_ Alpha Beowulf

Gamma Rhett

~~

Rhett left the office and soon found himself in front of the Alpha's duplex. The duplex was heavily guarded by Werewolf soldiers who dipped their heads in respectful acknowledgment as he approached.

Inside the duplex was a grand foyer that reeked of money and polished marble. He had heard that the new Alpha was stinking rich. He had studied abroad and came back to the pack when his cousin – the late Alpha died.

The late Alpha was one of the unlucky ones who never found their mates until they died. And thus, he died without an heir. Rumors carried it that it was loneliness that took his life healthy.

Rhett couldn't imagine life without Kylo too but if the former Alpha had died out of loneliness, it was what the Moon Goddess wanted. Her ways were not to be questioned.

"Alpha Beowulf is dining with his family." A young maid said to him before he was ushered into the dining room.

Rhett discreetly grimaced at the sight that welcomed him. Alpha Beowulf who was young, sharp-faced, and with an air of scholarly aloofness, sat at the head of the table with his youthful Luna, Luna Dawn, at his side. Alpha Beowulf's Beta, a burly man named Darius with streaks of grey at his temples (and, curiously, Luna Dawn's father), rounded out the trio at the table.

They were sitting over a feast of delicacies that stirred anger within Rhett. The pack was running short of supplies, food, and even water. Ever since they provided refuge for some of the feys, they had been running low on everything.

However, the fey were also the ones who provided nourishment to some of their plants and then, a veil that protected the pack's children and people.

Hence, it was a symbiotic relationship.

However, the Alpha and his family still lived flamboyantly behind closed doors while the pack suffered. While the soldiers fought daily and worked tirelessly for protection.

Beowulf, despite his serious demeanor, greeted Rhett with a jovial wave. "Gamma Rhett! Join us, join us! Dinner just arrived."

"No, Alpha. I would rather wait for you all in the living room." He politely declined, feeling uncomfortable intruding on their meal.

"Welcome, Gamma Rhett." The Luna who apparently was older than Beowulf with probably three years or four courtesied Rhett.

Rhett's first thought was bitterness. Beowulf, who so readily abolished the mate bond law, putting countless in danger of mismatched unions and the Moon Goddess's curse now sat comfortably with his own fated mate.

If that wasn't hypocrisy, he didn't know what was.

Speaking of mates…

"Our most able Gamma!" The beta chimed, cutting Rhett's thoughts short.

Rhett nodded, forcing a smile. "Beta Darius."

He wasn't a fan of the Alpha's family. "I will excuse myself now." He retreated to the opulent living room without waiting for an answer from any of them.

He sat in an armchair and patiently waited for the duo who seemed to take forever to complete their dining. Soon, Beowulf and Darius joined him.

"Well, Gamma," Beowulf drawled, leaning back in his armchair. "What brings you to my humble abode?"

Rhett wasted no time. He had no business being here apart from work. "Developments since yesterday's attack, Alpha. Our intel suggests possible collaboration between certain fairies and the vampires."

"Fairies?" Beowulf raised a brow. "The incident has been keenly reported to me. I also have my doubts regarding our guests but I have it on them all, not singling out the fairies. Fairies and elves, they all seem to be suspects to me."

The Alpha did look like a scholar. He had quality education too; Rhett thought. So, why was he coming off as dumb now?

Was the answer not so clear why fairies and not the collective fairies and elves were the suspects?

Shifting in his chair and admonishing himself to not lash out, "It's simple, Alpha. The fairies control more magic than the elves."

"Come off it, Gamma Rhett." The Alpha laughed and waved dismissively. "That is stories in folklore, not real at all. In the ancient times, fairies were more industrious and knowledge seeking than the elves. Hence, they were able to acquire more spells than the elves."

Save me the fallacy, boy; Rhett thought to himself. Barely ten minutes in and the Alpha was already getting on his nerves with his civilized justification for everything.

He cut him off and didn't care if it came off rude. "As you wish, Alpha." He read the inscription on the Alpha's lakers shirt to himself. "The entire fey in our pack will be brought in for questioning. They are all suspects."

Ever heard of the saying; when in Rome, you act like Romanians? This was it.

Darius sat forward, his bushy eyebrows rising. "Outrageous! Those fey started this whole mess with the vampires. Why in the moon's name would they side with them now?"

Another dumb one. Whoever said it was the entire fey entity in the Ravenwood pack? It could be the work of just an unlawful one. Everyone knew anyway that there was always evil in the hearts of even the purest ones.

Beowulf, however, remained unconvinced. "The fey are a peaceful race, Darius. Such treachery wouldn't be in their nature. Something else is at play here."

Okay, maybe the Alpha was a little better.

He turned to Rhett, his gaze sharp. "What action do you propose, Gamma?"

"With your permission, Alpha," Rhett began, "I believe summoning the entire fey conclave for questioning is the safest course of action. We need to sift through their stories and uncover any potential traitors."

"A bold move," the Alpha mused, stroking his chin. "But wouldn't covert surveillance be more prudent? Observe them behind the scenes, do not let them be aware that we have our eyes on them and then, we see if any misdeeds come to light?"

Argh.

Just when he thought he and the Alpha were about to be on the same page on something, he just had to come to contradict him again!