by Tigertalez
He smiled at her. His sharp white teeth and fangs could be seen, but Abby didn’t appear afraid. She lifted her fingers up and poked at his fangs, and then she ran her fingers over his heavy and spiky ridged brow. “Do they hurt?” Her voice nearly squeaked.
Dultyn lightly chuckled. “No, little one, they do not hurt.”
Alphy stepped up to the three and extended his hand to Dultyn. “Welcome to the Kaska pack. I’m Alpha Ralph.” The gargoyle set the little tot down, stood and took the alpha’s hand. Alphy pulled his still gaping mate forward. “This is my mate, Gale.”
Gale shot her hand forward and nearly bounced with obvious awe and glee. “Hi. I’m so excited to meet you.”
Slate could see amusement cross the gargoyle’s face as he took her hand as gently as he handled the tot. “Hello, Gale, I’m honored to meet you.”
Alphy continued, “My beta, Enzo.” Alphy nodded towards Enzo, then indicated Slate. “My lead enforcer, Slate.”
Dultyn turned to the blue and white gargoyle on his right. “This is Bogdan, and to my left is Stelios.” He turned back to Alphy. “We are grateful for your hospitality.”
“You are welcome here.” Alphy proceeded to introduce everyone around the room. Dultyn, Bogdan, and Stelios nodded their greetings to each member. When Alphy was done, he turned back to the three gargoyles. “I’m not sure if you’ve been informed that some of us have to fly out tonight for a few days on some business, but should you need anything or have any problems, my beta will be here.”
“Yes, we have heard. Raymond enjoyed telling everyone of your great victory.”
They were interrupted by Abby, who lightly tugged on his long loin-cloth. Everyone looked down at her and saw her lift her arms up again. “Up, up,” she squeaked.
“Abby,” Connie scurried forward, “you shouldn’t bother them.” She picked up her daughter and turned, first to the alpha, then to the gargoyle. “I’m sorry, alpha. I’m very sorry.”
The gargoyle smiled in response. “Don’t be. My brethren and I have a great deal of care for little ones, especially females. To have her affection is a great honor.”
Slate had to bite his tongue to stop the laugh that threatened to overcome him at the mixed shocked and confused look Connie gave. “Especially females?” She blushed as soon as she said it. She obviously hadn’t meant to ask that out loud.
Alphy interjected, “My mate, Gale, her brother, Paul, and their mother, Connie, didn’t know gargoyles existed until recently.”
Slate could see understanding dawn on Dultyn’s face as well as the others’.
“Ah.” Turning his sights back on Connie he offered her a smile. “There are no gargoyle females. The gargoyle gene can only be passed on to a male offspring. Also, not all of us get a female mate as gargoyles are all bisexual, and only a female mate can grant us a chance at a female offspring.”
Alphy chuckled. “Meaning, Honey-bear,” he had leaned a little sideways and down to his mate, “that they can make a male pregnant but can only have male offspring with them.”
Before the ladies, and Paul, could fully fall into their shock, Slate added, “And that is only if it is their destined, claimed mate. They aren’t fertile until they claim their fated mate and go through molt.”
He saw Gale rapidly shift her gaze around. “What’s a molt?”
Dultyn answered her question. “Molt is a change we go through once we have claimed our mate. It allows us to shift into human form and not be ruled by the sunset. We can shift back and forth at will.”
Paul had stood when he was introduced, but now he was sitting, his one eye big and round. “And I thought learning everything about shifters was a big adjustment. You can really make a man pregnant? How is that possible?”
Alphy cut in, “Paul, I’m afraid we really need to eat and get going before those of us who are leaving have to leave with an empty stomach. I’m sure you can ask them later, after we have eaten and left.”
That seemed to snap Paul and the others out of their varied states of shock, awe, and confusion. “Oh! Yeah, right, sorry.” He gave a sheepish grin.
“Good!” Betty said cheerfully. “Everyone, supper is ready, and I made enough for you boys, too.” She indicated the new pack members. Everyone took a place in line behind the alpha, picking up a plate and walking along the counter, filling their plates with whatever their palate coveted. Supper was a huge and loud affair, in spite of full mouths. Abby refused to be held by her mom. She struggled until let down, then ran to Dultyn and signaled to be lifted up. He wound up dishing her up and entertaining her during the meal. Of course, where she was, so was her twin, Danny. The gargoyle Stelios helped with him. Slate had to admit, they were natural parents. It gave him a sense of longing for his own family. With heavy-filled stomachs, the group said their good-byes and crowded into their new pack vehicles.
Nix and Matteo drove them to the small private airstrip, helped load the plane and headed back to the house.
Slate thought the Citation Longitude they were taking was a beautiful and fancy jet. A nondescript painting design lined the outside, but on the inside, it could seat all eight passengers comfortably, and considering the leg room the men took, that was impressive. Four black leather seats were near the front, seating for three on a black leather couch further back, and across from the couch was a little loveseat niche next to a counter space.
The flight was free from conversations as everyone tried to rest through the four and a half hour flight to Prince George, British Columbia. As they approached, Slate felt the flutter in his stomach at the plane’s descent right around midnight. He and his lion always hated flying. They were most comfortable on the ground, and most shifters felt the same. The landing was smooth, however, and the plane taxied safely to a private hangar.
Normally, when an alpha took over a pack, they were in the territory already, or if they did have to travel to it, they were greeted by the next in rank. However, as Slate stepped out onto the top of the steps of the plane, before his alpha, and looked around for a potential threat, he noticed an older man and an older woman, who Slate guessed was the man’s mate, standing by an old rusted pickup truck and a rental van. Looking around the amply lit hangar, Slate didn’t see anyone else, so he descended the tiny steps and waited for his alpha to join him. He made sure to stand between his alpha and the old man as he approached them.
The couple tilted their heads, giving Alphy his due respect. After Alphy touched their necks, they straightened up but kept their eyes lowered. “Alpha, I am Frank, and this is my mate, Deloris.”
Deloris kept her sights on the ground as the two men talked. “Nice to meet you both. Which rank in the herd do you hold?” Alphy politely asked.
Slate thought having to ask was strange. Usually when you introduced yourself to your new alpha, you also stated your rank. However, what the old man said next, explained why, and it both alarmed and angered Slate.
The old man looked pained. “I have no rank, alpha. As near as we can tell, once word was received of the alpha’s loss, the remaining inner circle seemed agitated. The next day, they ransacked the alpha house and their own, and disappeared. Others in the herd are still at the alpha house, trying to make it suitable for you and your inner circle.”
Alphy gave a thoughtful look and grunted. “Thank you, Frank. We appreciate you taking the initiative and time coming to get us.”
Slate thought it looked like the man didn’t expect that response. He slightly inhaled to scent the air and smelt the sharp scent of shock coming from the old shifter.
With sleep fatigued bodies, everyone helped load their bags and the doctor’s medical supplies into the back of the old truck and then loaded themselves into the rented van. It was a bigger van with seating for twelve passengers, as opposed to the eight passenger van they had bought for their pack. They planned on, in the future, buying a van this big, but they had decided to start off smaller at first.
Their final destination was a large two-story colonial reviv
al home with red brick and white trim just a little way from Prince George. Pulling up to what he assumed was the alpha house, Slate didn’t see much out of the ordinary. His shifter vision allowed him to see well in the dark, but with lights on in the house, lamp posts lit and a porch light on the outside, even a human could see the area well. The house was big, but nothing on the outside said there was any trouble on the inside. An athletically built man with brown hair opened the white wooden door, and several solemn people funneled behind him, spreading out onto the green grassy yard with their eyes downcast. When the truck pulled up behind them, the very subdued people, keeping their eyes lowered, silently headed to it and started unloading it without being asked. Slate looked at Alphy, and the two shared a knowing look. These shifters acted as if they were a defeated people.
The house only had five usable bedrooms, and with the unknown dangers, Alphy insisted everyone stay together, meaning Tom and Connie couldn’t sleep over at their house. Add in Seamus insisting on one for his “exam room”, and it left everyone bunking together. The two mated pairs each had their own rooms while Seamus and Ryker shared one, which left Slate bunking with Kace. After everyone deposited their luggage, they gathered in the living room for a quick briefing before heading to bed.
There were only six of the herd present. Alphy decided to get down to business. “Frank, how many members are there?”
Frank shrugged. “Maybe twenty-seven.”
“Maybe?” Confusion played over Alphy’s face.
Slate observed Frank’s eyes dart towards a younger shifter, the one who had led the others out of the house when they arrived, before he lowered his eyes to the floor. Slate also saw a glimpse of the younger shifter’s brown eyes before they turned downcast.
Slate pointed to him. “You.”
The man looked up, saw he was targeted, paled, then looked down again. “Yes, sir?”
“What is your name?” Slate heard Ryker settling down with his laptop, notepad, and a pencil. As tech as Ryker was, he still enjoyed some things old fashioned. Ryker focused back on the man Slate questioned.
“Henry Ashland, sir.” Henry’s voice was clear enough to be heard, but there was no mistaking the placating tone. He didn’t sound meek, but more like a man who just didn’t want any trouble.
“Henry, I saw Frank take a glance your way. Who are you hiding?” Slate moved closer to scent the man. Shifters could pretty much tell when someone lied. But usually because the scent was more subtle than many others, they had to be scenting for it.
The elk shifter shifted from foot to foot, and the scent of fear started to congest the air. Alphy moved closer. “Henry.” Alphy’s voice was calm and soothing. “We know your former alpha was a piece of shit, but he’s gone now. If you are hiding members, we need to know about them. We can’t help them if you hide them.” He gestured for Seamus to come closer. “This is Doctor Seamus Rossi. I brought him here to help the herd.”
With that introduction, Henry’s head shot up. “Doctor?” His voice was filled with hope, filling the air with a lighter, more pleasant scent.
Alphy nodded and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Yes. Now please, tell us who we need to help.”
Henry shared a look with the older shifter. The older man nodded and spoke. “Alpha, we have twenty-seven members, thirty-two if you count the ones who ran before you arrived. However,” he paused and took a deep breath and let it out, “we have been hiding some members that aren’t on the books.”
“Let me guess. They are something else other than elk shifters.” Alphy said it calmly, but the man visibly tensed. “You should have recognized our scents and know we aren’t elk either. We have no issues with other paranormals, or humans even. My mate is human, and was from this herd.” He held out his hand to her and brought her in next to him then looked back at Frank.
“I’m sorry, alpha, we meant no disrespect.” The man’s eyes went downcast again.
“None taken. You have been through a lot, and trust is something earned over time.”
“I remember your mate, sir. She is a kind young lady.” The man seemed to have gathered his resolve, for he looked up when he spoke to the alpha, “The former alpha would commonly single out humans and half-breeds to focus his abuse on. More recently, he wouldn’t even allow mixed matings. We have seven others we are … were hiding. Henry has an adopted daughter who is human.”
Henry turned to the doctor. “Yes, she’s human, and I believe she has a medical issue. Her scent is off. I’m worried she has what her mother died from. Would you please take a look at her?”
Gale spoke up. “If she’s human, why couldn’t you take her to a regular doctor?”
“I have, but their methods can’t detect it yet and the doctors are pretty careless. And even if they did find something, I can’t afford treatments for her.”
Frank cut in. “The alpha took near everything we ever earned, and we don’t have a shifter doctor.”
“Bring her in straight away. I’ll be happy to help in any way I can,” Seamus answered.
Henry lit up. Slate could see tears in his eyes that threatened to escape. Henry looked to Alphy with an obvious, eager hope to be dismissed to run and get his daughter. Alphy gave it.
“Go ahead and get her. In fact, I think we should have a mandatory physical for everyone, so spread the word that I want them here in the morning. And we can get their information while they’re here.”
Nodding his head, Henry turned around and scurried out of the house. Alphy turned to the others and gave his permission to leave. After everyone had left, Slate turned to Ryker. “Didn’t you say you froze the herd’s bank accounts?”
Ryker’s fingers made tapping noises as his fingers easily grazed over the buttons. “Yes,” he answered without looking up.
“How much were their total assets?” Alphy asked.
A few more moments of tapping and a few clicks of the mouse and Ryker looked up at Alphy with a little bit of surprise. “I’d say he seriously raked these poor peeps over the coals. He’s got over forty-three million total.” A few of them whistled, and everyone cringed. “And that’s not including the value of the property and items he has.”
Slate rubbed his chin. “How much you wanna bet those other five got pissed you had that money locked up?”
Alphy grunted. “It would explain their rampage. They probably took anything of value when they couldn’t empty the accounts, and then left.”
Tom’s face took on a guilty look. “I kept so distant from the pack, because of my family, that I didn’t realize I wasn’t the only one who he robbed.”
Everyone turned their attention on Gale’s stepdad. Looking around at everyone, Tom continued. “He kept demanding fees for one thing or another, and I would have left, but I had just met Connie and it wasn’t a time in her life to move.”
Connie gasped. “Why didn’t you tell me this?”
Tom had his eyes downcast, and he shrugged. “As I said, it wasn’t a good time for you to move. I wasn’t going to pressure you or guilt you, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to leave you. By the time you and the kids would have been ready, he had already taken everything.” Tom looked up at his mate. “I don’t blame you or the kids, so please don’t be upset.” He reached up and stroked the back of his fingers down her cheek. “I don’t regret a moment of it. You and the kids are everything to me.”
Slate didn’t want to break the moment, but a thought came to him. “With David as controlling as he was greedy, I bet that was his way of keeping his pack members from moving away.”
Gale scrunched her brows. “But why? If he was so hateful of us, why not let us go?”
Slate opened his mouth to answer, but Alphy beat him to it. “Money. Whatever any pack-member makes, a percentage goes to the alpha, just like in any government. Alphas in bigger or richer packs usually don’t work because it takes so much time to run it, but many alphas do work aside from being an alpha. However, if you’re a lazy piece of shit alp
ha no one wants anything to do with, then you’re a financially poor alpha.”
Slate added, “So he stole everyone’s money, which could be substantial because of the long lives we live, forcing everyone to stay here, which in turn provided a continuous income to add to it.”
Tom added, “Our saving grace was the life insurance Connie received when her husband died.” Everyone looked at Tom again. “I saw what Alpha David was doing and found a way to hide it. That’s what we had been living off of when we got to Bancroft.”
“How ‘bout we dig the ass-wipe up and stick his bloated corpse on a pike in the front yard? I’m sure the rest of the herd would get a sense of relief and his supporters would hear the message loud and clear that they are worthless pieces of shit who are next on the list.”
Everyone turned to Kace. He had been unusually quiet since they landed, and Slate had never heard him talk like that before. “Easy, Kace,” Slate answered. “I’m sure the local humans wouldn’t appreciate that.”
Kace only shrugged a shoulder in response.
Alphy scratched the bottom of his chin. “No, but I do know something we can do to help give them a boost. Ryker, I want you to start dividing up all the assets. Kace and Tom, in the morning, you two stay here while Slate and I go take a look at those houses the five missing members owned. In fact, start with them. See if you can dig into their personal assets and freeze them. Keep an eye out to where they are, and what they are doing. I want to know just how much they are involved.”
Slate added, “And freezing their assets is a sure way to bringing them back. Mamma always said, ‘the best way to get someone remember you is to borrow money from them’. Well, close enough anyways.”
Chapter Two
Katie was tired, groggy, cold, and afraid as she solemnly made her way to the alpha’s house. She’d never been to see the alpha before because her dad’s alpha had been an evil thing, and she was just human. However, her dad had just told her that the alpha was killed by another alpha and the new alpha had come to take over the pack.