Were in the City Ch. 26

There are guest suites in the main house. Maybe there's one you can use. I can bring you all something to eat.

Ok, let's do that.

It was great to have a purpose, a sense of direction, even if it was serving as an omega. They ate in the car. Alpha Jessie let him eat with them and he listened as they made plans for the day. She commanded him to say nothing to anyone about what he had heard. When they were ready, they got out, to find the other two Alphas talking on the porch.

The older of the two laughed at them, "Sleeping and eating in your car eh? Afraid of something Alpha?"

Edward didn't like his tone, the disrespect it showed towards his leader. He hissed softly.

Alpha Jessie laughed back, "Better safe than sorry ... and I like my privacy. I'm well aware of the surveillance system watching every inch of this place. We're off to do more exploring. Call me if you need to talk."

He took them to the challenge circle first. It was in the center of a natural hollow, wolves could get a good view of the action from all sides. His Alpha and her seconds walked around, checking out all the rocks.

Jacob shook his head, None of these will work. We need another idea.

Edward, are there any large rocks close by, something about this high, this wide. He watched Alpha Jessie demonstrate with her hands. He thought about it for a bit, then nodded.

We've got a training area for young wolves, an obstacle course. There are some big rocks there.

They found what Alpha Jessie wanted, and he was sent off to get someone to move the rock she selected into the circle. Call me when it arrives and I'll come show you what I want done with it.

An hour later he had to call out to her, to admit he couldn't get anyone to do what he asked. The wolves he knew could operate the equipment needed to move the stone just told him to get lost. She sent Liam to him, and a minute later Liam had a wolf driving a machine to the obstacle course. Edward felt useless.

Liam sighed, Don't beat yourself up, it's not your fault. Respect for an Alpha's command seems to be lacking here. That's going to change. Come on, let's get this done.

Two hours later there was a stone in the center of the challenge circle, solidly embedded in the ground. The equipment operator had asked what it was for and Liam had laughed, "Alpha Jessie likes to show off and sharpen her claws on a big rock before she goes into battle." Edward was pretty sure that wasn't the reason but he was willing to bet every wolf on the property would hear that story before the day was over.

He got sent on other errands, all of which he managed to do without help from others. In the afternoon he heard that another body had been dropped off at the gate, the other missing beta. More wolves returned through the day, by dinner time most of the warriors were back. Nobody was happy, and plenty were astonished that Jacob and Liam de Vries were walking around as seconds to an Alpha. There was a lot of whispering ... Edward was sure that if Alpha Jessie lost in the morning Liam and Jacob wouldn't leave this place alive.

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Jessie's POV

Algonquin Pack Land

Challenge day dawned clear and cool. She'd managed to get a solid six hours of sleep, Liam not waking her for her watch as he was supposed to. She showered, ate a light breakfast, and paced around. Her other half would have loved to run for a while but that would have to wait. She was sure she could feel everyone holding their breath, waiting to exhale after 10am.

At 9am, with no sign of Stephen Richard, she started to wonder if they had been wrong to think that the remaining Richards would care about her challenge. At 9:30am, she was sure they'd been wrong. As she and her seconds started to walk to the circle to wait out the last minutes, they got a message from Edward who was positioned by the main entrance.

SUV at the gate. There are three people inside ... its Beta Stephen.

Jessie took a deep breath and nodded, Thanks Edward. Come to the circle now.

Liam muttered, "Here we go."

Stopping, she grabbed one hand from each of them, pulled them tight to her. She closed her eyes, feeling their tension as well as her own, before looking closely at both of them, "Have I ever said thank you for all you've done for me? ... Thank you ... I'd go for a group hug right now but I need to look tough at the moment." The three of them laughed, which broke the tension, and probably looked impressive to any wolf watching them.

When Stephen Richard walked up he looked like he was going to a business meeting, in a tailored suit with a fancy tie and polished shoes. Jessie shook her head, comparing his look to her jeans, runners and sleeveless t-shirt. If he thought appearing like that was going to intimidate her it wasn't working. He was a slightly older version of his son Joseph, the wolf she'd set up to become deaf, dumb and blind at dawn. Both Joseph and Stephen's grandson Frank had been lost when the plane crashed; Stephen's other grandson Andrew had died at Rubble Beach ... that felt like a lifetime ago.

He glanced at her but moved on, like she didn't matter. He spent more time glaring at Jacob and Liam, and they returned looks in kind. Liam gave him the finger, with both hands.

Do either of you know the wolves with him?

Jacob answered, Only the shorter one. He's a bodyguard, always with Mark or Stephen, very experienced fighter in either form. I'd guess the other wolf is as deadly. They would be taking no chances here.

The Chairman called out, "Quiet! Its 10am. The challenge will begin now." Jessie looked around. Every Algonquin wolf was watching, over a hundred wolves surrounding the circle.

As Stephen Richard removed his jacket and began to remove his shirt she held up her hand. "Wait ... My challenge, my rules. This morning we will only fight in human form. No weapons. To ensure that, each of us will be searched and will wear a silver collar." There was a loud murmur from the crowd and Stephen looked startled.

She waved Edward forward. He had two collars in a gloved hand. "Chairman you can inspect the collars if you wish to ensure they are what they should be. If they meet with your approval, put them on each of us. Seconds can also check this. " He looked them over and nodded, and soon the collars were on and verified. The senior Alpha checked for weapons, finding nothing on Jessie and removing two silver knives from Stephen (she was not surprised one bit).

Stephen stared at her, "I don't know what you are playing at, but this theatre will not change the outcome."

She smiled at him and called out loudly, "One more thing ... for this challenge we are simply going to arm wrestle, just one time, to see who wins."

Someone in the crowd started to laugh, the rest followed. Jessie knew why. Stephen Richard was taller, heavier and more muscled that she was. They all thought she was crazy.

She stepped fully dressed into the circle, walked up to the stone in the middle, put her right elbow down on the top and flexed her fingers. She looked at Stephen, "Come on, let's get it done. I don't have all day!"

He shrugged and walked shirtless into the circle to the center stone. Jessie stood up, wiggled her shoulders and arms to loosen up. She called out, "Chairman, once we lock hands in position would you please count down from ten for the start. Thank you." The crowd had grown quiet again, mystified.

"Why do you want to lose?" Stephen looked uncertain, trying to figure out how losing would be to her advantage.

Jessie just smiled softly, put her elbow back on the rock, braced her other arm on the edge, spread her fingers and looked at him. He took a deep breath and did the same from the other side of the rock.

They locked eyes as their fingers interlocked. Jessie heard the count start ... 10 ... 9 ... and whispered, "You have so much to answer for uncle, your time on this earth is done." He growled and his fingers squeezed her hand tight ... 5 ... 4 ... "You cannot move, you cannot speak, your arms are locked where they are." ... 2 ... 1 ... go!

Jessie pushed her bare arm against his frozen one, letting her muscles show strain. His body was shaking as he tried to move, his eyes showed confusion, he started to breathe harder. She called out, "Come on Stephen, surely you've got more strength than this! I expected more, much more than this!" The crowd was making a lot of noise but she stayed focused on Stephen.

She stared at him and whispered, "You have all been arrogant and overconfident, thinking you knew everything, could do anything. You only want the mantle I carry, you don't care about who and what I am. Let me enlighten you. I am a marked Richard daughter."

His eyes went wide and he grunted loudly. "Your right arm can move ..." and suddenly he was pushing against her for real, "but the pain is excruciating ..." Stephen cried out and his arm sagged. Jessie pushed it over, slammed it down onto the rock, and continued to hold on as she stood up.

"I win! Will you submit to me?" Stephen was moaning, staring at his arm. She whispered, "You may move your head. Will you submit?"

He looked up at her, fury in his eyes, and shook his head.

"Didn't think you would ..." She pulled his arm sideways and slammed it down hard on the edge of the rock. It snapped and he moaned again. She leaned in, "I know what you intended to do to me here, and if I were a sick bastard like you I would make you suffer more ... but I am not like you. I just want you gone."

She let go of his hand, jumped up on the rock and shoved him backwards with a leg. As he lay still on the ground she jumped down, and wrapped a hand around his neck. At that moment, Jacob yelled in her head, Jessie look out! Behind you!

She twisted in time to see a large wolf come flying at her over the center stone. She rolled towards the rock and the wolf overshot her position, scrambling to turn without hitting Stephen. Of course a Richard bodyguard would break the challenge rules and enter the circle before it was over ... Fuck! ... and she'd strangle if she completely shifted with the damn locked collar on ... Double Fuck!

She shifted what she could, her talons appearing as her arms, eyes and hair changed. She slipped a talon under the collar and started sawing at it as she moved, trying not to cut her own throat and keeping the stone between her and the wolf. Would he go for her or just stop her from killing Stephen? It looked like he was staying put, standing over Stephen for now. She could hear a commotion behind her among the audience.

What's happening?!

Edward answered, The other bodyguard is fighting Liam, two pack wolves are fighting Jacob.

What are the other Alphas and Betas doing?

Nothing!

Go tell them to do their jobs or they won't leave this place alive, do it now!

Beth, can you hear me?

Yes, ready and waiting.

Come on in.

Jessie took her eyes off the wolf in the circle for a quick glance around, finding the Chairman arguing with Edward. Tell him this pack's land is surrounded by my allies and they are coming in now. He can DO HIS FUCKING JOB OR DIE, his choice!

The collar came loose. The challenge wasn't over. Kyle's words echoed in her mind ... don't stop fighting until submission or death. She had to get through the bodyguard to finish it. She would not be able to hold the Algonquin wolves together if she couldn't deal with this.

She shifted every part of herself back to human form and pulled the collar off. With her hands behind the rock she pulled the silver core out of the collar and bent it in half, making a rough weapon. Concealing it between her arm and her body, she stepped away from the rock and walked towards the wolf. She was going to bet her life on what she knew the Richards would have told every wolf working for them --- they wanted her alive.

"You cannot save him. Save yourself. Walk out of the circle now and you might live."

The wolf growled, showed his teeth, scraped his front paws on the ground, but didn't move away. How close could she get before he went for her? She now knew of Stephen's intention to hurt her, but had he told his seconds that it was ok to wound her?

She slowly closed the gap between them, letting her Alpha gryphon push forward. "MOVE AWAY NOW!" She could see her Alpha nature was affecting him, but it wasn't enough to overcome years of obedience to others. She saw his hackles rise, his whole body tense ... he was going to lunge for her. She ran the last few steps, threw herself onto his back and jammed the makeshift silver knife into his left eye as far as she could make it go.

He bucked her off as he howled and tried to pull it out with his front paws. The pure silver had to be burning something terrible. He staggered closer to the center stone. Jessie got up and ran at him, shoving him head first into the stone. He went down. She picked up his head and smashed it on the stone several more times until he stopped moving.

Breathing hard, she grabbed the stone and pulled herself up. The fighting outside the circle had stopped, she could see the other two Alphas and their seconds standing over Jacob and Liam. Liam was on the ground.

Liam?!

Jacob turned to look at her, He's alive. Finish it Jessie.

She nodded and walked back to Stephen, still unable to move anything but his head and broken arm. His eyes watched her, hatred burning in them, as she knelt beside him and put her hand around his neck.

"There is no honour in you. I wonder if there ever was. Your family line is gone, there will be no ceremony, no remembrance for you. Your bones will rot somewhere unmarked in the wild, I will see that done." She closed her eyes, concentrating ... his heart stopped.

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Beth's POV

Algonquin Pack Land

She still couldn't believe how many wolves and other Were were moving across the pack boundary from all directions (above ground and through the tunnels) pushing or dragging every wolf they encountered towards the area containing the main buildings and the challenge circle. It would take more than a day to get every Algonquin wolf corralled, but no one was staying or going without Jessie's say-so.

New guards were left to watch the boundary. No one without the proper authorization was getting in either. Helen's group knew about a lot of the hidden entrances/exits on the property, and Jessie's survey in the past couple of days had identified a couple more, but there had been more than enough people to watch every inch of the boundary. They'd caught eleven wolves attempting to sneak in or out and they were being brought to Jessie as well.

Beth had had to wait until the situation at the circle was under control before she was allowed to go in. It had only been a little over an hour since she'd relayed Jessie 'come in' command but it felt like ages. She'd been told Liam was badly hurt (not again!) but would survive. She was anxious to see him. It was only a short ride from the staging point outside the pack boundary to Jessie's position but it was exhilarating. In all her years, she'd never ridden on a motorcycle!

When she got to the challenge circle it was quite the sight. All the Algonquin wolves were sitting down, silent or talking quietly, surrounded by at least 40 armed people. No weapons were being pointed at anyone, but they were visible. No sitting wolf was happy, some were obviously scared and others were angry. As she watched, two more people were brought in and told to sit. Beth recognized the Alpha Council Chairman and the other senior Alpha, both still having a very heated discussion with Jessie.

She walked up closer to them, in time to hear the Chairman say "This is NOT how things are done. I will not allow it."

Jessie replied, "As I have told you a number of times already, this is now MY pack and I'll do things MY way. I've let you blather on for an hour because my allies needed that time to get set up, but I'm done listening. Unless you'd like to be escorted off this land right now, I would like you both to sit down and shut up."

Beth watched as Jessie pointed to an open spot on the ground before walking away from them into the center of the circle. She jumped up on the rock in the middle and turned around looking at everyone.

"Algonquin wolves, I know these last few days have not been easy for you and I know you are all anxious to hear what happens now. First let me reassure you that if anyone wishes to leave this pack you will be allowed to do so ... but before you go you must meet with me, and you may only take with you what is yours to take. You will be searched before you leave."

"I am going to be blunt with you. This pack has been involved in many ugly and illegal activities for years. All that shit stops right now. If you are involved in that shit and for whatever reason cannot or will not stop, you cannot stay here. The so called 'war' between this pack and Helen Lavalle's group ends right now. It will not be easy, I know terrible things happened, but this pack will accept peace and move on to a better future. If you cannot live with that, you cannot stay here. I think you are all aware that Jacob and Liam de Vries are my Beta seconds. That will not change. If you cannot accept them, you cannot stay here. I will assign an initial rank in my pack to anyone who stays. It may not be the rank you currently have. If you cannot accept that, you cannot stay here."

"I carry the alpha mantle of the Richard family so I am also Alpha of the Richard Trust. For many years the Algonquin Pack has treated the Richard Trust as part of its pack land. That stops now. I have other plans for the Trust. I am well aware that many ugly and illegal activities have happened on the Trust property. All that shit stops there now too. And I warn anyone who leaves this pack ... don't think you can squat on the Richard land. My allies guard that property."

"I have asked my allies to help me with this transition because I want it to be a safe and orderly process. There are wolves here I do not trust. There are wolves here, members of your own pack, that none of YOU trust! Once this transition is done, my allies will leave and those who remain will begin the process of learning to trust in each other and to trust me. Algonquin land will always be protected by the Algonquin Pack."

"Each of you will meet with me today before you are allowed to leave this challenge area. You will tell me if you wish to go or stay. If you wish to go you will be escorted to your home where you will be given two hours to pack. You will then be taken to the main gate, searched, and then you can go. For those of you who wish to stay ... I warn you, I may choose not to accept you. If I don't accept you, you will also be given two hours to pack and then you must go. If I accept you, and you accept me as your Alpha, this pack and your lives are going to be a lot different going forward. If you are not afraid of hard work, challenge and change, stay here with me and make a better future for yourselves and your children."

"Now, having listened to everything I've just said ... Is there any wolf here who wishes to challenge me for leadership of the Algonquin Pack?"

There was only silence. Jessie let it go on for a while, turning to look at the entire group. Finally she nodded, "Good. One last thing. I owe NOTHING to Mark Richard and will not accept him in the Algonquin Pack. His influence here is at an end. If anyone here answers to him or cannot separate yourself from Richard business, you must leave."