Not just the Beta (Oriana and Slade) novel Chapter 51

Slade

Slade spent a lot of his time outside of his regular classes here at Alpha College, in the college’s library. No longer was he interested in sleeping with anyone; he had been burned and badly-so, his happy demeanour on coming here and spending time with other Alpha wolves like himself, was no more.

He’d seen just how quickly those around you could turn on you, learned who was, and wasn’t, his actual friends. He’d been judged harshly, because one she-wolf had dared to try and get him to Mark and Mate her, without her actually being his Goddess-Gifted Mate. Play all the tricks she could, then blame him.

He’d learned in the past few months not all wolves were trustworthy. So, he attended his classes, then walked away. His happy social life from when he’d gotten here had dwindled away to nothing. He was no longer interested in making friends with those around him, it was a fickle friendship at best, he thought.

He attended his studies for classes and then, when that was done each day, he slept till midnight and then made his way to the college library to do research; on whether his father and that Alpha Unit were or weren’t fit to reign over the pack anymore. Spent his nights buried in Wolfen law books, reading everything he could, regardless of how old those laws were. If they were still in use by their king, he’d be able to use them himself, to take over when he got back to the pack.

He’d practically lived inside this library, sometimes even slept in there, fell asleep at the desk; it was unavoidable at times, he was tired all the time. And being in here also stopped him from having to see Audrey and her new Mate. They were marked and mated now. Some deal was struck between her mother and her mate’s father, he’d heard. After all their punishment had been dealt out, it had taken over a month for it to be discussed.

She’d been made to apologise to him formally in front of everyone, including her mate. No one was really talking to her, she walked about alone. Even the new wolves that arrived heard about what she’d done. She was always on her own, he rarely even saw her with her Mate, though he had heard they now shared a room.

It wasn’t his business and he didn’t want to know. She’d been told to stay away from him by Gretta, or more punishment would be dished out. He honestly was hoping she’d get knocked up and leave Alpha College, so he didn’t have to see her or hear her name.

He was sitting in the library at two in the morning, with a Wolfen law book in front of him when he looked up at the sound of a chair being placed across from him. He hadn’t heard anyone come in, but there was Alpha Gretta seating herself across from him. She even put a cup of what he thought was soup in front of him.

“Something to keep you warm, it’s cold in here.” she stated as she pushed it across the table.

“Thanks,” he nodded “What do I owe the pleasure of your company?” he asked, returning his eyes to the book.

“Slade, your father is concerned about you, stated you’re not returning his calls. That the one you did pick up on. You yelled something about him not being fit to rule the pack and hung up on him.”

Slade nodded as he listened to her; that was about right, to his recollection of their last phone call.

“And I see.” his eyes moved to Gretta. “He complained and whinged and whined like a baby to the Alpha Council, because I had the hide to hang up on him right?”

She snorted with amusement. “Yes, that would also be true. What are you doing in here all the time, so late at night?”

“Trying to find out if I’m right. If there is a law that states what he did, makes him not worthy of the title of Alpha.”

She was staring right at him now, looked more than concerned about his words, so he elaborated on his thoughts for her “I’m trying to find out if there is a way to overthrow him without having to duel him.” He shrugged.

“Slade?” she questioned now and sounded concerned this time.

“I don’t think he or his unit are fit to rule, nor their Mate’

Luna, as far as I’m concerned, Gretta.” He laid it all out for her.

She sighed a little, “Why not? Explain that to me. What is going on inside your home pack that makes you think that? You seemed happy with them when you got here, but not now.”

“Ori’s gone because of what they did to her.” He muttered.

“I know they demoted her in the wrong way.” she nodded.

Yes, she knew quite a bit, but didn’t know the whole truth of the matter either, he didn’t think, being that she was on the Alpha Council, and it would be them that would investigate and judge his own father, his mother and all of their actions over what they’d done. They were no better than Audrey in his eyes right this minute.

He leaned back in that chair and looked right at her for a long moment, then just asked the question, “Did father tell you the real reason he and his unit, the Luna and her unit allowed it to go down that way. Which they all did.” He clarified to her.

“Real reason?” she seemed to think about it. “Not because she was a female Beta then?”

“No.” he muttered, then just sighed as he looked at her. He wasn’t really surprised that his father

had withheld the truth, left out that something, that would see them all under fire from the Wolfen Council. They all knew coercion was against the wolfen laws.

“He tried, the entire unit tried to convince me when I got home that Oriana was my Mate…before the full moon set, and so that was why they needed to step her down from the Beta position before the full moon, so she could accept me as her Mate.” He stated it plainly, so be it if they all got in trouble, they all deserved it.

He picked up that cup of soup and sipped it, as he watched her frown deepen as she thought about what he was saying, it took her several minutes before she spoke “Does Oriana know this?”

she asked him.

“No, only I was told. It, however, was too late, they told me after they stepped her down…” he sighed “She hated everyone, including me for allowing it to happen like that. Not that I knew it was going to go down like that.” Slade muttered, “But I did agree to taking Hayden, her younger brother as my Beta and stepping her down, she knows that. I didn’t do it for the same reasons they did. They had their own agenda, which they kept from me until shit hit the fan.”

“Alright. Then, to help you out, if you want to; you could put it all in writing, into an official Wolfen Scroll. Put your personal wolfen seal on it, mix a drop of your blood into the wax. Give it to me and when you’re ready call me and only then will I open it, act upon what is written in it. With your blood in that wax, only you can request it be unsealed.” She informed him.

“Why does my blood have to be mixed into it? It’s my seal.” Slade frowned.

“Without your blood, your father could demand it destroyed while he’s the Alpha, if he finds out about it.” she answered him simply.

“You can do that?” he asked curiously “Not act on it now?”

“I don’t know what you’ll write in that scroll. It might not be what we’re discussing at all.” She shrugged “You write whatever you want in that scroll, seal it with your own blood, and bring it to my office. I’ll put it in my files, to never be opened unless you want it to be.”

“Really! You’re allowed to do this? Ignore what you’ve just heard from me about my father?”

“I can.” She shrugged and looked away from him for a moment “at my discretion, opt to do nothing until you make an official complaint…this here, is just an informal chat, not official council business. I’m just here making sure you’re alright, up late every night.” She shrugged again “I’ll leave the rest up to you.” she stood up “I can see why you’re hurting so much; Oriana is not just, the Beta. Is so much more to you. A childhood friend, the mother of your pup and possibly the future Luna to your pack. As for Goddess-Gifted. That is also possible, but only coming across her on a full moon will resolve that knowledge for you. To you, she is much more than just your Beta.”

“Yes, I know.” Slade nodded “I’m not happy, likely won’t be until I can find her and fix all of it.”

“Mm, I can see why you need to. I’ll leave you for the night,” Gretta stated, and turned to leave.

“My father?” he asked.

“Can sit and stew… Children do not always want to talk to their parents. I’ll tell him you’re doing fine, and are still mad about Oriana leaving… I’ll leave out everything else I now know.”

“Thank you, Gretta.” Slade nodded.

“Not a problem, Slade. This is one of the reasons we’re here. So that youngsters like yourself, can get to know us on the council. See that we are actually on your side, and you can trust us. Makes things easier when you’re in charge, to come to us with issues, know we’re impartial and fair.”

“Many reasons for us to come here to Alpha College, I see.”

“Yes.” She nodded and strolled out of the library.