The Harrisons exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between father and son. Dash, with a dismissive snort, brushed my hand aside.
"Commission?" he scoffed, his Alpha aura pressing down on me like a weight. "Your contract was as clear as day when you joined the Harrison Pack. All profits from the territory expansions go to the pack. You receive your base salary and bonuses. I don’t recall ever promising you any commission."
Leanna chimed in, her voice dripping with mockery, "Exactly. Stop trying to swindle the Harrison Pack. Why don’t you show us the contract?"
I stood there, stunned by their audacity. Dash had verbally promised me a share of the territory profits when I first joined as Gamma, but it was never put in writing. Every time I mentioned the topic, he’d come up with an excuse, saying that once we were mated, it’d all be in the family anyway. Foolishly, I believed him.
Dash and I had trained together in the pack’s warrior program. After completing my training, I turned down offers from stronger packs to join his family’s struggling one. For him, I spent five years strengthening the pack’s defenses and streamlining its patrol routes, followed by another five years negotiating territory expansions. I single-handedly pushed the Harrison Pack from near collapse to one of the top ten in the region. It felt more like my life’s work than theirs.
Leanna had always been a few years behind us in training. Dash had been drawn to her back then, but she thought him too weak to bother with. She had always been antagonistic towards me, especially after I reported her for cheating during a pack trial. Who knew when the two of them began their affair?
Just then, Alpha Gavin Harrison stepped forward, pretending to be generous. "Evangeline, given your contributions to the pack, I can offer you a dignified exit. Or, if you prefer, you could stay on as an Omega. Your rations would continue."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, seething. Gavin, who had been eyeing me with unwelcome interest, narrowed his eyes into a smirk.
"Well, you’re easy on the eyes. You’d brighten up the packhouse. And you’re good at dealing with other packs, right? That can continue."
His insinuations were clear and offensive. The room erupted in laughter, my packmates looking at me with contempt. Dash smirked.
"Oh, if you’re staying for the Moon Festival celebration, don’t forget to chip in for the gift money."
I trembled with anger. "Dash, we weren’t even done when you started up with this woman. You two deserve each other."
"An Omega? Entertain other packs? And you want me to pay for a mate pairing ceremony I organized? That was all my hard work!"
Dash jabbed a finger at my face, his Alpha tone sharp and commanding. "Who are you calling trash? Leanna and I share a true mate bond, a bond blessed by the Moon Goddess! Without me, you wouldn’t have even set foot in the door as Gamma, let alone anything higher!"
"Regarding our pack’s future," he continued, his voice cold, "with the Pendleton territory lined up, you think you’re the only one holding it all together? You’re far from irreplaceable in this pack!"
"Three-legged wolves might be hard to find, but warriors like you are a dime a dozen."
With Leanna in his arms, Dash proclaimed arrogantly, "From today, Leanna is the new Luna of the Harrison Pack. Remember that!"
The gathering cheered in agreement. Leanna clung to Dash’s arm with triumph.
"Evangeline, stop deluding yourself," she sneered. "I’m younger, prettier, and I can give the Harrison Pack an heir. Who do you think you are, competing with me?"
I suddenly found myself laughing, the sound sharp and bitter. "Leanna, are you sure the pup you’re carrying is even Dash’s?"
