Chapter 3

Alexander’s POV…

“Give me the monthly expense report.” Ordered Alpha Nicholas without looking at me.

“On your table” I replied.

As usual I waited for him to read the report in a black mood that no one can dispel. I hate being with him in the same room. I hate breathing the same air that he does.

I lost my beloved because of his stupid decision. I lost my Leila because of him. I hate the fact that Leila and I slept on the deathbed on the same night. I hate how I survived and she couldn’t.

Indeed my mate was right, she saw it coming. She saw it all along and we lost her.

“I asked you something” Gritted Alpha Nicholas bringing me out of my zone.

“Sorry, Alpha” I tried to speak politely but an involuntary growl left my throat.

“Did you just growl at me?” Alpha Nicholas growled slapping the file down on the table.

‘What did you just do, leo?’ I asked. My wolf, Leo, is white furred wolf with anger issues, especially with Nicholas's wolf “Ace”.

“I am sorry, Alpha” i sincerely apologized. Even though I have alpha blood and despite sharing a womb with him, I hold no authority against alpha. I pledged my loyalty to Alpha Nicholas soon after the lunar ceremony to respect our beloved Leila. I will have to obey him no matter what.

“Do you understand the severity of this offence?” he asked. Dominance radiated from his eyes, compelling me to obey him. Ace has started to show up. I must say Ace is pretty pissed off at Leo too.

Things were never the same after that day. It would all have been different if our twin l**k was still working. Our l**k died immediately after the fight.

“Yes Alpha” I replied with the bow of my head.

“Dominic?” Alpha Nicholas yelled. Dominic is Drake’s son who is supposed to be the only Beta after the lunar ceremony but Alpha Nicholas being so considerate decided to make my life living hell by making me and Dominic, both his Betas. His words being “Things gonna change with me. Who said I cant have two Betas? Let's be resourceful and use this waste of dog to guard the borders” 

“Yes Alpha” Dominic entered the room.

“Bring me handcuffs laced with wolfsbane and gather everyone near pack square.”

Alpha Nicholas himself cuffed me and dragged me to the pack square. These were the only times he touched me, generating the spack of our twin line.

I was not unfamiliar with these situations, this had happened many times in the past 10 year. I knew the whole procedure.

“Members of ‘The Majestic Lunars’, world's most powerful pack, I have a question for you.” Alpha Nicholas' voice thundered in eerie silence. No one dared to move. We can feel his voice making our bones weak.

‘Blah blah blah…’ muttered Leo, pacing around. He knew he would have to heal me soon.

We are bound to kneel before Alpha. The twin I once had is gone, the one standing before me is a borderline psychotic person who only seeks power.

“Our beloved Beta Alexander has again disrespected your Alpha” He said, making me kneel on the podium.

Not a single sound from the audience.

‘Does he know no one likes him? Or should I do the honor?’ scoffed Leo.

“He has disrespected me again and again in this past decade. Don’t you think it's insulting?” he asked.

‘We all know what he wants to listen’. Muttered Leo rolling his eyes.

“Yes,” the pack member replied in unison.

“What should we do about it?” He asked again, gripping the whip in his hand.

Wolfsbane has already burned my wrists. These handcuffs were specially made for me immediately after I became Beta. The only good thing here is that the cuffs are of my wrist size, not small and wolfsbane is diluted, thanks to Dominic.

“Whip him,” someone yelled from the audience.

Echo of many ill timed “yes” resounded in the pack square.

Alpha Nicholas sighed loudly from his nose.

“Right? Whip him?” he questioned.

‘You want me to buy him hearing aid?’ Leo asked genuinely.

‘Will you shut up for a second?’ I replied harshly pushing him back in my mind.

“Yes” unison reply of the audience came.

I skimmed through the crowd, only to find Maria standing in the corner, shedding silent tears. I tried to mind l**k her but I guess wolfsbane has entered my system.

From the corner of my eye I saw Alpha looking at Maria too. Fuck.

“As all of you think Beta deserves the punishment, I want someone to volunteer. Someone who is willing to whip the Beta, punish him for his sins” he spoke, changing his voice in a polite version.

‘Not even a grasshopper chirped…’ there comes the leo again.

“Oh come on, anyone who would like to come forward willingly?” he persuaded the audience.

‘Alex I got you’ said Leo getting ready to surface in an emergency.

‘Thank you’ was my short reply

Few of the gammas stepped forward and it started. The whipping.

The tip of the whip was too laced with wolfsbane. I could feel my skin burning as it hit my back. The hit wasn’t powerful enough. It seemed like the volunteers also just wanted to get it over with.

Hit after hit, the volunteers punished me for insulting their all mighty Alpha. Tears ran down my face, I could feel the handcuffs cutting into my muscles. Blood seeping through my unhealed wounds, it takes a lot of time to heal a wolfsbane wound yet it leaves the scares.

“Apologize” commanded Alpha.

This command was from Ace to Leo. No one can deny alphas command, not even Leo.

I pushed myself back just enough for Leo to surface.

“I sincerely apologize for my behaviour” said Leo

“What was your sin?” Ace asked.

“I growled at you,” Leo confessed.

“Did you deserve the punishment?” he asked.

“Yes” I replied, panting hard.  Leo was getting out of hand, there is only so much disrespect my wolf could handle.

“You are a disgrace for our family, cant even control his wolf” he muttered under his breath. “ Fucking murderer” were his last words before my wolf took over.

Leo’s POV

I took over Alexander as soon as the word ‘ murderer’ word left Alpha’s mouth.

10 years of insult, humiliation and pain. I didn’t kill my precious Leila, he did.

I didn't kill our mate, he did and he will remain accountable for the sins he committed. Not me.

Both Alex and I have suffered immense amounts of pain after losing our mate. 

And I think her sacrifice was wasted in vain. I don’t deserve to be mateless because of this power thirsty brother of mine.

Freeing myself I ran and I ran fast. This needs to end.

I heard Alpha order from the pack mindlink, “ GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW, YOU MUTT”

“Go fuck yourself” I reverted back through pack mindlink.

“Catch him” was the last order I heard before shutting every way of communication and solely focusing on running.

I need to get out. Alexander is weeping, I can feel him cry and yell in my mind. He needs this.

‘I can't take it any more’ whispered Alexander.

‘I am here’ and with that Alexander shut himself out.

This added fuel to my anger. Why Alexander? Why is he suffering?

Releasing a howl I ran past pack boundaries. Standing for a second to cut off all the links from the pack.

Nicholas must have felt the breaking of the pack line from my side, this should indicate to him about my departure. He will be free too, free to dominate the pack.

I kept running for hours, dreading if I stopped. We will end up in the same old dungeon and this time, Alexander will break apart. I can't let this happen, we shall run.

After two days of running with little to no break we reached the border of the town. This is where I decided to give control back to Alexander. 

ALEXANDER’S POV

Leo gave me enough time to gather my energy by hibernating for a while. I appreciate his stand but we broke our promise to father.

I decided to remain in wolf form. Tottering around I found a camping site just outside the town borders.

‘Steal their clothes’ suggested tired Leo.

‘What did you think I was gonna do?’ I enquired.

‘You will change in human form and politely ask if they were ready to let you borrow some of their clothes in your battered and bloodied form’

Rolling my eyes I slowly walked near the tent. Luckily a pair of jeans were lying just beside the tent.

I grabbed the pants in my mouth and started to walk away.

Just as I turned to my left, there stood a half naked woman, her color pale, eyes bulged out standing like a statue.

‘Woaw, what happened to the poor lady?’ asked leo.

‘What do you think?’ I asked with a sarcastic laced voice.

‘Well, I know what is going through her mind right now’

‘Care to share?’

“ Don’t be suspicious, don’t be suspicious, don’t be suspicious’ sang Leo in rhythm.

This made me laugh, resulting in an obnoxious sound coming out of my mouth. And this is where she fainted.

‘Is it just me or she fainted in slow motion?’ laughed Leo.

‘Her legs bounced in air too just like it happens in cartoon when a character falls’

I barked once to gather attention of other humans, just in case the lady was injured and ran back in the forest.

Turning in my human form, I realised the jeans didn’t fit me.

‘These jeans must be of that poor lady. Yes, now wander around in tight ass jeans’, Leo scoffed.

‘Although it's pretty funny, you are trying to get into a woman's jean in the middle of the forest…you know if you know’ a teasing leo is better than angry leo.

I turned back in wolf form and started looking for shelter.

‘Follow the stream’ whispered Leo in a sleepy voice. We need water, food and rest. I can't give control back to Leo, he is too exhausted to hunt. So I obey him and follow the sound of running water.

20 minutes later we reached the stream, quenching our thirst. I wandered around hoping to find a small cave nearby. Moon goddess is going easy on me.

We rested.

Days passed by, all I do is hunt, eat, heal and  sleep. This Is like the golden retreat of the animal world. 

The days are pleasant and for the first time in ten years, Leo hasn't lashed out in days.

He is at peace too, although he hates his white fur getting soiled again and again.

The evening sky gradually turned darker as I walked around the forest. That’s when I heard the sound of a vehicle approaching on a nearby highway. A national highway passes from the forest, and in the past few days not a single vehicle passed by.

Curiosity got the best of me when I heard the engine of the truck giving out.

Silently approaching the vehicle, I observed from the far. That’s when it hit me, the same intoxicating smell.

Leo stirred in my mind, wanting to take the control. Pushing him back I charged on the vehicle.

The driver turned out to be the member of my former pack, the majestic lunars.

“Beta Alexander” he grasped as I approached him.

He backed off, and glanced at the driver seat.

‘He is planning to run’ deadpanned Leo.

Leo took over pushing me back in the mind. As we closed the distance, more of her smell compels us towards her.

And Leo charged. Within the matter of minutes completely dismantled cadaver of him lay lifeless on the road. And there I stood in my human form.

Mate is the only word leo repeated as I opened the trunk of the truck.

This is my Leila. Leila is alive.

An unconscious human laid in the trunk and the only words that escaped my mouth were.

“MATE”