The Alpha Killer
Tomah

Tania’s POV

I-90E near Tomah, WI

I listened as my father-in-law used the voice dial in the car to call John, the Thief River Falls Alpha who had been filling in as the Tomah Pack Alpha since Todd was deposed. “John, we’re ten minutes out, we’re exiting the freeway now.”

“We will meet you at the gate, Brent. There are a few people who would like to be there with me, if that is all right.” He looked back at me and I nodded; maybe some of my friends? “That will be fine. I’ll see you soon.”

I held onto Bobby’s hand with a deathgrip as I looked at the landmarks that I hadn’t seen in four years. I could see the bluff I used to hike and run on with my friends, the hills that surrounded the lake we played at, even the roads that wound towards the Pack House. “Tell me about your home,” Bobby said as he looked at the places I stared at.

I told him stories and memories, and soon I was calm and relaxed, and we were turning onto the private road that led to the access gate. “Wow, even in Texas that’s more than a few people,” Patty said. I looked ahead and my heart leapt in my chest. Behind the gate, behind the tall Alpha, stood my Pack.

Every member of my Pack, from the oldest Elder to the baby in her mother’s arms. They all had come here to see me and welcome me home, and at that instant the emotions all hit me. I started to cry, happy tears, tears of relief. “My PACK,” I said as we pulled to a stop.

“Our pack,” Bobby said. “Come on.” He opened the door and stepped out, reaching back with his hand to help me out. When they saw me, they erupted in a cheer that almost knocked me down. I was crying and shaking, burying my face in Bobby’s broad chest. “You’re an Alpha, lean on your wolf. Go greet them like the strong woman you are.”

He was right. I wiped my tears and snot on his shirt, then stood up straight and looked at them as they approached. I let go of Bobby’s hand as I recognized my best friends from school, and ran towards them until we were hugging and crying together.

I was passed from one hug to another, my wolf reforming the bonds as I smelled them and they submitted to me. I looked back at Bobby, he was watching me with pride as the Pack members introduced themselves. John and Brent were leaning against the car, catching up on Alpha business, while Patty was holding one of the babies and talking to a group of older women.

The sun set, and my wolf wanted out to meet them all. ”Do you mind?”

“Go run with them again,” Bobby sent back. “We’ll meet you at the Pack House.”

I smiled at him, he was so perfect for me, patient and strong and supportive. I was the luckiest wolf around. I asked if anyone wanted to run back in wolf form, and there were lots of volunteers. They all started pulling their clothes off, tossing them into vehicles with those who would drive back. About forty wolves waited for me when I had given Bobby my dress and shoes and shifted. I trotted forward, meeting the excited wolves in the middle of the road. I rubbed against them, smelled them, licked their faces and finally moved through them. Standing tall, I let out a howl and started for home, taking the shortcut through the woods.

I felt free at last as I ran with my Pack.

Bobby’s POV

I watched with pride as my mate led most of her Pack on a run through the moonlit woods. “Aren’t you going to join them,” John said.

“No, she needs this on her own,” I said. “Come on, let’s get going so we can meet them there.”

“Yeah, it would be best if Todd was in the cells before they arrive. He’d be a buzzkill for the celebrations," Brent added. We got back into the car, following John’s SUV with the rest of the cars behind us. We broke off for the isolated building that looked like a tornado shelter, but actually was the Pack prison. Two guards met us, taking the still-unconscious Todd out of the trunk and carrying him towards the open door. Brent slammed the trunk closed, smiling as he heard the barks of the approaching group. “Come on, let’s meet them up front.”

We drove to the parking area and I grabbed Tania’s clothes as I got out. John, Brent, Patty and I were in front as the boisterous group broke though the trees and raced across the lawn towards us. I recognized Tania’s wolf in the front as she sprinted towards me. She leaped from ten feet away, shifting in the air and slamming into me as I caught her in my arms. Her arms and legs wrapped around me, her naked body pressing against me as our lips met. ”Having fun?”

“Thank you, Bobby! I love you.” She unwrapped herself and I handed her the clothes I’d dropped, she pulled the sundress over her head and put on the sandals. Around us, others were shifting back and gathering around. “Wow, it’s great to be back home,” she said to cheers.

”Come on, they’ve made a welcome home feast for you,” John said as he gestured towards the door. When we walked inside, a huge banner that said ‘Welcome Home Tania’ hung over the stairs, and another that said ‘Congratulations Bobby and Tania’ was over the entrance to the dining hall. I took her hand as we followed the Alphas in and stood behind the long table that was on the slightly elevated far end of the room.

“It’s all just like I remember,” she sent me.

“It’s home. There’s bound to be a few changes, but it’s still where you grew up.”

She looked out over my Pack as they came in and took places at the long tables. I could sense her emotions as she greeted friends and Pack members. Sure, they were older. The younger ones had grown a lot, while others looked no different. The best part was that they all looked at her with love, not with pity. She relaxed as the night went on.

The meal was fantastic, breaded and fried walleye, cheesy potatoes, corn on the cob and cherry pie. As we finished up, I could see people turning to her, waiting. “Do you think you could talk to them a bit? Express your appreciation, maybe talk about what you’ve learned when you were gone?”

“Can you start it out?”

“Of course.” I stood up, pulling her to my side as I used a knife on one of the glasses to gain everyone’s attention. The room quieted quickly. “Thank you all for your warm welcome. My lovely mate has told me many stories of her younger days here, and she was not exaggerating when she talked of the beauty of your Pack lands or the love among your Pack members.” There was some applause, and Tania hugged me closer before she stood tall.

“A lot has happened to me since that day four summers ago when I was drugged and sold off,” she said in a strong voice. “My sister Talia, she gave up everything and swore vengeance, and that justice is now coming to a close. The man who kidnapped and sold me is now in our Pack prison, and tonight will face Pack justice. The man who held me in a basement, raping me and forcing me to bear him a son, died a slow and painful death. My son Phillip has been returned to us, and will fly up with more of Bobby’s family tomorrow.” At this, there were claps and shouts of congratulations. “The humans who ran the training facility are dead, as are those who held me captive on the island, and those who held me in slavery until Talia found me. After tomorrow, I will speak no more of justice, because I have it. They are dead and I am home.”

The place erupted in shouts and applause, and I squeezed her hand as she stood there looking at them. She held up a hand and they quieted. “I have a second chance at life, and I refuse to waste it. I have a mate, this wonderful man who helped me heal and love again.” I squeezed her and kissed her hair. “I have my son, who shows me every day that good things can come out of bad situations. I lost my parents, and I miss them terribly, but I got my wolf back. I have my sister again, plus her mate Randall Meechum, and a whole lot more Meechums in Texas and Colorado. Do you have any idea how many kids Alpha Brent has?” There was laughter, they knew he had a big family and that Talia was mated to Bobby’s brother. “The last thing I need is you. I know I am only eighteen, and Bobby isn’t much older. If you’ll have me, we would love to be your Alpha Pair and bring the Stillwater name back to the Tomah Pack.”

The roar from the crowd almost raised the roof.

I didn’t think the vote would be an issue. They loved her.

Todd Aldridges’ POV

Tomah Pack Prison

I pushed my mind up through the fog, shaking my head to clear the cobwebs. Opening my eyes, it was dark; the room and ceiling were dirty concrete. I was on a thin mattress, a few inches above the ground on a concrete platform. A dim light came through gap between the bottom of the door and the dirty floor. A paper plate with a sandwich and a bottle of water rested there. I was in prison, I was naked, and I recognized the cell.

I was back in Tomah.

I was fucked. The Sulphur Creek Pack had turned me over to the people who I used to rule, the ones I stole from and abandoned.

The smell of food got me going, and I sat up. My body ached, like I’d been in the same position for a long time. I could see the marks from the silver where it had contacted my skin, the wounds healing slowly. I rolled with a groan to my knees and felt a tug on my cock. Looking down, I saw a tube sticking up my piss hole, a clear hose connected to a bag full of urine.

I’d been catheterized. I was glad I wasn’t awake when they put it in, but now what? “HEY,” I yelled.

I heard footsteps approaching. “What do you need, bitch?” I recognized the voice, it was Ben, one of the newer warriors.

“I need the nurse to remove my catheter,” I said as pleasantly as I could. I hated it, my wolf didn’t like his attitude but I was in no position to smack some respect into him like he needed.

”Yeah, they mentioned you’d need help. Lie against the door so your junk is right at the edge, and push the tubing underneath so I can cut it.”

“The FUCK you will,” I said.

“Hey, there’s a balloon blown up inside your bladder to hold that thing in place. I can deflate that, or you can pull a grape through your dick on your own. Personally, I hope you do nothing. I’d like to see a sack of shit like you walking out to trial with a bag of piss in his hand, but whatever.”

I had to get this thing out. “Fine, give me a second.” I moved the food out of the way and laid up against the door, pushing the tubing underneath. I felt a tug as he cut something off, then he yanked on the tubing. It ripped out, setting my dick on fire. “SONOFABITCH,” I said as I rolled back.

“Get some rest,” he said as he walked away laughing. I pushed myself to my feet and walked gingerly to the sink. I washed my hands, then washed my junk off in the cold water. When the sting was gone, I went back and grabbed the food. I was starving, and I had no idea how long I’d been out.

I sat there for hours, wondering how this was going to go down. I wasn’t going to grovel or beg for my life; fuck them all. None of them would sit in judgment of me, they didn’t even have an Alpha. I did what I needed to do.

I couldn’t sleep. The underground prison had no clues as to whether it was day or night, but from the sandwich it was probably evening or night by now. I was startled out of my daydreaming by the sound of the reinforced outer door opening. I could hear and sense several people coming my way. “Turn and face the back wall or we’ll hit you with the cattle prod,” a man said. I did what he said; no use fighting now. I knew the protocols; more warriors would be upstairs at the only other entrance.

The door opened and two men came into my cell. They roughly cuffed my hands behind my back, then turned me towards the door. They were both Tomah Pack, but the man in the hallway was not. He was young but well-built, and I could sense the Alpha blood in him. “Ready for your trial,” the man asked.

“Who the fuck are you?”

He just smiled as I was led forward out of the cell, stopping right in front of him. “I’m Tania Stillwater’s MATE, you slimy fucker.” I expected him to hit me, but he just turned and walked towards the stairs. I was pulled forward between the two guards, suddenly even more nervous. I’d expected to see Talia Stillwater here to take out another Alpha, I wasn’t expecting Tania to have a mate. Hell, she didn’t even have a wolf!

When we got to the top of the stairs, I could see it was the middle of the night. The quarter moon was high in the air, that and a few small fires illuminating the scene in front of me. The path between the prison and the front steps was lined on both sides by Pack members spaced about six feet apart. As I was marched forward, they would say something then turn their backs on me.

“Traitor.”

“Kidnapper.”

“Rapist.”

“Thief.”

“You have no honor.”

“You betrayed us.”

They had been my family, my Pack, and now they were rejecting me to my face. My wolf was furious; I hoped they would put me in the ring to defend my title. That Alpha blood mate of Tania, he wouldn’t stand a chance against an experienced wolf like me.

As the last pair of wolves turned, I arrived at the base of the stairs. I recognized several of the Alphas on the front deck; Alpha John of Black River Falls, Alpha Richard of Wisconsin Rapids, Alpha Mike of Green Bay, and Alpha Brent of Sulphur River. Two neutral Alphas and a member of the Werewolf Council were required to pass judgment on a sitting Alpha, and that made me smile. Instead of a trial, the pup was going to challenge me for my spot.

The door opened and my blood froze. Two women came through the doorway, instantly recognizable. Talia Stillwater, the Alpha Killer, was holding the hand of her sister Tania as they walked forward. Talia’s unique scent was forward, but so was the familiar scent of Tania.

And she had her wolf.

“We have a quorum for the trial, Madam Chairman,” Alpha Richard said.

“Very well. The trial of Todd Aldridge on the charges of kidnapping of a child, accessory to rape, two counts of murder of a sitting Alpha, conspiracy and theft of Pack property will come to order. Mr. Aldridge, how do you plead?”

“That’s ALPHA Aldridge to you, Stillwater,” I said with a sneer.

“That is Werewolf Council Chair Stillwater, and you aren’t an Alpha. Not any more,” Alpha Richard said. “After you abandoned the Pack and fled from the Council arrest warrant, you were removed and I have been acting as Alpha.”

“Now how do you plead,” Talia said.

I did it, they all knew I did it, and I just wanted to get to the fight. “No contest,” I said.

“Very well, we will move into sentencing. If anyone would like to speak towards the sentence, come forward and be recognized.” A few did, talking about the money I took or the good Alphas I had killed.

Finally, Tania moved forward to speak. “A quick death is too easy for him,” she said. “He must pay for what he did, then die for who he killed.” She handed them a piece of paper. “This is the justice I demand for being kidnapped and sold into slavery by this vile man.”

Talia took the paper, reading it, then handing it to the other Alphas. They conversed quietly before they broke up the huddle and looked down at me. “For the crimes of Theft, Kidnapping and Accessory to Rape, Todd Aldridge is to be branded as a traitor and given twenty lashes with a silver whip. When he has recovered, for the two murders, he is sentenced to Pack Pursuit.” There were some gasps; it was an old sentence and particularly bloody.

The guards grabbed my cuffed arms, leading me to the pole that stood in the center of the circular driveway. My hands were raised and attached to the chains hanging from the top, adjusted to hold me up and keep my back exposed to the whip. My ankles were chained close to the concrete the pole was set into, keeping me from moving away.

The Pack had gathered around to watch. Talia and Tania walked up to me, each holding an implement of my punishment. Tania had pulled the brand out of the nearby fire, the red ‘T’ glowing in the night. “Erica suggested this one. A fitting punishment for a traitor who sold out his own Alphas, and stole from his own Pack,” she said. “Hold him.” Guards grabbed my hair and neck, holding my right cheek tight to the pole. I closed my eyes as it got closer, I could feel the heat of the brand as it got close.

When she pressed it to my left cheek, I screamed in agony. She kept it there for a second, making sure the skin was burned through, then she pulled it back and the men let go. I could smell the burned flesh, and my face was on fire. A guard wearing gloved came up, and spread a paste containing silver flakes onto the wound. The burning of the silver made the pain even worse and ensured werewolf healing would not take place.

Tania spit in my face and returned to her mate’s arms as Talia let the silver whip unfurl in her hand. “Twenty lashes is the sentence. Remember every one.”

The sound of the whip cutting the air and tearing through flesh was a familiar one, but I had always been on the other end of it. The leather had silver imbedded into it, and the lash removed skin in long stripes. I managed to stay silent through four, but the whip knows no rank. All who suffer under it will scream and beg for mercy, and I was no different. I blacked out after twelve, only to have salt water tossed on my back to wake me up again.

By twenty I didn’t remember my name, I couldn’t tell who was screaming or where I was.

I came to hours later, back in the cell on my stomach, with any movement of my body being sheer torture.

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