Forced to Become

Ch 28 new beginnings

Beta opened the door in the morning, but only called Shawn out, telling the rest of us to stay. When Shawn was brought back, another one was called out by Beta. I was the last one. When it was my turn, I made sure to do everything right, starting with keeping my head down. I followed Beta silently to the kitchen.

"Sit," Beta commanded.

I sat at the table in my usual spot, trying to ignore Alpha, who stood at the edge of the kitchen. I kept my hands flat on my thighs, and my head down.

"The omegas have told me how you disobeyed, helping them," Beta rasped out. "Why?"

I took a breath as my heart raced. Traitors, I thought, but I couldn't blame the little ones for blabbing. I'd already done the same. My mind went to that first day when I ratted out Andre.

"The bowls were too heavy for them, Beta. I feared Alpha's anger that landed on all of us when they dropped something."

"Even though you knew Alpha didn't approve?"

"I protected the pack," I said softly. I couldn't help automatically fall back on my theory that wording everything as protecting the pack, would, in turn, protect me to some degree.

Alpha scoffed. Then, I just couldn't resist.

"Alpha made them fail, just so he could beat all of us," I said slowly, my anger building. "The little ones couldn't help but drop things when they were asked to hold more than their little arms could hold. It's the same way he kept us running for longer than we could, just so we would be punished for failing. Alpha makes us fail. We're only boys. We can only do so much. Just because we can't do everything asked of us..."

"Be silent," Alpha growled.

"No," Beta countermanded. "I would hear him speak. What he says makes sense. My father only commanded grown men. Commands to boys would be different."

My words had made Alpha furious. Small growls kept coming from him. He had come closer to the table and I could see his fist. I couldn't help trembling. I thought back to how Beta kept the power struggle balanced.

"Perhaps," I started hesitantly, "perhaps Alpha didn't realize... our, our limitations?"

There was silence for the longest while.

"Our guard speaks the truth," Beta said. "Alpha, you cannot command our pack members to do something without knowing they are capable of doing it. Their failure to obey is not defiance. You should not punish them when they try to obey."

More silence.

Beta hadn't called me the Good One; he'd called me their guard. I'd disobeyed a direct order from Alpha by helping the little omega children. I couldn't stop trembling as tears started to slip from my eyes. What would they call me now? Bad One? A whimper slipped through the tightness in my throat. Beta did not come to comfort me.

"I will be more careful of my commands in the future, my lord," Alpha said heavily.

I kept my eyes on the table in front of me as I heard their bodies changing. Nails clicked on the kitchen tiles. I got a glimpse of fur and realized I had turned my head slightly. I refocused on the table in front of me. I didn't want to be a bad one. I could picture small fangs around Alpha's wide throat as the royal heir exerted his dominance.

I felt the sweat pouring off of me, but didn't dare wipe it away from my face. My body shook as I heard the pops and creaks as they changed back to two legs.

I jumped when a bowl crashed down on the table in front of me. Dog food. And Beta was mad.

"Eat your breakfast, guard," Beta commanded.