The Alpha and The Fool

Dean's confession about his father's games only made my anger with Father's defeated attitude grow. How could he be so ready to give up when all that happened was he lost to Dean while throwing a fit? At this moment, I was starting to believe Dean would be better for the pack than Father, seeing as he was taking me to let Father out or so he claimed. It wasn't that I doubted him. Dean so far hadn't given me any reason to, but with the games his father seem to be playing, I didn't want to get my hopes up.

My stomach roiled with nerves as the question of 'what next?' Pressed against my mind. If all went according to plan, Father would be free, and we'd leave. What would happen with Dean? I chewed on my lip as we walked. I had to be honest, Dean made the whole mate thing seem not so bad. We'd have to get to know each other more, obviously, but how? I couldn't stay here, not after everything that had happened. Maybe he'd be willing to come with us. It didn't have to be anything permanent, but something like a couple of weeks or a month.

"Hey Dean, what brings you this way," one of the enforcers said to him when we walked into the holding area.

"Dad's little game is over, and we're here to get her dad out," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

The man looked at him confused. "Uhm, we've already let him out," he said, scratching the back of his head. "The new alpha demanded it, and Alpha Brent told us to comply."

"What new alpha?" I demanded. There was no new alpha, and if they wanted to be stupid about it, then Dean would be the new alpha.

"Yeah, what she said," Dean said when the enforcer didn't answer me.

"That one," he said turning and pointing as Father and another man walked into the room.

My jaw dropped as I stared at the man with Father. How was he here? He was...no, Father couldn't have...

"Hello, Sis," my long lost brother, Brandon, said.

I ignored him and instead focused on Father. "Father, what are you doing? You're still alpha. Dean didn't challenge you, right Dean?"

"It wasn't even close to a challenge."

Father scowled. "Doesn't matter, I lost. The pack was at risk."

"It wasn't, and it isn't," I said, feeling my voice rise. "You can go home right now, and everything can continue as it always has. God, Father, if you are so obsessed with giving up, you can't seriously think that this..." I waved my hand at Brandon. "Is our best option to lead the pack. Hell, he's not even a good option."

"Nic, it was always going to be this way. I'm his son. It is my birthright," Brandon said.

"Not anymore! You gave it up when you abandoned us," I said back at him in a snarl.

"You don't understand, Nicole. You were too young. I had to leave."

"I may have only been six, but I understood perfectly well." My hands curling into fists.

"Look, that's ancient history. It doesn't matter. All that does is I'm back, and I'm getting Dad out of this mess you've created, Sis."

"Don't call me 'sis.' You are not my brother. You are not my family," I told him and looked to Father. "Don't do this. He left the pack and us. He doesn't deserve to be alpha. You may not like Dean. You may see him as a clown, but he'd be a hundred times better alpha than him. Please, after everything I've done, don't do this."

Father shook his head. "It's too late, Nic," he said with guilt in his eyes. "It's already done. Brandon is now alpha of the Golden Plains pack."

"What about me?" I asked, hating how meek my voice had gotten.

"Seeing how you oppose my position so much, I think it's best you stay here," Brandon said, lifting his chin and glaring down at me.

"Golden Plains is my home," I growled. "Father..." do something, I pleaded silently.

Father's expression was tight as he said, "You have a mate here, Nic. Perhaps it's best you did stay here."

"Hey, look on the bright side, you don't need to do all this," Brandon said, waving a hand at me. "Grow your hair, dress like a girl, hell, be a girl again. I'm sure Dean here would appreciate it. Don't worry about your things. I'll have someone pack them up and send them here."

Fury took me, and I stepped forward, but before I had a chance to say the words, Father spoke. "No, Nic. It's not acceptable. A challenge must be made alpha to alpha. If you try, I will ask Brent to contain you." "Father," I growled, but he simply shook his head. Pain seared through my chest, so intense I couldn't breathe. The only time I'd felt anything like this is when Wesley told me Mother had died. I wanted to scream at them, shout, kick, and punch, but I wouldn't give Brandon the satisfaction. No, he wouldn't see me break.

"Nic," Dean said, looking at me worried, but I wasn't able to answer him.

My now dry mouth was glued shut. I walked outside and took a breath then shifted, not bothering to remove my clothing. I welcomed the pain of the shift, and when it was done, I shook out my fur, casting off the shredded pieces. With a howl, I ran as fast as my injured paw would let me. I headed for the woods I'd gone earlier.

As the woods surrounded me my breathing grew shallow and quick. Panic assaulted me, and all the emotions bubbled out of me. Tears stung my eyes, making me blind, but I didn't slow or stop. I didn't care if hurt myself. I didn't care if I ran off a damn cliff. I'd lost everything, pack, family, friends, home, and my purpose. I had nothing. Father and Brandon had stolen it all from me, every last thing and person that meant something to me.

Father was strict and stern, he had a narrow way to view the world, but I always thought he loved me. I was wrong, and everyone was right. Father only saw me as a thing to be used then thrown away when I no longer served a purpose. Something hit me hard in the shoulder, knocking me off balance, causing me to put more weight on my injured paw than I meant too and stumbled. I fell, rolling several times before I stopped.

I howled a whine before laying my head on the ground. Rogue. I was now rogue - a wolf without a pack or territory, alone. I clenched my eyes closed as pain tore through me.

I wasn't sure how long I'd been laying on the ground when I heard someone walking in the woods not far from me, and I didn't need the wind to bring his scent to realize it was Dean. He would be the only one who'd come after me. No one else cared enough.

"Hey there, Beautiful," he said, coming to a stop next to me. "You okay?"

I snorted, not looking at him. I didn't want him to see how bad I was.

Dean ran his hand through my fur, and I lean into his touch. It was like a balm to the hurt. I whined softly. "How about you shift back so we can talk? I got you a blanket to cover up in." I whined again, but this time it was in a complaint. I didn't want to shift, and I didn't want to talk. "I know," Dean said as if he understood me. "But we have to talk. I need to know you're okay."

I snorted again, grabbed the blanket and with his help, draped it over me. I growled shifting back, holding my right arm to my chest and pulled the blanket closer.

Dean rubbed my shoulders, bringing warmth back into my chilled body. "It's going to be okay, Nic."

"How?" I said, half sobbing. "Father gave the pack to him. How could he do this to the pack or to me? Brandon abandoned us when we needed him, and as soon as he smelled weakness, he dived in like a shark for blood."

"Perhaps it's better this way?"

I jerked up my head and gave Dean a teary glare. "No, Dean. No way is this better." I saw it on his face. He didn't understand. It surprised me. I would've thought Alpha Brent would've taught him that. I took a breath and tried to think of a way to explain it to him. "This isn't about being top dog, Dean. It's not about power. It's about the people. Imagine all your patients at the hospital, every single one of them.

I bet you care for them all greatly and will do what you can to help them be comfortable until they can go home again. Now imagine your boss telling you, another guy is going to take care of them. This guy is only there for the paycheck. He can't be bothered to listen to the patients and only does just enough, so he doesn't get fired. That's what has happened here, Dean.

Brandon demanded we all, Father, me, and the pack, put his grief at our Mother's loss before our own or even Father's injured state. We all refused, and he left without looking back. If something should happen and Brandon was forced to decide between his own needs and the needs of the pack, he will choose himself and leave the pack vulnerable. I know it, and there is nothing I can do about it. Everyone I ever cared for is at risk, and I'm here alone and rogue."

Dean hugged me. "We'll figure something out, and you're not alone Nic. You'll never be alone," he said and let out a whistle.

My eyes widened as I heard others and Wesley, Sade, Jon all emerged from the trees. "What..." I said, looking at them.