The Alpha and the Exile

I watched as a couple of people put the security guy on a stretcher the carry him out of the room. Guilt sent bitter bile up my throat and put a sour taste in my mouth. I scowled at the useless emotion. I had nothing to feel guilty for. It's his own damn problem he can't put his money where his mouth is. Yeah, I thought, feeling my scowl change to a smirk. It's not my fault I kicked his ass as if he was a newborn pup.

I would've laughed if it wasn't for Alice glaring at me like this was all my fault. What the hell did she want from me? Alice knew who I am, who my father was, what the hell did she expect? "Well this is just great," she said, crossing her arms. It reminded me of who my sister use to get when my dad wouldn't buy her that expensive five-hundred dollar heels she claimed she needed like a fish needs water.

"Now my head of security is out for the count, and I also have no one to continue my training, which the root of that whole fight was about," Alice fumed, throwing her hands up in evident exasperation.

"Why don't you train her?" the beta asked as he walked into the room. His hands were stuffed in the pockets of his suit pants. Unlike the security dork, this guy had power. I could tell just by the way he held himself. He could've probably made alpha if he wanted and that made me distrust him even more. People just don't turn down power like that.

Realizing what he asked, I made a rude snort. Was he kidding me? "Me? Why the hell would I? It's not my damn problem."

"Actually, I think it's very much your problem," The beta replied. The calm tone of his voice starting to piss me off. "You just incapacitated our head of security after claiming he wasn't teaching her right, so it I believe that makes it your problem and your responsibility to keep her safe. She is after all your mate."

I didn't miss the accusation in his words. Anger ran through me, hot and bitter. I clenched my fists and glared at him with a growl. "I can't teach her how to fight," I spat out.

"Why not?" Alice demanded. Her arms still crossed tightly over her chest.

I clenched my jaw. I know exactly what and who I am. I liked hitting people, seeing them bruised and busted. I liked how powerful it made me feel. It feels so goddamn good that it was addicting. It's why I'd fought to keep Brook when Blue Mountain's alpha took her away. I didn't want to lose the high I got from beating the crap out of her. Even now, after all, these years I still felt the itch. The need to feel the sting after a good hard slap or the throb after a well-placed punch. It was all still there, and it would be so easy to let Alice become my new Brook. She was a wolf, and I wouldn't have to be careful with her. Not only that, I'd be an actual alpha again, like I was supposed to be until it was stolen from me. I could have it all back. All I had to do was break her. It would be so easy too. Alice was halfway there already, thanks to the crap her pack had been giving her.

I took a deep breath, relishing in the fantasy of it, but as memories of my mother flittered through my mind and the beauty of it was gone. I would become just like him if I did that. I scowled and glared at her, knowing I'd rather drink bleach before becoming like my dad. "If you're going to learn how to fight you need to do it for real, not this spar shit, and let's not forget this little reform you're trying to do on me," I told her, letting a sneer enter my voice. Anger and frustration radiated off of Alice. I wondered if she knew just how much she was projecting. No wonder everyone was yanking her chain. Alice practically was painting a bullseye on her back. Her beta took on a hand and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Well," he said finally. "How about you simply teach her to be stronger and I'll find someone to fight with her."

I crossed my arms over my chest with a scowl. Why the hell did this guy want me to do this so much? "Fine. Yeah. Whatever," I said sourly.

"Good. It's settled then," she said with a dip of her chin. "When should we start?"

"Tomorrow is as good as day as any I guess," I said with a shrug.

"Great.” A smile broke through on her face. "I think this will actually be a good thing," she added then turned to her beta. "Do you have someone in mind for the fighting part?" Slowly an almost sly smile slid onto the older wolf's face. "I have a few people in mind," he said, returning his hand back into back into his pocket.

He was up to something. I scowled at the thought. Alice picked up on it too because she narrowed her eyes at him. "Mario," she started, but he simply offered her a small, cryptic smile. "I've got to get back to work, and I'll check on Koreyon,” he replied then slipped out of the room.

My mistrust of him grew as I rubbed off the blood on my knuckles. I was going to have to keep an eye on him. "As much fun as this has been Peaches, I'm out," I said and started for the door. “Actually, you have an appointment to keep," she told me. The order in her tone made my bristle and the urge to backhand her made my hand twitch.

"What are you talking about?" I said, turning to face her.

"Remember you agreed to talk to Doctor Evans," she said, walking up to me.

I struggled to remember who this doctor was then groaned when I remembered it was the shrink. "You're really going to make me talk to a shrink?" I complained.

Alice started to laugh and smiled at me. "All this tough guy crap and you whine like a kid about having a conversation with another person," she said, obviously teasing me. Damn it! As corny as it sounds, her smile was like feeling the sun on your face after it'd been raining all day. I didn't even mind that she was making fun of me.

"It's not another person- it's a shrink, and it's not a conversations-it's bullshit about feelings and crap like that," I told her, feeling myself smiling despite that I really didn't want to do this.

"Just give it a try Michael. It won't kill you," she told me, walking out of the room.

"You don't know that," I grumbled in a complaint, ignoring the fact that I was following her like some eager puppy. God, when did I get so pathetic?

"If that kills you then you're reputation is entirely blown out of proportion," she said, still teasing. "Come on, let's get something to eat." She waved me on to follow her.

A scowl crossed my face as I sat in the chair. I picked at the tear in one of the arms. I'd been in a relatively good mood today, but being here and expected to do all that talking crap just ruined it all.

"Hello Michael, or would you prefer I called you Mike?" The shrink asked as he walked into the room and sat down in the chair across from me. He looked like such a dweeb. Stick-thin with huge glasses and a balding spot right on the back of his head.

"Mike," I snapped out, tossing a piece of white stuffing to the ground with a flick of my fingers.

"Mike it is then," he said, sounding all too cheerful. "Just to make sure, you're here entirely of your free will correct?"

"What does it matter?" I replied sourly, ripping off a piece of the fabric in the arm.

"It matters a great deal," the shrink said. "If you're just doing this because Alice told you too..."

My head snapped towards him, and I gave him a warning growl. "I do what I want! No one tells me to do anything!"

He paled a shade or two and held up his hands. "Of course, I meant no offense. I was merely suggesting that if you don't really want my help, then we're simply wasting time here," he explained.

I glared at him a little longer then blew out a breath. "I told her I'd do this. So do whatever it is you have to do," I grumbled. Why the hell had, I agreed to this again? I really didn't give a damn what this guy had to say one way or another. The shrink swallowed with a nod. "Uhm alright," he said and pushed up his glasses. "Why don't you tell me about yourself, Mike?"

Really? I leveled him with yet another glare. "You know who I am. Hell everyone here knows who I am! People see me walking, and they turn and go the other way," I sneered at him.

This time, he didn't pale or look worried at all. Instead, the shrink bowed his head and wrote down on a pat that he had rested on his lap. "It's not about what I know or what others know, but what you do. So despite what I know, I'd like you to tell me about you?"

That had to be the lamest thing I'd ever heard. With a growl and groan mixed together, I slumped into the chair. "I'm the only son of Alpha Ryan Howe of Black Mountain that is until Brook pushed him off a cliff and Abe Steward, dad's chief of security, stole the alphaship from me. He would've killed me, but he didn't have the balls to do it so he gave me to Blue Crescent. They didn't have the balls either." I finished with my best maniacal smile.

"I see," the shrink so blandly. "Mike, are you aware that you're still describing yourself by the standards of others? What do you think that might mean?"

"What?" I said with a scoff. "I am not! I don't give a shit what people think of me!"

He gave me a small smile, and I ripped another piece of the arm of the chair. "You told me what you are to your father. Who he is and why you are here, but none of what you said is about you. Why do you think that is?" Oh, my god! Really? I growled at him. "That's a stupid question!"

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