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There was a noise at the door, the sound of a key in the lock. Kade had a door that automatically locked when it closed for safety. I stood, ready for an attack, when Dakota pushed into the room seconds later, followed by his doctor father and his papa.
“Shit! Sorry Alpha, I forgot about the wards. You won’t be able to get in.” I heard Dakota mutter as he headed back to the front door. His parents watched me worriedly.
“What wards? I’m not sensing any magic here. Are they down?” A new voice spoke.
There was some more back and forth before the new people entered the house. The wards had to be down, likely deactivated when Roan left his note. All I could do was sit and listen and watch as more people filled the space. I recognised the pack alpha, a tall dark-skinned man with a beautiful willowy woman by his side who I assumed was the Alpha Mate for their small pack.
The alpha scanned the room and called out into the short hallway, “Daylen, keep the others in the vehicles. There’s no room in here.”
I heard the returned, “yes, Alpha.” The front door closed and everyone turned to look at me.
Mustering the words, I thanked them all for coming and outlined the situation as best we could. Not sugar coating the issues with my pack at all. The alpha gave me an approving look when I hurriedly explained that the omegas of my pack were being cared for by my other brother.
“Deke’s on his way.” Axel told the group. “He’s an alpha and an experienced fighter, should we need that back-up.”
When I got to the note, I noticed Axel stiffen. He’d been on calls when I’d seen it. Dakota let out a rumbling growl that had my wolf sitting up to take notice, registering a threat to me.
“The same Roan that was working with Kade’s dad to get him pregnant but was conveniently missing when it all hit the fan and his dad nearly beat Kade to death? There’s no way we can trust him.” Hatred filled Dakota’s word, and it was justified. I hadn’t been inclined to trust Roan either.
“You said that Roan put in the note he was working for the council?” Jason, the alpha of the Sweetwater Bears, said in the silence. I handed him the note, and he examined it for a few minutes. He seemed to have a private conversation with his mate. “I have a... friend, you could call him, on the council. I’d bet that he’s working with this Roan, or knows who is. Question is, do you want to find out? Are you willing to trust Roan if he is?”
“I’m going to do anything, trust anyone, if it means getting Kade back safely.” I assured him.
Jason nodded at me and moved away from the group to make a call, heading further into the house towards the bedrooms. The Alpha Mate approached me where I stood in the middle of the room. “I’m Eva, Alpha Mate for the Sweetwater Bears. We haven’t met before, I’m sorry. I think my mate just wanted to see that you were a different alpha to the ones before. He’s been working up to getting in touch for weeks.” Eva ushered me towards the couch. “I’ll make you boys something to eat. You can’t form a plan if you are dead on your feet from hunger and stress.” She pulled Dakota’s papa into the kitchen with her and I sat and tried to process it all.
The alpha was gone for a while. Long enough for the omegas to make sandwiches and tea for us all. I even heard Dakota’s papa head outside to check on the enforcers they’d taken with us. When Jason returned, he had a faint smile on his gently lined face. I knew from my records that the alpha was around a hundred and ten. The Luna had blessed the alpha pair with two children in their mating, but they had no grandchildren.
“Well, there’s quite a story for you to hear,” Jason said as he took the armchair Dakota had occupied, making the man sit on the floor by his side. The room had too few seats for all. My brother gave up his seat on the sofa for Eva. James, Dakota’s papa, perched on the arm of the sofa next to Aldrin, his mate.
“Turns out,” Jason continued. “That Roan is indeed working for the council and has been for the last five years. He came to them admitting that Rincoln had nearly trapped him into a coerced mating as the result of a pregnancy. Roan realized just hours before his betrothed’s heat began that the contraceptive that Rincoln Hayes had given him was actually a fertility boosting potion. He loved Ryder, his betrothed, but agreed that they needed to wait longer to have pups. He also expressed some concerns about how the omegas were being treated. Turns out he’d seen some bruises on Jasper, Rincoln’s mate.”
Dakota let out another rumbling growl but motioned for his alpha to continue. “After Ryder, Jasper, and Angelica were taken into protective custody, they gave Roan a deal. Protect Ryder, or Kade, as we know him, and gain enough proof to have Rincoln ended or incarcerated permanently. Then they’d pardon him for his part in not coming forward sooner. For the last two years, Roan has lived close to Kade, but without his wolf. In their last city, there had been an incident. Kade was hurt and his father nearly caught up to him. The council erased all photographs of Kade. Then they tweaked memories, so he was forgotten.”
“Why is the council stalling on issuing the order if they have proof of what he’s done?” I couldn’t contain the words. It made little sense to me that they wouldn’t act.
Jason rubbed a hand over his face. “The council is divided. Councilman Ford, the one I spoke to, and the one working with Roan, is in the minority. There are a few others who are aware of the Roan situation and provide support, but the other alphas have control. Ford and the others are doing this because they want more rights for betas and omegas. The councilman wants to put them on the council.” There was a sharp intake of breath around the room. Alphas always ruled the council. “In fact, he wants his beta daughter to replace him when he retires.”
Eva gasped, her eyes filling with tears. James reached a hand to her in comfort. Even from my privileged alpha position, I knew what a big deal that it would be to female shifters, in particular betas. To some, at least omegas had value, even if they weren’t valued as The Luna decreed. Beta females were often treated like they held no value when each designation had a function in a healthy pack. My female betas were fantastic enforcers. I was proud of them and could trust them around the more fragile omegas in a way that I couldn’t with male betas. Those women were fierce protectors. I hoped they knew how much I valued them. Making a vow for when this was over, I swore to The Luna that I would make sure that all the female betas of my pack, no matter their role, knew just how much they belonged and were needed.
Jason continued, breaking the silence as Eva got herself under control, fingers twisting around a tissue. “Councilman Ford, who I spoke to, said that Roan had been in touch to confirm that Rincoln was making a move and had summoned him. Ford gave Roan permission to have his cuffs removed, so he now has his wolf back to defend Kade if need be. Roan sent video evidence of Kade being taken from the house and Ford was having his phone tracked so we can get his location. He recommends texting Roan on a number that Alpha Blake wouldn’t have, just in case. Send something innocuous, so that Roan knows help is incoming.”
“That’s good and all, but how do we know this is on the level?” Dakota questioned. He must have felt the glare from his father, Aldrin, because he added, “I mean no offense, Alpha.”
It was Eva that answered. “We check with the witches in the area that could perform that kind of unbinding. There aren’t many, are there?” She looked at her husband and nodded.
“You’re right. There’s the coven leader, maybe a couple of others, and Poppy from The Spell Shop.”
“Poppy,” Dakota said firmly, looking at me. I nodded at him. She made the most sense.
“She’s where Kade got the scent changing spell, isn’t she?” I asked, though I didn’t need the answer.
“With permission from the council,” he said in an affirmative. “Last I heard, she was being investigated because of the effects on Kade. Seems the council is pretty invested in Kade’s health.”
Alpha Jason looked at me before asking for the note. “Dakota, you call Poppy and confirm what Councilman Ford said, then I’ll text Roan with an invitation for drinks with how many of us there are. Once we get the location, we’ll make our move. Roan doesn’t know, but there’s a kill order for Rincoln. Let’s get Kade back safe, then you and I,” Jason looked at me, “need to have a talk about merging the packs again. It’s time the Sweetwater pack was whole.”
