by Sydney Addae
As offers went, hers sounded innocent. Angus stifled his groan. “She’s decided she wants you. Be careful not to offend her or we’ll need to fight their entire army to get out of here.”
“Should I refuse the offer?” Damian asked, sounding confused.
“No, accept but do not lead her on and make no promises.” Angus watched the satisfied smile on the Prime Minister’s face as Damian accepted the invitation to dine.
“This way,” Miriam pointed to a side door. Once through the exit, the walls fell away. The dining area sat on a raised patio in the lushest garden Angus had ever seen. Brilliant explosions of colors surrounded them. The fragrance wafting from the garden rivaled the aromas of the large platters of food set in front of them.
Damian’s stomach growled, causing Miriam to laugh and her father to smile. “Sit, sit, we will have lunch and discuss your book,” the Prime Minister said, taking a chair at the round table.
“This is beautiful,” Angus said, thinking of little Renee and how much she would love to see the colors here.
“Thank you. We work hard to keep it safe and prosperous for our people. It’s difficult at times and we’ve been challenged repeatedly, but we remain free,” Miriam said, taking over the conversation.
Her father agreed as he filled his plate.
“What is safe?” Damian asked.
Angus inhaled and did not smell anything out of the ordinary. “It all smells good.”
“That is what I thought, but I wanted to be sure.” Damian accepted a platter of baked meats from Miriam and placed a few pieces on his plate. Soon they were all eating and enjoying the scenery.
A servant discretely walked up to the table and handed the Prime Minister a note. Frowning, he read the paper and dotted his mouth with his white cloth napkin. “Excuse me for a few moments.” He pushed back his seat and stood. “There is a matter I must attend.” He left the room at a brisk clip.
Angus looked at the door and then at Miriam, wondering if they’d set up some kind of plan. He remembered Tyrese saying the two had tag-teamed him in negotiations.
“What will you give me if I tell you information about Albuslupos?” Miriam asked into the silence.
“What would you want?” Damian asked before Angus could.
“I’m not sure, a favor perhaps?” She grinned at Damian and winked.
“No favors, tell her she has to name her price,” Angus told him.
Damian shook his head as if it pained him. “No favors, my time here is too short. Name your price.”
Her smile faltered and then brightened. “But I don’t want money. I’m already rich.” She leaned forward, the peaks of her breast proudly displayed.
Damian stared at the full, pale globes for a few moments and then looked into her eyes.
“You are indeed beautiful, but I’m just passing through and looking for information on the White Wolf Clan. I can pay you, but that’s all I can do.”
Angus was impressed with the diplomatic way the young pup handled that situation, and settled back to listen.
She continued to stare at Damian. “There are not many young men here, not really. I have never been on a date. So here’s the deal. I will tell you information on Albuslupos and you will take me to dinner one night on a date before you leave.” She held out her hand. “Deal?”
“You must tell us five things that are not commonly known.”
“Okay.”
Damian took her hand without consulting Angus and kissed the back of it. “I got the better end of this deal, thank you.”
Her cheeks pinked and she smiled.
Chapter 3
Silas strode into his office, nodded at Jacques, Tyrese, and Tyrone. They followed him as he continued into the main conference room where fifty Alphas waited to listen to what he had to say and present their concerns. Now that he had help from the three seated with him, he would make assignments based on the concerns. “Hello Alpha,” the men said together in a respectful tone.
“Hello, let’s get started. First, you know I’ve made some changes. These changes have been in effect for a month, but I’m still receiving emails, so I will go over everything again. Please write it down, don’t tie up my assistant asking who you should contact for certain matters. If you do that, I’ll get one of those automated phone systems we all hate.”
The Alphas groaned and asked him not to go that far.
“I don’t want to. The system I have in place works for me. I’m more productive and we are no longer playing defense. But to do that, I’ve had to delegate. Listen up, I don’t want to repeat this again.”
He paused and waited to everyone looked at him. Pleased he had their attention, he pointed at Jacques. “For legal and financial matters contact Jacques. He does the leg work and submits suggestions to me. It makes a big difference in my work load. Plus, it’s what he’s been doing for decades.”
Even though the laws and tax codes changed constantly, Jacques had always been on top of things and operated from a position of offense instead of defense. Before personal income tax had become the law of the land, Jacques sensed the change and prepared the Alphas a year in advance by setting up a system that would keep pack members out of trouble. All pack members were required to have their taxes filed by March 15th, a month before everyone else. With this date as the standard, the wolf nation had only a few isolated incidents with the IRS.
The one thing Silas emphasized was total integration within the system so they didn’t stick out. No one should look at a wolf and sense the animal beneath the skin. By requiring parents to teach pups how to hide their beast from the very beginning, Silas and his Alphas were able to live in peace.
“Every one of you are supposed to find every half-breed in your territory and get them tested and placed in the system. A lot of you are lagging behind and that’s not acceptable.”
“What about the ones who don’t want to join the pack?” an Alpha asked, and a few chimed in with agreeing sentiments.
“Join the pack? That’s where you’re missing it. If a wolf, half-breed or full-blood, is in this country, he is on pack land. My pack. There’s no choice to join what they were born into. What do you do to full-bloods who refuse to join your pack?”
“They have to leave.”
“Offer the same to the half-breeds.” He pointed to Tyrone. “I’ve put Tyrone in charge of major problems you have with half-breeds. If for some reason you can’t get through to the breed, you don’t kill them, Tyrone is your next step. Some will refuse to leave or join the pack, at that point contact Tyrone.”
The Alphas nodded in agreement with this solution. Tyrone’s abilities to make people feel comfortable and chatty while maintaining his goals were invaluable now that more and more breeds were coming out of hiding.
Silas had been shocked by the sheer numbers, and on more than one occasion had to get hard with his Alphas for not thinking inclusively. Half-breeds, like his children, were entitled to the same benefits as full-bloods. Thousands of full-bloods had found their mates since half breeds went public; there was no turning back.
Change was hard for those who’d been around for years and his Alphas needed help. Silas knew Tyrone could handle the huge assignment. Already the pup had plans to visit problem areas and have group sessions with half-breeds to discuss matters. At the end of the discussions and armed with the right information, they’d be able to make their decisions.
Silas also instructed each Alpha to have a half-breed liaison in their administration who reported to Tyrone. This would allow half-breeds another layer of protection by being able to file complaints without going through full-bloods. That had been his mate’s, Jasmine’s, idea. And it was a good one.
As the Alphas agreed to contact Tyrone regarding the burgeoning half-breed problem, Silas looked at Tyrese. For now he was his only enforcer. When Asia’s team arrived, Tyrese would have help. For now it was just him, and a mated pair, Leon and Brix.
“Rebels have plagued our nation
for decades, and as Alphas, you’ve spent thousands of hours hunting the bastards down to keep them from damaging your property and destroying our resources. Time you should’ve focused on pack members in your immediate care.” He pointed at Edon, his Alpha in Montana and Danielle’s former pack. “How long did it take you and your men to track down the fuckers stealing cows from your pastures and leaving a trail of uneaten carcasses across the plain?”
“Two years. Lost twelve good men and spent a lot of money, got in a lot of trouble with the human law, too. The best thing I ever did was place a bucketload of silver pellets in their asses. Buried them in the mountains after breaking the sons of bitches necks.”
Silas heard the anger and disgust in Edon’s voice. “I’ve thought long and hard how to ease that burden from all of you. I want you to focus on the day-to-day operation of running a large pack. Food, clothing, shelter, education and self-sufficiency.”
He listened as everyone agreed. “I’ve expanded my security team to include enforcers. KnightForces.” He waited to make sure he had everyone’s attention. “When our nation was smaller I could be more places, hear cases, make judgments, but that’s no longer realistic. That’s why we use monitors to meet weekly so I can keep my finger on the pulse of things.”
The Alphas agreed.
“At last count, there are over thirty-two million in the wolf nation, and I know that count is not correct because everyone hasn’t been counted yet. But that number is huge and each one of you must be more vigilant to the needs of those in your care. Remember, you wear my crest and my last name. You’re representing me, and I represent the Goddess, we all belong to Her.”
“Yes, Alpha,” they agreed. He could tell they each thought of their responsibilities. “That’s why I am removing some things from your plates and offering help.” He pointed to the men seated at the conference table with him.
“Tyrese and Angus head up the new KnightForces operation. The rebels are now on their plates and off yours. In the coming weeks you’ll receive an email that will lay out how you’re to report situations which this team will investigate.” He paused. “This does not mean you don’t have your own security or police, or whatever you already have in place. KnightForces are for those jobs I don’t want you doing. The rules that determine what cases they will or won’t take on will be sent to you later this week.”
Silas understood the light that appeared in Tyrese’s eyes whenever a new threat arose to the nation. Tyrese took threats as a personal affront because keeping his mom and siblings safe ranked number one with him. With his abilities, there were few who could stop him once he was on their trail. Those who could were on another continent and thankfully on their team. This new role worked perfectly for his mate, Danielle. As a photographer, she captured the world through her lens and always had her camera ready when Tyrese was on a job.
Sitting back, he rested his hands across his waist and looked at his Alphas. “Any questions?”
“No, Sir.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
For the next hour, they continued the meeting, dealing with his Alphas’ concerns. The search for the Liege continued, even though the scoundrel had gone underground. Silas gave his report on the number of labs he had destroyed and the pups they rescued. Some were returned home, others were guests of Cameron and Lilly until they could be placed somewhere within the nation. Silas went on to urge the Alphas to contact Lilly and post pictures of the children they’d found.
“We’ve run into a few problems with the empty labs and are working to correct that,” he said, not wanting to get into the legal ramifications of destroying the empty labs. When they were done, Silas left the conference room and was handed a sheaf of messages by his secretary as he entered his office.
“What did Tomkins want?” he asked Rose.
“Something about a lawsuit. He wasn’t too clear about it.” She remained at her desk and lifted her cheek for Tyrone, her mate, to greet her with a kiss.
“Hi you,” Tyrone whispered.
She giggled.
Silas turned and walked into his office, and returned the call to the head of his legal counseling team.
“There’s a problem, you’re being sued,” Tomkins said as soon as he came on the line.
Chapter 4
Hawke and Asia stepped out of the servant’s hut and looked down the dusty paths. Which way had they come? Hawke walked forward, thinking he’d eventually find the forest. Instead of reaching the clearing where he’d left Damian and Angus, he became tangled in vines and bushes while trying to move forward. The more he yanked on greenery, the more they wrapped around his arms and legs.
Disbelief raced through Asia. Why couldn’t he clear the way?
“Fuck this.” Angry, he shifted into his largest size and pulled harder on the vines. No matter how hard he tried to pull through the vines, the faster they replaced themselves. He couldn’t break through.
“Damn it. Don’t tell me we’re stuck here,” he muttered, saying what Asia had been thinking.
She looked behind them at the buildings, trying to find the path they’d entered the village. From this point everything looked different. “Did any of the buildings have marks on them when we came in?”
“Not that I remember.” He morphed to his normal size and stepped away, pulling clingy vines from around his arm and chest. Looking at the forest in disgust, he moved toward the closest building and stared. “Maybe we can find something to mark the buildings so we aren’t going in a circle.” He looked around and stooped at one of the fire pits. Asia walked to the next building and went inside. It was midsized, somewhere between the alpha’s house and the servants’ quarters. Everything fit neatly in one room, a sleeping mat in one corner, fireplace, with two wooden chairs and a small table in front of the fireplace. Pages from a book were strewn on the table and the floor, catching her attention.
Asia picked up the pages and looked at the words. The old scribbled lines meant nothing to her; she’d ask Hawke to translate them, and gathered them all together. When she heard Hawke approach, she stepped near the opening. “Look what I found.” She held the papers out to him.
He took them and stared for a few moments before looking at her. “Alpha Bertoff. Alpha to the White Wolf Clan.”
Her heart raced as he continued reading the pages. Impatient to know what information he discovered, she yanked on his shirt.
“What does it say? Alpha Bertoff was Amynta’s father?” Her grandfather, but she didn’t say it aloud.
“Yes. Her mother died at the birth of the twin brothers. There’s no dates or timelines, so I don’t know how old she was when they were born.”
“But she’s in there?” She stared at him. “In the book? Her name?”
Hawke met her gaze and smiled. “Yes. Here it is.” He pointed to a word on the page. The letters were strange but she didn’t care. Her roots sprang from this place, not the suburbs of some American city that had been placed in her mind by the Liege. Her vision blurred as she stared at the letters on the page.
“What… what does it say about her?” She rubbed her face against his shirt and listened to the steady beat of his heart.
“She was the Alpha’s first born, beautiful, with the heart of a warrior. Women could not become Alphas back then, but it sounds like she might have been qualified.”
Asia imagined the woman who’d escaped her fate could be anything she wanted. In the journals she left behind, she certainly pushed for Asia to reach for the sky. Would she be disappointed by how limited Asia’s life had been? A slave for the Liege for as long as she could recall, forced to do their bidding, suffering numerous surgeries until she termed herself a monster. A well of shame washed over her as memories of past atrocities she had committed flew through her mind.
“Asia, stop,” Hawke said, sending love and compassion through their link.
“I did horrible things, Hawke. She’d be so ashamed of me,” Asia turned and covered her face against his chest whi
le he held her tight.
“No, she’d be proud of you. Just like her, you survived. Against the odds you died and came back free. Free to live life on your terms.”
“But I was their puppet.”
“You clipped their strings, they have no control anymore.” He pulled her tight and rubbed her back until she quieted.
Her thoughts darkened and then turned red, blood red. The Liege had pimped her out like a crack whore, sending her to do jobs no human could do and survive. Initially she’d return and puke her guts out over the things she’d been made to do, the lives she’d ruined and terminated. How could she stand here, in this place where her mother was born with that filth on her hands? Hawke was wrong. Her mother wouldn’t understand, no one did. This love/hate battle within herself worsened the closer she came to finding answers. Answers she desperately needed but feared.
Hawke’s arm tightened around her waist, offering warmth and comfort. “Listen to this. Alpha Bertoff Sandulf – that’s your mother’s maiden name, Sandulf.”
“I didn’t know that.” Hearing the first and last name made a difference. These people were real and no longer figments of her imagination.
“Seems he took pride in his brutality and slaughtered anyone who trespassed on his land. His neighbors took exception.” He flipped the page and read for a short while. “Wow.”
“What?”
“Like I said, he would kill anyone who trespassed on his land, didn’t matter who or why. He killed someone in the royal family and started a war.” He looked at her.
Asia frowned, wondering if the war was the reason this place had been locked away. “Who did they war against?”
“Lyrill. The king of Lyrill declared war after the death of his daughter. Seems like it went on for a long time, both sides lost hundreds of warriors.”