The Alpha and the Mistake

Dean (Ryder)

I leaned over in the cheap plastic chair as my uncle continued to yell at Mike and I. Like he was fit to lecture anyone about putting differences aside in the name of peace, not that I thought he actually meant any of it. Right now, I didn't care. I just wanted to get out of there and check on Brook. The cut on her head looked bad.

"Don't you think Dean… Dean… DEAN!"

My attention jumped to my uncle. It was obvious that I wasn't listening to a word he'd said for a while. My uncle scowled at me, and I saw his fists clenched so tight, his knuckles were white. His now amber eyes stared down at me with contempt.

"I'm sure your father would be so disappointed in you. The well-known pacifist's son getting into a brawl with another for no reason." He said the word pacifist as if it was an insult.

I nearly jumped from my seat to tell him it wasn't without reason but I wouldn't put Brook in that kind of danger. So instead I took a page out of my brother's book and shrugged petulantly. It only seemed to piss off my uncle even more.

"Fine, if that's the way you want it. Silver them both. It might humble them up," my uncle said with a cruel glint in his eye.

"What? Dad, you can't be serious! It was just a stupid fight."

The alpha charged at his son and Mike shrank, pushing himself back into the chair.

His dad stopped abruptly in front of him, rage n his face. "I can't be serious? You got into a fight in a public place full of humans. You are a stupid, pathetic idiot. It well warrants silvering! And don't you dare challenge me again unless you've grown a pair of balls and want to be alpha."

I was stunned. I looked around me, and my disbelief grew. Everyone had a 'business as usual' attitude. This was normal? What the hell kind of dad talks like this to their kids? I felt sorry for Mike. It wasn't enough to forgive him for what he did to Brook though. I still owed him big time for that one. I watched my uncle backed away from Mike with a superior sniff. "Silver them."

Two men came forward each with a black zip tie. The zip tie had a silver core, stripping a werewolf of all their abilities and making them on the same level as a human but the plastic coating prevented silver burns. As much as I hated making myself so weak in an enemy pack, I had no choice. To refuse might be seen as a challenge and an invitation to war. I couldn't be the one to break the rules.

I held out my left wrist and let the zip tie be tightened around my wrist. I watched Mike out of the corner of my eye do the same. "Good," Alpha Ryan said, with his hands behind his back. "You two will be two weeks like this or until I deem both of you have learned your lesson."

That didn't make me feel any better. Just the opposite.

"Harry," he barked, surprising me. I didn't realize the beta was here. "Ensure that our guest arrives at my home while I have a discussion with my son."

Mike turned a shade pale as Harry nodded. I quickly got out of my chair and followed him out of the office. Despite my eagerness, I waited until we were well out of earshot before I dared asked, "How's Brook?"

"She's alright," he said tersely, surprising me some. "Most likely has a concussion but her mother and I are going to be keeping an eye on her."

been lifted off my shoulders. "I want to see her. Can you take me there before taking me back to my

can't," Harry said so matter of fact as we got in his

moment as we left

doesn't want

I'd just been hit.

if you're pretending to be that stupid or you really are. Between

couldn't be real.

never seen the wolf, except once when I shifted for her and then I tried to play the part of a

hands. Damn it, how did I manage to mess

she'll

trying to help but just the thought of being a couple of days without talking to her seemed like torture. I sat back up and tried to think positively. This wasn't the end of

with obvious relief. It looks like I wasn't the only one in the dog house. His relief soured as he frowned. "She's gone? Are you sure? Alright, I'm on my way right now." He put the phone back and took a sharp turn right that had me gripping on the

Harry didn't answer, only drove back to his

face streaked with tears. She looked at the beta with a mix of scorn and despair as she shoved a piece of paper at him. He read

keep you safe, but I'm not safe. I'm nothing more than a thing to the werewolves, and I can't live like that. Please don't be mad at Harry. I begged him not to tell you anything. Stay away from Mike and his dad, though. They want you dead as much as they want me dead. Please, keep

Too many things

dreaming. Don't trust the alphas, any of them. They're the real monsters...Those words were like a knife through my heart. She thought I was a monster. I looked at the page again, hoping this really wasn't as bad as it seemed when I

risk... "She said

at Harry. My blood boiling. "You knew

mother looked at both of us.

sighed. "Brook had to leave, Nancy. They were going to end up tearing her apart. Ryan, Mike, him." He glared at me. "She wanted to leave, and nothing we did or would've done was going to keep her here, though she promised she wouldn't leave until tomorrow when we were sure she was okay. Don't worry, she has money and everything

throughout the room, and Harry looked at his mate in surprise

same icy, glare that Brook gave me when we first met. "How dare you do something like this without talking to me? You do not get to decide what is best for my daughter. You let her go out into this world, alone, with a major head injury. How is that for the best? If it gets worse, Brook might have a car accident or pass out on the side of the road. She could die because of you,

what? What do

he included you with Mike and his

"Never."

to you? Why are you