Dominance

"Enough!" I said, my voice slicing through the tension. "Cleo, we will not resort to barbarism in this household."

Cleo's eyes flared with anger, but I stood my ground, forcing myself to remain calm. "We are a pack, not savages. Elara will be questioned, and justice will be served appropriately. Branding or forcing her to drink suspected poison is not justice—it's cruelty."

Cleo's lips tightened into a thin line. "And what do you propose, Alexander?" she asked icily. "You can't possibly think letting her go unpunished is acceptable."

"Elara will be detained and questioned thoroughly," I replied. "We will find out the truth without unnecessary violence. If she is innocent, we will know. If she is guilty, then appropriate actions will be taken."

"Well, I guess you won't mind if words get out that the soon-to-be alpha of the pack criticized the laws that have governed our pack for generations," Cleo retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Then her smirk widened as she added, “Do you really want to risk undermining the council authorities, Alexander? Also, this isn't the first time my life was threatened by poison from one of the maids sent from the Luna to serve Cole and me. Such a pattern might make our Luna look suspicious or incompetent, wouldn’t you agree?”

Branding was one of the most gruesome punishments in our pack where the wolf that is caught breaking the laws or threatening the life of another gets attacked in his or her human started by gammas in their wolf state. Their human flesh is ripped apart so deep that it takes years to heal, and when they are fully healed, their skin bears the deep scars of the gammas' claws as a sign of their dishonor.

The thought of taking such drastic measures could make me lose favor in most of the pack members' eyes, but if I break the laws, I also get seen in a bad light by the council.

The was no winning in this matter, but the life of a maid was worthless to that of not earning the respect and trust of the council and the pack.

"Very well, Cleo," I said, my voice steady, though it took all my willpower to keep it that way. "If you insist that we follow tradition to the letter, then Elara will face the consequences as our laws dictate."

The gammas looked at me hesitantly, but I frowned, and commanded, "The law of the pack states that whoever attempts to murder a member of the pack, the one affected by their act gets to choose their punishment. Elara is refusing to drink the tea, which means she is guilty of attempting to harm, Cleo, and her fate has been decided..."

Pausing, I looked over at Cleo to see if she had a single sheer of remorse, but she raised a brow at me, giving me a go-ahead-continue look.

"She will be brand here and now to appease Cleo and uphold our laws," I continued, forcing the words out. "Gammas, proceed with the branding."

"No! No!" Elara's sobs grew louder with terror in her eyes as the gammas approached her, their expressions grim.

"Please, Alexander... You know she's one of my maids!" Melissa whispered, her earlier amusement replaced by genuine fear. "There must be another way."

"Quiet, Melissa," Cleo snapped. "This is the law of the pack. You, of all people, should understand that."

I clenched my fists, hating the situation and the power Cleo wielded over it. Looking at her, I kind of missed the old Cleo who was at my beck and call.

The gammas positioned Elara, ripping her gown off her, exposing her back. Cleo watched with a cold satisfaction, while Melissa looked in terror.

Two gammas started to shift. Their claws lengthened and sharpened, the veins on their forearms bulging as their fur became thicker and blacker.

The other two held Elara, grounding her as the two wolves pounded on her, their claws ripping her back.

Blood was everywhere as her loud cries echoed through the room, and she looked at Melissa screaming, "Miss... Miss... Please help me... Please help me, Miss... I'm going to die."

Suddenly, Cloe turned to Melissa, his eyelids lowering as she asked, "Did you have something to do with her trying to poison me?"

"What?! Me?! Of course not. I don't know this lowlife peasant. Why would I be involved in her murderous schemes?" Melissa's voice trembled, but she held her head high, her eyes darting between Cleo and me.

Cleo’s gaze bore into Melissa, but she remained silent. I knew she was waiting for a slip, any sign of guilt. The room was thick with tension, and the sounds of Elara’s agonizing cries pierced through it.

As the gammas finished their brutal task, Elara slumped to the ground, barely conscious, her back a bloody mess.

"Cleo," I said, my voice firm but low, "Cleo, you have had your justice... Elara will be taken to the infirmary for treatment."

"Very well, Alexander. I hope this will end the pattern of people trying to poison me because any further threats to my life will be met with even harsher consequences." Cleo’s gaze bore into Melissa and then she glared at me as she uttered those words strongly.

I signaled the gammas to take Elara away, and they did so without hesitation, leaving a trail of blood in their wake, and the head maid followed after them.

Once they were gone, the room fell into an uneasy silence. Melissa looked at me, raging beaming in her eyes, and then she pushed back her chair and stormed out of the room. Cleo watched her go, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips.

Scowling at her, I lashed out, "You are sick-"

"No, Alexander... I am not just a weak bitch that you all can walk over anymore." Chloe interjected, her voice cold and resolute. "I will no longer tolerate threats to my life, and I will ensure that everyone understands the consequences of crossing me... You and I both know who's hands Elara blood is really on?"

I could see the fire in her eyes, a stark contrast to the meek and submissive Cleo I once knew and then she mockingly said, "Say 'hey' to your mother for me."

My frustration simmered just below the surface, but I knew better than to provoke Cleo, knowing how unpredictable she had become. So I stood and stormed out of the room.

When I got to my quarters, Melissa was already in my room with my mother, and I sighed, slamming the door behind me.

"I take it that the plan didn't go well?" My mother said, her tone a mix of concern and disappointment.

"No, Mother," I replied, rubbing my temples in frustration. "Cleo saw through it immediately. She had Elara branded, and now she’s more suspicious than ever."

Melissa, still shaken, interjected, "Cleo is a menace, Alexander. We need to find a way to neutralize her before she completely undermines your position and turns everyone against you."

My mother nodded, her eyes narrowing with determination. "Cleo is a problem, but we must be careful. Any move against her needs to be calculated and decisive. We cannot afford another failure."

I paced the room, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "Elara's branding has already sent a message to the pack. We need to tread carefully or risk a full-blown conflict. Cleo’s influence is growing, and she’s using her transformation to assert dominance."

Melissa crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "We can’t just sit and wait. We need a new plan, one that ensures Cleo's downfall without implicating us."

My mother walked over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You must remain strong, Alexander. Your future as the alpha depends on how you handle this situation. We need to gather more allies within the pack, those who are loyal to you and see Cleo as a threat."

I nodded, feeling the burden of leadership weighs heavily. "I’ll speak to the council and key members of the pack. We need to build a case against Cleo, something undeniable that will turn the tide in our favor."

Melissa straightened up, determination replacing her earlier fear. "I’ll see what I can find out about Cleo’s activities. There must be something we can use against her."

"Good," my mother said, her voice firm. "We need to act swiftly but carefully. Cleo may have won this round, but we will not let her destroy everything we’ve built."