Posing for the Omega (For the Alpha #2)(22)

Naga growled her ears flattening on her skull. “Nothing has happened to this pack and then when you arrive we begin to lose members, become prey. I saw you lurking in the woods that night.” The she wolf stalked closer becoming more aggressive.

That night. I’ve been trying to forget about that night. I was still scared when I remembered the luperci as his nose brushed along my throat. A disgusted shiver passed through me. I remembered that night clearly, but if Naga knew I’d left the dens that night why hadn’t she told alpha? “I was sleepwalking. I wasn’t lurking. After everything I’ve done to prove myself to you and to this pack do you really think I would hurt anyone? I love this pack, I love my alpha!” I spluttered as I became more agitated. “I’m pregnant! All I do is think about eating squirrels and how horrible giving birth is going to be!” Ok, granted I thought about more than those two things but not by much - my point was - I didn’t want to hurt my pack and I damn sure didn’t want to see Dey hurt. Which is what Naga was blaming me for. “Dey was my friend, the only wolf who really talks to me. I would never let anything harm her. I wouldn’t let anything harm any of you if I could help it.”

The she wolf’s hackles lowered as the tension drained out of her body slowly, leaving a tired wolf behind. Her hard yellow eyes narrowed on me as she seemed to come to some kind of conclusion. “You have something to do with all this. I know you do, whether you are directly involved or not, I know you have something to do with everything that’s happening.”

She was right, and that was a hot coal in my gut. I was the reason all of this was happening, why my pack members were being murdered, why my friend was missing. Searing hot pain lanced my heart and I nodded almost numbly not even recognizing the admission of guilt. “Why didn’t you tell alpha that I went into the woods?”

Naga sighed defeatedly her attention turning to Zora who was still a distance from the pack talking to Alloy and his other Beta’s. “Because, he puts you above the pack. Isn’t it obvious to you?”

Put me above the pack? That wasn’t true. Zora was a good alpha, he treated everyone fairly, even me— didn’t he? I had to think about everything I’d done to get in the way, irritate, push, and destroy since I’d gotten here and I had to admit that Zora was make a little forgiving when it came to me. Lixa, one of the pack members had made a mess of digging out one of the dens one day and alpha had made her not only clean it up but also dig four more dens for making such a mess in the first place. I’d done something similar and Zora had only laughed at my exuberance and not said anything. Did he hold me above the pack? “I don’t— I didn’t.”

Naga snorted. “No you didn’t notice. You don’t notice much Ira. You don’t even realize the pack is becoming unstable with our alpha. They are losing faith in his ability to protect them.”

What? Hot mole piss, that was bad, that was really really bad. How had I not noticed that? Why was the pack losing faith in their alpha? “What do you mean?”

“Are you really so clueless?” The she wolf growled irritably. “We’ve lost more pack members in the last few months than in the history of this pack, along with the constant threat of the unknown plaguing us. Did you think there wouldn’t be doubts?”

“He’s protecting this pack!” I felt the growl roll up in my throat. Anger burned away the feelings of guilt I’d been having. It wasn’t Zora’s fault that we didn’t know what we were facing. He was fucking trying harder than any wolf in this pack to keep everyone safe. “It’s not his fault he doesn’t know— they are here for—” UGH! I paced in my own little space as I became more agitated. This wasn’t Zora’s fault! Even being like me, they weren’t here for him, but Naga couldn’t know that! The blood wolves had already told me as much, they were here for me, or at least their alpha was. Everything was happening because of me, because of what I was, and I didn’t even know how to make it all stop. And Dey—

Naga’s golden eyes narrowed.“What the hell are you talking about—”

“Ira,” Koda trotted up to me quickly hie green eyes intense as he narrowed in on me. He was no doubt ready for the answers I hadn’t given him before talking to Zora.

Naga grumbled angrily beside me as my brother approached in his four form. “Go away outsider. We are talking and it doesn’t involve you.” Naga sneered in her usual superior way. The she wolf was definitely chasing away any chance at being welcomed by anyone in this pack.

“Don’t talk to my litter mate that way. He’s mated to Alloy he is just as much a part of this pack as you or I.” Weeping dicks, why did she always have to be such an ornery bitch?

Koda smirked. “No worries Naga, me and Ira were just going to talk about how few pack members actually want to be in your presence. The number is staggeringly low.” Koda snorted out a laugh. “Even the pups want a reprieve from your bitchiness.”

Naga snarled, her white teeth gleaming as she approached Koda with a vicious intent. “How dare you talk to me like that. I’ll—”

“NAGA!” Alpha called sharply from his distant position, cutting off the ex alpha bitch’s horrible temper.

“You better go when you’re called.” Koda said in a sing song-go-fuck-you voice.