If the Elder's presence wasn't the promise of a different future, she'd make plans to escape the palace.
Or die trying.
2
It was amazing what could be organized in a week, and considering Rafe was working with the lowest ranks in the Lyken community, the task he'd set himself had been Herculean in proportion.
The problem was, Gammas were almost accepting of any abuse a higher rank gave them.
Just like they accepted orders to clean the floor, they accepted being beaten. It was the way of the world. From the beginning of time to the end, nothing would really change. The fittest would survive, the strongest would prey on the weak. But it was the twenty-first century and the situation didn't have to be so goddamn Darwinian now.
Christ, he knew Lykens were set in their ways. Everyone was. There were traditions to be upheld, after all.
But still... Laura had made him see he could no longer sit back and watch as nature was supposedly allowed to run its course simply because one bastard Beta had the bit between his teeth and wanted to hurt those under him.
In no other society would an insane male with an aggressive streak be allowed full sway over those weaker than him, but pack law had never made much sense.
There was a selfish aspect to this entire farce, that he wouldn’t deny. He knew that if something wasn't done, Jason Torres would come after him, and eventually, kill him. His sister was right, but then, Laura would say she always was.
The thought had a smile twitching along his lips, and considering the tension rippling through him, the slight break in pressure was enough to have him wriggling his shoulders, trying to ease the strain a little more. When that didn’t work, he reached up and rubbed at his neck.
Yes, he was here for himself, but more importantly, he was here for the women currently sweating away behind him. Not literally perspiring. Simply dreading the moment the TriAlpha mate, her highness the Lunoi, appeared on the doorstep.
When Laura had urged him to seek change, he'd had a look into the protocol of approaching the TriAlpha's mate. She was more accessible than the TriAlpha, but audiences could only be requested on the last week of every month. Unless there was a festival approaching and a meeting could be scheduled all along that week.
He'd taken advantage of the special occasion that was the Centennial celebration, as well as taking a chance on his own powers of persuasion, and immediately contacted the palace to request a last-minute audience with the Lunoi.
Theoretically, the palace couldn't have turned him down, but if her highness' schedule had been full, then it had been full. Blood couldn't be milked from a stone.
Luck had been on his side and making initial contact had been the easy part. Convincing the women in his care had been so much harder.
Since Torres' promotion into the pack's council, Rafe had privately handled thirty beatings, and worst of all, fifty-eight rapes or sexual assaults.
He'd decided to target the women who'd been sexually assaulted, believing it would be easier to appeal to the Lunoi and actually get her to take notice if those cases took center stage. She was a half-blood, not a full Lyken, but more importantly, she was a woman. No woman could overlook the systematic rape of her sisters, could she?
He was pinning his hopes on that. Hell, truth was, he was pinning more than his fucking hopes on the Lunoi’s expected reaction to news that dozens of pack females had been abused.
Of those fifty-eight, he'd selected the single women who had nothing to lose; the mated ones... well, they were under their mates' thumb. Most of them wouldn't have even told their mates they'd been raped so getting them to come forward was just never going to happen.
It was a twist of fate that Gammas rarely mated fellow Gammas. Mother Nature in her infinite wisdom tended to pair them with higher ranks who couldn't always accept their mates' lowly status, believing it reflected badly on them.
A mate bond was a precious jewel for some; in this case, it was often a trap.
Knowing that, Rafe had steered clear of the mated women and approached the rest of the single Gammas. He'd managed to appeal to only six of them who were with him today and already regretting it.
Looking back, he didn't have a clue how he'd managed to sway even six of them! He was just grateful he'd managed it at all.
Rubbing the back of his neck once more, he turned away from the window overlooking the neat gardens that were famous throughout the land.
In that yard, the TriAlpha celebrated all of their most important occasions. Anything from mating parties to baptism ceremonies. Lyken magazines were filled for weeks with the fodder from the palace.
Being inside the stronghold of the Lyken Nation had a peculiar sensation buzzing through Rafe... pride and a notion that he was fated to be here. Odd or not, those notions strengthened him, gave him the courage to turn around and face the table of nervous women.
The room was sunny; pale yellow walls, a circular table that filled the room to bursting, comfortable chairs surrounding it, and in the corners, potted plants added a burst of green to the environment. It wasn't clinical or sterile, it was a room made to put people at ease.
Only on this occasion, it wasn't working.
He moved away from the window and over to the table. Taking his seat, he let his gaze glance over each woman. Their terror was a visible thing. Pale, sweating faces, hunched shoulders. Their body language screamed their fear. While he was nervous and on edge, he didn't share their fright.
There was no alternative to this route they had taken; it was either do this or let Torres continue raping and attacking like he was a Viking flung forward a few thousand years into the new millennium.
If he was nervous about anything, it wasn't the audience with the Lunoi, it was if she'd help them. The end result scared him more than the means to achieve it.
Into the silence of the room, a screech suddenly ricocheted about the wall as a chair was scraped back against the floor and Mandy Lawrence jumped up.
The other women jolted in their seats, their glance, as one, physically connecting with Mandy's frightened face.
"Calm down, Mandy," Rafe murmured, using the voice he needed to soothe his fractious patients.
"Calm down?" She squeaked. "You ask me to calm down when the Lunoi is on the way? To speak to us? How am I supposed to relax, Rafe?"
"You relax by knowing she's here to help us."
Lizzie Ballester snorted. "She's the Lunoi, Rafe. Why should she help the likes of us?" The question was as haughty as a Gamma female would ever get.
"Because that's her role, Lizzie," he told her impatiently, as he’d told her a hundred times since he’d concocted this plan. "Look, we all know why we're here today. It's not because someone keeps stealing the Lyken Times from our doorsteps, for Gods’ sake. We're here because our lives are in danger, and so are the lives of our fellow Gammas.
"The worst has already happened to you; there are plenty more Gamma females for Jason Torres to attack. Do you want that? Do you want those assaults on your conscience?" he asked, feeling mean but knowing that was necessary.
Already, Mandy looked on the brink of running off, and Lizzie didn’t look far from that—the last thing he needed was for his mutiny to sink before it even had a chance to soar.
"Don't put that on us, Rafe," Lizzie pleaded.
"Why not?” he demanded, knowing the words were cruel and hating the necessity of that. “Why shouldn’t I? You’re not in this alone. I’m here too. With you.
“Ladies, I've been beaten so many times I've stopped counting. I'm in danger. Every time I leave my surgery or my house, I don't know where he is or if he'll come after me. I can't grocery shop without looking over my shoulder.
"At the moment, he's targeting me. But I'm well aware that there'll be someone else on his radar soon. And I can stop that poor bastard from stepping into my shoes by coming here today and talking with the Lunoi. You can all do the same; protect another woman from being assaulted the way you were. W
e have no choice but to think of others. The worst has already happened to us, and this is our chance to make someone hear us, to hear our pleas. Why would you walk away from that opportunity when we’re so close to actually having someone listen to us?"
Heather Liccata scrubbed a hand over her forehead and mumbled, "Even if she does listen, and they do something, there's no guarantee Torres won't find out and punish us."
"There's no guarantee he won't do that anyway," Rafe pointed out, hating that he spoke the truth. He saw them all flinch and felt sorry for it.
Damn, this entire shitty situation was totally unnecessary. If they'd been able to approach their own Alpha, if Gammas weren't shuffled to the side and ignored, this could have been avoided.
Instead, they were about to talk to the fourth most important Lyken in the country; all of them praying to the Gods she'd help.
If she didn’t, and news trickled down to Alpha Stevenson, the head of the Summerford Pack, of their reason for being here, they were dead meat anyway.
But he couldn’t think that way. He couldn’t.
For a few minutes, they sat in silence, pondering his words. Rafe had an extra ace in the pack, but he was hesitant to use it; hesitant to publicize something that set him apart from his other Gammas.
He was a healer by nature. Something that was reflected by his choice of career. Being a doctor wasn't just a job, it defined him. It was who he was. But he was so much more than a doctor. He healed, not cured.
When he'd touched the women, his gifts had given him a sensory memory of what had happened. Each bone that had been broken, he'd felt the way it snapped, and from that, came a kind of shadowy picture of how the bone had been mistreated. He'd seen without the use of his eyes how these women had been raped and assaulted.
He knew Mandy had been trapped in the park, her younger brothers playing on the swings while Torres had pulled her aside while the boys’ happy shouts echoed in the near distance.
Lizzie had been cornered outside of the grocery store where she worked. Beside the bins, Torres and three of his cronies had taken turns with her, beating her as they raped her, leaving her a pile of crumpled human flesh on the floor.
Each woman had a story and he knew them all.
He had felt their bruises as well as tended to them, he had experienced the agony between their legs as he'd checked them over. As he'd doled out the morning-after pill, he'd felt their mind-numbing horror at being violated.
What he experienced were echoes; mere shadows of a real event. Even so, he had a better idea than most of the trauma these women had been through. It astounded him that they would simply endure and put up with this crap than make waves.
In so many ways, he was an unusual Gamma. Unlike these ladies here who all worked in blue collar positions; waitresses, cleaners, factory workers... he was a surgeon. A cardiologist. He was also a Pack Healer.
His ranking was low, but his life was anything but Gamma. Laura was right; it was no real wonder Torres targeted him, greed alone would urge him into making Rafe pay simply for being different.
As it was, he'd spent most of his years being different; but that point was really hitting home now.
When Laura had made the suggestion, he'd blanked her at first. Discarded her arguments, believing the situation was useless. But now he was here, he felt ready to fight.
Change was coming and he intended to be a part of it.
"Look, I know you're scared," he told them, his voice strong and sure. Steady with purpose. "I know you've been through hell; but we have to do this. We have to make them see that this can't continue! Just because we’re Gamma, that doesn’t mean we can be treated this way. You didn’t deserve to be raped, I didn’t deserve to be beaten. We have to fight for change, don’t you see?" His breath sounded loud in his ears, but his impassioned words seemed to fall on deaf ears as the females around him didn’t appear rallied, just terrified.
Then, he realized why.
"It seems you already have a champion, ladies."
The words made Rafe's guts twist into a knot. He turned, aghast, at the woman standing in the doorway behind him.
Even if he hadn't known her face from the Lyken Times, he'd have known she was a cut above the rest. The rings on her fingers were worth a cool couple of million alone. She certainly was no assistant or secretary.
"Your highness," he whispered grittily, lowering his gaze to the ground and bowing his head.
Chairs scraped, and equally aghast as he, the women dropped to their knees, eyes on the ground. He could feel their horror at the Lunoi's presence, especially when the first thing she'd seen was his lecturing them.
Mortification rumbled through him and he dropped to his knees too, but it was tempered when the Lunoi said, "There is no need for remorse." A smile was on her face as she continued, "Please, rise. Be comfortable."
Deciding to be honest, Rafe murmured, "I'm afraid that's impossible, your highness. We're all very nervous of the repercussions that could come from today."
The Lunoi shrugged, but it wasn’t dismissive or with an aim to hurt. "I can only imagine. You are the Gammas seeking to alter pack Law, no? That is asking quite a lot.” She shielded the directness of her stunning emerald gaze by lowering thick lashes. “I want you all to be aware that I'm the ears for my mates. Anything I glean from this meeting, my opinions, everything, go to them. They make the final decision." She sighed, her nostrils flaring with irritation. "I wish this weren't the case, especially in situations such as this one. Unfortunately, I can only do so much."
Rafe nodded. The preface was disappointing but not too surprising. "We understand that, Lunoi. Just hearing us out will be appreciated. I know we're asking for a lot; we want to change laws that have been around since the very first Lykens walked the Earth. But times are different now. We are still governed by rulings that protect the strongest in our packs, but the higher ranks don't need that protection. The weaker ones do."
The Lunoi nodded and closed the door behind her. "Ladies, I would like you to tell me your own particular tale. I would like to understand how this Beta has behaved. If I can understand, then I can better explain it to my mates."
For a second, anger whipped through Rafe. He wanted to ask if it was necessary to put the women through this again when the Lunoi had heard him state the females here had been raped, but the TriAlpha’s mate simply looked at him, a sad smudge in her eyes. Her hand was at hip level, and she pushed down slightly, fingers flaring toward the ground as though saying, ‘Be patient. This can’t be helped.’
His jaw tensed, but he nodded again.
"If it helps, we can do this privately, in my office. Or, if you'll gain strength from being among your pack, then we shall stay here. The choice is yours."
The problem with Gammas, Rafe thought ruefully, was the choice was never theirs. The women looked at each other, gazes terrified at the idea of being in control of the conversation.
He took charge, knowing they'd be there all day otherwise. "I think it would help if we stayed together, your highness."
The Lunoi, apparently realizing her mistake in giving the women a choice, shot them each a gentle smile. "If at any time during this meeting you find you can't talk about what happened, then afterward, we shall speak alone."
More furtive looks, more lip biting. Rafe sighed exasperatedly, and when the Lunoi took the only spare seat, he took his and the women followed.
"Who would like to start?"
Knowing Elizabeth Granger had more of a voice than most, he murmured, "Elizabeth, why don't you tell us what happened to you?" His soft query had her head jerking upward.
For a second, she looked like the proverbial rabbit in the headlights at being picked out. But then, she nodded, and staring at him all the while, she started.
And so it began. Each woman told their tale. Each woman stared at him, gaining strength from his resolve, as they recounted each hideous moment. Describing how and where they were assaulted. For how long, by how many.
It was the hardest two hours of his life. Seeing them cry, having their eyes connected with him, was harder than knowing he was in the presence of royalty. He had to maintain that contact, he knew he was their strength. Knowing he had no choice was a double-edged sword. But he did it, and by the end, felt as though he'd gone twenty rounds in the ring with his boxing teacher.
Emotionally, he felt scarred by the entire process. Physically, he was exhausted.
When the last woman fell silent, her sobs taking the place of words, the Lunoi murmured softly, so softly it was almost a whisper, "If you go outside, an assistant will guide you to a room where you can take some refreshments."
Each woman nodded with their head bowed, eyes on the floor now with their silent shame, shame that was aimed inward and not on the fucker still strutting about Austin raping, tormenting, or bullying only the Caelus knew who.
Rage burst along his nerve endings, a fury so great he felt as though he couldn't contain it. It sparkled and spat, exploded and burst... as he fisted his hands, above him, the lightshade exploded.
Glass flew in all directions, the women shrieked and covered their heads with their hands.
Shocked, he looked upward, studied the shade, then shook his head. But even as his head started to sway, the doors slammed open and five guards burst in, almost trampling the Gammas in their haste to reach the Lunoi.
"The light burst!" she gritted out, shrugging off one of the guards' hands that he'd clamped about her arm and refusing to get to her feet as she declared, "Get. Off. Me."
The man glowered at her, but she glowered back. He slowly released his grip on her arm, and spoke to the others, "Perimeter safe?"
"Yes, Alpha. Must have been a faulty bulb."
The leader, the one who'd grabbed the Lunoi, nodded, but looked damn grim as he did. His mouth curled into a sneer as he studied the cowering Gammas, then with a grunt, left the room and his men followed him.
A Gamma cleaner appeared next, sweeping up the shrapnel covering the table.
Trinity (The TriAlpha Chronicles Book 1) Page 4