Chapter 24: Chapter 23

~ Two hours earlier ~

Malachi almost felt skinny next to the bulky mass of muscle.

Almost, but he knew his own strengths. And they weren’t in brawn like what most of the older warriors possessed. No, the young Alpha liked to think of himself as fair, unprejudiced, smart, and quick thinking. He made good decisions for the pack, having everyone in mind when deciding the courses of action. Not unlike the traits that all Alphas had, including what his father was like, Malachi was strict and determined.

But in some ways, he was nothing like his father.

Alpha Dennison somehow had it in his mind that males ruled supreme over the weaker gender, and not many wolves in his pack mourned his early death. Most breathed a sigh of relief, except a few of Dennison’s most loyal warriors.

“Archie.” Malachi addressed the older warrior as he came up beside him. The training field lay before them, the setting sun casting their long shadows across the short grass.

The warrior turned slowly. “Well, if it ain’t the Alpha pup. Come to check up on our training? Think we aren’t doing it right?”

“Nothing of the sort. However, I do like to oversee every aspect of the running of my pack. That includes the training of the new guards,” Malachi nodded to the field a hundred yards over, where a number of younger wolves were training and sparring with Hamilton as their mentor. They kept to the routine Malachi had set for them, doing strength exercises before moving on to strategy and tactic training. Every new warrior needed to be well-prepared in case conflict broke out with rogues, or even between other packs.

“Don’t know why you bother with that lot,” Archie jerked his head and gave a condescending chuckle. “They’re such immature babies.”

Alpha Malachi felt his fingers curl into fists, the need to defend his pack members and own Beta burning in his heart. He could handle insults and prejudices from members of other packs. He’d grown up with everyone disliking his family and his father’s ways of ruling. But to hear the insults from his own pack member cut deep.

He’d have to ignore it for now since he didn’t want to get into a fight. He was here for more important matters.

“Well, Archie, I hear you’re up to your old tricks again.”

“Don’t know what you heard, but it’s not true,” the older warrior instantly folded his arms across his chest in a defensive manner.

“So it wasn’t you who’s been challenging my warriors?” The young Alpha fixed the warrior with a chilling gaze, one that would make every regular wolf cringe in submission.

But Archie was stubborn. “Oh that,” he shrugged causally. “You know we all need a healthy challenge every now and then. Puts the cocky warriors in their place.”

“Sure. Except this was no warrior. She was new, which I’m assuming you figured out.” When Malachi had heard about Ariella being pressured into a fight on her first afternoon here, it made him so angry, he felt enough energy coursing through him to end twenty rogue lives.

“Of course,” Archie snickered, not bothering to hold back on his lack of respect. “Anyone could tell the fresh naivety of that face. Such innocence, it’s almost sickening.”

Malachi clenched his jaw against roaring in the warrior’s face. “She’s my mate. And your future Luna,” he said sternly, hoping the older wolf would gain any amount of respect for the new young shewolf. She wasn’t just anyone-she was the Alpha’s mate.

But Archie just sneered, his priorities and loyalty clearly elsewhere. “That pretty little thing?”

Malachi rushed at him, pinning him against the wall of the guard house.

“You will respect her, as due her position. If I see you messing with her—“

“What are you going to do? Tear me to shreds? Kill me for not bowing at your feet?”

“I have a perfectly capable dungeon that could hold you for a few weeks,” Malachi gripped the collar of Archie’s shirt, pressing his forearm against his chest.

“You’d not honour your elders, but lock them up instead?” Archie raised an amused eyebrow. Clearly he didn’t recognise the power Malachi’s rank held over his. “Seriously, Malachi. Where would your pack be without us older wolves looking over it? We have to remember the old ways and fight for our dominance over those weaker,” he slowly pushed Malachi back and stood toe to toe with the Alpha, chin up and shoulders back in an aggressive posture.. “We have to challenge to prove who is stronger. No one else around here is capable of leading, especially not that skinny little brat—“

The sound of bones cracking interrupted Archie’s cruel rant as Malachi sent his fist into his jaw. Archie stumbled to the side and gripped his face, but quickly regained his equilibrium. “That’s what I’m talking about. There’s the wild inside us all,” he practically cheered despite the blood running from his mouth.

Then before Malachi could respond, Archie landed a solid punch to the side of his head.

Malachi twisted with the motion to lessen the jolt, then spun to once more grip Archie around his neck. “I’m not wild like you. I’m civil, not savage. I’m respectful, not demeaning. I am Alpha, not just your pup.” He punctuated his words with blows to Archie’s stomach, and the older wolf just let him come at him, before grinning amidst his pain and slashing out at Malachi’s face.

With claws extended, Archie swiped through the air with the precision of a sharp knife, his skills honed from years of practice and experience. Malachi was quick on his feet, twisting his more agile body and missed most of the brunt of the swing. Still, he felt the sting of the claws tearing through his skin, and it only made his blood burn faster with purpose and deadly intent.

“I will never be subject to someone so weak,” Archie snarled and kicked Malachi in the stomach. He doubled over, but rolled out of the way of a second kick. Twisting around, the young Alpha leapt up onto Archie’s back and wrapped his neck in an arm lock.

“You will be respectful to your Alpha,” he whispered in Archie’s ear as he sank to his knees. Malachi held enough pressure against the warrior’s carotid artery, enough to make him blackout, but not strangle to death. He let Archie go before he fell to his face, laying him down face up and in the recovery position. Standing over him, he wrestled with the urge to just end him. Archie had caused nothing but trouble ever since Dennison died and Malachi became Alpha. Not only had he openly disrespected the young Alpha, but he continued to molest shewolves in a sly and sinister way. Many were too ashamed to talk about it openly, but Malachi could see the pain in their eyes and their tainted scent on the burly warrior.

It sickened him. It cut away at his mind that there wasn’t much he could do. Already Archie had served 6 months in the dungeon over the years, but he would always manage to weasel his way out, on good testimony of his buddies and even his own mate who saw the good in him. Hila was blinded, but what could Malachi do?

The justice system in his pack had its hands tied. Revolt and massacre would be the result of any more enforcement of Malachi’s strict dealings.

Now, to see Ariella getting involved in the cruelty of Archie, it made the problem so much more worse. His Alpha blood ached to protect his mate against all threats.

Malachi heard a grunt, and saw Archie arising from the ground, pushing himself up with shaky arms.

“Next time this happens, I’m banishing you, Archie,” he flung one final warning shot.

“You’d banish me… so I can come back leading a pack of rogues! You’d love that, wouldn’t you. Maybe I should take over this pack once and for all!”

Walk away, walk away

Malachi heard the whispered voice of reason and pushed it to the front of his mind. He’d been here before, tormented with the screaming urges to just end it, but he wouldn’t. He couldn’t give in, or else he’d be no worse than his insidiously dominant father who ruined so many lives with his cold and calculated subjugation. Malachi wanted to be different… needed to be different.

For Ariella.

Her soft warm brown eyes filled his vision as he stalked from the training field, his dark fringe hanging low over his face, his eyes probably burning with anger.

He watched her in the distance as she arrived home with Hamilton, and he just wanted to run to her. He needed to wrap his arms around her and feel her delicate hands on the back of his neck.

But Ariella was too good to him, and he felt ashamed to face her right now.

He didn’t deserve such goodness. She didn’t even know him, yet treated him with a tenderness that pierced his heart. She didn’t even know of the darkness that lurked beneath his skin, so instead she kept pointing out the light and beauty inside.

Like there was any light inside him.

When he’d been prowling around ForgedHearts territory, keeping a watchful eye on his mate, he’d been shocked to see her bullied by her pack mates. They’d all been around a fire, laughing and dancing, telling stories and fellowshipping together.

Then a boy about her age started a story that sent chills down Malachi’s spine. Malachi really had no idea what it was about but as he watched the smile slip from Ariella’s face, the cruel grins on the boys’, he knew something was wrong. Then Ariella had ran from the gathering with her eyes wide and full of pain…. a pain that he recognised.

She was laughed at…

Cast out…

Disrespected…

The feelings were all too familiar, and as he caught Ariella in the darkness, he felt her small frame quivering with the rejection. He wanted to hold her close and never let her go, but her mother had come down the path after her, and Malachi wasn’t yet ready to reveal himself. It frustrated him that he had to hide in shadows like that, but he couldn’t have handled their reactions, not just yet.

Everyone despised his father Dennison. No one in their right mind would give up their daughter as mate to the son, the new Alpha.

So Malachi had stayed hidden and watched.

Always watching…

At some time past midnight, when the fire had died down and nearly everyone had dispersed and made their way home, Malachi recognised the young wolf who had told the story that so upset Ariella. He was walking along the path towards where Malachi stood.

Malachi hadn’t intended to hurt the young man, but it was so easy to knock him down. The Alpha wanted him to feel some pain, even a small fraction of what he’d caused Ariella to feel.

Malachi hadn’t intended to nearly kill him, but when the stunned young wolf fell into the lake and didn’t resurface, Malachi didn’t feel like dragging him out. Only a small amount of guilt seeped into his veins as the ripples flattened into a stillness. Otherwise, the only emotion he felt was retribution for what the wolf had done to his mate, and how he would never hurt anyone again with his cruel jokes.

When he heard a shout and saw another young man come rushing to the edge of the lake, Malachi had slunk carefully into the shadows and watched as he dove in and dragged out his friend. Had they seen what Malachi had done? No one seemed to be suspicious or feel the need to search the area for the culprit. Perhaps it was normal for these wolves to carelessly fall into the lake after a night of partying.

Putting the incident behind him, he’d stayed away from ForgedHearts territory to focus on his own. He’d tried keeping Ariella from his thoughts so he could decipher just what to think.

He’d kept his distance, trying to figure out how to approach the situation and properly claim Ariella as his. But when she’d arrived with her parents to his place for the meeting a few nights later, her tantalising scent and innocent beauty had messed with his mind all evening.

His head and heart then completely unravelled when he held her in his arms, and he’d marked her without even realising what had come over him. The Alpha dominance he’d spent his life trying to balance with civility had pushed all reason to the tiniest corner of his mind.

He’d nearly lost control, but never again.

Now, tonight was turning out horribly.

His mind was blank on this one. Just how had Archie died? He’d seen the warrior walking from the training grounds, head held high like he hadn’t just challenged his Alpha and assaulted him. Had someone else seen them and completed what Malachi had been itching to do? Murder Archie?

Perhaps Malachi had.

He’d already done it a hundred times in his heart. Did that make the Alpha a murderer? Deeply, he never wanted to hurt his pack members, as it was his duty and genetics to fight for the best for them.

But some just made it so difficult to keep feeling a kindness and tender responsibility towards them. It would be so easy to give in to the urges, let the thoughts carry through to his hands as actions, and tear the life out of the disgusting wolves who caused him so much trouble. He could almost smell their filthy blood seeping into the earth under their mangled bodies, turning to mud and dust. Where they belonged.

It would be so satisfying to remove them and their seed from the face of the earth, to end them with a quick slice to the ne—

Malachi snapped a cage over his dark thoughts when Ariella shifted beside him, her gentle sigh reminding him that not everything was dark and hopeless.

He looked over at where she lay beside him in bed. She’d refused to let him be alone tonight. She’d held his hand, looked deep in his dark eyes and breathed life and hope with every word she spoke. His mate was so pure and incredible, it made Malachi’s heart clench. He was everything opposite.

He’d tried warning her, but still she remained. There was nothing more he wanted than to gather her in his arms and pretend none of this reality existed. He wanted to escape to another world, to a dreamland where he could be everything his beautiful mate deserved.

But he couldn’t. He was tethered to this world, to his pack, to the darkness underneath it all.

He’d been content to fight it himself—until Ariella had stumbled into his life and reminded him what innocence was.

The problem was, he was falling for her.

And he would ruin her in the most agonising way.