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He shouted, “I don’t care! That’s how it works here.

” I replied, “No, it’s not… because if it is then every Supernatural will come down here and SLAUGHTER you all.

If you’re left standing which is questionable at this point…

because… I think you know that I know… I can take you all.

” I didn’t know why I felt that way, but I did. It was true and I knew it.

I told him, “You will NOT let him take Sierra. You WILL BE the Alpha you are supposed to be! Marking an unshifted pup is AGAINST THE LAW! All of them… BE AN ALPHA!” I was begging him. I needed him to be one right here and now.

I would fight to the death for Sierra. She wasn’t going with Clay. She was there for me when I was abandoned. We were friends and I wouldn’t have stood by even if we weren’t. Clay asked, “Who the fuck do you think you are?”

Addison replied, “She’s Ashley Griffen.” I added, “Fighter for those who can’t fight back… be that training or drugged… apparently.” He snarled and shifted. Gamma Booker yelled, “DO NOT KILL HER!” Huh. That was shocking. More than actually… I was pretty sure he hated me.

I stared down the wolf with black markings.

Sierra whispered, “Ashley, it’s…” I told her, “Go get behind your mom.” Beta Jean growled, “Sierra.” I shouted, “NOW!” Clay’s wolf jumped and I moved.

I ran full force and slammed him into the ground, broke his front leg, took a knife from my shoe, and held it to his throat.

The shocked gasps that went around the pack didn’t phase me. I stared at the group that came with Clay. I demanded, “Shift back.” He did and screamed in pain. I looked at them, “You leave here… or he dies. Then you never… EVER come back…. Sierra Kiern is NOTHING to any of you.”

One snorted, “And when we come back, what are you going to do?” I warned, “If you ever come back to this state, I’ll kill each and every one of you.” I jabbed Clay in the neck. He shouted, “Ok! Ok, Jesus! You crazy bitch.”

I said, “I’m not the one with Alpha blood trying to mark an unshifted pup. Or running around taking her from her home in the middle of the night… gosh you people are something else.” He replied, “I win.” I was shot with a dart and simply dug the knife in harder.

Alpha Edward shouted, “Hit her again.” It felt like yet another crack inside me. The Alpha was ordering me to be shot for protecting someone he should. I felt ten more darts hit and decided to stab Clay in the thigh. He screamed, “GOD!”

I heard the next dart coming because it was closer.

Trevor McCann wore an evil smile, and I moved so it hit Clay instead.

He screamed in agony. His pack winced. One said, “Ok, we’ll go.

” I reiterated, “If you come back to this state, I’ll kill all of you…

I heard you’re from Virgina…. So, stay there…

or find out just what I can do when prepared.

” That scared them and it made me happy.

They urged, “Give him back to us.” I replied, “No….not a single chance. Do I look dumb to you? I mean… I’m a genius…

so… I’m not dumb. I’ll give him back at the border.

So… move it.” Alpha Edward growled, “You don’t give orders here.

” Yet I was and it still hurt. His distain and hatred hurt, but I ignored it because I wasn’t wrong; he was.

I dragged Clay with me to the border then threw him in their SUV. I took a dart to the chest that only hurt because of the proximity and close range of the shot. Gamma Booker snarled, “You stupid girl!” He punched me.

I asked, “What is WRONG with all of you? But especially YOU!” I pointed at Beta Jean. I said, “She’s your daughter! She was terrified and you just….” I looked at him shaking my head sadly. He flinched.

I turned Alpha Edward, “You… what happened to you? You shouldn’t allow this! It has to hurt your blood as it does mine…” I saw him flinch too but Gamma Booker hit me again. He asked, “Are you going to take your punishment?”

I shot back, “Are you going to answer what’s wrong with all of you?! Why are you hurting yourselves and your wolves this way? It doesn’t make sense and…” Gamma Booker yelled, “LIFE DOESN’T MAKE SENSE! Now, you can either be whipped and thrown in the hole.”

I shivered not wanting to go back in there. He grinned evilly and I knew whatever was coming meant I was going to take getting whipped and thrown in the hole. “Or you can sleep with all of us here and now.”

I whispered, “You’re all mated and…” He replied, “And our mates were relieved when you stood up for Seirra. They must be punished.” I jolted as if he’d smacked me, “Punished… for being human? For being the blood in their veins? Do you… do you hear yourself? Why would you punish yourself that way…you seem arrogant and conceited?” He replied, “We have ways it doesn’t hurt us. ”

I replied, “I belong to someone else… and I’m not having sex with married, mated men. I’m not going to be party to ruining a bond… fated or chosen… you…. what are you doing to your wolves? How could you? HOW?!” I had to know. They were ranked wolves.

Gamma Booker grabbed me around the neck, “You don’t get to ask questions here.” He carried me to the punishing fields. I gripped the boulder I was slung over as he whipped me. Eventually Beta Jean said, “You’ll kill her if you don’t stop.” Did I care? Not really. He kicked me into the hole.

I woke up and saw my parents laughing at a picnic. I screamed, “MOM! DAD!” I ran to them, but I went right through them. I cried, “No.” Then I watched myself run up to them. It was last year. Tristan howled happily and led our pack on a run. I sobbed watching it all.

Jason spun me around in a circle then threw me on his shoulders. He boasted, “My sister is the national dance champion! WHOOHOOOO!” He’d had that same pride earlier when I had his six. I gasped and woke up feeling pain in the dark. Right. I was in the hole.

I was never going to see the happiness in Red Run like I’d dreamed of. Even when I went back, everything would be different. I knew everything had changed. I was changed. Actually… I was changing and I could feel it. Each crack in me was growing and my loss of faith in Alpha’s… wasn’t good.

By the time they came to get me and pull me up from the hole I’d resolved to make sure no one was stolen from their homes again. I would make sure word went around to the packs. I would be the voice and fighter for them. Sierra ran to me the second I was closer to the pack.

Beta Jean sighed, “Sierra…” She cut him off, “Don’t you ever speak to me again. Come on to Hendrick’s house, Mel.” Uncle Ajax argued, “She’s coming to our house.” Sierra winced. I said, “I’m not.” I walked off leaving them behind me.

Sierra whispered, “That’s not how things are done here.” I replied, “I’m kind of past caring. Really… really… so far beyond caring. Everything here is messed up and wrong.” Celia groaned, “Really pup?” I shrugged, “I guess you didn’t see what I did.”

She replied, “Everyone saw it. Even the people who hide away when people come in the night to take someone. You had the entire pack watching you and hope rippled through the pack afterwards. Which, was not cared for by some.” Yeah, I’m sure. I’m also sure I didn’t care.

She treated what was left of my wounds. She hummed, “Thank whatever or whoever you believe in that you heal faster than any pup I’ve ever treated.

” I asked, “Don’t you mean Selene?” She snorted, “Down here in the forgotten packs, we don’t worship her.

She turned her back on us, so we’ve turned our backs on her.

” I could see the logic on that and was honestly with her on it.

Sierra hugged me tightly and sobbed. I told her, “We will start working on self-defense… I… I didn’t realize you didn’t know any moves and…

” She cried, “He was going to mark me, and I couldn’t stop him.

I knew what my future was in those terrifying moments, and you stopped it all.

I’ll follow you into Hell itself if necessary. ”

That was kind of like a pack getting a new Alpha. Umm… weird… but… nice. Dax hugged me next. He whispered, “I couldn’t get to her.” Addison replied, “They drugged us and you still got outside.” I admitted, “That is impressive.”

Caine asked, “And why doesn’t silver or wolfsbane affect you?

” I replied, “It affects every Werewolf. I’m going to guess the ones that were shot at me…

had operators with some sort of moral… compass?

Which seems weird… but it’s the answer. Because like anyone with Werewolf blood gets hurt from wolfsbane or silver.

” They all nodded, and we spent some time together.

Weeks went by. Trevor and his friends tormented me. They screamed at me and threw sticks. I took my GED and the beating that followed when my results of passing came to Aunt Stephanie’s house. I did all the chores and took all their abuse but noticed the shift in the pack.

When things started to go wrong, they looked at me. I was pretty sure it was driving Alpha Edward insane… Well… more insane…than he currently was because he clearly had already lost it.

I was cleaning outside the office when I overheard Edward say there was a shipment of Demons was coming in. I’d been slowly saving people from him and his dirty deeds. This one was bigger than him though because based on what he said this was the Ring.

I listened and got the details. The Demons were being held in a warehouse. The Ring was holding them there until they were transferred for experimentation. These people were just sick. How could they do this? It was unfathomable to me.

No matter how much I saw, I could not make it make sense. I honestly didn’t understand how they could sleep at night. I researched the place and came up with a plan. I went to meet with Hendrick, Mason, Dax and Addison.