Beta Matt
1184 Words
The great council chamber filled quickly, the shuffle of boots and the murmur of uneasy voices echoing beneath the high stone ceiling. Officials, elders, and warriors filed in, each lowering their heads in deference to Alpha Damian, who now sat at the head of the table like a predator on his throne. His aura dominated the room, pressing down on every chest like a physical weight.
Theo stood to his right, Jihoo slightly behind, still pale but carrying a spark of determination he hadn’t before.
When all had gathered, silence fell like a blade.
Damian’s gaze swept the room—sharp, lingering, stripping every man and woman bare of pretense. None dared to meet his eyes for long; those who tried found themselves quickly glancing down, their throats dry.
“Speak,” Damian commanded, his tone deep, unhurried, dangerous. “Tell me how this pack thrives. Tell me where it falters.”
One of the elders, an older man with gray hair and trembling hands, cleared his throat and bowed.
“Alpha… under Theo’s leadership, peace has grown. Trade has flourished, the people prosper, and even the widowed and the weak are cared for. We have not known such stability in years.”
A murmur of agreement rose, though some voices carried less conviction than others. Damian caught it. His eyes narrowed and fell upon Peter, the high-ranking official Theo had spoken of.
“You.”
Peter stiffened, his pulse quickening. Slowly, he bowed.
“Yes, Alpha Damian?”
Damian leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, gaze unrelenting.
“I hear whispers of your disobedience. Of your attempts to test the authority I placed upon Theo.” His voice dropped lower, like a growl. “Tell me—what gives you the right to challenge my judgment?”
The chamber went cold. All eyes turned to Peter, who swallowed hard, sweat glistening at his temples. His lips trembled before he forced out a shaky answer.
“I… I only sought what was best for the pack. Sometimes Theo’s ways seemed—”
“Enough.” Damian’s voice boomed, silencing him instantly. His glare could have cut through steel. “Theo is my choice. To defy him is to defy me. Should you ever waver again, Peter, I will not waste words a second time. Do you understand?”
Peter dropped to his knees, his forehead nearly striking the floor.
“Y-Yes, Alpha Damian! Forgive me!”
The others shifted uncomfortably, fear settling deeper into their bones. Damian’s gaze swept across them all, leaving none untouched.
Then he turned toward Jihoo, his tone shifting but still edged with command.
“And the Gamma. Do you stand, or do you let men mock the place I entrusted you with?”
Jihoo’s spine straightened. His earlier fear was still there, but now it burned alongside pride. He stepped forward, voice steady.
“I stand, Alpha. I will silence every doubt. No warrior under me will dare dishonor this pack again. I swear it.”
A faint flicker of approval passed Damian’s expression, gone as quickly as it came.
“Good,” he said, voice low but resonant. “Because a Gamma who cannot command his men does not deserve to breathe among them. Do not fail me.”
Jihoo bowed deeply.
“I will not.”
Damian rose slowly to his feet then, his towering figure casting a shadow over the table.
“Let this be clear to all of you,” he declared, his voice filling every corner of the chamber. “Theo rules because I chose him. Jihoo commands because I permit it. If any man or woman in this pack raises a hand or tongue against them, you raise it against me. And I do not forgive betrayal twice.”
A collective shudder rippled through the room. Even Theo, though accustomed to Damian’s harshness, felt his breath hitch at the sheer force of the Alpha’s presence.
Damian’s gaze lingered on the faces bowed before him. Then, with a final glance at Theo, he uttered,
“See that my trust in you does not go to waste.”
Just as the thick silence of Damian’s last warning began to settle, he straightened, his voice cutting through the chamber once more.
“Before we end this meeting,” he said, his gaze cold but commanding, “you will all meet the man who now stands as your Beta.”
A ripple of surprise passed among the council. Theo’s chest tightened with anticipation—he had been waiting for this moment.
At Damian’s nod, a tall, broad-shouldered warrior stepped forward from the shadows near the entrance. His stride was steady, each movement precise, as if his presence alone carried the weight of discipline. His chest was strong, his eyes sharp, and his aura unmistakably one of power.
He came to the center, lowered to one knee before Damian, and bowed deeply.
“Alpha Damian,” his voice rumbled, steady and filled with respect, “I am Matt. You have chosen me, and I accept the burden of this position with every breath in my body.”
Damian gave a single nod, approval glinting in his eyes.
Rising, Matt turned toward the room. His gaze swept across the officials, elders, and warriors—lingering particularly on Pete who had caused Theo trouble. The weight of his stare alone made several men look away in unease.
“I am Matt,” he said, his voice deep and unwavering, “and I pledge my loyalty first to Alpha Damian, and then to Alpha Theo, the rightful appointed leader of this pack. From this day, I serve with tooth and claw to protect the order of this house.”
A pause. His eyes narrowed slightly, his tone sharpening.
“I hear there are those who tried to make things difficult for the alpha and Gamma.” His words carried a dangerous edge, smooth yet cutting. “Let me give you one warning—I am not from a pack that tolerates betrayal. Nor do we forgive it. Defy the chains of command, and you will find no mercy from me.”
The silence that followed was heavy, the message sinking deep into every heart present.
A faint, satisfied smile tugged at Damian’s lips. Theo, too, felt something stir in his chest—relief, pride, and even a spark of hope. With Matt standing by his side, the burden felt a little lighter, the future a little steadier.
“Good,” Damian said at last, his voice final. His gaze cut across the room once more, searing into every bowed head.
“Let there be no more doubts. Theo leads. Jihoo commands. Matt enforces. And I—” his tone dropped, filled with lethal certainty, “I destroy those who forget where their loyalties lie.”
No one dared move, speak, or even breathe too loudly.
With that, Damian turned on his heel, and the meeting ended—but the mark of his authority lingered like iron chains around their hearts.
—his warning echoing long after he left the chamber.
- Writer
