Excitement danced over Athena's skin as she approached the Alpha house.
Silvergate had always been a relatively quiet pack, as it had less than a thousand pack members.
Moonvale was over three times Silvergate's population, so it was understandable that her pack was more boisterous than this.
She had met and waved at a few pack members, some had given her strange looks while others waved back uncertainly.
She was surprised that the Alpha had not sent someone to check who entered their border yet. A true Alpha automatically became connected to everything in their pack, including the border.
The Alpha should have felt her presence the moment she crossed the border, and she was at least expecting the pack soldiers to have challenged her by now.
"Maybe Silvergate have been so peaceful and free of attacks for years that they have let their guard down," she thought with a frown, then smiled at a curious pup who moved closer to the road as if to have a better look at the flame-haired stranger.
As Athena stopped to greet the pup, his mother called him to stay away from strangers.
Athena was surprised by the look on the face of the shabbily dressed woman as she moved on. She remembered that Silvergate used to be a very friendly pack, and even though most of the members did not know her identity, even the ones she met for the first time back then had treated her nicely.
She began to replay the faces of those she had met so far and recalled that they all had a sort of weary look on their faces, like they couldn't afford to take on more burden and didn't care for whatever trouble she was bringing along with her.
"Something is not right," she mused, the momentary excitement she had felt earlier disappearing.
"You think? Must have nothing to do with the fact that I can't feel our mate yet, when the Alpha house is close by," Morrigan quipped dryly.
Athena rolled her eyes.
Wolves were supposed to be crazy about their mate. Morrigan didn't get that memo.
It was evident that she didn't like their mate much, though she had never met him, as she was not reborn yet when Athena left Silvergate.
Athena figured Morrigan's feeling about their mate must be her own fault. Her wolf, being in sync with her feelings, had picked up on Athena's uncertainty about their mate, and that feeling had grown to dislike on Morrigan's part.
Time to change that.
"Maybe he is not in the pack at the moment," Athena said to Morrigan's earlier statement. "That would explain why he didn't feel my presence when we crossed the border."
Morrigan made a wolf's imitation of a snort and ignored Athena.
Drama quee…
"You can't treat me like this. I am the pack doctor."
A distressed female voice had Athena running towards the last bend that opened to the Alpha house.
"Pack doctor? You are nothing but a worthless omega with a useless title. You are a maid with a coat, Carmen. Now, kneel and serve me properly."
Even as the hateful voice registered, Athena was rounding the bend.
She came to a stop as the modest Victorian-inspired three-storey house came into view. The house was behind a gated entrance, and the flower-decorated yard could be clearly seen through the black, iron-wrought, black gates guarding the cobbled driveway.
The contrast of the sunlight-coloured building against the greenery and intricate-worked gate was breathtaking. But the beauty of the place was lost on Athena as her eyes burned at the sight in front of the gate.
Carmen, the pack doctor and Athena's friend, was sprawled on the floor in front of three men.
Her medical box was scattered on the floor with its contents broken. From the men's boots, Athena was sure.
"She is right, you can't treat her this way," she gritted out.
Every eye turned to her as Morrigan rose to the surface, bringing her fury along.
"It's you. How dare you show your face here again?" the one with the familiar voice asked.
With his buzz-cut dark hair, rippling muscles, dressed in a nude tank top and green cargo pants, complete with combat boots, he was a head shorter than Athena's 5'7, but muscular and meaner.
Ludric Howler. The voice Athena had woken up with just that morning.
"Why wouldn't I? I am not the dog who forever shows his filth," Athena said in a deceptively soft voice as she went to lift Carmen up.
"Athena, you are alive," Carmen said with a teary smile, and winced as she stood on her feet.
Athena could only smile, as she was trying so hard to keep Morrigan back, because her wolf had recognised who was standing before them.
One of the men chose that moment to step forward.
"Hey, nobody told you to lift her up, wolfless rogue."
He stretched his hand to grab them. Athena's hand darted out so fast that they all blinked in shock.
Then the lanky man was yelling as Athena twisted his arm. Sounds of snapping bones resounded in the evening air, as he howled in agony.
"I am burning. My arm is burning. Beta! Make her stop!"
Beta?
Burning?
"Oh, shit!" Athena quickly pushed him away and stepped back.
He didn't only mean the pain from his broken arm.
He had felt real heat, and that only meant one thing.
"Back off, Morrigan," Athena immediately commanded her wolf before she turned the Alpha house to a matchstick.
"How dare you hurt him, bitch? I will do the Alpha a favour and get rid of you finally!"
"Oh, bring it on," Morrigan growled as Athena started feeling heated powers strongly oozing into her limbs.
"I say back off!!!" She growled with such force that Ludric jerked backward.
Athena had actually directed that at Morrigan, but the fleeting fear it caused on Ludric's face was satisfying too.
She felt Morrigan slinking deeper in her mind to sulk.
Athena knew she would have to smooth her ruffled feathers later.
"What are you standing there for? Come with me to the clinic to treat Dickson," the younger-looking man, who had slung the arm of his injured colleague over his shoulder, snapped at Carmen.
Carmen bent to quickly pack her discarded box to follow them.
"After what you just did to her? She deserves an apology, right Ludric?" Athena asked as she stepped in front of Carmen.
The injured guy was snivelling with tears leaking out of his eyes now.
Athena almost felt pity for him, but focused on Ludric's furious face instead.
"Who the hell do you think you are to stop her? She would do what we damn well order her to do." He jerked a finger at Carmen without sparing her a glance as he ordered, "Carmen, go treat him right now, or next time will be worse."
"She will do no such thing," Athena responded with her arms folded and her eyes equally intent on Ludric's. "You want her to act like the pack's doctor, then apologise for treating her like a maid!"
"I am sorry. I am sorry, okay? I will never do that again!" the injured guy begged with pitiful cries.
"Athena," Carmen whispered as she tugged at Athena's dress.
Athena knew all about the Hippocratic oath, and how no doctor could hold back from helping who needed help.
The pitiful whine from a supposed grown man was getting on her nerves already, anyways. Still, she raised her brows at Ludric.
"I have not heard your apology, Ludric. Remember, you have a lot to apologise for.When I tell the Alpha of your other crime, a simple apology would be the least of your problems."
Instead of fear or remorse, Ludric laughed in her face.
"I dare you to report me. You are not only a useless rogue, but a fool too. You think I acted on my own? Stupid bitch." He spat at her feet.
Then suddenly lunged at Carmen.
With fingers digging into her flesh, he slapped her and said, "You will regret listening to this fool. You dare disobey your Beta? You will pay dearly. Now go!" He threw Carmen in the direction of the waiting men.
"How dare you tre…?" The backhanded slap snapped Athena's head backwards so hard that she fell to the ground.
She couldn't feel Morrigan, as the wolf had pulled up their barrier, which was for the best, because the fury that surged in Athena at that moment would have fuelled Morrigan's wrath.
Still, the sting from his ringed hand hurt so badly that Athena was stunned for a moment.
She touched her hand to her face as she stood up, and felt blood.
As she started to turn around, pain exploded in her head as Ludric yanked her head back, exposing her throat, before his hand closed around it.
Athena wheezed as his hand tightened around her throat, while his hateful face filled her vision.
His breath brushed her skin as he sneered, "You dare to humiliate me in front of my men? You are a dead…"
"Carmen, what is this I hear about you refusing to treat the injured?"
"I… ah… I will go treat him right away, Alpha."
The hand crushing her windpipe suddenly loosened, and Athena bent over with wracking coughs as she tried to drag air back into her lungs.
"Alpha," she heard Ludric say urgently as she wiped the tears in her eyes away.
Footsteps approached her, and she was just about to raise herself with composure in front of the old Alpha, when a face showed beside hers.
"Athena? I thought that was you," came the cheerful voice.
Athena immediately straightened as Richard Boone did the same.
Still expecting to see the Alpha, she automatically looked around.
The only other person she saw apart from Ludric and some maids was a blonde, who was currently walking towards Richard.
"But… I heard…" Realisation dawned on Athena as she looked back at Richard's smug face.
"You are…"
Her question died in her throat as the blonde stepped right beside Richard.
Then put her arm through his.