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“I wasn’t Alpha back then, and it wasn’t a decision I made, but it was decided by my father. I have to stand by that.” Rex dropped his hands to his knees. “And I expect you to understand it. Unless you want to take it up with Jimmy himself.”
“Come on, Rex. The Glenwoods are a strong pack. We take care of our own. If someone is hungry, we feed them. If they need a place to stay, we make sure it happens. I know all about that big supply closet your mom has in the basement so that she can help the needy at every turn.” He was on the edge of his seat now.
“Is there a direct danger to this pack?” Rex asked carefully.
“Not that I’m aware of,” Bennett was forced to admit. “They’re after me, but I’m not counting that.”
“I get it, Bennett. I do. But I’m not going to violate a treaty our pack made simply because you decided you wanted to take this job.” Rex pointed a firm finger of blame at him.
“It’s what I do for a living, in case you’ve forgotten. The police department and their purchased pawns didn’t want me to help the public unless it was all within their special little parameters, and you’re starting to sound an awful lot like them.” He rose from his seat and swept a hand through his hair, trying to control his anger.
“Don’t give me that bullshit, Bennett.” Now Rex was on his feet as well, his hands on his hips as he stared Bennett down. “You didn’t take that job because of any moral obligation, and you didn’t even take it for the money. You’ve been waiting to exact your personal revenge on the Bloodmoons, and you jumped at the chance.”
“My family’s business is gone. My sister is gone. My father is gone. All I got out of that is some dumbass contract. Is that supposed to make me feel better, Rex?” Bennett could feel himself losing control as all the anger and sadness of those days came rushing back to him. “Was that ever supposed to be enough?”
“It had to be enough to make sure we didn’t end up in a war with them,” Rex snapped. “The Glenwoods weren’t strong enough for that at the time, and it was the best option possible. I’m not going to just turn around and authorize everyone to come after the Silvergroves as revenge for something we already repaid them for.”
“Fine.” A sense of calm determination settled down on Bennett’s shoulders. “I’ll handle it myself, just as I always have.”
“No, you won’t,” Rex replied as Bennett turned for the door. “You shouldn’t have taken that job in the first place, and you need to stand down.”
Bennett turned. “You can’t be serious, Rex. I took the job, and I’m going to follow through with it.”
“Bennett.” Rex’s face was hard and serious as he closed the gap between them. His shoulders were back, and his eyes bored straight into Bennett’s. “I command you, as your Alpha, to stand down and call off this job against the Bloodmoon Crew.”
It was like a punch in the gut, though Rex hadn’t touched him at all. Bennett felt his wolf cowering in submission. The Alpha command couldn’t be ignored, and he had no choice. “Damn you,” he whispered.
“It’s for your own good as well as everyone else’s.” Rex turned and crossed the room to his desk. “Any kind of rash action is a mistake if they’re truly that strong, as is the violation of an agreement. I can send a few guards for protection if you’d like, or I can try to talk this through with Nelson, but that’s as far as I can go.”
“Don’t bother.” Bennett turned and stormed out of the den. What the hell was he thinking, going there and asking Rex for help? He knew about that fucking truce. Why should he believe it would be any different simply because some time had passed and a new Glenwood Alpha was in place? Rex had not only denied him any assistance in taking down the Bloodmoon Crew, but he’d also forced Bennett to stop pursuing them. It didn’t matter that Bennett had been hired for this job. He’d received the Alpha command, and he had to obey.
As he sped back into town, his mind was working toward another solution. There had to be one. There had to be some way around this.
The full moon hung in the morning sky, remaining though the day had started. Their pack had kept the old tradition of worshipping the goddess Selene, who now looked down upon him with her pale, translucent eyes. Rex’s mate, Lori, the pack Luna, was a descendent of hers. Selene had blessed the Glenwoods many times, and her power could alter the flow of time and bring light into darkness. “I don’t know how much you can help me now,” he said as he sped along the highway, “but I sure could use it. I can put my life on the line, but now I’ve put Stephanie’s right there alongside mine. I can’t disobey my Alpha, but there has to be something I can do.”
9
Whether it was benevolent inspiration from Selene or his own revelation, Bennett would never know, but he found himself pulling up in front of the police station next. His wolf churned in irritation. He shouldn’t be there, where he wasn’t welcome. He should also be getting back to Stephanie. He’d left her alone so he could run his errand, one that hadn’t yet come to fruition. Was she okay? He checked his phone but saw no calls or messages.
He stepped into the lobby and was met with a surprised look from the service clerk. “Bennett.”
“Hi, Jeanette.” She’d started working at the station when her husband had passed suddenly. At the time, she’d said it was just something temporary to help fill the void. Her father had been a police officer when she was a girl, and working there felt familiar. That was ten years ago, and she was still there.
“Are you all right?” she asked. “You look a little out of sorts.”
“I definitely feel it,” he agreed, wondering just how much his stress was showing on the outside. Jeanette had always been very compassionate, though, wanting to take care of the officers and detectives as much as they’d allow her to. “It doesn’t help that I’m here, either.”
“Hey, at least you’re on the right side of the cuffs,” she joked. “There’s been some turnover in staffing if you know what I mean. If that makes you feel any better.”
“A bit.” He’d heard some of the higher-ups who’d terminated him were no longer on the force, having moved off to bigger and better jobs. Their way to them was no doubt greased by the Bloodmoon Crew, so they still couldn’t be up to any good. “Is Kane Glenwood in?” He could’ve just called, but Bennett knew this was the sort of conversation he needed to have in person.
“You’ve caught him at his desk, actually. I’ll buzz you back.” With a smile, she hit the button.
Walking through that door was like traveling through time. At one point, Bennett had known this station like the back of his hand. Every desk and face were familiar, and he’d been able to operate the coffee machine with his eyes closed. He very well might have done so a time or two while working late. It all felt foreign now, like dreaming of a home you can never truly go back to. Bennett felt the curious stares as he made his way toward Kane’s desk.
He took in the empty coffee cups, the scattered papers, and the thick file folders. “I see nothing has changed around here.”
Kane looked up from his work and grinned. “Not much. It’s the same old grind.”
