24

The Alpha looked up at her, the blue of his eyes swirling with storm clouds. He pursed his full lips before exhaling, saying, "They think I did it. They have such little faith in me, they think I killed one of my own." His voice was quiet, full of defeat and failure. Ariella squeezed his hand and continued rubbing circles on his knuckles. "How do I stand against that? How do I gain their respect and allegiance when I am such a cruel monster in their eyes?"

After he said this, Ariella immediately closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around him, pulling his head to her neck. Her fingers tangled through his silky hair as she caressed the side of his face. She breathed a sigh of relief when his arms went around her waist, and he accepted her comfort. "You can't," she then replied flatly.

"I'm sorry?" he tilted his head to look up into her face, his eyes searching hers for meaning. His own glistened, his black lashes seeming longer as though wet with unshed tears.

"You can't have their respect if that's what they think of you. So you have to change their mind. Let them see the real you."

"Which is...." He sighed in defeat, raking a hand back through his hair and displacing the already wild locks.

Ariella wished she could just make him see what she truly saw in him. "Stop doubting yourself so much. If you don't have faith in yourself, then they won't ever, either. You need to believe you are Alpha. Believe you can be strong enough to lead them."

As soon as Ariella spoke the encouraging words, she realised she wasn't just speaking to her mate. She was speaking to herself. If she really wanted everyone to see her as Luna, she'd have to see it in herself first, and serve them with confidence and authority in her position.

"It isn't that easy. The men want me to be an Alpha like my father was—stern and controlling. He led them with an iron fist, feeding into their ideas of superiority. They had such disrespect for some of the weaker pack members. But I want to be the best leader for everyone."

"That's good. But ... no matter what you do, you can't please everybody. Especially if you're doing the right thing."

"So it seems. I had hoped ..." Malachi glanced at the ground and swallowed hard. "I had hoped when I turned twenty that they would take me seriously, and respect my leadership. But now, with these deaths happening..."

"When did you turn twenty?" Ariella asked. The age was a significant one among wolves, showing an end to reckless teenage years, and finally maturing into an adult.

"In about a month, actually," he gave her a rueful smile.

"Oh, it's still coming!" Ariella was surprised at how young he was. "Well... a lot can happen in a few weeks. Just wait and see."

He nodded absently, then shook his head. "I doubt much will change. With the current attitudes, I don't think a couple short weeks is going to make them think differently."

Ariella pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, thinking hard. "This seems to be a bigger problem in general. But talk to me about tonight. Can you figure what really happened?"

They moved to the love seat that sat against one wall of the study. Ariella finally looked around her at the tall cases of books, the neat stacks of binders and filing cabinets, and gold-rimmed stationery on the solid teak desk. A large window cut the west wall with its transparent glass, now covering the dark night outside with rich crimson curtains. A few paintings of countrysides and meadows of flowers graced the other two walls about the cases and bookshelves.

Malachi tugged Ariella down beside him, his hand remaining firmly around her waist. She snuggled into his side, making the most of every moment being with him.

"Well, to begin with, you're probably wondering what the disagreement between us was even about," Malachi began slowly, giving her a serious look. The blue of his eyes darkened a few shades, like the setting sun removing itself from the velvet night sky.

She nodded for him to go on.

"Archie was the one who challenged you yesterday during training," he said wearily, his face holding regret as if there might have been something he could have done to prevent the challenge in the first place.

Images of the burly and unfriendly warrior flashed through Ariella's mind. "I thought the name sounded familiar," she said, feeling sorrow that she had actually known of the wolf who was now brutally murdered. Then she turned to Malachi with wide eyes. "Wait, you knew about the challenge?"

Her mate barely raised an eyebrow. "I am Alpha. It is my job to know about these things."

"Yet....you still don't know who is killing your pack members," she dared say quietly. It was more a dreadful fact than an accusation.

With a heavy sigh, he tried his best to explain. "Archie was a strong warrior. He worked alongside my dad for many years."

"Was that a bad thing?" Ariella asked, noting a hint of disdain in her mate's voice.

"Depends how much you know of my father."

"Not much," she shook her head regretfully. "Just rumours..."

"Probably all true. Anyway," Malachi swept his fringe back with his long fingers. "This may sound callous, but I'm not very upset over Archie's death. I just hate that it happened in such a way, and that they pin me for it."

"What do you mean?" Ariella turned on the couch to face him better, her knee brushing his thigh and sending shivers all across her body. She didn't like reacting like this when discussing such a serious topic, but Malachi obviously didn't realise as he placed his hand on her knee and patted it absently, intensifying the emotions within her.

"Archie was a clever guard and good at his job, I'll admit. But he was a terrible character. He has harassed and abused many young women during his older years, preying on their vulnerability and weakness. I don't think my father cared. It was almost like he encouraged the dominating behaviour.

They thought they were superior and could treat anyone how they pleased. Use and abuse women like that's all they were worth for. Now I can't help feeling, it's almost like Archie deserved a cruel death."

She nodded, her heart twisting in disgust at the cruelty of some wolves, and the pain they'd inflicted on innocent others. Deep down she too thought men like Archie who abused women deserved a punishment of death. Still, his mate seemed so loving, and heartbroken that he was gone. Where was the justice? "So do you know of anyone who might have wanted him dead?" Ariella probed, finally feeling like she was getting somewhere.

"Any number of the girls' relations might have wanted to get revenge," Malachi replied quickly.

As terrible as it felt to think, if she had been directly affected by abuse or harassment, she wouldn't think twice of extending vengeance. So now, with a motive to track, it wouldn't take long to find the culprit. "And do they all still live in this pack? Maybe we could talk to them."

He shrugged, "A few of them left after my dad's death. Even if another pack didn't accept them, I think they'd prefer the life of a rogue to being here. I don't blame them, but I had hoped they'd stay and see that I would make things better around here."

"Was it really that bad when your father was Alpha? Like I said, I've just heard rumours."

A closed-off look came over Malachi's face, and his eyes were sharp chips of blue ice when they turned to Ariella. "I normally don't talk against my father, but I will say this..."

Ariella squirmed in her seat, a cold wash of fear suddenly creeping over her skin. Malachi tightened his arm around her and pressed her into his warm body, before whispering low in her ear.

"Just be grateful you're my mate, and weren't his."

~ Two hours earlier ~

Malachi almost felt skinny next to the bulky mass of muscle.

Almost, but he knew his own strengths. And they weren't in brawn like what most of the older warriors possessed. No, the young Alpha liked to think of himself as fair, unprejudiced, smart, and quick thinking. He made good decisions for the pack, having everyone in mind when deciding the courses of action. Not unlike the traits that all Alphas had, including what his father was like, Malachi was strict and determined.

But in some ways, he was nothing like his father.

Alpha Dennison somehow had it in his mind that males ruled supreme over the weaker gender, and not many wolves in his pack mourned his early death. Most breathed a sigh of relief, except a few of Dennison's most loyal warriors.

"Archie." Malachi addressed the older warrior as he came up beside him. The training field lay before them, the setting sun casting their long shadows across the short grass.

The strong and well-muscled warrior turned slowly. "Well, if it ain't the Alpha pup. Come to check up on our training? Think we aren't doing it right?"

"Nothing of the sort. However, I do like to oversee every aspect of the running of my pack. That includes the training of the new guards," Malachi nodded to the field a hundred yards over, where a number of younger wolves were training and sparring with Hamilton as their mentor. They kept to the routine Malachi had set for them, doing strength exercises before moving on to strategy and tactic training. Every new warrior needed to be well-prepared in case conflict broke out with rogues, or even between other packs.

"Don't know why you bother with that lot," Archie jerked his head and gave a condescending chuckle. "They're such immature babies."

Alpha Malachi felt his fingers curl into fists, the need to defend his pack members and own Beta burning in his heart. He could handle insults and prejudices from members of other packs. He'd grown up with everyone disliking his family and his father's ways of ruling. But to hear the insults from his own pack member cut deep.

He'd have to ignore it for now since he didn't want to get into a fight. He was here for more important matters.

"Well, Archie, I hear you're up to your old tricks again."

"Don't know what you heard, but it's not true," the older warrior instantly folded his arms across his chest in a defensive manner.

"So it wasn't you who's been challenging my warriors?" The young Alpha fixed the warrior with a chilling gaze, one that would make every regular wolf cringe in submission.

But Archie was stubborn. "Oh that," he shrugged causally. "You know we all need a healthy challenge every now and then. Puts the cocky warriors in their place."

"Sure. Except this was no warrior. She was new, which I'm assuming you figured out." When Malachi had heard about Ariella being pressured into a fight on her first afternoon here, it made him so angry, he felt enough energy coursing through him to end twenty rogue lives.

"Of course," Archie snickered, not bothering to hold back on his lack of respect. "Anyone could tell the fresh naivety of that face. Such innocence, it's almost sickening."

Malachi clenched his jaw against roaring in the warrior's face. "She's my mate. And your future Luna," he said sternly, hoping the older wolf would gain any amount of respect for the new young shewolf. She wasn't just anyone--she was the Alpha's mate.

But Archie just sneered, his priorities and loyalty clearly elsewhere. "That pretty little thing?"

Malachi rushed at him, pinning him against the wall of the guard house.

"You will respect her, as due her position. If I see you messing with her—"

"What are you going to do? Tear me to shreds? Kill me for not bowing at your feet?"

"I have a perfectly capable dungeon that could hold you for a few weeks," Malachi gripped the collar of Archie's shirt, pressing his forearm against his chest.

"You'd not honour your elders, but lock them up instead?" Archie raised an amused eyebrow. Clearly he didn't recognise the power Malachi's rank held over his. "Seriously, Malachi. Where would your pack be without us older wolves looking over it? We have to remember the old ways and fight for our dominance over those weaker," he slowly pushed Malachi back and stood toe to toe with the Alpha, chin up and shoulders back in an aggressive posture. "We have to challenge to prove who is stronger. No one else around here is capable of leading, especially not that skinny little brat—"

The sound of bones cracking interrupted Archie's cruel rant as Malachi sent his fist into his jaw. Archie stumbled to the side and gripped his face, but quickly regained his equilibrium. "That's what I'm talking about. There's the wild inside us all," he practically cheered despite the blood running from his mouth.

Then before Malachi could respond, Archie landed a solid punch to the side of his head.

Malachi twisted with the motion to lessen the jolt, then spun to once more grip Archie around his neck. "I'm not wild like you. I'm civil, not savage. I'm respectful, not demeaning. I am Alpha, not just your pup." He punctuated his words with blows to Archie's stomach, and the older wolf just let him come at him, before grinning amidst his pain and slashing out at Malachi's face.

With claws extended, Archie swiped through the air with the precision of a sharp knife, his skills honed from years of practice and experience. Malachi was quick on his feet, twisting his more agile body and missed most of the brunt of the swing. Still, he felt the sting of the claws tearing through his skin, and it only made his blood burn faster with purpose and deadly intent.

"I will never be subject to someone so weak," Archie snarled and kicked Malachi in the stomach. He doubled over, but rolled out of the way of a second kick. Twisting around, the young Alpha leapt up onto Archie's back and wrapped his neck in an arm lock.

"You will be respectful to your Alpha," he whispered in Archie's ear as he sank to his knees. Malachi held enough pressure against the warrior's carotid artery, enough to make him blackout, but not strangle to death. He let Archie go before he fell to his face, laying him down face up and in the recovery position. Standing over him, he wrestled with the urge to just end him. Archie had caused nothing but trouble ever since Dennison died and Malachi became Alpha. Not only had he openly disrespected the young Alpha, but he continued to molest shewolves in a sly and sinister way. Many were too ashamed to talk about it openly, but Malachi could see the pain in their eyes and their tainted scent on the burly warrior.

It sickened him. It cut away at his mind that there wasn't much he could do. Already Archie had served 6 months in the dungeon over the years, but he would always manage to weasel his way out, on good testimony of his buddies and even his own mate who saw the good in him. Hila was blinded, but what could Malachi do?

The justice system in his pack had its hands tied. Revolt and massacre would be the result of any more enforcement of Malachi's strict dealings.

Now, to see Ariella getting involved in the cruelty of Archie, it made the problem so much more worse. His Alpha blood ached to protect his mate against all threats.

Malachi heard a grunt, and saw Archie arising from the ground, pushing himself up with shaky arms.

"Next time this happens, I'm banishing you, Archie," he flung one final warning shot.

"You'd banish me... so I can come back leading a pack of rogues! You'd love that, wouldn't you. Maybe I should take over this pack once and for all!"

Walk away, walk away

Malachi heard the whispered voice of reason and pushed it to the front of his mind. He'd been here before, tormented with the screaming urges to just end it, but he wouldn't. He couldn't give in, or else he'd be no worse than his insidiously dominant father who ruined so many lives with his cold and calculated subjugation. Malachi wanted to be different... needed to be different.

For Ariella.

Her soft warm brown eyes filled his vision as he stalked from the training field, his dark fringe hanging low over his face, his eyes probably burning with anger.

He watched her in the distance as she arrived home with Hamilton, and he just wanted to run to her. He needed to wrap his arms around her and feel her delicate hands on the back of his neck.

But Ariella was too good to him, and he felt ashamed to face her right now.

He didn't deserve such goodness. She didn't even know him, yet treated him with a tenderness that pierced his heart. She didn't even know of the darkness that lurked beneath his skin, so instead she kept pointing out the light and beauty inside.

Like there was any light inside him. When he'd been prowling around ForgedHearts territory, keeping a watchful eye on his mate, he'd been shocked to see her bullied by her pack mates. They'd all been around a fire, laughing and dancing, telling stories and fellowshipping together.

Then a boy about her age started a story that sent chills down Malachi's spine. Malachi really had no idea what it was about but as he watched the smile slip from Ariella's face, the cruel grins on the boys', he knew something was wrong. Then Ariella had ran from the gathering with her eyes wide and full of pain.... a pain that he recognised.

She was laughed at...

Cast out...

Disrespected...

The feelings were all too familiar, and as he caught Ariella in the darkness, he felt her small frame quivering with the rejection. He wanted to hold her close and never let her go, but her mother had come down