“Why odd?” Brady asked. “What else is he going to do in there?”
Emma shrugged, not having an immediate answer, and turned away to locate the logbooks. Next to a stack of old binders, she found a book lying open.
Names and times had been marked for various shifts as security came and went. She noted an entry for Aiden and one for Ace. Nothing amazing. No reason it should have been necessary to bring it to their dinner meeting, yet Jay had been adamant that they go and retrieve it.
Emma grabbed the book, and as she picked it up, an empty syringe rolled off the counter and hit the floor.
Where there was a needle, there should have been medicine to go with it. She looked around the counter and tried to open the cabinets above. All locked. “You see anything strange over there?”
“Like what?” Brady asked.
“I don’t know. Just anything.” Emma looked over the notes again for each person who had gained access to the room. The handwriting was atrocious. Some scribbles were completely unreadable. One in particular had signed in only about half an hour before they had come in. She’d have to find a way to watch the security footage to match the person with the unreadable scrawl, but Emma would be willing to bet whoever it was had been administering a sedative to Leif to keep him quiet.
She rifled through the old binders on the counter, hoping one might be a medical log, but they were all empty, awaiting use as they collected dust.
“Nothing looks strange here. If you could give me a clue...” Brady grumbled.
Emma glanced up and took mental note of where each camera in the room was as she walked over to Brady. “Someone has been drugging Leif,” she whispered, careful to make sure her mouth was out of sight of the security video.
“Why didn’t we think of that?” Brady laughed, seemingly oblivious to her attempt at being covert.
“Only when necessary, like our drive here. Until he is judged, Leif is entitled to basic rights and a standard of care,” she whispered sternly.
“Jay never mentioned having medical personnel on sight. Who else would have those kinds of drugs?
“That’s a good question. I think we’re going to have to have a talk with our hosts.” Emma glanced once more toward the sleeping form of Leif, watching curiously for any hint of distress in his nearly mechanical breaths. “Administer the wrong dose of some medications and even a wolf can succumb to the effects. We’re either dealing with a pro or someone who got real lucky.”
“Unless they intended to kill him,” Brady added.
“What good would that do?” Emma asked.
“Discredit my claim to Charles’s territory,” Brady answered arrogantly. “The only reason Leif was left alive was to give testimony. Rachel was a former member of his pack with reason to hate him. Fallon is a high-ranking member of our pack with reason to support me. They as witnesses alone are not enough concrete proof, given their relationship to me. Leif, on the other hand, has no reason to lie about what happened between me and Charles. His sentence would not be affected by that testimony.”
“We need to find out who’s been in here, then, and what pack they’re from. If what you’re saying is correct, then someone from the Reds territory might be working to undermine you.” Emma held tight to the logbook and tilted her head toward the door.
“Keep quiet until after the dinner. I’ll put a bug in Jay’s ear as soon as possible.” Brady opened the door to leave.
Outside in the hall, Brady moved as if he were on a mission. Emma stopped and faced one of the guards she’d busily passed by on the way in. “Who came through here last?” she asked.
The guard’s face tightened, lips pursing as he struggled to think. “A lady and some men were here before you.”
“Did you know who they were?” she asked.
“They weren’t from our pack.” He shrugged. “They had the code to get in, though, so I assumed they were allowed.”
Emma was about to ask what they looked like, but Brady called to her from the end of the hall. She’d have to wait for security footage for that answer.
15
Aeson Silverman
Guest filed into the brightly lit dining hall. Each pack owned a specific territory around the large banquet table.
As a show of their wealth and prominence, Vivian had ordered the finest of their gold to be used. From flatware to charger plates, everything had been polished and shined, a glittering display of wealth under the glow of the chandelier, gaudy in its opulence. Ace wondered if Emma would find this as offensive as she had found him earlier. As that thought hit him, he realized neither she nor Brady had returned.
With a quick glance over his shoulder, Ace locked eyes with his brother. “Where are they?” he whispered, not wishing to draw any attention from the others settling down to their plates.
Jay shook his head and shrugged.
If they didn’t return in the next few minutes, he’d go and find them himself, but for the moment, he smiled and nodded as eyes began to look toward him to start the meeting.
“Enjoy, please.” He waved his hands toward the table.
According to plan, every place setting had also been given a folder containing the agenda and copies of supporting documentation. Ace watched with great interest to see how the leaders of each group handled the news. Tito tossed aside the brief, more interested in the meaty salad in front of him than the juicy tidbits of wolf drama within the papers. His mate, Yanira, looked as if neither option interested her. She sipped at the glass of champagne she’d brought in from the solarium and held a conversation with Rachel.
Soft noises of knives scraping against plates and clinking glasses quickly replaced the initial chatter around the room. Silence was a sign of a good meal, and Vivian’s plan working almost perfectly.
The only person not under the spell of food and wine was sobbing softly as she dove into the folder of information. Regina looked as if she were moments from a complete breakdown. Her fingers shook as she gingerly touched the pages within the folder.
Of all the people involved in this bad business, he empathized the most with Regina: powerless, mourning one son, and still reeling from the death of her mate. She had lost so much, and the pain of it was palpable all the way across the room from where he sat. The fact she’d shown her face at all spoke to the strength of her spirit, but her ever-increasing piteous cries were beginning to draw annoyed glares from other guests at the table. Alphas, even females, were expected to wear the mask at all times. Strength above all, even emotions.
“Our packs have all been united by this council for generations.” Ace spoke, creating a distraction from Regina. He stood and lifted his glass. “Before we officially open this first meeting, let me offer a toast to you all, preservers of the peace.”
Mumbles echoing his statement accompanied the raising and clinking of glasses. Less enthusiastic than he’d hoped for, but a much better sound than tears.
Regina seemed to have snapped out of it for the moment. She downed her glass and waved it at one of the waiters standing ready with a decanter in hand.
As appetizer plates emptied, waiters moved to quickly replace them with the next prepared course, after which sorbet arrived as a palate cleanser, per his mother’s direction – that was the cue for Ace to begin the official proceedings.
The doors behind him parted, and Emma with Brady close behind rushed into the room, making quiet apologies for their absence.
The look on both of their faces bordered on rage but neither spoke as they found their seats. Jay had warned him they might be angry, having been sent on a wild goose chase for nothing of any importance – another thing he’d have to apologize for later, if Emma gave him a chance to speak.
Still standing, he addressed the room again. “The folders that have been placed at each of your seats should provide some interesting reading. As some of you are well aware, our territories are under strain due to loss of leadership and boundary disputes.”
Grumbles arou
nd the table echoed a similar sentiment in the room.
Ace lifted a hand and pointed to Aiden. “Alpha of the Olde Town, Aiden Whelan will fill you in on the details of what has transpired in his territory, the significance of which might have far-reaching consequences for us all.”
Aiden stood and nodded respectfully to Ace before addressing the room. “After an attack on our home in Massachusetts, we discovered a joint plot involving the former leader of the Reds, Charles Marsden, and the current leader of the Loups, Leif Chevalier. They attacked us openly and without provocation, leading to the execution of Charles and the detention of Leif for judgment.”
Charles’s wife, Regina, flew to her feet, snarling, “Lies. My husband was acting on the murder of our son. You provoked him!”
Her revelation triggered an echo of dissension among many wolves in the room. Regina’s supporters were few, but their voices demanded to be heard.
“The execution of the younger Marsden wolf,” Aiden said, with his own commanding tone, “came at the hands of Brady Whelan after the discovery of his intent to kill the wolf Rachel Marsden.”
Regina glared at the Whelan brothers, and the angry hiss of “Murderer” that escaped her lips was like a curse that shocked the whole room into silence.
Brady cleared his throat as he stood to speak. “Rachel Whelan was under the protection of my pack after we found her beaten and bloody body left for dead in the woods. The young Marsden boy’s death was justified under Alpha law, having been found guilty of physical abuse to his mate and attempted murder.”
“Who witnessed his trial?” Regina spat at him and then winced and clutched her stomach. Her Alpha’s mask had not only slipped but clattered embarrassingly to the floor, along with her wineglass.
Aiden quickly responded. “Alpha law allows me to sentence any wolf committing a crime within my territory.”
“Very convenient, don’t you think?” Regina cast tear-filled eyes around the room.
Murmurs and shaking of heads suggested that some in attendance were not wholly convinced that Aiden had done the right thing, even among his own council. Orion shook his head, as if disagreeing with the events as described. He thankfully did not give voice to that opinion. Blindly agreeing with his allies, Ace had assumed those in his inner circle would do the same. Richard too seemed to be grumbling inaudibly after Regina’s last comment.
“What was Leif's interaction in all of this?” Tito spoke up over the din of the assembled wolves. “Isn’t the reason we were called here to discuss his death? I don’t see where he was involved.”
Aiden addressed him directly. “He was found colluding with Charles during the attack on my home. Both wolves were found at Charles’s base camp situated a few miles from our compound.”
“What proof do you have of this collusion?” Tito asked.
Aiden pointed to his mate. “Fallon, Rachel, and Brady were on the scene. The women witnessed the death of Charles and the apprehension of Leif.”
“He went willingly?” Tito asked curiously.
“Yes,” Aiden responded. “I believe he assumed it would serve him better to do as we asked.”
“Because he knows the council will take this into consideration. Had he been guilty, he could have legally been killed on site with witnesses,” Tito added. “The fact he came with no persuasion does speak to his potential innocence of the crimes.”
“You think he was there for a social visit?” Brady scoffed.
“I do not presume to know the reason he was there. That, as I understand it, is the reason we are meeting to discuss his fate, is it not?” Tito responded slyly.
“Has he been imprisoned this entire time?” Regina slurred as if she were having trouble forming the right words. A waiter replaced her fallen glass of wine and she snatched it up, downing it in one go.
“Someone accused of crimes as heinous as Leif’s requires confinement until sentencing,” Ace responded, in a show of solidarity to his allies. “He was transitioned from the Olde Town pack’s care into ours upon arrival, and we have seen to his basic needs during his time spent in our facility.”
“I would like to see Leif with my own eyes and ask him about his involvement,” Tito said.
Ace nodded and turned to his trusted butler, standing at the door. “Bring him in.”
Aiden cleared his throat. “You will of course hear his side of this story, but while we’re waiting, let me fill you in on the damage inflicted upon my pack.”
Waiters shuffled around the room, clearing plates and replacing them with the next course on the menu as Aiden began to recount the events of the past month.
The assembled wolves listened as he vividly described the battle, the near destruction of his nature preserve compound, the loss of life, and the fear his pack members had been put through. Women and pups who could not fight had been sent away. Men and boys who were unable to defend the compound had been sent away as well. The wolves that had remained to protect the compound had given their lives to the pack. Some of the injuries Aiden described were so gruesome that even Tito cringed at the description of them.
After he had finished his story and sat down, the door opened again and Leif was escorted in, his arms cuffed behind his back. His appearance was unusually disheveled and groggy, as if he’d been sleeping rough on the streets for days. His clothes hung off his skin, making him look emaciated .
Ace’s mouth hung open with shock seeing how drastically the old wolf’s appearance had changed. Only a day had gone by, although even if it had been longer, there was no reason for Leif to look so bad.
And the smell. A sickening scent of bile followed in his wake. Quite the showman, Ace thought to himself, as Leif even went as far as to limp into the room and slowly take the available seat.
Regina looked shocked at first, watching the old Alpha walk into the room, but as he was paraded around her toward an open seat, her expression morphed into disgust, as if she might become sick just from sharing the same space with him. Her repulsion was more than fitting since Leif had been the instrument of her undoing.
“You said you saw to his basic needs.” Tito was the first to respond in shock to seeing the condemned’s entrance.
“I’ve had surveillance on him since the moment we arrived. If you would like to see the footage of his imprisonment and treatment, it will be made available to you,” Ace replied defensively.
“I assure you that this” – Aiden waved a hand at Leif – “is all done to evoke sympathy for him from the council.”
Tito scoffed, “Alphas don’t show weakness to curry favor with anyone.”
“Are you accusing me of lying about his treatment?” Ace snarled at the Lobo’s implication.
To his left, Orion silently shook his head, disappointment evident in his eyes.
Ace should have known better than to act so rashly. That was just the kind of thing they expected from an unqualified leader. Before anyone responded, he locked eyes with Tito and lowered his voice. “Evidence will be presented, and you will have time to consider what you see; however, please remember you are in my home and in my territory. It is not wise to cast unqualified negative aspersions on your host.”
“Our young Alpha is reckless with his words. I was merely making an observation based on the evidence thus far. This man before me is neither dressed nor groomed for a meeting of this caliber. He looks fatigued, and dare I say, weak and malnourished. All signs point to lack of care. And he has been in your care most recently, has he not?”
Tito’s words earned murmurs of assent from the assembled wolves.
Ace hesitated before responding and glanced to Aiden again for support, but it was Emma who stood to speak.
“Alphas don’t take power without having strength and a cunning mind. Leif Chevalier has proven he has both, time and time again. Without that impressively sharp wit, he would not have convinced Charles Marsden to act against our pack, nor would he have convinced the former Alpha, Misha Noels, to act against the Lo
ng Teeth territory a few months ago.”
“No proof was ever found that Misha was coerced into her actions,” Tito answered sharply. “She paid the price for her own treachery. I’d like to hear Leif speak rather than listen to you tell me what he did or did not do.”
“I have done nothing more than what other wolves in my position have done for centuries.” Leif spoke in a dry whisper, guaranteeing the room would go silent in order to hear him.
Ace had only spent a few short moments at a time with this Alpha, and each time he knew exactly where the power had rested in their conversation. Leif might have been a wolf mad with his own power, but he knew precisely how to wield it.
“To the charge of invading Olde Town lands, what do you say?” Tito asked.
Leif smiled up at him before turning to Aiden. “I did no such thing. I believe the young Alpha here has already confirmed it was Mr. Charles Marsden who led the attack on his people.”
Regina hissed like an angry cat.
Leif didn’t seem bothered by it as he continued. “Brady Whelan did his duty and executed him. I can bear witness to that fact. As can the two lovely ladies sitting on either side of him.”
Trembling with rage and looking as if she might just stab Leif with a butter knife, Regina jumped to her feet. “You set my husband up, you bastard!”
The two men who’d been standing nearby, her personal bodyguards, took Regina by the arms and held her until she stopped struggling and agreed to sit down.
“Mrs. Marsden, if you are unable to remain civil during these proceedings, then I will have to ask you to leave.” Ace struggled to balance authority with compassion in his voice, understanding the difficulty of her position. But even in the face of great pain, an air of civility had to be kept.
“And your part in Charles’s invasion? Were you not partners, as they claim?” Tito asked.
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