Marcus

Marcus stood on the ledge overlooking the valley where they had gone for the school run. It had been two weeks since he had last heard Victoria's voice tell him to not call again. Five wolves that he had never seen before walked out of the woods and trotted towards the large of teenagers. Marcus growled low in his chest and linked the Gamma, alerting him to the threat.

He lept from the ledge to the valley floor on impulse. Kyben was more in control these days and he didn't seem to care if they got hurt. The result was that he either looked really tough or extremely suicidal. Marcus wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing that he had made many similar jumps and from higher distance. Kyben was pushing his luck today though.

'Kyben there's five of them. Are you going fight them all yourself?' he asked as the sprain stopped hurting and healed.

'Other's will back my play. No one wants their future alpha killed by rouges. It looks bad.'

'Stand down Marcus.' He heard the order from his father as the older wolf stepped into view. 'I was just showing them the patrol routes when Kyle caught a scent he couldn't resist.' Kyben ignored the order and continued to growl aggressively.

'Dad Kyben.' He linked back. It was all it took for the alpha to shoot forward and take him to the ground. Kyben had been hard to control before Victoria had rejected him now it was impossible. The alpha growled angrily at him and Kyben growled back taking both of them by surprise. He shot up, knocking over Samuel as if he wasn't even there before rushing into the trees.

'Kyben, what the hell is your problem?' Marcus demanded angrily.

'Everything!' Kyben roared back. 'You hurt mate! You made her afraid of us! She rejected us because of you! Then you tried to mark her by force! Do you have any idea what that does to a wolf? She left BECAUSE OF YOU!'

'You had two months to stop me from bullying her and you said nothing! But that's not the point! You growled at DAD! He's the ALPHA Kyben!'

'I don't CARE! She is MINE!! And he let her GO!!!' Kyben was still running.

'What are you planning to do Kyben?' He demanded. 'We're getting close to the pack border. You have to stop soon!'

'I don't have to do anything you say!'

'MISTY!!' It was a last ditch, all cards on the table, nothing left to loose effort to get Kyben to listen. He seemed to have a soft spot for the child. He skidded to a stop just short of the border. 'She still needs us Kyben. You know she'll test for true omega. She needs us to stay and protect her.'

'She needs us?' Marcus could hear the pain in Kyben's voice. He was torn between his desire to run away from everything that no longer had hold over them and the desire to protect the pack's ward. Nobody knew where Misty had come from. Just that one day she was there at the door wrapped in a blanket embroidered with one word. Misty.

'You know that nobody else will protect her.' It seemed his trump card for controlling Kyben had worked yet again. He could feel Kyben submitting to his Alpha instincts, he just needed one more tiny push. 'And do you really want Thomas to get the title of alpha? The only person whose interests he serves is his own.'

'I'd kill him before I let him take control of MY pack!' Kyben snarled viscously.

'Right. If I get my way, he won't be out Beta. He's to self centered for the good of the pack.'

'He is self serving and conceted. Those are not good qualities for a Beta.'

'Most of the shit I pulled was his idea. Including bullying Victoria.'

'He was trying to control you so he could challenge you for the title of Alpha. But he doesn't deserve it!'

'No. He's just a dick.' Marcus shook his head as he turned towards the three warriors waiting for him to decide. 'It's alright Kade. He's under control now.' He linked the one in front.

'You need to get some psychiatric help.' He could hear the frustration in Kade's link. 'I don't understand why the Alpha puts up with your bullshit.'

'In case you hadn't heard my mate rejected me and left for another pack. Kyben is in a lot of pain and he's lashing out.' He grumbled as he started back towards the pack house. He knew he would have to answer for what had happened today, and the sun was already going down.