Being Alpha_Olde Town Pack Page 11

  “That has yet to be proven. There have been wild speculations thrown about, sure. I have been taken into custody, treated.... Well, you can see how I have been treated. But I have cooperated each step of the way.” Leif’s eyes darted sideways toward Ace. Behind his stoic mask the old Alpha silently taunted him.

  Ace expected that. But when his eyes turned mischievously toward Emma, instinct made his hackles rise in defense. Something else was going on under the surface, and not knowing what it was added a new layer to his frustration.

  Worse yet, Tito had taken control of the meeting right out from under Ace. Before anyone else had a chance to offer an opinion or question the accused, there he was asking, “What were you doing in the Olde Town territory?”

  “I was having a nice cup of tea when Mr. Whelan found us. Certainly that is not a punishable offense.” Leif laughed politely.

  The old Lobo’s face looked less convinced of Leif’s guilt with each response. “An odd place for tea, but not a crime at all.”

  Ace exchanged glances with Aiden. No words were needed; they both understood that Leif was getting to Tito, though he alone was not enough to sway a majority vote. Regina clearly wanted him dead, and both Ace and Aiden planned to vote for his execution. Leif would not be granted clemency. But the knowledge that their neighbor to the south had been compromised would create a ripple effect of suspicion. Perhaps that was the old Alpha’s swansong.

  “Explain your purpose for being in another Alpha’s territory unannounced,” Aiden demanded.

  “I was on my way to speak with the Whelan boys and happened across a coup d'état.” He addressed the room rather than Aiden himself. “Well, I couldn’t waltz into a battle alone, now, could I?”

  “It’s been implied that you orchestrated this pack war,” Tito said.

  “And to that I ask, where is the proof?” Leif responded.

  The crafty wolf had covered his tracks well. The puppet master had cut the strings before he could be found out.

  “All I’m hearing is circumstantial assumptions.” Tito stood from his chair.

  “We bring facts before the council of events that all link together to form a much larger conspiracy,” Aiden shot back at him. “And you alone, Tito, do not represent us all – despite your attempts to control this meeting.”

  Tito’s hands fisted so tight that white splotches appeared around his knuckles.

  “What Alpha enters a territory unannounced?” Aiden asked, and before anyone could answer, he fired off another. “What Alpha would be careless enough to be caught in an enemy encampment without the aid of personal guards?”

  The room fell quiet as those in attendance waited for an answer. When none came, Aiden continued. “Leif Chevalier was found in the command tent with Charles. Fallon and Rachel Whelan were there as witness to Brady’s takedown of Charles and the conversation that transpired between himself and Mr. Chevalier. During which he alluded to his own guilt.” Aiden went on. “Three eye witnesses with the same story is proof enough to convict by our laws.”

  “Then why bring us here? Why involve us if you have deemed him guilty as charged?” Tito growled as he sat heavily into his seat.

  “His guilt is undeniable; however, he is also a key witness to the death of Charles, and that reason alone is why we have brought him.”

  Tito slammed a meaty fist on the table. “Then why have we wasted so much time talking about him?”

  “As a witness to the death of an Alpha by combat,” Ace answered, “he’s needed to confirm the victor, so we can award the rights and title of the Reds territory to Brady Whelan.”

  “Over my dead body.” Regina clutched at her stomach as a wet burp escaped with her excited words. She tried to stand unsteadily and fell back to her seat. “That right belongs to my oldest son by birth! You cannot award power over our home to the Whelans.”

  The pain in her voice was heartbreaking. Clearly distraught by her situation, and having had one too many drinks, she epitomized true despair; but the law was the law. Wolves since their first creation have been a species that awarded power to the strongest. More often than not, it was due to family lineage and good genes, but when an Alpha was beaten in a fair fight, they and their family lost all rights to the pack.

  “By rights of combat, Brady is entitled to take over,” Ace reminded her softly.

  “He doesn’t even want it!” she snarled.

  “I have always and will always uphold pack law.” Brady stood. “If it is the will of this council, I will take over as Regional Alpha of the Reds territory, with Rachel as my mate and Female Alpha.”

  “My boys were bred for this!” Regina ground her teeth so loudly the whole room could hear her. “It’s their right.”

  “I stand by my brother’s claim.” Aiden beamed with pride. “If the council agrees, we will recognize his authority as Alpha of the Reds territory, effective immediately.”

  Ace stood. “As Alpha of the Long Teeth region, I recognize Brady Whelan’s claim to the Reds territory and all packs inhabiting those lands.”

  Tito groaned. “Are we to put another kid in charge?”

  “I have stood by my mate’s side for half a century, managing the territory.” Regina wept openly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she continued to clutch her stomach. “My children...leaders. The packs are all loyal to us. They will not stand for a northern wolf with different ideals taking over.”

  “Loyalty and fear are two different beasts. I have no doubt that the packs follow your words to the letter. But when I come in with my new ideals, like ending the practice of broodmates and young female wolves being sold into slavery, you will see how quickly they fall in line with the new world order.” Brady pulled his mate, Rachel, up to stand with him. He glared down at Regina, daring her to deny it. “A leader who rules with respect is one who does not need to employ fear.”

  “Broodmates?” Tito’s head titled sideways, looking concerned for the first time since he’d entered the meeting. He reached a hand out to his mate, twining his fingers with hers. “That practice was abolished years ago.”

  “Lies!” Regina snarled. “No one is sold into any kind of slavery. Marriages are arranged to help advance both families.”

  “My mate is proof to the contrary.” Brady speared Regina with an angry glare. “Before we found her half dead in the woods, she’d been forced, against her will, to mate with Charles Marsden’s own son. And when she refused and tried to escape, they used her again as a catalyst to start a war. “

  As Brady paused to let his words sink in, Ace watched the embarrassment flash across Rachel’s face over her history being dragged out for all to see. The poor old girl looked as if she wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere and disappear. But the words Brady spoke gave weight to his claim over the territory. With him in charge, he could stop the barbaric practices.

  “Is this true?” Tito asked.

  Rachel nodded. “Yes. I came from an ambitious family. We didn’t have much, but because I was a pure white wolf, my father was able to barter with Charles Marsden to have me mate with his son.”

  “That practice I do not abide. And Regina, you knew of this?” Tito asked.

  “It’s not true.” Regina hid her face behind her wine glass and waved for a waiter to refill it.

  Ace could smell the lie, and had no doubt anyone in the room did too. Regina’s averted eyes all but confirmed it.

  “On this, I will cast my vote. Give the territory to the Whelan wolf. End the barbaric practices there. As for Leif... I see no reason for me to be involved; you’ve all made your decisions clear.”

  “And what is to become of me and my family? Of Charles’s other sons?” Regina protested.

  “You will submit to your new Alpha or leave his territory,” Tito said flatly. “As is our law.”

  Ace breathed a sigh of relief. “We are agreed, then. On the matter of the Reds territory, it shall pass to Brady Whelan and his mate Rachel Mars... er... Whelan.”

  Th
e room fell silent for a moment, and Ace mentally slapped himself for his screw up. But he couldn’t dwell; more pressing matters still needed attention. “As to the matter of Leif Chevalier. How do you vote, guilty or not guilty?

  As expected, Olde Town and Reds – under the leadership of Brady – voted guilty. Ace cast his vote for guilty as well, and having no other packs to create a tie vote, there was no reason for contestation.

  “Leif Chevalier, you have been found guilty of inciting war with other territories. Your sentence is death. Execution to take place before the end of this summit.”

  The old Alpha sat quietly, neither his eyes nor his lips betraying any emotion.

  Ace waved a hand to Peter, who took Leif by the arms and escorted him toward the door.

  “His mate, Nikita, has requested she be granted his title and has made arrangements to be here in the morning. We will adjourn for the night. Please have a look through the packets you’ve been given, as there are more issues we need to address this week.”

  “We can’t pass the title to his mate!” Aiden immediately protested.

  “He has no living sons at this time, and no one has challenged him for that title; by rights she is his heir,” Ace said with a sigh. This would ensure peace for the moment versus more fighting in an already turbulent time. “This can be discussed when we meet again tomorrow and cooler heads have had a chance to fully weigh out the pros and cons of it.”

  “Playing with fire,” Aiden grumbled.

  “You boys are just afraid to let a woman take the lead,” Regina said in a slurred voice, with unveiled contempt. “The old boys club, as always.”

  “This coming from a woman who participated in the slavery of her own,” Emma retorted, before anyone else had the chance. “You lost your right to fight for our gender when you allowed that travesty to occur on your watch.”

  “As if I had any power in the pack. I was only the Alpha’s mate,” Regina scoffed.

  This time Fallon was the one to speak up. “As am I, and I can guarantee you I have just as much clout in the Olde Town as my mate where matters of the pack are concerned. It’s a partnership.”

  Ace looked to Tito, expecting to see him engage in this conversation. He had an opinion on everything else. But as the girls took shots at each other, he simply looked at Yanira and nodded.

  She lifted herself from her seat and placed both hands on the table. “The things I have heard today make me sick. And I am sad for you most of all, Regina. A mated bond is sacred. It is not ownership. It is not about power and ego. It is a partnership. If my Tito steps out of line, I am the one to pull him back in place, and the same works in reverse. Without the balance, there is no bond. And as the Alpha female of your pack, you are tasked with protecting your girls and raising them to know their place and to exert their special dominance. No, I do not feel you should have let that go on. And no, I do not agree that Nikita should be allowed to take the reins either, in this case. The wife always knows what is happening, and either she does something about it or she does not. Her actions make her just as culpable.”

  Yanira’s speech shut the entire room down. Remnants of uneaten dinners were left cold on their plates, as everyone began to file out of the room like children who had just been scolded by their mothers.

  If this evening had proven anything to Ace, it was that their problems might take more than the week allotted to correct.

  16

  Emma MacBride

  Dread settled deep in her mind, more than just the bullshit on the surface of their meeting; the kind of sensation that meant other levels of evil were at work. Yet she just couldn’t piece everything together and see the whole picture. Tito reeked of collusion with Leif. It didn’t take a wolf to smell out that kind of corruption. The old Lobo had had no intention of casting a guilty vote on the former Alpha. He’d thrown that vote away a little too easily. And though he’d put up a stink about Brady, he’d willingly accepted his claim. It just didn’t add up.

  Emma fingered the cover of the old logbook in her hand. Someone had visited Leif before she and Brady. They’d been sloppy and left evidence behind; even went as far as to sign off in the logbook. Arrogance, perhaps. Or maybe they were laying out a false trail of breadcrumbs. Too many inconsistencies. Too many questions left unanswered.

  The room began to empty, and Emma snatched at an opportunity.

  “Aiden,” she whispered, and tilted her head twice to convey Meet me outside as she stood and took a short walk away from others milling around in the hallway.

  “What’s up?” he asked, as he caught up to her.

  “Brady and I were sent to go check on Leif.”

  “Yeah, that was a wild goose chase,” he said apologetically. “Jay told me he needed to distract Brady while Regina was on the warpath.”

  “I thought as much at first. Until we got to Leif’s cell. Someone had been there before us. And given him some kind of sedative.”

  “That would explain how badly he looked. But why wouldn’t he say something in the meeting?”

  “Exactly. If he wanted to play on sympathies, he could have used his appearance and a sob story about being beaten and drugged,” Emma said.

  “That’s not Leif’s style.” Aiden shook his head. “He’d opt for revenge on anyone who went after him.”

  “How? He’s locked in a cell.”

  “That’s never stopped criminals before,” Aiden scoffed. “Where there’s a will....”

  Emma nodded, understanding more than she wanted to how strong a will that old Alpha had.

  “Do you know what he was given?” Aiden asked.

  “No.” Emma shrugged. “I found no bottles, only an empty syringe. I’m not even sure what the purpose was for drugging him. Were they trying to kill him but screwed up the dose? Were they trying to make Ace’s pack look bad?”

  “The most important question is who, not what,” Aiden answered. “We need to know who we’re dealing with. What and why come second. We’ll need to look at the security footage. Jay should have that.”

  “When I spoke to the guard, he said the people who came in had the code. That means Jay could already be in on this,” Emma cautioned.

  “I seriously doubt that. This region is our ally. Not to mention that mistreatment of a prisoner would make them look bad.” Aiden spoke with a slight chuckle in his tone. “Ace is dying right now to prove himself as a good leader.”

  “Who else would have access to the security codes?”

  “My guess is that any Regional Alpha in attendance would be granted that right. In case they wished to question the witness themselves.”

  Emma looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was close enough to listen in. She leaned in and whispered, “When I asked the guards who had come by this evening, they said a woman.”

  “Regina,” Aiden answered with a growl. “She had cause to want him dead. And I do recall her looking a little odd when he was brought in.”

  “She was acting odd throughout the whole meal. Guilt, perhaps? Maybe she dosed him, expecting him to die in the cell. That would make Ace look inept and take his vote away,” Emma wondered aloud.

  “A bit far-fetched under normal circumstances.” Aiden stroked at his chin, his eyes traveling past Emma as if looking for Regina in the trickle of people still leaving the dining hall. “But given her recent losses, not entirely out of the question.”

  “So if she was trying to go after him, then what do we do?” Emma asked.

  Aiden looked stumped, but before she could open her mouth again, he replied, “Give me some time to investigate this. I’ll get with Brady and see what he can uncover. Do not let anyone else know what you suspect. There’s too much tension right now, and I fear one more snafu could break this council.”

  She didn’t like the sound of any of that, but trusted Aiden would do what was necessary. “Thanks. Just let me know when you need me.” Emma handed over the logbook and turned to walk away.

  Fallon caught up t
o her halfway back to her room. “Ready to be my wing woman tonight?”

  “Would you be super upset if I sat this one out?” Emma asked, knowing Fallon needed her, but she’d had enough politics for one evening.

  “Really? You’re going to desert me?” Her tone soured. “I need you out there. Yanira and Regina are more than I can handle alone.”

  “You have Rachel,” Emma suggested.

  “And Vivian too,” Fallon shot back at her.

  “Vivian is the least of your concerns. You need to get Yanira on your side. The Lobos have been dealing with Leif. I can just feel it.”

  “All the more reason to have my most trusted friend with me.”

  Emma let out a loud sigh. “I’m not feeing super social right now. I would end up saying something wrong. You don’t need me pissing people off when you’re trying to lull them into spilling what they know.”

  “I’m really disappointed in you.” Fallon threw her hands in the air.

  “I know you’re super stressed too, but look... my intuition is screaming there are some bad vibes hanging around the packs. The safest bet is to just hang back here in our rooms and have drinks. No need to go out. How about we do just that?”

  “No. Can. Do. I promised an exciting evening out, and I will deliver.” Fallon urged her one last time. “C’mon. Just go.”

  “Please don’t be mad,” Emma answered.

  “Oh, I’ll be mad...” Fallon glared at her, but the anger Emma saw was only superficial.

  “I love you.” She smiled back.

  “No, you don’t.” Fallon turned to walk away waving good-bye with her middle finger.

  She knew Fallon well enough to know the anger would pass after a drink or two. Emma hated to disappoint her friend, but the day had taken the wind from her sails, leaving her with an overwhelming sense of foreboding.

  17

  Aeson Silverman

  The air seemed somehow lighter the moment Ace left the dining hall. He sucked in a deep breath, filling his lungs to the max, and then let it all go with one loud roaring exhale. Tightness unraveled in his chest, and with the next breath, a sense of calm began settle over him.