The Making of a Dark Gamma - Book 1
Trouble to the end

She’s showered, changed and packed two bags, sod the ‘only needs a few clothes’ she thinks, because one thing she knows, it’s three days of travel to the Royal pack if you stay on werewolf land and travel only during the day.

So this isn’t a visit for a day, granted she has no idea what may happen when she gets there, but does know without them saying anything it’s not likely to result in her coming back here in a few days.

There’s a small crowd forming as word has spread that Toni is being taken to the Royal Pack and since she’d declared her desire for tutoring in front of the pack yesterday, something is happening.

As anyone can tell you, gossip, is the fastest spreading, and mutating element on earth, and as proof of that, the crowd is getting larger with each passing second.

Among the faces is James, looking confused, she’d promised to speak to him after her meeting with the Alpha, but since she’s now stood in front of the Alpha and Beta, with the Royal Delta and two of his warriors boxing her in, it's clear events have happened to change that plan.

James isn’t stupid and he’s not going to mind link her at this point, it’s distracting and if she was caught, it would be disrespectful and get her into further trouble, not that she cares at this point, but he’s also got to think of himself.

“Toni, I am sorry that I have to do this”

The Alpha starts

“but after a discussion with Delta Alek, I think it’s best if we break your ties with this pack.

I won’t however, banish you, allowing you to come back and retake the oath if the investigation deems you free to do so.”

He thinks he’s going to remove her from the pack, she smiles, no longer head bowed like a good unranked wolf and can tell it catches him off guard

“Alpha, you cannot without my unforced agreement”

Her words have confidence and not the response expected from a wolf that was, until yesterday an Omega, but they all know that they are beyond that pretence.

The look on his face is priceless, one in which she revels in for a few brief seconds.

“Oh really, what makes you think that,” the Delta asks sarcastically from the side of her.

“Two distinct laws cover my case, I can quote the law references if you need to cross-reference them.

The biggest impediment is a minor orphan cannot be left without a pack without having committed a serious crime unless they, their guardian or a related family member agree to it and no guardian was set when I joined the pack.

Since the legal definition of a minor is below seventeen, I’m covered by that statute.

Additionally, winners of the hunter competition cannot be removed from the pack unless they agree to it, for one year, unless it’s for reasons of Treason or Murder, neither of which I have committed

Unless of course it is countermanded by the reigning head of the Royal Household.” she finishes confidently

She’s banking on the Delta not having a direct line to the King, she could be wrong, in which case, she’s running now and be damned with the consequences.

“Unfortunately, she’s right, doing so brings financial sanctions to the pack and a review of the leadership”

Gamma Chris pipes up from behind the Alpha

“You’d have made a good lawyer Toni, knowing laws so well at your age.”

Delta Alek sighs as he looks at her, crossing his arms

“Toni, it will be simpler for all if you agree to the termination of your pack link, but you are leaving with us regardless, this little stunt won’t stop it happening.”

Looking over to James, he was her first and best friend, he’s two years older than her at sixteen, he never asked about her past, only ever welcomed her to the future and he’s one of the most genuinely down-to-earth, good guys she has ever met.

He wants to be a chef, but the trainee position has to be filled sooner rather than later, and in one year when he’s eligible, it is unlikely to be there.

Toni takes a deep breath, let’s go for ballsy, she thinks, after all, most of the pack are now watching, and she knows she’s breaking her father’s tenth rule.

’Rule Ten – Don’t get close to anyone other than your mate, Attachments breed weakness.’

But if she’s being removed from this pack, she feels she can ignore this one rule today.

“I will agree to the termination on a couple of conditions Alpha” Her voice is confident and clear

Sod it, if they want her out of the pack then she may as well try and trade for it

“You think you are in a position to set conditions”

Alpha Matthews asks the astonishment in his voice is almost amusing, but she doesn’t want to laugh, needing to stay respectful.

“No Alpha, but if I am taken to the Royal Pack as a member of your pack, you’d be responsible for both my actions and my upkeep until permission was given to release me.”

She holds his gaze without actually challenging him.

Toni can see the thought process he’s working through and doesn’t feel the need to say anything else, because he’s working it out himself, it’s rule five in motion, he will be imagining things far worse than she can come up with.

If she’s disrespectful or breaks a rule, it’s his pack name that will be called into question and even if it only takes twenty-four hours, she could probably do a lot of damage in that time, sod it, she thinks, she could probably create chaos given an hour.

See, for a fourteen-year-old, she knows the rule book inside out, it was a requirement for her in her original pack and old habits die hard.

Alpha Matthews shakes his head, frustration written all over his face

“What would your conditions be?” his voice is short with her now, losing the trace of concern and civility he had before, a clear sharpness to his tone.

“Let James train as a chef if he still wants to and allow me to privately say goodbye to him.”

Now these are reasonable requests, nothing outrageous, the head chef is getting older and there isn’t anyone in training, so this helps the pack, and allowing them to say goodbye, well, that harms no one and would make the Alpha seem churlish if he refused, everyone knows they have a close friendship.

Toni feels the eyes of the Delta and Alpha boring into her, but there is no point acting like an Omega anymore and internally her wolf is preening at her words, no more making herself look small.

“James step forward” Alpha Matthews calls loudly

James quietly moves forward head bowed and looking like he wants the earth to swallow him whole, she doesn’t think he’s ever been the focus of the pack before.

“If, and I am only saying if, I agreed to this request, would you want to train as a chef?” he asks

“Yes Alpha” James’s words are almost lost in a whisper

“Delta what are the rules on transferring the prize? Because that’s effectively what she’s asking me to do.”

Toni hears the resignation in the Alpha’s words, but she’s banking on him wanting her out of his pack from the smile he had this morning.

“It’s never been done, but I can grant this allowance once on two conditions.

One that no future precedent is set, that this is a one-off extraordinary occurrence.

Two, if I were to validate the transfer, while she remains in my care, if she tries to escape, the transfer of the prize will be null and void.

Not that I think she would be successful, but the journey will be simpler if we aren’t going to have to have a permanent watch on her.”

Delta Alek crosses his arms as he finishes staring at her.

She was gutted, of course, she’d planned to run, but now James would pay the price, but this way he loses his Omega status and wouldn’t have to wait longer to start his training.

Looking over to him, he carefully does an almost imperceptible shake of his head, he doesn’t know why that restriction is being placed, but wants her to live by her own rules, it’s always been a pact of theirs, to never expect the other to give up their dreams or plans, friendship without compromise.

She smiles at James, an honest but sad smile

“I agree to that Delta” and sees the Delta nod to the Alpha, but James’s eyes have widened

“James Alex Jones, I hereby remove the status of Omega from you and declare you the recipient of the Hunter Prize.

You will move into the pack house today and begin training as a Chef from Monday, the Beta will give you your assigned room later.

For now, someone take these two into one of the spare offices for their goodbyes so we can get this over with”

James and Toni walk side by side into an empty room in silence, the door closing quietly behind them.

“What’s going on Toni?”

He’s concerned, she can tell from his voice

“The Delta has concerns about me and wants to take me back to the Royal Pack for investigation.

Try not to think badly of me in the future, especially if you hear things about me that seem wrong, try not to judge me, just accept me like you did when we first met when I was still a rogue.

James, never forget where we first met, if I’m ever in trouble, I’ll meet you there or get a message to you”

He looks at her a little weirdly after her last statement.

“Be strong and successful and hopefully, sometime in the future, we’ll meet up and you can cook me an awesome meal!”

She’s keeping the topic as light as she can.

“But why give up the pack, to give me this gift,” he asks

“Because giving up the pack now, gets you this goodbye gift from me and you deserved it.

You’ve accepted me, even when I was a rogue on the outskirts of your pack, you never gave me up to your pack guards, but you gave me my biggest gift, that of unconditional friendship.

I doubt that I will be allowed to return here, so one way or another, my link to this pack will be removed, by choice now, or by royal command probably the day I get to the Royal Pack.

I’m using the fact Alpha Matthews doesn’t know that.

I may as well use it to do some good, for the person who has been steadfast in their friendship with me.”

Holding both his hands she hoped he knew how much she meant by her words; they’d met when she was living alone, rogue is technically incorrect, a minor can’t renounce their pack without an adult’s consent.

If the minor then takes a blood oath, only if the Alpha of the new pack is stronger than their old Alpha, will the first link be broken, otherwise it creates a new weaker pack bond, it stops hormonal children from renouncing their pack on a whim, not that it happens a lot, wolves generally love structure and rules.

Alpha Matthews is a weaker Alpha than her old one, so technically, she has two pack bonds currently, just one is inactive due to the distance.

“Toni, I’ve always said you are too old for your years, but I have one question, between us only, ok?”

She smiles as she hears his voice in her head

'Your win, wasn’t lucky was it, I’ve always thought you were more than you showed.'

There's pride in his voice even as it echoes in her head

'No, it was skill and training but please tell no one. I was in training to be a Gamma in my old pack, the Nightshade pack, but it wasn’t a life I wanted, so I ran.

I’m sure it will come out at some point, but this, I am sharing only with you.'

She admits wryly

'I knew it, your secret will be safe with me.'

His voice in her head is stoked, he always believes in her no matter what, he pulls her in for a tight hug before she pulls away.

“Time for me to go agree to the pack link being broken”

She smiles at James

“Don’t stress over it James, I’ve had a good year here and you will never be forgotten, even if I can’t contact you, I will carry your friendship in my heart until the day I die.

You will always be the best thing that happened to me, not even winning the competition beats it”

The grin on James’s face at her last words replaces all the concern he had before at her hiding information from him and they walk out of the room arm in arm.

There is no guard at the door and he turns to her once more

“Are you sure, you could run now?”

His eyes show her he means every word, he’d give up his dream for Toni

“I am, this is my gift to you, it feels like it should be more after all you did for me.”

She smiles meaning every single word, James has shown her what friendship is, something she had never experienced before.

When they exit through the main packhouse doors, she can see two of the warriors from the Royal Pack are already in the car, the Delta is talking to the Deadfalls pack leadership; it seems like the whole pack is out now, it’s the gossip factor, no-one wants to be left out.

“Delta Alek, can you confirm that as long as I uphold your requirement of not to try and escape, the prize is transferred to James without being able to be revoked?”

“That’s correct” he nods

“Then Alpha Matthews, I would formally request to be released from the pack bonds, I do so voluntarily and with the pack as my witness”

“I Alpha Matthews of the Deadfalls pack, remove you Antonia Emma Marshall as a pack member.

Should you choose to visit in the future, you will be required to do so as a guest awaiting permission to cross the border.

As you are a minor, I am placing you in the care, charge and custody of Delta Alek of the Royal pack.”

As he finishes his words, he cuts their palms and the pack link breaks, the buzz in her head goes quiet

“Thank you, Alpha Matthews, for offering me shelter within your pack, may the Goddess give you and all in the Deadfalls pack good fortune, long life and prosperity.”

She bows her head before turning and walking to the car.

Courtesy costs nothing but time her mother used to say, her father’s version would have never burn bridges unless it was your only option, he may have been a killer, but he knew the benefit of having escape routes and the looks on everyone’s faces is priceless bar James, who just looks at her sadly.

Giving James her best smile, she knows it doesn’t reach her eyes, she’s sad to be leaving her friend and the place she was coming to think of as her safe haven.

Pride!

Pride cost Lance, Gareth and Charlie the loss in the competition and pride cost her a place in the Deadfalls pack, and potentially her freedom.

The irony hits her sadly, while she was gloating about their pride, she wasn’t paying attention to her own, if she’d taken out just one and allowed herself to be caught, then maybe her plan for the tutoring would have paid off, without being taken from the pack.

Toni sighs to herself as she gets unforced but also unwillingly into the car and gazes out the window praying to the Goddess to forgive her pride and give her a safe place to stay until she is seventeen.

For the next few days, Delta Alek tests her honour, she’s left in the car, keys in the ignition while they all head to the bathroom or shop or whatever nonsense excuse they are claiming.

They head out of the rooms they stay in and leave doors unlocked, it’s like they want her to try and escape but James doesn’t deserve to have his dream snatched away from him and she has her own honour code that she lives by, her word, once given will not be broken.

Some people are born to achieve their dreams, and others know enough to never have them, she knows that she’s from the latter, but that’s ok, she muses, she’s made James into the former and she won’t take that away from her friend.

Toni has kept conversation to the minimum, never starting conversations and giving as few words as she can in answer, after the first day, everyone bar Delta Alek gave up trying to get her to talk.

They are in the final leg of their journey, and Toni is aware, that this pack can order her to reveal everything, the command of the Royals and their appointed Alpha, will be stronger than her original Alpha, Alpha Vincent, she doesn’t know if that’s a good thing or not.

She’s hoping it could be a good thing, that the Royal pack doesn’t send her back, they have the right and power to ignore her old Alpha and break the old pack link.

The more she thinks about it, the more this becomes the reality, to be taken into the Royal pack may be a good thing, her old Alpha can’t take retribution against them and the Alpha here would be strong enough to break her old pack link without her having to return at seventeen to do so, but then, she thinks, that’s allowing for her to have some good fortune and she already knows that doesn’t happen to her.

Whatever she did in a past life must have been bad for the Goddess to place her into this life, she realises and it brings a melancholy feel to her, leaving her to think on this in silence until her thoughts are interrupted by Delta Alek.

“Don’t you think it’s interesting Toni, that you’ve not yet picked up the rogue smell?” Delta Alek asks from the passenger seat

“I don’t know Delta; I can’t smell myself.”

Sarcasm tinges her voice and she gets a raised eyebrow from Alek because you don’t need to be able to smell yourself to know whether you are turning rogue, you see it in your wolf's eyes and actions in your head.

“You and your wolf seem content without a pack”

“Trust me, my wolf isn’t happy” she huffs back

Tyra is more than annoyed that Toni allowed the pack link to be broken, so she’s buried herself deep in her mind to give Toni the silent treatment, it’s the only pack she knows, even if she didn’t get a chance to run with any other wolf, or make the pack attachments that a wolf usually craves and needs.

Toni knows that once she gets to run and stretch her legs, she’ll settle, it’s the way of the wolf, she’d always been hidden, but she had the freedom to run there once Toni had sneaked out at night, and that’s the biggest thing she misses.

“Could it also be you have a strong pack link somewhere else?” he asks

“If I had, then surely the link to the Deadfalls pack link couldn’t be made?” she asks innocently

“It’s a rare occurrence but it is possible to have two links active in limited circumstances” is all he says

“How?”

Toni asks curiously, even if she knows the answer, she continues to act like she doesn’t

“Doesn’t matter now pup, we’re almost there.

Are you interested in seeing the Royal Pack?”

He asks looking at her again

“No” she stares past him out the windscreen

Delta Alek looks genuinely shocked at her reply, usually, people have some kind of interest in what it looks like, but invitations are few and limited outside of Alphas and Betas, even prisoners have a small spark of curiosity.

“Can I ask why?” he asks

“You’ve made me a rogue and are taking me to the place no rogue would choose to go willingly.

I can’t take my wolf for a run, so she has to be suppressed because a rogue wolf here would be killed on sight.

She’s already unhappy with me for agreeing to the pack link being removed in the only pack she knew, so yeah, I love that feeling of having a broken connection to my wolf

And me personally, you’ve made me leave the one good friend I ever had.

So go figure out why I’m not ecstatic about being here.”

Ok, so she let her teenage side come out, usually she doesn’t, but she got on a rant there, something she can admit, and it made her feel just a small amount better, she’s so good at controlling emotions usually, that it felt almost cathartic to let out a little frustration.

“Well, I don’t think you are packless, or you’d have started to pick up the rogue scent already, it’s day three, so you don’t need to worry about that.

Even if you were, your wolf would still get a chance to run, we understand the importance of allowing a growing wolf to run and bond with their human side, especially with such an early shifter as you.

Regular runs keep both sides of you calm and relaxed.”

His words are spoken in an almost caring manner which shocks her into looking at him and not just staring out of the window.

“So you didn’t have a true friend in your original pack?”

He pushes gently to get her to open up, now that she’s made eye contact.

She doesn’t answer him, she won’t outright lie, his question would require her to confirm she had an original pack, not that it won’t come out soon enough, for now, she’ll hold her tongue, but, as they say, silence speaks volumes and tells Alek all he needs to know.

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