Alpha, Beta, Omega

Chapter Twelve

Kali ran with Samson for hours, chasing rabbits and playing tag with the Gamma who was as much an outsider in his own pack as she was in hers.

When they parted ways, both to return to their respective packs, Kali had a momentary thought of Why couldn't he have been my mate? It was hardly a proud thought but it was honest, though she'd never give voice to it. Instead she'd said goodbye, promising to meet Samson again in a few days time, and headed home. The walk, since she hadn't had the foresight to bring her bicycle, was long and it gave her time to think. About her life. About her mates. About what she wanted. By the time she was walking up the front steps of her house she'd managed to work out a few things but not the really important ones. She supposed those would take some more thinking.

She was as quiet as possible as she entered the house. It was late. No one would appreciate being woken up. She had just shrugged out of her jacket when the foyer light flipped on, startling her and making her whirl around with a faint growl, only to fall silent when she saw her father standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen. He did not look impressed.

"Where the hell have you been?" Nolan rumbled as he took a step towards her, his status of Beta nearly enough to make her bare her neck in submission but another instinct this one stronger than the first had her holding her ground. He was still her father but no longer was he her Beta. She was no longer part of the pack. "You're mother's been worried sick."

She blinked in surprise.

Before she could answer her mother's voice came from upstairs.

"Nolan? Nolan, is that Kali?" In the next heartbeat Renee was coming down the stairs, Kali looked at her mother, surprised by the whine that came from the woman, before Renee was off the stairs and pulling her into a hug. "Kali, oh thank God."

Kali stood there, stunned, as her mother stepped back a bit, cupping her face between her hands. "Are you alright? What happened to your cheek?" Renee looked genuinely concerned and Kali felt her surprise at the situation melt away into confusion. What was going on? Why were her parents suddenly acting like she mattered? "Kali, honey, where have you been all day?"

"I...wha...I mean..." Kali couldn't seem to get a handle on her emotions. Everything just felt so wrong, like her world had tilted on its axis and wasn't about to right itself any time soon.

"Oh, is the freak finally home? Is everyone done panicking now?"

Kali's gaze went to the top of the stairs where Chloe was leaning against the railing, sneering down at her. She bristled at the hated word from her sister but she didn't retaliate. Knew it wouldn't do any good since her parents would just chastise her for sinking to Chloe's level. Nolan growled in warning, which Chloe ignored as she made her way down the stairs, harsh gaze still fixed on Kali, but it was Renee who rounded on her eldest, fangs dropped and eyes glowing with her wolf. It was enough to make Chloe look reasonably scared and Kali watched her sister immediately tip her head, neck bared in deference to their mother's status as Beta.

"You will show some respect for your sister!" Renee's snarl was deep, more wolf than woman, and it added to Kali's confusion. She took a hurried step back, gaze darting back and forth from her mother to sister and then her father, who was merely watching things play out.

"Respect? For what?" Chloe scoffed and shook her head. "For a she-wolf who shows submission to any and everyone who yells at her? She's hardly worthy to be called my sister let alone a member of this family. She's weak! She's always been weak. If the pack were merciful they would have ended her a long time ago!"

Kali felt a shiver of cold dread run up her spine. Centuries ago it had been common for a pack to exile or kill members who were deemed weak. It certainly gave her a new outlook on her sister if that was how Chloe thought she should have been dealt with. She took a small step back, survival instinct telling her to run, to get out of there before Chloe carried out that thinly veiled threat.

Renee growled again and Nolan snarled Chloe's name but Chloe didn't seem to care.

"You both know she's weak," Chloe pressed on, looking from Renee to Nolan and then to Kali. "She doesn't deserve to be part of the pack. She'll get someone killed one day!"

Kali stiffened as she looked at Chloe, really looked at her sister, seeing for the first time just how much Chloe really did despise her. The way her sister was looking at her reminded her far too much of the way her mates had looked at her. Like she was a problem. Like she was the one in the wrong. It caused a low growl to bubble up in her chest but she forced it back down.

Chloe was wrong. 

Just like Thornton and Kay were wrong.

She made a low sound. "I'm going to bed," she declared as she stepped towards the stairs, refusing to deal with any more of this tonight, she'd had her share of drama for the day.

Chloe snarled. "Oh, no you're not, bitch," her sister spat, grabbing for her arm. "You're going to explain why Mum and Daddy had to wait up, worried about you, when your worthless ass was probably sulking somewhere in the woods because you've realized just how worthless you...ARGH!"

Kali growled, her wolf pushing to the forefront her being, catching Chloe's wrist before her sister could touch her and used her grip to spin and throw her sister across the foyer. As Chloe hit the wall and slid to the floor Kali was barely aware of her father shouting her name, Renee telling her to calm down, that Chloe hadn't meant any harm. She growled again, deeper this time, glaring down at her sister like she'd seen Deucalion and Thornton do. It was an intimidation tactic. And either it or her sudden violent outburst, the first she'd ever shown, had Chloe sitting still as stone on the floor, staring up at her with wide eyes.

"Listen to me, bitch," Kali spat as she continued to glare down at her sister. "I am tired. I am sick and tired of you running me into the dirt, of you constantly making me feel like shit just because I'm not like you and everybody else. Do you not think that I have feelings? Do you think that just because I'm different it doesn't hurt every time you or one of your asshole friends calls me a freak?

You don't have to point it out, Chloe, I know I'm different. I've always known. And there is nothing to be done about that. But you know what? Someday, someday I might just find someone who doesn't care that I'm different. Someday I might find a place where I fit in. I might actually feel normal. But you? You will never stop being a heartless, selfish bitch!"

Without another word or backwards glance Kali turned and raced up the stairs.

She heard her mother call out to her but she didn't stop until she was in her room, the door slammed shut and locked behind her.

She couldn't believe she'd just done that.

For the first time in her life she had actually stood up to Chloe.

A soft bubble of laughter escaped her as her collapsed onto the bed, sitting at the edge and staring at the far wall of the room without really seeing it. She'd finally stood up to her sister. And it had felt amazing. She knew there would be fallout from this. How could there not be? But for the first time since her mates had turned on her she felt like everything was going to be okay.