They're Thieves

**MAX**
Jared and I are normally surrounded by only the highest ranking wolves during dinner. Gamma generals and commanders usually. The elders have their own table to the right of ours that is mutually exclusive. We hardly ever mingle between tables, but tonight I take the initiative and drop in on the elder's table right across from Elder Douglas. Jared watches me from across the room looking amused and I can almost feel our entire table staring.
"Douglas," I greet him with false cheer. Cyrus is seated near the end on the same side and I can see him smirking into his soup.
"Alpha Max," Douglas acknowledges, twirling the end of his long salt and pepper beard on one finger. "Have you finally decided that *we* are better company than your muscle bound counterparts?"
I chuckle, humorlessly, reaching across the table to take his bread roll and his sharpest knife. I slice it open then begin to speak as I gather butter, "You overstepped your authority last night."
Douglas flinches as if surprised. "I beg your pardon, Alpha? I did no such thing."
"Oh no?" I begin to lather his bread roll with disgusting amounts of butter. "So I am confused in believing you did not call for a vote last night before making a decree to the entire pack? About something I had not yet approved of?"
Douglas' chest puffs up adamantly then he growls, "I simply did not want the slave girl to think she was off the hook. She needed a reminder of who and what she was."
I slice off a piece of the bread and spear it with the knife, then I hold it out in front of Douglas' mouth while the other elders watch in silence. "Eat," I order him. He stares at me, aghast. "Now," I bellow so that the entire dining room hears me.
"Yes Alpha," Douglas concedes, carefully placing his mouth over the bread on the knife.
Once his lips have closed over the blade, I turn it, angling it so that it spears his tongue. "Don't move," I hiss, when he begins to struggle. "You move and you lose your tongue." Douglas' eyes bulge as he looks at me, helpless to do much else but sit still as his mouth fills with blood. I lean forward and whisper in his ear, "You meant to make a fool of me last night. Ordering the shiftless slave to be silver branded. *Knowing* it would kill her. So let me be very clear." I push the blade in a touch deeper, shushing him when he tries to moan. "You are no longer to be the head of the elder council. That position now belongs to Elder Cyrus. At the end of this cycle you will resign to your home in the country and should you try to make a fool of me again or speak against my wishes in any way, you will not only lose your tongue, but your new home will be within the walls of the prison. Nod if you understand me."
Douglas nods, blood dripping from his mouth as he does.
"Good," I whisper. "Now open wide." He gurgles, his mouth falling open. The moment it does, I remove the blade and stuff the rest of the bread roll into his mouth. "That should help soak up the blood. Enjoy the rest of your meal."
I walk back to my table ignoring the stares of the common tables and returning to my own. Taking my seat next to Jared, I begin to eat. Those seated at my table know better than to say anything regarding what they just witnessed, however I notice Gamma Corlys eyeing me from his corner seat and I meet his eyes with a glare. A short nod later, he turns back to his food.
Finn, a Gamma that just made commander and used to train with my brother, chuckles. "Fucking elders. They sometimes forget who runs things."
"No shit," Roy comments. "I heard Elder Douglas wanted to petition to cut the Rim's rations by half and when he was outvoted, one of the trucks went missing."
"When was this?" I ask, cutting into my beef and watching the blood run. An image of Douglas' mouth flashes before my eyes and I shake it away. "Why wasn't I told?"
"You were out of town that day. What was it? A couple of weeks ago you went to see that broad from North Peak?" Roy asks, referring to another Alpha's daughter that I was on my father's list of possible matches.
"That's right," I confirm. "I remember now. Jared handled it."
"I certainly did," Jared brags, winking.
Corlys snorts from down the table. "You call draining our military rations to give a bunch of mutant freaks free food, *handling* it? I call it bullshit. They're shiftless. Let them hunt! It might do them some good to stop relying on us for every damn thing they get."
I watch him carefully, meeting Jared's concerned gaze briefly before I shrug. It's no secret that Corlys has always hated the shiftless. He's poisoned nearly every ear of every warrior with the same. Including my brother Drake when he was alive.
"The girl from last night," Finn starts with a sigh. "Drake's killer."
I nod, keeping my face as neutral as possible.
"Roy and I were a little upset that we didn't get to see her head roll down the stage," Finn comments and I stab my meat with more force than intended.
Jared tenses next to me then reaches for his wine goblet. "And?" I prompt him. "Were you able to dry your tears or do you plan to cry again now?"
Finn's gaze narrows, obviously not happy with my response. "Drake was your brother *Max*. *My brother!* He deserves justice."
"You have a problem with my decision, Finn? We can take it to the field. But right now, during dinner, I'd ask that you drop it," I say smoothly.
"Hey, hey, relax!" Roy cuts in, placing a calming hand on Finn's shoulder. "None of that now. We know you have a plan for the girl. We trust you." Roy tosses me a careless smile. "Besides, we get it. The girl's got her uses, I'm sure. Your brother knew that."
*My brother knew that... did he?*
Roy *also* trained with my brother when they were young. Finn, Roy, and Drake were inseparable. Always in some kind of trouble together. The two were there on the day that he was killed. Funny that I never thought to ask them what happened.
Maybe because like everyone else, I didn't care to hear it. At least, not then. Now though... I think I just might.
No longer hungry, I empty my wine goblet and stand. Turning to Jared I say, "You ready? I want to get to the field before our special guests arrive."
"Absolutely," Jared says pointedly.
We leave ahead of everyone else, riding in silence toward the fighting grounds. When we arrive, Jared helps me set up the targets for our special night.
"I don't understand what this is, Max. The two night guards? Really? They could be killed," Jared states.
"Maybe," I agree, watching as a swarm of Gammas flood the lines. None of them look very happy to be here. "Ask me if I give a fuck."
"What did they do?" Jared hisses as I spy the men in question heading our way.
I look at him. "They're thieves."
"What the fuck did they steal?"
I growl, "Innocence."