The Rules

Alpha Ashur's voice cut through the din, commanding immediate silence. "Enough!" he roared, his authority undeniable. The crowd fell quiet, every eye now on the alpha. He turned to the gatherer leader.


"Continue with the recount," Alpha Ashur ordered, his voice steady yet laden with the weight of leadership. "We must ensure that the integrity of this competition remains unblemished."


The gatherer leader, though visibly shaken by the scrutiny, nodded and returned to the pile of carcasses. The atmosphere was thick with tension as he meticulously examined each kill, his movements deliberate and precise. The pack watched in a collective breathless silence, the stakes higher than ever.


Mother Luna, her face a mask of stern determination, stepped forward. "This is a farce," she declared, her voice cold and cutting. "My son, Alexander, has always been a beacon of strength and honor for this pack. To accuse him of such deceit is an affront to everything we stand for."


Her words echoed through the hall, but I could sense the unease spreading among the gathered alphas and pack members. The doubts and whispers were impossible to ignore, and the seeds of suspicion had already been sown.


"Mother Luna," I began, my voice steady but laced with an edge of challenge, "we all respect your position and Alexander's prowess. But if we're to uphold the values of our pack, we must treat everyone equally. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to discrepancies simply because of his status."


Her eyes narrowed, and I could see the fire of indignation blazing within them. "Are you suggesting that I am biased?" she demanded, her tone icy. "Do you dare to question my integrity?"


A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd, bolstered by my words. "Yes, Mother Luna," a voice rang out from the back, "if we were quick to accuse Cole, we must be equally scrutinous with Alexander."


The tension in the room was palpable, and I pressed on, fueled by the rising tide of support. "If Alexander's kills don't match his count, then the same standard must be applied as we did for Cole. Justice must be blind, mustn't it?"


Mother Luna's gaze darted around the hall, sensing the shift in the crowd's sentiment. Her grip on control seemed to be slipping, and I could see the desperation flickering in her eyes. "You don't understand," she spat, her voice rising in intensity. "This is a ploy against my son. The gatherer leader has always harbored resentment toward Alexander. He seeks to undermine his rightful place as the next pack leader!"


A collective gasp followed her accusation, and the gatherer leader's face went pale. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but before he could utter a word, Mother Luna strode forward, her hand raised.


With a swift motion, she slapped the gatherer leader across the face, the sound reverberating through the hall like a crack of thunder. "Gammas!" she commanded, her voice dripping with authority. "Drag him away. He is clearly unfit to judge this competition impartially."


The gamma guards hesitated for a moment, their eyes flickering between Mother Luna and the other alphas. But her command was undeniable, and they stepped forward, seizing the gatherer leader by the arms and dragging him toward the exit.


"Wait!" I shouted, stepping forward to confront her. "You can't just remove him because he found evidence that doesn't suit your narrative! This is an abuse of power!"


Mother Luna's eyes blazed with fury as she turned to face me. "You overstep your bounds, child," she hissed. "You know nothing of the sacrifices I have made for this pack. Do not presume to lecture me on justice."


But the murmur of the crowd had grown louder, the sense of injustice palpable. "This isn't right," someone muttered. "We need a fair investigation," another voice chimed in.


Alpha Ashur stepped forward, his expression grave. "Mother Luna, the pack deserves transparency. If there are doubts about the gatherer leader's impartiality, we must address them, but not with force. Let another gatherer, trusted by all, complete the count."


Mother Luna's face twisted in anger, but she saw the determination in the alphas' eyes and the support growing among the pack members. With a tight-lipped scowl, she nodded curtly. "Very well," she bit out. "Let another gatherer continue."


A new gatherer, one with a reputation for fairness and integrity, stepped forward. The crowd watched with bated breath as he meticulously recounted the kills, cross-referencing the notches and marks with each contender's known style.


After what felt like an eternity, he straightened up and addressed the alphas. "Upon recounting, it is clear that Alexander has twenty-one legitimate kills. The remaining three were incorrectly attributed to him."


A stunned silence followed his announcement, the weight of the revelation settling over the hall. Mother Luna's face was a mask of cold fury, but she remained silent, her authority momentarily undermined.


Alpha Ashur's gaze was steely as he turned to Alexander. "Eighteen kills are impressive, but they are not what you claimed. The integrity of this competition has been compromised by false counts and undue influence."


Alexander's shoulders sagged, the facade of confidence crumbling under the scrutiny. He nodded, his voice subdued. "I accept the count."


Alpha Ashur's gaze remained stern as he addressed the pack. "Despite the discrepancies, Alexander has still shown great skill with his twenty-one legitimate kills." He took a breath, preparing to announce Alexander as the winner, but was interrupted by a voice from the side of the hall.


"Wait!" Alpha Byron, a respected leader from a neighboring pack, stepped forward, his expression resolute. "The rules of the competition have been compromised by those within your pack, Alpha Ashur. If we are to maintain the sanctity of this event, we must address this breach of integrity. It is only fair that both Alexander and Cole be disqualified, given the circumstances."


A murmur of agreement rippled through the gathered alphas and pack members. Alpha Gabriel nodded, stepping beside Alpha Thomas. “He’s right. The spirit of the competition must be upheld. If we allow this behavior to go unpunished, it sets a dangerous precedent.”