Chapter 31

Gabriel

I was standing outside the pack-house with my dad, waiting for Zagan to show up. I’d already told my border guards to be on the lookout for him.

I had this gut feeling that Samuel would have preferred to leave without any goodbyes. This farewell was more for Jasmine and Jason. I couldn’t figure out why the kid had turned so cold all of a sudden.

I think my dad was taken aback too. He and my mom didn’t see Samuel as much as I did. For one, they didn’t live in the pack-house, and secondly, they didn’t exactly get along with Jason.

They usually only saw Samuel if they had planned for Elijah and Samuel to visit their house.

My dad wasn’t thrilled when I picked Jason as Beta. But he was my sister’s mate. I wasn’t sure why they disliked him so much. He was a good Beta and loyal to the pack.

My thoughts were interrupted when I saw two cars driving up.

I’d never met Alpha Zagan in person before. He was known for being a stern, straight-to-the-point Alpha. He ruled his pack with fear, or so I’d heard. Whether that was true, I didn’t know.

As the first car pulled up, the driver got out, opened the back door, and held it open.

It didn’t take me long to figure out that the man stepping out of the car was Alpha Zagan.

He looked around, taking in his surroundings. If he wasn’t an ally, I would have been worried. Not because of his size, even though he was big, even for an Alpha.

It was the way his piercing blue eyes seemed to be evaluating everything. From the building to the guards, and everything else his gaze landed on.

I could see why women were drawn to him. He was young for an Alpha. He didn’t keep his hair short like most Alphas. His blonde hair fell around his shoulders.

I walked up to him and extended my hand.

“Alpha Zagan. Welcome.”

He nodded.

“Alpha Gabriel, I presume.”

I nodded and started to introduce my dad.

“My father, Alpha...”

“We’ve met,” he cut me off.

Then he nodded to my dad.

“Elder Joel.”

It was a veiled insult. Most visitors, Alpha or not, would acknowledge my dad as an Alpha, even though he was now a council elder.

The truth was, you couldn’t be an elder without first having been an alpha.

My dad, to his credit, let it slide.

“Alpha Zagan, it’s good to see you again, even if the circumstances are unfortunate,” my dad replied.

Alpha Zagan turned to me.

“Where’s the little brat?” he grumbled.

I quickly mind-linked the guard who was still outside my office.

“He’s on his way,” I said.

Alpha Zagan’s eyes turned black. Almost instantly, the driver of the second car got out and opened the back door.

I realized that the man stepping out of the second car was Zagan’s Beta. He was wearing dark jeans and a tight T-shirt, which highlighted his muscles.

He had several scars on his face, which gave him a tough look.

Murdoch, my second Beta, was rugged, but nothing like this. He had a dark look in his eye that made me think he enjoyed causing pain.

It surprised me a bit. Normally when the Alpha is away, the Beta stays with the pack. Unless the pack has two. Usually, the pack needs to be pretty big to need two Betas, like ours.

I didn’t know that the Blood Fang pack was that large. I would have to ask my dad later.

The Beta walked over, nodded at us, and stood next to his Alpha.

“This is my Beta, Dante. He will be in charge of disciplining the boys.”

As he finished speaking, the doors to the pack-house opened and Samuel came out with his parents.

He squinted as he looked at Zagan and Dante.

Even at this point, he didn’t seem worried.

“Come here, boy,” Zagan growled.

I thought I saw a little hesitation, but he walked over to where Zagan was standing.

Zagan grabbed Samuel’s chin and looked into his eyes.

Then he chuckled.

“You didn’t tell me he had his wolf,” he smirked.

I frowned and looked over my shoulder at Jason and Jasmine, who shrugged.

“We didn’t know. Usually, a child will share that information,” I grumbled.

Zagan chuckled, “yes, usually, but this little brat doesn’t have a normal wolf, I can see it in his eyes. I just need to confirm it.”

He nodded to his beta, who grabbed Samuel in a chokehold. Samuel tried to fight back, but his face wasn’t scared, just angry.

With his other hand, the beta grabbed Samuel's hand.

Zagan then pulled a ceremonial knife from his pocket, similar to the one I had used at Ellie’s ceremony.

He cut his own hand then cut Samuel’s. Then he pressed their hands together.

“You are now a member of the Blood Fang pack, boy,” he growled.

He paused for a moment, then nodded to the beta.

Beta Dante held Samuel by his arms. Then Alpha Zagan turned to Samuel and glared at him.

“Give the boy back control, wolf. NOW!” He growled using his Alpha command.

Samuel’s expression changed almost instantly, and he whimpered.

He looked around as if he didn’t know where he was.

“Mummy!” he cried out, as he saw his mother.

Jasmine tried to rush towards him, but Jason held her back.

“Put him in the car, and take him back to our territory,” Zagan ordered his beta.

I watched as Beta Dante roughly shoved Samuel into the car. Samuel was distraught, but it was too late. He was now a member of Alpha Zagan’s pack.

“What the hell just happened?” I growled, as the second car drove away.

Zagan rolled his eyes.

“Looks like your little nephew has a Bane Wolf. They rarely give up control unless commanded to. Not unless the human is taught control from a young age,” he grumbled.

I stared at him in shock.

“That’s ridiculous, they’re just a myth!”

He shook his head, “They are very real, if somewhat rare. It takes a unique set of circumstances to create a bane wolf.

“Let me guess, he was born under a blood moon, right? And there were complications?”

I glanced at Jasmine, who was still being comforted by Jason, then turned back to Zagan.

I nodded. “Samuel was a bit early, and he was breech. They almost lost him,” I confirmed.

Zagan’s voice dropped lower. “Sometimes it’s better if they do lose them. Doctors like to think they’ve saved the pup, but it’s usually the wolf they save. They get a taste for being in control.”

“Our wolves aren’t meant to show up that early. The energy they use to heal usually keeps them dormant, and they come out at the right time.

“But they’ve already had a taste of total control, so they try to take it back. The more the human fights, the angrier and more violent the wolf gets.”

I shook my head and let out a sigh.

“You’ve seen this before?” I asked.

Zagan smiled. It was a surprise. I didn’t think he was capable of it.

“My Beta, Dante. My father caught it early enough to do something about it.”

I tried to picture what his beta had gone through. Maybe that’s how he got the scars on his face. I wondered if he had other scars. If the rumors were true, Zagan’s father was even worse than him.

He had turned down a seat on the council because he thought they were too soft.

“So, I’m guessing Samuel tried to fight his wolf,” I said.

Zagan nodded. “But it looks like the wolf won. He’s going to have to fight a lot harder if he wants to control it. It probably didn’t help that he’s been coddled, but we’ll toughen him up soon enough.”

I shook my head. I had a pretty good idea what Alpha Zagan’s version of toughening up meant. I just hoped Samuel wouldn’t end up hating us.

“Now, Alpha Gabriel, I’ve come all this way. I heard you’ve got yourself a little half-breed. And you’ve even adopted it,” Zagan laughed.

I had to fight to keep my wolf down. He wanted to rip Zagan’s throat out for calling Ellie an it.

“Of course,” I said through clenched teeth, “for the sake of Pack harmony, I’d be happy for you to meet my daughter. Maybe you’d like to join us for lunch...at my father’s house.”

I watched as Zagan gritted his teeth. For some reason, he didn’t like my father. I didn’t know why.

“Of course... It would be a pleasure,” he said, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Right this way then,” I smirked, leading him towards my father’s house.