Darren looked at the two of them with a blank face. He was expecting this to happen. It would have been a shame if they had just come to him without question and hesitation. It would mean that they were not loyal and faithful to their alpha.
"I can't make either of you my beta or gamma, but I will give you a choice, pledge your loyalty to me and become warriors or be banished from this pack. Or....we can go with the more interesting option...." he paused and looked at the two people, "You die with your alpha."
Everyone waited for their response which took a little longer than expected. "I would rather be banished than be a warrior for your pack." Collins the beta spoke through gritted teeth.
"Neither would I," said Sebastian.
"Very well then," Darren said, he stood up and looked around, "Williams?" he called.
"Yes, alpha," Williams answered.
"You know what to do with them. Get it over with and make preparations for my ceremony as the alpha, I will introduce my beta and gamma to you as well," he said and strode away from where he was standing and paused near the stairs.
"Be careful out there, there isn't a place you will go that does not belong to me, not even one pack out there. I wish you two luck as rogues," he said to Collins and Sebastian and climbed up the stairs leaving confused faces behind him.
"What did he mean by 'there isn't pack out there that does not belong to him?" whisperers spread among the pack members as they contemplated Darren's words.
Collins and Sebastian also did not understand what he meant but they understood that it was not going to be easy for them. Based on what they saw, Darren was not someone whose words should be taken lightly but someone whose words should be taken very seriously. The rumors that have been spreading around all the packs also contributed to their uneasiness.
They looked at the stairs where Darren's silhouette had disappeared with mixed feelings. He was just an eighteen-year-old boy, what could he possibly do? They thought.
With that thought in mind, they both ignored the feeling of unease and decided to go and find another pack and join them. Banishment was better than serving Darren, to them, serving as warriors under Darren would be a slap to their faces that would bring nothing but embarrassment and shame.
"Please leave the pack immediately." Sir Williams spoke breaking the silence that had fallen on everybody.
Wordlessly, they turned around and started walking out of the room and some warriors followed them to escort them out of the pack. Usually, they would have been chased out but in this case, they just walked out taking their time as much as was needed while those who cared for them followed as they left.
Once out of the pack territory, the pack members and warriors watched as they walked into the distance and disappeared into the woods before they also dispersed and returned to the pack house.
*******
Inside the pack house,
After everyone left to escort the former beta and gamma, Leo and Logan went in after Darren. They found him in the alpha's office going through some files on the desk. They approach him and say across to him. Darren shifts his gaze from the papers in front of him and gives glances at them and smiles. They smiled back at him.
"Welcome back, dude."
"Welcome home."
Leo and Logan both said at the same time and smiled brightly at him. "Where have you been all this while?" Leo asked.
"Yeah, we looked for you everywhere, we thought something happened to you," Logan said. "We didn't get the best childhood but you didn't have to leave us like that you know."
"I had to leave, there was nothing here for me after they died. I needed to find my place in this world. The pack would have never let me live a second after their death, even my father wanted me dead more than anybody else, my death would have been the perfect last gift for him and you know that" Darren said and closed the file and pushed it forward.
"We understand that we always did. What we don't understand is how they died. Who could have killed them?" Leo asked sounding serious.
"I did it," Darren said, blankly. There was hidden pain in his eyes as he said that but they were too stumped to see that, his poker face didn't let them see beyond that.
"What?!" They exclaimed. They were so shocked that they were rendered speechless.
"How was that possible? It couldn't have been you. You must be lying." Leo said. It was clear that they were in denial. "You were just a kid without a wolf how could you have done that? Besides, you love your mum, why would kill her?"
"Believe what you want to believe, I have told you the truth, accept it or not the truth remains the truth," Darren said, emotionlessly.
Their mouths hung open as they looked at him but no words were able to come out. They have developed a sudden fear of him that wasn't there before even after seeing how easily he killed their alpha.
"I have a request to make of you two," Darren said after waiting but heard nothing from them. He waited again to hear what they would say. He needed them to say something and agree before he could continue.
Leo was the first to snap out of his shock and asked, "What is it?"
"I have a lot of work to do here and in the other packs, I won't be here for long as I have to visit my other territories and see how things are being run, I will need you both to keep an eye on everything happening here and report to me," Darren said looking at them blankly.
They were confused when they heard what he said. His other territories? What other territories was he talking about?
"Darren, what are you talking about? You have some other territories out there?" Logan asked in utter confusion and disbelief.
"Yes." was all he said.
"Every pack out has its alpha, beta, and gamma, then how do you have more than one pack?" Leo asked.
"Every alpha out there was appointed by me and is loyal to me. Even this pack belongs to me now. I should appoint an alpha for this too but I won't, I will rule this one myself because this is my origin pack." He said firmly. "Save for one which I don't have control over."
"Then who are you, Darren?" Leo asked all perplexed.
Darren looked at them without saying a word for about five minutes then he spoke, "The Alpha of Alphas, the Alpha Supreme."