermine your authority! I was just trying to help, help give ya direction!” She looks away avoiding his eyes, with the way things were going. It might have been best he finished her off. She still felt something coming, she felt uneasy. She avoids saying that as his voice trails off. She found it hard, to apologize. She had grown stubborn in her way of thinking.

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux Alcide knew Rikki had good intentions. He knew that she always did what she felt was right for the pack…even when Alcide may not have. He also knew that the fucking humans were very close—it was clear that they had to be as cautious as possible. But Rikki was being reckless with asserting her ‘authority’ at the wrong time. Pretty soon any fucker who disagreed with him would be bucking up to challenge Alcide—and that /definitely/ was not good for the pack.

“Damnit, Rikki! I know that! What the hell do you think I’m tryin’ to do?” He was unwilling to admit that he had deviated from looking after the pack’s best interest—at least at this moment in time. “You need to learn that there is a time and place for /discussing/ this with me. Understand?”

Rikki SheWolf Naylor “You let them go, Alcide. You think we can trust them? You’re putting your faith in, a human and a shifter. Sam, to be quite fuckin’ honest, I’m not so worried about. Although, he needs his ass beat for what he did.” She had a strong dislike for Sam since the very beginning of all this.

She sighed at his words. She looked away for a moment. She not only lost control of her emotions, but gave into the pressure from some of her Pack when she made the decision to hunt for the humans. She knew they were a crazy bunch. They always had been. She felt an ache in her heart, for challenging Alcide as Packmaster. She regretted it. Their world had been turned upside down. And she was afraid they wouldn’t recover from it. “Yeah, fine. I understand.” She still avoided his eyes. She kept focused on her surroundings in case anyone was close by eaves dropping.

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux Alcide leaned against a tree and crossed his arms, staring at Rikki. “I let them go because I had to make a choice. Should we have killed them? Is that what you would’ve done? Or what, Rikki? Take them with us?” His words were short and to-the-point. He respected her for standing up for what she believed, honestly, he did. However, since she was so willing to offer up criticism, he wanted to hear what her plan would have been. Prove it to me, Rikki, he thought. Prove to me that you have what it takes to be my second. His eyes never leaving hers, he cocked his head to one side waiting for a response.

Rikki SheWolf Naylor Rikki just stared at Alcide through furrowed brows. She growled to herself, she knew he was putting her on the spot, to see if she had what it took to remain his second. If Alcide hadn’t shown up, the pack was more than willing to kill off the humans. Within her own self, Rikki had battled the decision. She knew Alcide would not approve of that. She had told the pack to hold off, wait for his return to see what his reason was for letting Nicole and her mother go free. “I would have taken a pack vote on it. We aren’t the only ones at stake for being exposed, it’s also the whole pack. They’ve lost their damn minds though, and.” She stops and just sighs to herself, looking down. She looks up, meeting his eyes again realizing that would be the wrong choice to make, her look serious as she stared him directly in the eyes back. “You really trust these fuckin’ people, to not tell anyone?” Rikki pressed her lips together, filled with anxiety, about everything. Maybe, she was losing it.

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux He listened intently. Her idea of a pack vote was rational and well thought out. He nodded at her as she finished her sentence. Then she started to question herself, and that worried him. Keeping his stance against the tree, he asked “And?” Maybe they were going to have to work on this aspect of their relationship. “How am I supposed to trust a pack vote if my second in command doesn’t even know?” He pointed his hand in the direction of where the pack was previously standing, “They don’t look to me…” He paused and emphasized the next word, “/us/ to take a hand count and vote on shit like this, Rikki. They look to us to make a decision and then they obey.” He crossed his arms again. “And no, I don’t trust them. I trust very few people…and you’re slowly moving your way off that list.” His last comment was harsh, but she needed to understand how much his respect was worth.

Rikki SheWolf Naylor The only reason Rikki had doubted herself, was because of what had happened between them the other night. Before that, she had been sure of herself. Before everything started crumbling down around them, before his power trip, and her own. “How am I suppose to trust myself? After what I’ve done in front of the pack to you? While you were gone, I was their acting leader, because these crazy asses needed one.” She looked down, “I know, I know how ya felt now.” Her eyes returned to his again, “And you’re right, not to trust them.” As much as it hurt to say, “To not trust me. You’ve got, every right, to abjure me. If you see fit to do it.”

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux He held back the urge to charge her for even speaking the word ‘adjure.’ He shook his head instead and rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb. They were going to have to start at ground zero if this was going to work. “It’s your /job/ to step in when I can’t be there. All the more reason for you to keep your cool.” He stepped towards her, relaxing his posture. “I am /not/ going to abjure you, Rikki.” He wanted to tell her how much he really appreciated her, in spite of whatever fucked up shit that just went down. His pride was stopping him and he was hoping his last statement would offer her some sort of reassurance.

Rikki SheWolf Naylor Rikki nodded in agreement tensing some, she could tell he wanted to come after her again. She had agreed with every word he spoke though. There was a reason she had stepped forward as his second what seemed like ages ago now. And this was the main one, his kindness, and she knew he would be a great leader, do the best he could. The two combined was what this Pack needed as through the years they have become more savage.

She felt thankful he did not give up on the Pack, the way she had expected to. “I. Understand. And, agree.” She looks down, she crosses her arms across her chest. Relief washes of her that he wasn’t going to abjure her. She made sure to keep her distance still. They both needed time to get over it all. They needed to sort this situation out, somehow.

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux Alcide nodded as Rikki said she understood and agreed. He still had some trust issues to work out with Rikki, but he had more confidence in her than he did in a handful of the fuckers around here. “Good,” he grumbled, and walked past her towards the Pack. He turned to look at her to ensure she was following and met her eyes. Smiling, Alcide started walking again and said, “We need to get a hold of this Pack, don’tcha’ think?” It was a rhetorical question, but it was his way of telling her he wanted her input. “You’re going to have to fill me in on what went on while I was…busy.”

Rikki SheWolf Naylor Rikki held her head down as he walked past her, she made sure she followed close behind him toward the pack. Everyone was silent except a few growls she heard from a distance, specifically coming from Tiffany and Danielle. Rikki met Alcide’s eyes, a soft growl escaping her lips. They were in a world of trouble, she might be in a little more than he is at this point. They would see her as weak, letting her feelings for him get in the way of the Pack. Tiffany and Danielle were still ready to throw him down as Packmaster, and now they would take her down with him. “I can’t disagree with that.” She looked in their direction as a few of them snarled in their direction. “We should find some place with a little less ears for me to do that though.”

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux Alcide nodded at Rikki in approval. The Pack was far too excited by what happened to take either one of the seriously right now. He needed to get on the same page as Rikki in order for them to make an educated decision on their next move. His attitude changed, however, the instant the two of them walked closer to the Pack. He could feel every single eye on him and it was beginning to rub him the wrong way. He would admit (if only to himself at the moment) he had been letting this leadership shit go to his head, but he would be damned if they were going to disrespect either of them.

“I can’t tell which one of them is the bitch, can you Tiffany?” Danielle hissed, with a slight chuckle. Alcide’s eyes flickered yellow and he reached out with one hand, grabbed Danielle by the throat and hoisted her up, her feet dangling at least a foot from the ground. “What. Did. You. Say?” His fingers gripped tighter around her throat. She tried to speak, but the words just came out as inaudible gasps. She clawed as his hand and kicked her legs wildly, but Alcide’s grasp never faltered. He spun around to meet the Pack’s stare and held Danielle out in the air like a trophy.

“If anyone every fuckin’ says somethin’ like that again,” He tossed Danielle across the length of the clearing, “it will be the last fuckin’ thing you ever say.” Alcide looked back to Rikki to follow him and walked past the Pack.

Rikki SheWolf Naylor A low growl escapes Rikki’s lips at Danielle and Tiffany, she kept her eyes focused on the pack as he put them in their place. She could tell Tiffany wanted to rip them both limp from limp as she watched Danielle dangle and fight against Alcide’s grip. She just watched the pack she had been a part of from birth, crumble to the ground right before her very eyes. She growled at a few of them in warning to back off, Rikki felt so lost at what was happening. She had always been loyal to her pack, but now different feelings started rising within her. Rikki watched Danielle go flying past her. She had hit the ground hard, maybe even heard a few of her bones crack from the blunt of the throw.

Rikki bucked up, despite her feelings. She couldn’t let the pack see her in a weak state. She nodded at Alcide and followed his lead as he led the way to a more private location to talk. Once they were a safe distance away from the Pack. “I don’t fuckin’ recognize ‘em anymore Alcide. They’re out for blood no matter who they have to go through, and ya know they’re still gonna go after them, Sam included.” She growls to herself as she mentions the shifter. “

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux Alcide leaned against a truck bumper and sighed. “Don’t worry about them, Rikki, they aren’t a threat.” Alcide flashed back to Rikki pulling those humans out in front of the Pack. She had crossed the line—no, she had humiliated him, and he planned on saving that conversation until they had cooled down, but it was making his blood boil. Now that he knew she was back on board, Alcide was sparing no feelings. He was the fuckin’ Packmaster and she was not getting off lightly for what she did.

“You gonna’ go find them too? And bring them to the Pack? Put ‘em on display while they get ripped ta’ shreds? I’m starting to think that the Pack’s so fucked up because /you’ve/ been runnin’ the show.” He pushed himself off the truck and stepped towards her and crossed his arms. They were going to have the conversation right here and now. Fuck cooling off.

Rikki SheWolf Naylor Rikki growls and takes a step back at that, her own anger coursing through her at that suddenly. “Didn’t ya hear what I said?” She couldn’t believe her ears, she was fighting her own power trip as they spoke. “Alcide, this fuckin’ Pack was fucked up before ya even stepped up as Packmaster! And, what do ya mean find ‘em again and bring them back to the pack to rip ‘ta shreds? The fuck was I suppose to do?!?!” She neglects to tell him the pressure that was put on her by the girls in the pack. “You trust these humans, to not say a word after all they saw in the pack?!?!? Ya still, don’t give a fuck about your own kind, you do give a fuck about what happens ‘ta us!” Rikki turns her back on him, she couldn’t even look at him right now after what he just said. The subject of the humans had caused her to go over the edge.

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux Alcide grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to look at him. She was going to push him to the brink again. “Goddamnit Rikki! They aren’t gonna’ say shit! What tha’ fuck else do you want me to say?” He shook her slightly as is to shake sense into her. “Well you sure as fuck haven’t been helpin’, have you? How do you think it helped the Pack outtin’ me like that? You think that helps /anything/!? You’ve just caused everything to be a clusterfuck…more than it was before. And now they don’t respect me and they don’t respect you!” With the last word he smacked her shoulder with the back of his hand. “And fuck you for even sayin’ I don’t care about this damn Pack. I’ve been doin’ all this shit to protect the Pack. You,” he smacked her shoulder again, “are the one putting us all in jeopardy by acting like a crazy fucking bitch.”

Rikki SheWolf Naylor Everything in her wanted to smack his damn face for laying his hands on her the way he was doing. Spinning her around and smacking her shoulder, she grits her teeth, trying to stay in control of herself. She didn’t know what the fuck was happening to her anymore. She glared into his eyes as he yelled and screamed at her. “Stop, fuckin’ hitting my goddamn shoulder like that, Herveaux.” With all her strength she shrugged him off, she didn’t want to fight him the way she did before. She was still sore what happened before. “What you did proved otherwise! What the fuck was I suppose to do when they told me they found Nicole and her mother, they told me that you’d let them off the hook! Then, ya came back and fuckin’ lied, right to my face. To the pack’s face!” She started to shout and yell herself at this point, she ran her finger through her hair trying to get a grip. She was loosing it again, she growled hating what was happening to her and Alcide. She turned her back on him again so he wouldn’t see the pain on her face, she couldn’t let her feelings for him get in the way of pack business.

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux “Don’t you fucking question my decisions, Rikki! As long as I’m your Packmaster, what I /do/ or /say/ goes!” He backed away from her, knowing that he shouldn’t have put his hands on her, especially after the beating she had earlier. He turned his back and ran his fingers through his hair out of frustration. She was a fuckin’ thick headed as they come. “I.told.you.I.had.to.make.a.choice.” Each word was emphasized deliberately. “I made the choice to let them go. I /lied/ about it so you would let just drop the fuckin’ subject.” He turned back to her. “I /lied/ to protect the Pack from imploding…much like they are now!” He looked at her and shook his head, more to clear it than as a response to her. “There are some things that they just don’t need to know about, damnit! Sam and Nicole being let go unharmed just happens to be one of them. You just won’t ever fuckin’ learn your place, will ya? So, we’re back here again.” He crossed his arms. “I don’t fuckin’ trust you as far as I can throw you, Rikki Naylor. You’re a loose fuckin’ cannon.” Alcide paused, seeing himself go down the same path with her, and he didn’t like it. “That human bitch is pregnant…with Sam’s kid.” He cocked his head to one side. “I guess I shoulda’ killed the pup too, huh? That would solve the Pack’s problems, wouldn’t it?”

Rikki SheWolf Naylor Rikki just hung her head as he went off on yet again another tangent about being Packmaster, all she can do is shake her head with her back still turned to him as he went on and on, and on. His words stung her painfully. He was right, had she not found out the human was still alive, none of this would’ve happened. Part of her wish she didn’t find out, she’d never admit to that though. It stung even more when he told her, he didn’t trust her. She just snorts out, “Yeah, like you trusted me to begin with.”

She spun around hearing the words of Nicole’s pregnancy, in a calm voice this time.”What? That bitch is pregnant, and it’s Merlotte’s? He sure as fuck moves fast. And, no, I wouldn’t wanna harm a child, dammit! I’m not that much of a fuckin’ bitch.”

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux Alcide rose both eyebrows at her when she snapped around to look at him. He knew that would prompt a reaction from her. It would have just been easier for Alcide to tell her from the beginning, but she threw that out the window when she made look like a fool I front of the Pack.

Alcide snorted sarcastically. “I’m startin’ to wonder.” He stopped himself from pushing it further. “Just because you don’t understand somethin’ I do, don’t make it wrong.” He relaxed his posture towards Rikki. “Now that that’s clear, you gonna’ tell me what tha’ fucks been goin’ on around this place?”

Rikki SheWolf Naylor Rikki crossed her arms looking at him, her own posture and nerves easing, somewhat. Not completely though, she had started to wonder about her own self. Especially after the way she handled things with Emma. The only reason she got on the pup’s case was to force her to shift having the feds right outside their door, however, she did not lay a hand on her. She couldn’t and wouldn’t go that far.

“There’s always two sides of a story, Alcide.” She prepares to explain herself, “I had, gone out with the girls while you were out.” She avoided saying, screwing her and her pack over releasing the human’s. She bit her tongue on that. Nicole being pregnant had changed things. She just hoped, it wouldn’t be the death of her, or any other Were for that matter. “They sniffed ‘em out and led me to them. They have been on my fuckin’ case since you’ve been gone.”

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux “Nice. So you’re just gonna show everyone just how weak you are by givin’ into those bitches?” Alcide was being harsher than he originally intended. A small part if him was relieved to know that buck in’ up to him wasn’t all Rikki’s idea. He would /never/ admit it, but Rikki challenging him cut pretty deep. They had their fucked up issues, but the kill or be killed stance she took hurt him more than he thought it would have.

"So those bitches say jump an’ you just ask how high, huh? Shuts more fucked up than I thought." He pushed past her to head back to the Pack. Danielle had gotten a taste of Alcide puttin’ his foot down. The rest were about to get his whole fuckin’ boot up their ass.

Rikki SheWolf Naylor Rikki cocked a brow at his harshness toward her. Guess she couldn’t blame him after what she’d done. “I grew up with this Pack since birth, Alcide. I was just tryin’ to be fair, remember the whole votin’ concept we discussed? Takin’ a vote., I was fuckin’ out numbered. They’re just as fuckin’ freaked out about bein’ discovered as I am. We, were on the same page, so at the time. I did what I thought would be best, for the Pack.”

She growled to herself as he pushed past her, immediately following close behind him. Everyone was congregated around the fire drinking heavily, when they saw Alcide and Rikki coming. Their demeanor changed, again. She knew this wouldn’t end well. And she would be on the opposite end of things this time, she started feeling like a fool. She prepared herself for a fight, she may very well get her ass beat again. She was still suffering from the aftermath of her and Alcide’s fight.

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux “Now you can see that the voting shit don’t work.” He growled back to her as he approached the Pack. He could sense that Rikki was not far behind him. Alcide refused to let this Pack get any more out of control than it already was. He watched as the pack’s posture change as the two neared. Rikki walked up and stood next to him, he looked over to her and could tell she was not in any shape to be fighting again. He had no intentions of letting anyone touch her.

“If anyone here’s got a problem with me or Rikki, now’s tha’ time to speak up.” Alcide took off his jacket and tossed t to the ground. “Because I’m in no fuckin’ mood to be puttin’ up with the shit that just went down earlier again.” Alcide took a step forward.

Rikki SheWolf Naylor She just presses her lips together to that. She stepped up to stand beside Alcide despite the glares she was getting, particularly from the bitches she had met up with the night before. Danielle was beaten up pretty badly, she found herself giving no fucks whatsoever. Tiffany stood like there like the hulk, she looked as if she was ready to jump one of us. Danielle spoke up, standing close beside her. Ignoring Alcide’s words, Rikki wasn’t surprised. They were ready to throw her to the wind at the very beginning if she hadn’t gone along with the plan to overtake Alcide as Packmaster. In the end, she chose him though. The decision came with much difficulty. But, she still saw the good side of Alcide within him. Maybe, some of it had rubbed off on her after all.

She eyed each and every one of them as Alcide laid down the law. She looked over at him as he prepped for whatever was coming. As Rikki’s head was turned to him, she sensed Tiffany coming straight for her. Rikki was already to beaten to respond right away. Once again, Rikki was pushed and thrown across the farm. She punched at Tiffany’s shoulders as she was pinned in the same spot Alcide had her the night before, as best she could Rikki fought back. She could feel her ribs cracking further, she bit into Tiffany’s neck hard to get her off of her and to show dominance. She screamed and growled easing off Rikki, from there. Rikki jumped her, ignoring her aches and pains. She went for Tiffany’s weakness inflicted by her. Tearing into the flesh of the bite mark as Tiffany kicked her in the gut, she growled her eyes glowing golden. She took her fist and punched her constant. Tiffany teetering backwards by each blow of her fist. She eventually grabbed her neck as Tiffany gurgled and growled. She twisted her neck to the side, breaking it.

She stayed there for a moment, staring down at her dead pack sister. Rikki knew this was coming, she stayed true to her promise to throw her down had she not went along with the rest of them. As much as it hurt, Rikki knew she had made the right decision. She gazed up at the resting of them Tiffany’s blood still stained her lips, they all stared at her. She avoided looking at Alcide, as she didn’t know where he would stand on this issue of taking it as far as she did, killing Tiffany.

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux Alcide watched as Tiffany charged Rikki. He tried to jump in front of her, but Rikki shoved him out of the way. She was going to prove a point and, if she felt up to it, who the fuck was he to stand in her way. The Pack was howling and snarling at the commotion. Danielle, obviously injured from Alcide’s run in with her earlier, attempted to go to Tiffany’s aid, but Alcide caught her by the arm. Danielle reared back and clawed at Alcide’s face, leaving deep flesh wounds across his cheek. Alcide growled and spun Tiffany around so that her was back against his chest. He crooked his elbow around her neck and forced her to watch as Rikki snapped Tiffany’s neck like a twig. Danielle howled and reached for Tiffany as Tiffany fell lifeless to the ground with a sickening thump.

The pack grew silent. The only thing audible was Danielle’s soft sobbing and the chirp of crickets in the night. Alcide knew it was a difficult thing for Rikki to do…probably even heart-wrenching…but it needed to be done. He would have done the same thing if in her position. Alcide’s eyes locked with Rikki’s and he nodded in approval. Holding steady onto Danielle, Alcide stepped towards the pack.

“Anyone else!!?” Alcide shouted growling. His eyes glowed yellow. Half sarcastic and half serious, Alcide shoved Danielle forward, and snarled “I’m takin’ a Pack vote. All in favor of killin’ this bitch here, howl.” He didn’t wait for them to respond. “Danielle, I abjure you. I see you no longer. I hunt with you no longer. I share flesh with you no longer.”

Rikki SheWolf Naylor Rikki pressed her lips together, pleased Alcide had nodded in approval. She watched further as he abjured Danielle, she looked down, her heart broke further. She felt her pack was officially over now. Danielle and Tiffany had always had her back in the past. But, that had changed, even before this incident. As much as it hurt, she knew she had to do it. She had to take control of them, even if it meant their death or abjuring.

She threw Tiffany’s lifeless body to the ground with a growl, staring down at it once more, before joining Alcide at his side. Her body ached even more from the damage of yet another scuffle. Her ribs burned, she could tell that maybe one or two of them were further broken. She waited for the others to rise up against them. Her breathing hard, she held on though just so the pack wouldn’t see her even more weakened state.

Alcide ThêPâçkmåstēr Herveaux Alcide could sense Rikki was hurting. Selfishly, he refused to leave their position right now. They had quelled the Pack, at least for the night, and shown them who was in charge. “Alcide, no!” Danielle cried out and grappled for Alcide’s leg. He stepped back and stared down at her only for a second. Her face swollen from crying and neck purple from bruising. He then looked up at the Pack as if Danielle had never existed. He stepped around her, not acknowledging her except to treat her as if she were a log in his way, and went to stand closer to Rikki.

“/WHO/ is.your.pack.master?” Alcide howled. The Pack responded by howling in unison—the melodious sound echoing through the dark of night. In a very uncharacteristic gesture, Alcide reached down and intertwined his fingers with Rikki’s, keeping his stare on his Pack. She had questioned him and humiliated him tonight. But she was his second. She had taken his side when no one else would. And at least for tonight, they stood together, as one, to lead what was left of the Pack.