William Borden, commonly called Billy, is the leader of the Alphas. He first appears in Fool Moon.
Description
Will has a really solid relationship with his wife, Georgia.[1]
He is an avid gamer (as are most of the Alphas) and hosts a weekly game of Arcanos where Harry Dresden is an irregular player. After Kirby's death in Turn Coat, Dresden introduces Butters to the games.[2]
In Fool Moon, Billy is stout, young and less than five and a half feet tall, wears thick glasses and has pugy fingers. He eventually grows ino his weight and becomes very athletic.[3]
He is an idealistic pessimist who believes that people are too incompetent to hurt themselves and each other as much as they do. Billy believes that the mortal response to the supernatural threat (ignore it or explain it away) is stupid, and he is outspoken on this belief.[4]
In Turn Coat, Billy tells Harry he's not doing anything blind anymore. If he wants the Alpha's help, he needs to be better informed. Harry give him a CliffNotes version of the supernatural world with a promise of more later.[1]
Biography
Billy Borden is first introduced as a college student who is part of the group of other students that call themselves the Alphas. They learned how to shapeshift as a werewolf from Tera West. Throughout the series he leads the Alphas in fighting against any supernatural threat in their area. Harry calls on him and the Alphas from time to time in his own fight against bad guys. Over the years Billy matures and develops as a stand up leader, a good friend to Harry Dresden and has solid loving relationship with Georgia.
In the short story Something Borrowed, Billy Borden marries Georgia.
In the series
Fool Moon
- Main article: Fool Moon
In Fool Moon, when we first see Billy he's arguing with Georgia—Billy wants to go out tear someone apart, Georgia says they should follow Tera West's instructions and stay put. Tera returns and intercedes scents Harry and gets them all out.[3] At the Full Moon Garage he and two other wolves circle around Agent Harris in Hexenwolf form keeping him from hurting any more of the Alphas or escaping.[5] At Georgia's parents home, Billy tells Harry that he and the Alphas are going with him to stop the Hexenwolves. There is a quiet romantic moment between he and Georgia.[4] At Marcone's estate, Harry gets separated from the others[6] and when he gets near the clearing, he sees Billy get shot with a dart and all the other Alphas are down, too.[7] Thery are all put in a giant pit and meant as a trap for the Loup-garou—and they're the bait. After escaping, he and the others leave with Susan.[8]
Summer Knight
- Main article: Summer Knight (novel)
Dead Beat
- Main article: Dead Beat
Turn Coat
- Main article: Turn Coat
In Turn Coat, the Alphas are attacked by the Naagloshii. Kirby is killed and Andi Macklin is badly injured and in the hospital.[9] The Alphas engage in the battle on Demonreach against the Gray men brough there by Binder and Madeline Raith. [10]
Ghost Story
- Main article: Ghost Story
In Ghost Story, after Harry's death, he was a part of the Chicago Alliance and Paranet meeting. He seemed to very little tolerance for Daniel Carpenter's immaturity.[11] Like most other members of the Chicago Alliance, he seems terrified of Molly Carpenter. She once unleashed an illusion on him of creatures dragging him into the Nevernever, leaving him curled in a fetal position.[12] He, Andi and Marci were part of Murphy's team that went to help rescue Mortimer Lindquist at the Big Hoods's hideout.[13]
Notes
Billy has appeared in Fool Moon, Summer Knight, Dead Beat, Turn Coat, and Ghost Story. He has also appeared in short stories such as Harry's Day Off, Something Borrowed, and Aftermath.
At Marcone's estate, when Billy changes to wolf, he caught an arm on the sleeve of the robe and then Billy-wolf trips over the robe and lands in the street, he struggles and snarls out of the robe, grumpily picks it up with his teeth, places it carefully in the van.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Turn Coat, ch. 30
- ↑ Turn Coat, ch. 49
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fool Moon, ch. 5
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Fool Moon, ch. 26
- ↑ Fool Moon, ch. 25
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Fool Moon, ch. 28
- ↑ Fool Moon, ch. 29
- ↑ Fool Moon, ch. 31-32
- ↑ Turn Coat, ch. 5
- ↑ Turn Coat, ch. 38-43
- ↑ Ghost Story, ch. 9
- ↑ Ghost Story, ch. 10
- ↑ Ghost Story, ch. 46