Chapter 4: Beta be Trying

Watching her 'new pack alpha' interact with her parents while completely ignoring her made something bitter settle in the pit of Jamie's stomach, her teeth aching but, she just worked her jaw and tried to keep her temper under control.

Logan smiled at her father like he was an old friend, going on some spiel about her fitting right in with the others and reassuring her parents she'd settle in easily.

As if he knew anything about her. Jamie Westbrook was ANYTHING but easy. Her sparring partners could attest to that, and she was not about to make it easy for him either.

New pack, new alpha, or not, it would take more than a nice smile and empty platitudes for her to 'settle in' with strangers.

All things considered, Logan was downright professional as he interacted with her father and mother, the only thing she could appreciate about him.

Not just anyone could be the alpha. You had to be strong and capable and while being fight happy wasn't frowned upon, a level head was definitely appreciated.

The Alpha of the Northeastern pack. No one talked about the Northeastern pack, even when they were recognized with an official pack territory twenty years ago. The reason behind that was simple.

All the members of the Northeastern pack had Canis Syndrome.

It was like some exclusive club you didn't really want to have the qualities to join.

Didn't matter that they were 'cursed' either. Their packs Alpha was the strongest fighter in their entire White Oak territory, and no one was dumb enough to challenge someone so obviously better.

Jamie was sorely tempted to, though. She wasn't used to being treated as inconsequential, especially when her life was being bartered away like a wobbly table at a flea market.

Daughter of the alpha might've been a title she was born with, but 'future alpha' was one she earned, and even with her shifted form, she wasn't gonna just lose it, no matter what people thought.

"It'll be quite a drive," Logan finally spoke to her again, after dismissing her so callously before. Her glare only seemed to amuse him, and Jamie gripped the strap of her duffle bag tighter.

She would not beat up another pack's alpha, she thought to herself in a mantra as he opened the trunk for her to put in her things.

"How long?"

"Pretty long."

…that answered nothing.

"Where are we going?"

"To our pack's territory."

Jerk didn't even say Northeastern territory. It wasn't like any of them traveled beyond the borders without permission or to the Central Pack for annual meetings.

"How many are in the pack?" a decent question, noninvasive.

"You ask a lot of questions." He smirked at her, and Jamie sucked in a breath as she practically shook with rage. The sheer audacity of this alpha. She was SO going to beat the crap out of him, position in the pack be d*mned.

However, she wouldn't cause trouble for her ex-pack. She owed them that much at least. Jamie wasn't going to do that to Sarah, or her parents, even if she was still upset with them for all of this.

"Hope you don't mind, but you'll have company. They're the welcoming in committee."

"I mind."

"Great!" Logan didn't even hear her, heading back to the driver's seat, and Jamie wanted so badly to scream out her frustration, her rage, her pain, but she was better than that.

Whatever game Logan was playing, treating her like this–he would not win. This strange, distant politeness would only get him so far, and he would learn that she was not something you could just ignore.

Jamie looked back to her parents and was surprised to see her father crying along with her mother. Not loud sobs but tears were falling silently down his face.

Why were they crying when they chose to do this to her?

No, Jamie knew why. It was a messed-up attempt at protecting her by sending her away.

It wasn't like Jamie couldn't understand; it wasn't like she couldn't accept the reasoning. She knew how people could treat those with Canis Syndrome. It wasn't pretty.

What she couldn't understand or accept though was that they didn't even tell her.

It was HER life, not theirs. They went behind her back, told her at the last second, and now they didn't even have the guts to say goodbye, just see her off like she was a sheep to slaughter.

And maybe she was in their eyes. Just a tiny thing surrounded by big bad wolves. 'A dog collared up by her own parents,' she thought in bitter amusement, turning away and getting into the car.

Fine. Bring it. If this pack thought that she'd be anything lesser than an alpha herself even with her shifted form, then they had another thing coming. Dog or not, they better be careful. She bites.

Jamie looked at the 'welcoming committee', a man and a woman, a silent stare down going on between them before the engine of the car started up and they started to leave her home, her pack.

"So, I'm Andy Burroughs," greeted the man. He was dressed in blue jeans, a green V-neck, and a white lab coat. He had brown hair and brown eyes behind square glasses.

He was a medic, which in itself was rare. Sure, there were people who could do proper first aid and triage but a proper medic who had doctor training? Territories were lucky to have three, one to a pack was a pipe dream.

The training alone was the problem. The medics they did have were often too busy to train others and going out into the human world to learn took a level of control most didn't have.

Due to this, packs shared medics quite often, medics having special permission and neutrality to work between packs and alphas. In a way, they were above alphas, even if they couldn't take them in a fight.

"I'm Valerie Travers. It's great to meet you. You're Jamie, right?" the woman spoke up. She reminded Jamie of Sarah, only in the fact that they seemed to know how to look good. The pink suede jacket and box braids done up in a half bun.

"…Jamie Westbrook."

"So let me guess…Rottweiler? No wait! Doberman?"

"Excuse me?"

"What he means—" broke in Valerie, "is what did your shifted form end up being? I'm a Dachshund."

"You though? You look like you'd be a hunting dog or something really big," piped up Andy. "I'm a Husky myself."

"And I'm not telling you."

"Come on, it'll get you settled in. No one's gonna judge. You'll feel a lot happier if you aren't so at war with your shifted form."

"I'm not exactly happy to be here to begin with."

"But you agreed to leave your pack." Valerie started hesitantly and Jamie snorted.

"No, I didn't, but what can you do when you're kicked out?" She leaned back in her seat, looking out the window.

"Sh*t, Logan is not gonna be happy about this," muttered Andy.

"He was happy before?" she scoffed. "Didn't seem that way when he had to deal with me becoming a part of his pack. Doing my parents such a 'favor' by taking me away."

"He thought–WE thought–you were informed about everything by your previous alpha or parents."

"You thought wrong. He'd know that if he even bothered to talk to me instead of treating me like air. Your pack's sounding 'really welcoming' though. I can't wait." Jamie gave a fanged smile that lacked any mirth, her words sharp.

Neither Valerie or Andy had anything to say after that,\ and the rest of the car ride was silent.