RANK

Chapter 36

Nya was in the front row of the auditorium in between the first Ranks where she was most uncomfortable. She stared into her lap with a wallowing pit in her stomach. It was now around noon and Vince was moments away from announcing to the entire pack that she was to be their new Luna. Vomit was rising in her throat ready to spill out. Could you imagine vomit all over her and those beside? Then having to stand on the stage covered in it and the pack had to take her seriously. She shakes her head, diminishing the image. The weak defective can't be their Luna.
What were they going to think? How were they going to feel? Would they lose respect for their alpha? Would they revolt? Completely refuse to follow rules? This was insane. She narrows her eyes to the podium seeing no one standing there. No one was standing on the stage at all. As she searched around she noticed someone she didn't expect to see. "Lee." She mutters. She was standing off to the side with her hands on her hips looking towards the back. Following her glare she sees Vince and Bent in a hushed conversation. Something was definitely up.
Vince was normally prompt and the time on her phone now read 12:12 pm. She was just about to go see what was going on when he suddenly stalks to the podium and announces "Dismissed." His eyes landed on her the next moment. She felt like it pinned her to the seat. While everyone was confusingly getting up to leave she stayed planted and focused on him.

"Go Home." He mouths.

She blinks out of her tunnel vision and manages to nod. She didn't know what was going on but she didn't want to be there anyway so she moved her bottom but before she went home she wanted to talk to her sister. She knew it might be too soon, that she probably needed time but she couldn't stop her feet once they started moving.

Malina was standing near Beta Bent in the same stance. When she noticed Nya coming her way she immediately extended her palm up stopping her that instant.

"We have nothing left to say to each other."

Her heart stopped. "But I-"

"Nothing." She repeats firmly.

It was soul-crushing watching Lee flip her hair and turn away. She never thought she would be on the other end of that.

"She'll come around." Bent, she could tell felt sorry for her. He gives her a reassuring smile before following in her sister's direction.

"She will..." She hears Vince's voice right near her ear in a whisper. She turns around to see him standing with his arms crossed behind his back.

She swallows. "Not that I'm not grateful, but why did you-" She wipes a tear she hadn't known well in her eye.

"We'll talk about it when I come home." He rested a palm on her shoulder as if to comfort her. "Go find something to keep you busy. I'll see you later."

"But I..."

"I need you in a safe place right now, Nya.

"Okay but can you-"

"No."

"Alp-"

"Do I have to postpone my day and everyone else's to take you myself?"

She bites her lips and drops her gaze away from his boring into her.

He gently lifts her chin. "Don't make that face."

She noticed that his gaze had softened. She makes a quick eye swipe around the still hanging around pack surrounding them. "What face?"

"You know..."

He inches closer and his attention shifts back and forth between her eyes and lips. He was going to kiss her in front of everyone. She places her palm on his chest. "Alpha Vince."