Third Person's P.O. V

“Where is she?” Alpha Brianna’s voice cut through the room like a blade. The tension was thick. The air around them was suddenly hard to breathe. They didn't have to think twice to know exactly who she was asking of. Noah, Zach, and Emery stood awkwardly,gazes fixed on the ground. Danny’s hands clenched at his sides with guilt written all over his face.

"I know I'm not talking to a bunch of deaf people. ANSWER ME."

“We... we don’t know, Alpha,” Noah stammered.

“You don’t know?” Brianna’s eyes blazed with fury. “The woman who you claimed saved your lives is gone, and you just let it happen?”

“She told us to go,” Danny said quietly. “She gave herself up so we could escape.”

“She’s our hero,” Kara murmured in a bid to try to soften the tension but it only made Brianna angrier.

“A hero?” Brianna’s fist slammed onto the table hard. “A hero you left behind? You’re supposed to be wolves. Wolves protect their own!”

“We couldn’t fight them,” Zach blurted out, his voice cracking. “They had silver. She---she made us leave.”

"She made yo...."

Brianna looked ready to unleash another wave of her anger but then as if the fight drained out of her, she dropped into a chair. She grew quiet and in a low voice, known to make even the strongest men cower, she ordered. “Find her. Now.”

Six Hours Later the search party returned empty-handed. By this time,the news had circulated and the pack was restless, “She saved them,” someone said in awe. “She’s not even one of us,” another murmured. “And yet she gave up everything.” The respect in their voices was undeniable. A stranger had acted more like a wolf than they ever had. She must be found.

The boardroom on the other end was a mess. Only the high ranking wolves like the Alpha,Beta,Gamma and now Noah and his friends were in it. Maps, notes, scrunched up post it notes and papers of failed ideas littered the table as Brianna paced back and forth.

“She has to be somewhere,” Brianna mutteredin frustration.

“We’re trying,” Kara said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll find her.”

Noah sat in the corner in his own little world with his head buried in his hands. “We shouldn’t have treated her like that.” Zach nodded in support.

“Yeah. We were idiots. She deserved better.”

“She knew what she was doing,” Danny quietly reaffirmed.“She made a choice.”

“Doesn’t make it a right choice or one she should have had to make in the first place,” Noah muttered. Before anyone could respond, the door creaked open. Every head in the room turned as Aegis stepped inside. The room fell silent. No one could believe their eyes. She stood there, her posture straight and an unreadable expression. They were all too shocked to go speak.

“I wanted to let y'all know that I'm fine,” Aegis said flatly. “The hunters are gone.”

“Gone?” Noah asked repeated confused. “What do you mean gone?”

“I mean they’re dead,” she replied simply. Not paying any mind to the looks of disbelief and utter levels of shock, surprise and emotions on their faces. She continued, “Now, if you’ll excuse me...”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out of the room. “Aegis, wait—” Brianna started, but the door had already closed behind her.

---- ---Aegis’s room was dark except for a flickering bulb from the bathroom. There was a light switch she didn't bother to switch on plainly because she did want to. She slowly stripped off her shirt and hissed with each contact it had with her skin. Her back bore the marks of her ordeal cuts, burns, and bruises crisscrossed her skin, each one a reminder of what she’d endured. Looking at her back in the mirror, she was not surprised to see the depth and psycho designs the hunters had done. They wanted to ruin her in a way that reduced her to nothing. A way that was supposed to break her but still made her useful for their wacko experinents. All the experiments succeeded in doing was pissing her off which undoubtedly led to their deaths.

The door opened behind her. “Aegis?” She turned her head slightly, meeting Brianna’s gaze. The Alpha’s face was pale as she took in the state of her back. “What have they done to you?” Brianna’s voice was barely above a whisper. “It doesn’t matter,” Aegis said, pulling on a clean shirt. “You shouldn’t be here Alpha.” Brianna ignored her and stepped closer. “Let me help you.”

“I don’t need help,” Aegis said firmly.

“That’s not a request,” Brianna said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “It’s an order.”

Aegis hesitated, “You can’t command me.” The Alpha’s frown deepened. “Why doesn’t it work? You're not an Alpha Born.”

Aegis didn’t answer, but the defiance in her gaze said everything. “Lie down, Aegis. Please,” Brianna said softly now.

After a long pause, Aegis complied and lowered herself onto the bed.

---The silence between them was heavy as Brianna gently cleaned the wounds on Aegis’s back. The cool water stung but Aegis didn’t flinch.

“I killed them,” Aegis said suddenly, out of nowhere. Brianna’s hands paused. “What?”

“I killed them,” Aegis repeated. “All of them. I finally became a monster.” Brianna resumed her work very carefully now. “That doesn’t make you a monster.”

Aegis’s voice cracked. “It doesn’t? I killed people. That’s what monsters do.” Brianna’s voice was calm but firm. “Do you know how I became Alpha?” Aegis shook her head, “My mate cheated on me,” Brianna said, her voice even. “When I confronted him, he tried to kill me so he could be with her. I had to kill him to survive.” Aegis turned her head to look at her, surprise flashing in her eyes. “The things do to survive don’t make us monsters, Aegis,” Brianna said, meeting her gaze. “They make us exactly what we are--Survivors.”

The door opened again and this time Noah, Zach, Emery, Danny, and Kara filed into the room. Each of their faces held a mix of guilt and apprehension.

“What do you want?” Aegis asked raising her back up. Noah stepped forward bowing his head. “We wanted to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For everything,” Zach said. “For the way we treated you. For blaming you.”

“You didn’t deserve it,” Emery added quietly. Aegis studied their faces for a moment, then nodded and laid back down. “I forgive you.” They looked surprised but relieved.

But as usual that was not all, something strange happened as they made to leave. Noah dropped to his knees. “What are you doing?” Brianna asked, frowning. “I--I--I don’t know,” Noah stammered wide-eyed. Zach and Emery followed, their movements involuntary and confused. Danny and Kara stood staring at them in shock. “What’s happening right now?”

Brianna’s eyes widened as realization dawned. “I've only ever heard of this. Never seen it but I believe, their wolves....,” she said softly. “Their wolves have chosen her.”

“Chosen me?” Aegis echoed, "For what?"

Brianna nodded. “As their Alpha. You’re their Alpha now.”

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