Becoming Alpha

Chapter 5

Hope

At first sight, they were not what I expected from the UberPack, but then I moved closer and I felt them, their strength was making my skin crawl, but I was glad to see it was the same for the rest of them. Everyone looked uncomfortable, including the Alpha.

"Nice of you to join us, now we can head to the dining room," Doom said.

"Hello, I'm Rachel, this is my True Mate, Ice," the woman introduced herself and her mate. She was smiling warmly, and it was hard to imagine someone like her could be here to take over the Pack.

"Risk, remember, you are an Alpha now, use your proper name," the other one reprimanded her, but his tone didn't have a bite, it was more a tone of exasperation, as if it was something they had discussed earlier and was still bothering them.

"It's weird getting used to that," she complained, but with a smile on her face. It was unnerving how she kept smiling.

"I'm Hector, this is my sister Helena," my brother introduced us.

"Hope, I'm Hope now," I reminded him, and he turned to me with a glare.

"See? That's how it's done, she accepts her Alpha name with pride!" the guy told his mate.

"Hope? That's an interesting name," Rachel said warmly. I wasn't sure if that was a ruse, but I felt like I could like her.

"My grandmother gave it to me, shortly before she died, that's why it is important to me," I explained.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she said, her smile finally gone from her face.

"So what's your relationship with the Alpha?" Ice asked.

"To this one?" I asked, pointing to Doom, "none. I'm the daughter of the previous Alpha."

"After their father went crazy, the boy got away and visited a few packs, my own included. There he found my daughter. When he explained the situation here, I agreed to help," Doom said, as if he had done us a great favor.

"And what was the situation?" he asked.

"My dad went crazy after mom's death. He started to get overprotective, insanely so. For a while, it was just his desire to keep us safe, but then he started to restrict our movements. We couldn't go to school, then not even get out of the house. I escaped when I turned eighteen with the excuse of looking for my mate, but my little sister had to stay here, where she was a prisoner."

"That's awful," the woman said.

"I knew it was out of love," I tried to defend my dad, "but it was difficult."

"But now, thanks to Doom, we are both free," I had to clench my teeth not to respond, but I knew it was not the time or place to say what I really thought about all this.

"So it looks like this was all done correctly," the guy from the UberPack said, almost to himself. "So, are you going to take over the Pack after Doom?" he asked my brother.

"I don't know. It might be me, or my mate's brother. We expect him to mate with my sister, so it will still be in the family."

"Well, True Mates can be so random, but good luck with that," the woman said, and I noticed how nobody corrected her saying that True Mates are not good.

Food was brought out and we started eating. They kept talking about the Pack and Doom's plans for it, and I tried to look happy when all I wanted was to get out. The couple congratulated him on his decision to allow girls to train for warriors and on other of his plans for the Pack. I felt sad, having to admit that most of those ideas were good. Some were things that my father had forbidden after my mother's death, and some were things that I guessed they had in their previous pack. One thing he wasn't saying is that he didn't believe in True Mates, and therefore, he was going to forbid our people from going to other packs to look for their True Mates. He was going to force us to choose mates within the Pack.

"We have prepared rooms for you, we can take you there any time you want," Doom said.

"That's so kind of you, but we would like to take a walk before going to bed," the woman said.

"Of course, of course. Do you need a guide? Someone to show you around?"

"Not today, but maybe tomorrow," the man said. "Why not you?" he asked me.

"My sister has spent the last few years locked in this house, maybe one of our warriors would be a better guide," my brother said. "I would offer myself, but I spent a few years away too, so I can't help much either."

"That's okay, we can see about the guide tomorrow, for now, we will just walk around," he said, stepping out.

I wasn't sure what to do, since my brother had warned me about the risks of losing the Pack, I didn't want to run out or try to escape and attract the attention of the UberPack representatives, but I wasn't ready to go back to my room.

"Why don't you and my son head out for a walk as well?" Doom asked.

"I would prefer to return to my room and be locked away than to spend more time with him," I answered.

"Why do you despise me so much?" he asked.

"Why do you even care? Just leave me alone. I want to find my True Mate, not settle for the son or my dad's killer."

I actually felt guilty after leaving them, like I was in the wrong for not wanting to be with him, but I had my reasons, and they felt valid to me. I needed to be more open-minded and wait until the Full Moon ceremony to see if there was a chance we could be True Mates because if that was the case, I would do my best to accept him, but if not, then no one would force me to be with him.

I understood where my brother was coming from, it was scary what had happened to my father, but I still could remember how happy our parents had been when they've been both alive. And I couldn't help but be reminded of the love you could feel between the UberPack couple. That's what I wanted, I wouldn't set for anything less than that. I wanted to be one with my mate, because something that could hurt that much, had to be worth it.

As time went by and no one came to lock my door, I started to feel hopeful. I waited until it was dark and jumped out of the window with my backpack, where I had put my absolute must-haves. I knew of a place where I could hide it, in case I could get a chance at getting away. It was looking more and more as if I was going to need to take drastic measures if I wanted to get away. They were convinced that I would be happy staying here and doing what they wanted me to do, but it was not that different from before, only before I was under my dad's thumb, and now I was under the power of people that I didn't know.

I managed to get to the hollow trunk and hide the backpack, and I was on my way back when one of the guards found me.

"Hope? What are you doing here? The new Alpha said that you couldn't be out unless..."

"Unless his son was with me? I needed some fresh air. You know how much I needed this, but I can't stand him, so I got away by myself."

"They are not that bad," he said, and then blushed when he realized what he had said to me.

"I guess not, I know most people are happy with how things turned out. But it was my father, you know? No matter how mad I was at him, it's not easy to see him gone," I said. I could see him looking at me with pity, and I hated it.

"I think, and I'm sorry if I'm overstepping, that you miss the person you wish your father was, and not who he actually became. He was a great leader when your mother was still alive, but lately, he was a completely different person. He was not the best Alpha for us."

"And Doom is?" I couldn't help but ask, but once I did, I feared the answer.

"He is a better choice, but he isn't our Hope," he smiled at me, and I knew what he meant.

"I don't know if I truly deserve that title," I said.

"But you do, of that I'm certain. In time, you will be an even greater Alpha than your father. But for that, you must find the right partner. I know what Doom wants, but if you think his son is not right for you, then don't let them force you into accepting him," he said, confirming my thoughts.

"I won't. But I have to wait, if there is a chance that he is my True Mate, I need to try, but not until then, and never if he is not."

"Good. Now, I'm afraid I need to take you back to the Pack House, and I will have to inform the Alpha that I found you outside."

"I understand. You are just following orders," I accepted as I walked back to my pretty prison.

There was no one there when we got back, I knew everyone else would be sleeping. I also knew that the guard would inform Doom of my late-night walk. I needed to be brave, and don't allow him to force me into anything. The years I had endured dealing with my father's grief had prepared me for this. I wouldn't succumb to their antics, I would do my best to prove to everyone that I was the Pack's Hope.