What We Are

Chapter 9: Head Alpha

Though some of the Village Elders have taken it upon themselves to try and ensure their Head Alpha would be mated to an omega who could bear a child worthy of the Axel name—annoying said Head Alpha to his wit's end—Dean would forever be grateful to have their counsel involving matters of the Pack.

Each Village Elder played a specific role in the Red Village. Opal Young oversaw the Village Patrol, and her co-beta, Roland Fraser, had an impressive green thumb that helped families who started gardens near their homes.

Helen Hussain (Iman's grandmother), was an alpha who put her degree in medicine to use by running the Red Village clinic, while the other Village Elder alpha, Ace Campbell, was in charge of training newly presented werewolves.

Owen Brown had worked as an engineer in the city for a while, and so he was usually consulted for building structures within the village. The omega was familiar with their terrain like no other. Alexa Zanders was an educator before she retired, and she taught young Axel Pack members most of what they needed to know about modern Pack dynamics.

Two omegas, two alphas, two betas—the six Village Elders who trained Dean when he lost his parents. The six of them had all come together to make sure the thirteen year-old orphaned alpha became a trustworthy leader. 

It was Ace Campbell who brought up the pressing matter during this week's Village Heads Meeting—the Thorne Pack.

The Thorne Pack was one-third the size of the Axel Pack. Dean knew enough about the group and had dubbed them mostly harmless. Opal disagreed, giving a pointed look over her reading glasses towards where Dean sat at the end of the long table. "You know they're a threat. They've taken to using the media to spread hate on our Pack, saying we've ruined the essence of being a werewolf."

"That's only because the Thorne Pack is hell-bent on following the old ways." Alexa Zanders waved her hand in dismissal, unbothered by the articles and different TV appearances made by members of the Thorne Pack in the past years since Dean had officially taken his role as Head Alpha. "They're becoming vocal about their grievances because they know not many are siding with them anymore."

Ace Campbell let out a heavy sigh as he pushed away the letter they all had copies of. He was sixty-one years old, but his body still had defined muscles with a full head of graying hair shaved close to his head. "I've told our Head Alpha to address these falsehoods said by the Thorne Pack werewolves." His reprimanding gaze was on Dean, but his sentence was directed at everyone else present.

"Why haven't you done anything to address them?" Opal took off her reading glasses completely. She and Ace have always been the most vocal about assessing Dean's decisions.

Dean's memories of Opal and Ace as a teen involved a lot of disciplining. He'd despised it (and them) back then, but he bit back his frustrations, knowing they'd make him a better Head Alpha in the future.

"I didn't think it was necessary," Dean's simple explanation. "If I addressed every single negative thing said about our Pack, or about me, I'd look like a sensitive i***t, wouldn't I?"

Helen shifted in her seat, leaning forward so Dean could get a better view of her. Looking at Helen was like looking at a near replica of Iman, save for the nasty scar on Helen's right cheek which she got from fending off a pack of rogue werewolves back in her late-thirties. "You have to address some of these statements from the Thorne Pack, Dean. Being completely silent will make you seem cowardly. It can affect how our Pack is treated overall."

"With all due respect," Owen suddenly piped up, the gentle nature of the omega's voice not a hindrance as he managed to put a halt to anything else Helen was about to add. "I believe we should talk about this letter the Thorne Pack sent before worrying about the Head Alpha's public image."

Dean looked down at his own copy of the letter. The original one was with Finn, who was sitting on the other end of the table, taking notes of their meeting on his laptop. "They want to discuss use of the Lycan River," Dean reiterated. "Why now?"

"Why would they want access to the Lycan River at all?" Roland asked. The beta had so far allowed everyone else to do the talking. He had his walking cane between his legs, chair leaning further away from the table because of this.

"Don't their werewolves live secluded in No Man's Forest?" Owen's eyes were still scanning the letter, trying to pick up any other information by reading in between the lines. "This is an odd favor to suddenly ask. I doubt they're running out of natural resources."

Dean shook his head. "A favor would be asking to use the Lycan River one time. The Thorne Pack's Head Alpha is asking for unlimited access to the river, which basically means a piece of the ownership goes to their Pack."

"They're offering their assistance in times of distress and unyielding loyalty if a situation calls for it," Opal read out loud, face revealing both confusion and disdain. "After the s**t they've pulled so far?!"

"Which begs the question, why even ask to have access to the Lycan River? If it's not for survival, why ask something so big from a Pack you openly slander any chance you get?"

"There might be a hidden agenda there," Ace responded to Roland's questions—to everyone's question. "They could just be looking for means to gain access to our Pack and spy on us without being obvious."

Alexa shook her head, her mop of untamed curls flowing with the movement. "I don't want to think ill of werewolves I have not personally met. No matter their statements against our own Pack, those are only words which don't always lead to actions. My guess? They're going to slowly try and integrate themselves into our village. Their group is growing smaller as we speak."

"You think they mean to join our Pack?" Helen was visibly disagreeing with Alexa's whole theory.

"Not outright," Alexa clarified. "As the world advances, many are against the old ways in which werewolves have lived. They might be receiving threats about their own Pack dynamics and are in need of a back-up plan in case their settlement is ambushed or their werewolves endangered. It will be considered a partnership if Dean accepts their offer, yes?"

"Let's say for a second that we allow them access to the Lycan River for... whatever reason," Ace was using his hands to articulate. He did that when he wanted people to stop talking and listen. "Guaranteeing them access to the river does not qualify protection over them."

"No, it doesn't. But no werewolf would dare attack them if they were camped out in the Lycan River, which is part of the Red Village, under our Pack's protection," Dean pieced Alexa's thoughts out loud.

Everyone pondered this over in silence.

"If that is their ulterior motive," Opal said slowly. "Then you'll need to decline their offer in a way that won't offend them. No matter how insulting they've been in the past—no matter how much they deserve to be offended—you are Head Alpha of the largest Pack in New Oasis state. The way you handle this will be important, and should be an example for all werewolves who will hear of this." Trust Opal Young to remind Dean that he shouldn't f**k up without actually using the words don't f**k up.

"Are we rejecting their offer right off the bat? They asked for a meeting in person three days from now, I suggest we hear their reasons before we state any sort of decision." Owen's curious glance seemed all the more so because of the thick glasses framing his face.

"I don't trust this Thorne Pack." Helen's scowl revealed the fine lines on her face. "They've been trying to stir controversy ever since Dean took on his role. I say we just send a letter back with our own reasons for rejecting them access to the river."

There was a collective glance towards Dean. The final decision was always his, after all.

Fortunately, Dean knew the right call for this particular part of the problem. "It would be terrible on our part to flat-out refuse meeting with the Thorne Pack after a formal invitation from them. We sit down with these werewolves, hear them out, and whatever their reason I will kindly reject their offer."

The Village Elders seemed to allow Dean's decision as how they'll proceed.

"What if their reason happens to be a good one?" Surprisingly, it was Finn who threw the question. His hands had stilled from typing on his keyboard, eyes meeting Dean's.

"If we allow the Thorne Pack use over the Lycan River, they will have to go through our village every single time to get there. I can't risk handing over Pack information—either intentionally or unintentionally—which could be used against us. Their past statements about our Pack does not help the situation either."

Dean dismissed the meeting soon after. There were not many troubles that couldn't wait until this ordeal with the Thorne Pack was resolved. He stayed behind in the meeting room while Finn finished typing on his laptop. They bid goodbye to the librarian on duty for the night before leaving.

The Village Elders were already a distance away. "You didn't seem to fully agree with my decision," Dean brought up with his second-in-command as they ambled along the sidewalk outside Red Village's public library.

Finn readjusted his hold over his laptop bag. "I do agree with your decision," He murmured to Dean.

"But?"

Dean saw Finn shrug one shoulder. "No buts. Just thought maybe we're all thinking too much of the Thorne Pack. I don't believe they're capable of the kinds of harm Helen and Ace think they're planning. Their barks are probably bigger than their bites."

"That's part of the Village Elders' jobs," Dean answered. "They're supposed to see danger wherever possible so we're not caught in surprise."

Finn hummed in agreement. "I think there is something to this meeting with the Thorne Pack, you know? I just don't see it as any of the reasons said back there."

"I trust you to tell me when I seem to be missing something."

The right side of Finn's mouth tugged upwards. "You don't need to tell me twice."

-----

The Head Alpha of the Thorne Pack was a short, buff man named Kihyun Na, who showed up to the meeting in a white muscle tee and jeans.

As if the surprise of his too-casual outfit wasn't enough, his entourage of three other alphas near Dean's age were also clad in outfits intended for a night of drinking at a local bar rather than a formal meeting between two legally acknowledged Packs.

The meeting was set in a Korean restaurant in New Oasis City (neutral grounds). The female staff had instantly recognized Dean and his group upon their entry. She led them to a private room at the back of the restaurant, bowing to Dean's group before sliding the door open.

Kihyun Na did not stand to greet Dean. He chose instead to stick his hand out, reaching over the table. "Dean Axel, finally we meet."

Dean accepted the hand despite being taken aback. "Kihyun Na, thank you for making the arrangements for today's meeting." He let go of Kihyun's hand and gestured to his companions. "This is Opal Young, Ace Campbell, and Finn Ledger."

There was no move from Kihyun's part to introduce the three alphas with him, who looked more like bodyguards than advisors or Pack heads. Kihyun gestured for Dean and the others to sit on the spare chairs surrounding the table. Dean sat directly across the other Head Alpha, who spoke Korean to the waitress still stationed outside. Wordlessly, the woman walked away to fulfill whatever order Kihyun made.

"I know you have many questions. Before we get into all that, may I offer to order you all some food?" Kihyun asked with a broad smile. "I apologize for beginning without you. It's a few hours past lunch, and the travel here made us hungry." He gestured to the bowls and plates of nearly cleared dishes in front of them.

"No need to apologize," Dean reassured Kihyun. "And no need for the food either, though we appreciate the gesture."

"Nonsense! You sure you don't want a bite to eat? I promise I didn't tell that waitress to put poison in your food."

Pearl, Ace, and Finn bristled. Dean showed no reaction to Kihyun's jesting.

Kihyun had a cat-like smirk with up-tilted, dark eyes that shone in amusement at his own words. His hair came all the way to his nape in a slicked-back fashion, skin the shade of caramel. The other Head Alpha had shaved off his eyebrows for reasons Dean couldn't tell, and there were multiple rings on his rough fingers. The trio bracketing Kihyun continued munching on their food with chopsticks, glancing up here and there but overall acting like they weren't even part of the conversation.

"My companions and I really just came here to discuss the letter you've sent." It was a bit direct, and usually Dean would bother a bit more with the pleasantries, but he wasn't here to fall victim to Kihyun's who's the bigger, badder alpha competition—which was clearly what this whole greeting scene had been for.

Kihyun, to his credit, allowed their conversation to get directly to the point. "I assume you've spent many hours discussing it over with your Village Heads?"

"Yes, I did. We want to hear why you've thought about sending such a request in the first place given that you don't agree with how I run my Pack."

The door behind Dean slid open, and Kihyun remained silent as the same waitress swiftly served more herbal tea.

Neither Dean nor his group touched their teacups even after the waitress left with a deep bow. Let Kihyun Na think of it what he will.

"The Lycan River is a significant part of werewolf history," Kihyun began. "Before our respective Packs even came into existence, the Lycan River helped sustain the lives of our ancestors. Before the Red Village belonged to the Axel Pack, the land near the Lycan River was home to any and all werewolves."

It was weird to hear these sentences from the alpha who has once called Dean a progressively-blind werewolf with no backbone. The same alpha who said—on national television—that Dean would inevitably erase the core of their werewolf identity.

With that particular memory in mind, Dean replied evenly, "I am aware of my Pack and my village's history."

Kihyun smirked at Dean as if he said something funny before chugging the rest of his drink down. Beside Dean, his Village Heads remained quiet like he'd requested earlier. In this small area of the restaurant, closed off from the main dining hall, the undeniable scent of alpha had been filling the space. None of them were comfortable to be here, and their pheromones reflected as such.

If Finn or Opal were bothered being the only non-alphas in the room, they didn't show it.

"Your Pack just happened to be at the right place at the right time. The Lycan River should be open for all werewolves." Kihyun made eye-contact with Ace, then at Finn and Opal. "But, making it a public thing isn't sustainable and will result in exploitation of the river. I have taken it upon myself to reach out and ask for access formally. In return, my Pack guarantees to be by your side from here on out."

"Why?"

Kihyun's thin lips quirked into a not-so-friendly smile, rapidly fluttering his eyelashes. "Why what?"

"This simpering does not suit you, Head Alpha Kihyun," Ace could not keep himself from saying. Dean allowed the Village Elder to speak this time.

Kihyun's facials shifted, like a drunken man sobering up. "The Lycan River has been rumored to have healing properties, especially back then when there were no modern medicine made for ailments specific to werewolves. There are many versions of the tale, but the gist is that the water spirits choose werewolves they deem worthy of saving. Once they are submerged in the water, the spirits will heal both werewolf and human forms, so these spirit-chosen werewolves may continue to live as their mortal bodies intend."

Out of all the possible reasons, Dean had not braced himself for that, neither were the rest of his group who looked just as bewildered as he was.

He almost called bullshit on Kihyun's whole story, but Dean's mind went back to his youth, a time when he'd heard anecdotes of such events. He had disregarded these as fairytales, because there weren't real proofs of such instances. "I think I haven't heard of that story since I was just a boy." Dean let some amusement and sarcastic awe bleed into his words (just the tiniest bit), enough so Kihyun knew he wasn't taking his reason seriously.

Kihyun's forehead pinched at the center, showing his disapproval for Dean's tone. At this point, the three alphas next to Kihyun have now finished their meals and have been staring down Dean's group. "Some of my Pack members are weakening, and none of the useless doctors I've asked know the reason why. If I was not desperate, I would not be asking for help from anyone, especially not from you, Dean Axel."

Ah, there it was. That temper Kihyun Na was known for, the one that fueled his speeches of hatred about progressivism and the civilization of werewolf Packs.

Dean was unwrapping this whole thing in his mind, trying to discover if Kihyun Na was clever—using his own hatred to seem truthful—or if this was still part of some bigger agenda.

Finn noticed the hesitation on Dean's face. So, his second-in-command took charge to reply, "Head Alpha Kihyun, I know a doctor here in the city who specializes in werewolf diseases. If there are members of your Pack who are feeling unwell, he can-"

"I don't need your help," Kihyun cut off Finn's sentence without warning, voice harsh and gaze sharp. "I don't like being indebted, and I do not particularly like owing favors to werewolves such as yourself."

The sudden turn of the conversation stunned Dean enough that all sort of hesitation in his head vanished. He glanced at Finn, the beta's lips parted in shock.

Dean had to remind himself that they were in a public place, and remind himself of Pearl's warning yesterday. "I don't particularly like the way you are speaking to my second-in-command," He told Kihyun, watching the man's emotions transition from surprise at Finn's ranking to ill-concealed revulsion.

"But he's a beta." The sentence came out of Kihyun like he's accusing Dean of being in the wrong. Personally humiliating werewolves who did not present as alphas was probably normal for Kihyun to do. "Unless my trusty nose has begun to fail me?"

"And being a beta is such a tragedy?" Opal's voice had taken a more dangerous tone compared to her normal one, going as far as to lean towards Kihyun to show the other Head Alpha that she wasn't afraid of him.

Kihyun did not even hesitate. "There's a hierarchy to Packs. Betas don't-"

"With all due respect, I'd be careful about what you plan to say next." Dean allowed the threat to be heard from his voice, to be seen from his glare. "Since I've become Head Alpha, I have so far allowed you to publicly spew nonsense and to use my name to get your fifteen minutes of fame, but make no mistake, Kihyun Na. I will not allow you to talk down on my Pack members like this."

Kihyun Na stuck his tongue into his cheek, trying to exude nonchalance. The other Head Alpha gave Finn a once-over, words directed at Dean. "If he's good enough to be your second-in-command, I'm sure he can defend himself, right?"

Dean was being baited.

The slight smirk Kihyun was trying to hide made it apparent that Dean was slowly being pulled into losing his composure. 

For a second there, it was working.

With a deep inhale, Dean took control once again. "We should get back to the reason behind this meeting. I don't know if you actually believe such stories about the Lycan River, but in my experience it's merely an old folktale. There's no proof of such healing properties, therefore I can't just allow you access to the Lycan River. What we can offer you is our connections with health professionals who will surely help figure out this mystery disease your Pack members are experiencing."

Kihyun Na's whole form became passive. Dean's resolution did not interest him one bit. "We've offered our assistance and loyalty during times of distress, in exchange for use of the Lycan River, and yet you deny our request?"

Dean nodded once, eager to get this over with. "I'm sorry that you had to travel all the way here to-"

"How about we let the spirits and the Moon Goddess decide for us?"

Kihyun's rude habit of cutting people off mid-sentence made Dean's left eyebrow twitch in an attempt to taper down his growing annoyance. "I'm not much of a superstitious man myself."

"But surely you respect werewolf tradition?" The sickly-sweet tone should have been the final clue. Kihyun stood, and Dean narrowed his eyes. "I, Kihyun Na, am hereby extending a physical duel between our werewolf forms. If you win, you won't hear from our Pack again. But if I win, the Thorne Pack gets access to the Lycan River."

He had presented the challenge just as two waitresses slid the door open to bring in another batch of drinks. Dean sensed that the women—both werewolves, both with the scent of betas—have easily figured out what was happening and were frozen at the entrance, not knowing how to respond to this situation.

Even the incorrigible Opal Young and the steely Ace Campbell did not see this coming.

"I'm sure that we can settle this some other way?" Ace Campbell kept the suggestion light, except there was nothing light about how he looked at Kihyun and the three alphas who seemed ready to pounce if they so much as tried to reach out to Kihyun.

Kihyun Na stod up just to cross his arms over his chest like the cocky ass he was. "This way has worked for our ancestors for many years. Besides," A feral grin from the other Head Alpha. "It might be nice to see the Almighty Dean Axel in action."

Dean knew when to back down from fights. He'd been part of squabbles and brawls in his younger days, but now that he was Head Alpha, he was mature enough to know that disagreements did not need to result in fists or claws. However, this was not just some back-alley brawl. Turning down a formal challenge made in front of both Packs' representatives was a different matter entirely, and it would be seen as another sign of weakness.

Finn met Dean's eyes but said nothing. Dean knew though, knew his second-in-command did not want him to accept the duel but it'd look bad if he didn't.

Opal and Ace, for all their combined fire, currently gaped like two deers caught in headlights. A rare moment to happen—both Village Elders did not know whether to stop Dean or advice him to accept.

Dean slowly stood to his full height, relishing in the way Kihyun frowned at the difference in their stature. Dean practically loomed over the other Head Alpha, and it's Kihyun's apparent displeasure which propelled Dean to make his decision.

"I, Dean Axel, understand the terms and hereby accept your formal challenge."