Home / All / Toying Alpha / Chapter 9: Pride and Pack

Share

Chapter 9: Pride and Pack

Author: Mari Hockett
It hadn't changed, the way the Northeastern pack treated her that is.

Jamie had thought it might after what had happened, but they were still nice. They still welcomed her into their territory, their home.

They asked about how she was, if she was doing okay after being injured, and it left her reeling.

In her father's pack, if someone had challenged him like that out of nowhere and lost, let alone a member of his pack doing that? They'd be treated more than just a little coldly if not outright punished for the improper conduct.

Here though? Despite how poorly Jamie acted, they still treated her with kindness, and it made her feel…guilty, over how things had gone down.

They both could've handled all of this better, but it wasn't all on them…that they didn't know. Logan had no one to teach him, and Jamie had no one willing to tell her. Tell her she was leaving, how the new pack worked, what was expected of her, if anything was at all.

Was it fair? Oh, God no. None of this was fair. This is what they had though; this is what they were stuck with.

Jamie could imagine it, in another life where she'd be content with no responsibilities. Where the loss of her parents would force her to take up the mantle, the leadership of the pack so she'd still have that connection to them.

So that the legacy of what was built wouldn't fade away. Their Western pack could've survived with their beta, Gabriel, taking over for a while. Could've survived going without an alpha for a time before trouble came around.

The Northeastern group didn't have that. They were already small and looked down upon. Without someone strong looking out for them, they'd be torn apart. It didn't matter that Logan had been young. He was the only one who could've stepped up that would've been shown respect, that the other packs would've taken seriously as a threat.

Because unlike the rest of the pack he was still a wolf.

That was why Jamie was currently standing outside of the door to Logan's office, hesitating to knock.

Last time she saw him, she'd punched him in the throat, and that wasn't what she was feeling guilty about.

Jerk deserved it for not even having the decency to explain when he KNEW her parents hadn't explained anything, let alone him.

A punch was the least of what she could've done. Besides, he broke her collarbone. They were even.

Jamie took a breath, scolding herself for being a coward and just going for it. Knocking against the door.

"Oh, hey."

Then she whirled around, almost punching Logan in the face. He was NOT in his office because of course he wasn't. No, why would the alpha have a schedule to do work? How could that possibly help him in any way?

He was in another suit, sans tie, the buttons popped and showing off the bruise from her knuckles.

Jamie forced herself to calm down. She would not get mad and punch Logan, she promised herself. Making a fool of herself once was enough.

"It's 2:00 PM. Valerie said you'd be in your office," she managed to say evenly, without any irritation.

She wasn't here to yell about tradition or how to run his pack, even if it looked like he could use some help.

"Ah, yeah, that happens sometimes. I get work done when I can but—yeah…was there something you wanted?"

"Yeah, I did." Jamie straightened up, turning to face him.

"Before you say anything let me say something first," he cut her off before looking her right in the eyes. "I'm sorry."

…What the hell just happened?

Jamie blinked a few times, but no, she hadn't accidentally taken Andy's medicine and started to hallucinate.

"Yeah, that's kind of how I thought you'd react," he winced. "But I mean it. I'm sorry. I didn't even do the bare minimum of what I know how to do as an alpha. You deserved better than that, deserved MORE than that so…I'm sorry."

"I'm not sorry for punching you," Jamie started.

"That's fair. I didn't think you would be. Good punch by the way."

"What I'm sorry about is that I reacted so poorly–no, look," Logan almost looked like he was about to protest, so she cut him off. "Yeah, everything sucked, and I was having a really, really bad time, but that does not give me the right to take it out on other people. Could you have done better? Yes, I could've done better too though, so…I'm sorry."

Logan chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Seems like we both have no idea what we're doing."

They both shared a small, tired smile.

"Sorry about breaking your arm."

"My collarbone actually, and don't worry about that," she waved off. "We're even since I disgracefully started that fight and punched you in the throat."

"Not for slugging me in the face?" he asked in amusement and Jamie just grinned.

"Oh, you deserved that one."

"Ha!...Listen, in my pack, I really don't know what I'm doing, so when I took over, it was more about building a community and family then building a pack and knowing all the dynamics and traditions."

"Well, if you ever wanna learn, I guess I'm here to help. My dad IS the alpha of my pack."

"I might just take you up on that offer but…later. I'll let you get settled in first, properly this time."

Logan walked past her, opening the door to his office and slipping inside.

"Hey," Jamie stopped him, waiting till he looked at her. "You're unconventional, and by God do you need a crash course in pack dynamics and decorum, but you're a good alpha where it matters," she admitted.

"Thanks, I…thanks. Well, better get started on the paperwork," grimaced Logan before waving goodbye and closing the door.

Jamie stood there for a moment before heading back to the cabin. She needed to get back and start slowly emptying the pill bottles. Save some for evidence at the very least.

No need for Valerie to get suspicious. Jamie could take a little pain.

This might not be her pack yet, but if Andy thought she'd just take whatever he was doing lying down, if he was doing it to other members of the pack?

Then the least of what she was going to do was punch him in the throat.
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App

Latest chapter

  • Toying Alpha   Chapter 50: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and Somehow

    "—and then Logan busted down the door and almost hit me with it. Then I dragged his body back, my parents came by to help, blah blah, exposition travel, and now we're here." Finished Jamie. There had been lots of dramatic gasps and screaming during her explanation, and the alpha of the southern pack and his brother had to be held back from leaping over the tables to kill Andy, but other than that it went okay! Hardly anyone purposefully interrupted her for clarification that Valerie and Jamie's parents were able to help with. Everyone else made sure to keep to their seats since they didn't want to fight Jamie at all, even if they didn't know what her shifted form was. A few people were even crying, some families scattered across different packs reuniting for the first time in years. It was…almost gruesome in a way, to have it all laid out. How many people suffered for another's gain, but that was the question wasn't it."Andy Burroughs," started Ballie. "Why did you and your paren

  • Toying Alpha   Chapter 49: It Starts Like This

    Jamie was not allowed to get any f*cking rest. A true tragedy. She got a nap, that was all she was allowed before it was apparently time to leave at the *ss crack of dawn. She was given consolation hugs by her parents. They managed to talk the other packs down into a meeting and trial, but that trial was in the morning. Early morning, meaning they would have to leave even earlier to be there on time. Jamie was at least allowed the other front passenger seat in the car Logan was driving at the consequence of having to have Valerie in her shifted Dachshund form on her feet while Daniella sat in her lap. Daniella's parents were a smaller breed of dog and offered to shift so the others could fit. That left Jamie looking after a child while still very tired. She, thankfully, had the time to at least shower and change, donning her leather jacket and combat boots. Daniella was thankfully distracted by braiding her wild hair and Logan was focused on driving while jamming to whatever song

  • Toying Alpha   Chapter 48: Sleep for the WEEK

    "Tell me the truth Andy, did you do it?" asked Logan. "Do what?" "Don't play this game!" he snarled, dragging Andy closer. "Did you do it?" "Hey, yeah, can we know what 'it' was?" called Kim, voicing everyone's question."We were woken up looking for Jamie and now we're having an interrogation?" "Yeah, why is Andy wrapped up in duct tape and…did Jamie bite him?" asked Gary in disbelief."He stabbed me in the neck!" shouted Jamie hotly. "He's lucky I didn't do worse and that's only because the drugs knocked me out!" "Drugs?! What's going on!?" "Oh my god!" wheezed Valerie, still out of breath but now she was laughing. "You really did go through with it. You don't give empty threats, do you." "I don't." Jamie glared into Andy's soul, and he was deeply aware of the threat she was capable of being since he kept his mouth shut. "What did Andy do?" "That is a LONG story," grimaced Jamie. "We can help explain it though." "Dad?!"Jamie didn't know who was more surprised. The Northe

  • Toying Alpha   Chapter 47: Apologies, We're All Out of Trust

    He was an idiot! A really big idiot!Logan was trying to stave off a panic attack as he sprinted through the woods in his shifted form. It was a little bit hard though when his childhood best friend was apparently about to murder his girlfriend—ex-girlfriend. How the hell did Jamie not straight up murder him after that? He was supposed to at least hear her out, not just write her off! Oh God, he was what people talked about when they brought up their sh*tty exes. 'Yeah, my ex almost got me murdered because he didn't hear me out that his friend was experimenting on people.' Logan didn't want to believe it, that Andy could do something like that, but it all made sense, everything made horrible, terrible sense. Why Jamie was so wary of Andy, so odd around him. Andy's own interest in her shifted form—him never letting Logan see the bodies. He thought it was because it was too gruesome, but he knew his families shifted forms well, he'd seen what their claws could do. If he was allowed

  • Toying Alpha   Chapter 46: Oh, Bloody Hell, That's Suspicious

    Valerie knew something was wrong the moment she heard Jamie screech in rage before tapering out into silence. It was more than enough to know they failed in convincing Logan, yet she hesitated to call the Western pack. She should've gone with Jamie instead of letting her do this alone, that was on her. It wasn't over yet, they still had time. They still had all the proof they collected and photos of the experiment's documents. They needed Logan on this. Valerie didn't want to go to war with the other packs, not when she might be fighting people she knew. Not when she would never be able to bring herself to fight in Andy's defense after everything he and his parents did. If Jamie didn't succeed with diplomacy, then maybe Valerie should take a page from her book and beat it into Logan's thick skull. She'd do it, even if he could take her in a fight. It had to end. Valerie rushed out of the cabin with their copied medical records, looking for Jamie, but she was nowhere to be found.

  • Toying Alpha   Chapter 45: Coming to a HeadButt

    She woke up with a killer headache, her jaw aching but now it was bruised on top of that, and blood in her teeth.It was, arguably, the worst wake up of her entire life. Then Jamie realized she was in Andy's lab, collared to his weird chain wall and it immediately nudged the removal of her wisdom teeth into a distant second place."Good, you're up. You were out for longer than I thought you would be. To be fair though I did give you a second dose after you, you know, bit me." Jamie turned, gaze landing on Andy, his arm wrapped but there was still blood on his lab coat in a ring of teeth. "You're lucky that's ALL I did," she hissed, standing up and tugging on the chain. A thick metal collar with a lock was around her neck. She was strong but there was no way she was gonna be able to pry the thing open. "That's not gonna work. It's made with tungsten steel. It's funny, when did you start to suspect me?" he asked curiously, taking a seat in the swivel chair at one of the desks, messin

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status