The Last Pack

13. THE GODDESS GIFTS A GAMMA

Fidella had knelt down on the tiles for an hour so far, and the Heatons hadn’t looked at her once, even when they gave her the initial instruction to assume the position. The pressure on her knees and thighs was painful and she could feel the cramp shooting up her legs like well-aimed miniature arrows.

“You will be given to Titan for your first night as a pleasure slave,” Master Heaton commanded.

“Yes Dominus,” Fidella dutifully replied. Dominus Heaton darted out from his seat grabbing Fidella’s face between his thumb and fingers, squishing her lips into a pout.

“Say thank-you Dominus, and look me in the eye when you do,” Fidella felt truly fearful for the first time since becoming a slave.

“Thank-you Dominus,” Fidella stammered out, ashamed of her shaky voice. Master Heaton leered closer to her face, and for one nauseating moment she thought he was going to put his mouth on to hers.

“Never lie to me again, slave. I might come to watch you tonight,” Master Heaton delivered this last piece of information as if it was some great gift. It took every modicum of stoicism that Fidella had not to retch on his sandals.

Iselda helped Fidella to her feet. Her legs were incredibly shaky even with Isla’s help and strength. Descending into the gladiators’ cells, she noticed how the smell of fir was used to mask the strong sweaty aroma from the warriors who were kept in their jails. The cool marble from upstairs had been replaced with cheaper, rougher stone. Although Fidella knew that Conri’s order would keep her safe, she couldn’t stop her heart from pounding, until the scent of raspberries and lemon pierced through her worry because she knew he was nearby. Suddenly, Iselda stopped outside the cell door and turned to face Fidella, raising her voice so that Conri could hear her (not that she needed to because he had elevated hearing). She took Fidella’s hand into hers, delivering the blow as gently as she could.

“This is Titan’s cell, and Titan is the mad wolf who tried to attack Conri. He wasn’t included in Alpha Conri’s pack link, so he isn’t part of the pack and he won’t stop himself from hurting you if he wants to,” Iselda teared up as she carried on, “I tried to swap cells with you, but the Dominus forbade it. I have to spend the night with Ewan and they will check,” Grabbing Fidella into a tight hug, she continued to apologise for the message she had to deliver. From Fidella’s point of view she was glad that the Dominus had refused, she didn’t want Iselda to be hurt in her place.

Both Conri’s and Ewan’s were snarling and roaring at this news.

“Don’t go in there, Fidella! I’ll get out. I protect you.” Conri mind linked her, while he pummelled the cell door until fine cracks were appearing in the wood.

“It’s alright, I’ll be alright,” Fidella whispered to them all, and slid the bolt lock across the hook, walking into Titan’s cell.

The door locked behind her and Fidella could still hear the guards sniggering and the growls and snarls from the pack wolves along the corridor. Conri’s voice was deep, frantic and full of pain. More frightening than all of these reverberations of fury was the feral rumble of the wolf in front of her. Titan, was clearly issuing a warning to her to leave his territory.

“If only I could leave,” She thought.

Patience had no durability in this cell as the monstrous wolf caged her against the wall, with his claws at her neck.

“Step down, Gamma Wolf,” Isla commanded, “Your job is to protect and your old pack and mate would be ashamed if they were to see you with your claws against a Luna’s throat,” With complete shock, Titan’s wolf’s eyes relented and his human returned, humanity redeemed for now.

“I should be dead, everyone knows that when your mate dies you die with them. The Moon Goddess has cursed me with a slow death, she is cruel to make me feel this much pain, for this long,” Titan wailed.

“How did your mate die?” Fidella asked, while sliding to the ground with her back against the door,

“Slavers came and, like the Gamma female should, she led the pack to the fight. My love was a warrior and her skills made the slavers try to capture her. I saw she was outnumbered and surrounded. I started to run towards her, leaving the Luna unguarded. My mate was trapped and I saw her look over at me. Her last mind-link was “Live to kill them all for me, I love you.” She impaled herself on the trident of the slaver. She laughed at him as the blood from her mouth splattered on his face. She was my woman, and she was fierce and, just like that…she was gone. The pain was unbelievable. Another roar broke out, and I turned around and saw my Luna on the ground dying. The Alpha was on his knees waiting for death, and the Goddess granted it to him. I failed my Luna by running to my mate, and now I am being punished by lingering in this half-life.” Titan sat on the edge of the bed unconsciously wrapping his arms around his rib cage in an attempt to smother the relentless pain in his heart.

Apprehensively, Fidella approached Titan and sat next to him, taking both his hands and placing them in hers. She thought about all the wolves in the cells and pictured their faces and auras, and cast her mind-link to all of them. She wanted this story to be heard, so they could share in the comfort that she hoped Titan would receive.

“When the Goddess Selene created her children, she knew a leader was needed and bestowed extra skills and power on the wolf that they would know as their Alpha. It was a turbulent time. The wolves were the protectors of humans, so the needs of the pack often came secondary to their dedication to duty. The Goddess realised that she had made the wolves too similar to herself. In her bid to save humans, she had made her wolves and, specifically, the Alpha lonely. Out of love for her children and to ease her own heartache, she created the mate bond. The bond was a divine connection between two wolves, and it was made from the love she was denied from having with the human she adored. It was the Goddess’ hope, love and joy. A manifestation of the love she could have had, had she not been a Goddess. When the first Alpha met his mate, he was overwhelmed by the love he had for her. After all, every pack needs an Alpha and every Alpha needs his Luna. Although the Alpha and all the wolves glorified the Goddess for her bond, the Alpha was petrified he would lose her and begged the Goddess to keep her safe. Hearing his beseeches from her first Alpha wolf, she gifted the pack a Gamma wolf. This wolf would form a fraternal bond with the Luna and protect her and the pack for the duration of his life.”

Fidella’s story ended there and there was a calmness in all the cells, a moment of appreciation and hope for all who had listened. Titan seemed to be more at ease than before, his mood verged on peaceful as he reflected. He returned the hold in Fidella’s hands.

“I am the Luna of this pack and you are the Gamma I choose. Join our pack and live so that we can work together to kill them all!” Staring into his eyes, she saw that he wanted to be her Gamma, but didn’t want the pain of losing another person. Like ink spilled in water, Titan’s eyes splodged into his wolf’s ownership. He dropped to the ground onto his knees in front of Fidella and declared the ingrained Gamma Wolf’s oath.

“I, Cadogan, Wolf to the human Titan, declare myself Gamma to Luna Fidella. From this day to my last, may her troubles also be mine. May I protect her from all harm and ill. If needed, I promise to give my life in place of hers. Let the Goddess strike me down if I ever dare to break the pledge I made today,”

Titan rose up and felt the brotherly bond between Fidella and himself. Suddenly, a mind link formed in his head, and the pain he had carried for so long felt lighter, as if the weight was shared with the members of his new pack.