Chapter 192

#Chapter 192 – Savvy Twins What is our plan, Alvin says, his eyes darting to Ian’s as he speaks directly into his brother’s mind. Now that they’re in the same room again, their powers are back in full force. Alvin had never really gotten the full story about what, in the first place, had interrupted their ability to communicate clearly since Ian arrived at their grandfather’s house, but whatever had been in the way was gone now.

The twins were back and ready to take action.

We have to get to mama and papa, Ian says, locking eyes with Alvin. Joyce said they are downstairs.

How do we do it?

Alvin begins to respond, but he’s interrupted by their grandfather, who is still sprawled on the floor at their feet. He moans, his eyes starting to flutter open.

Oh, Alvin says, his eyes going to Ian’s, wide with surprise. I thought he was dead. Didn’t you?

Ian just shrugs. I didn’t really think about it.

Both twins watch John Walsh as he works to push himself up into a sitting position, wincing and putting a hand to his head as he looks around the room.

“What the hell is going on here,” John growls, noting that Joyce is at the front of the room, speaking to a team of Betas, but that his wife and his daughters are gone.

“Joyce took over the pack,” Alvin says evenly, looking calmly at his grandfather from his place on the pack. “He said you didn’t want it anymore.”

“What!?” John says, glaring between the twins and then over at Joyce. Ian just nods in confirmation, carefully watching the situation unfold. Both twins are unusually quiet, working hard to see any opportunity to turn things to their advantage, to escape the room.

Joyce looks up from his meeting with his Betas and locks eyes with Walsh. “Ah, John,” he says, putting his hands on his hips. “So nice of you to join us.”

“What have you done, Joyce,” Walsh growls, still rubbing the tender spot on his head where his wife had hit him with the lamp.

“Oh, just put the pieces back together on your failing regime,” Joyce says bitingly, leaving his Betas behind and crossing the room to the boys and the former Alpha of the Walsh pack.

“I –“

“You,” Joyce says, interrupting, “completely mishandled everything. When I arrived at this house your wife and Luna had knocked you out and was declaring her daughters your heirs. Falling to a coup run by women, John?” Joyce sneers down at him. “Pathetic.”

John says nothing, just continues to rub his head and scowl.

“Luckily for you,” Joyce continues, “I did arrive on time, having escaped from my captivity at the hands of your daughters –“

There’s shock on Walsh’s face and Joyce smirks at him, pausing.

“Oh,” Joyce says, condescending. “You didn’t know that? So much you don’t know, Walsh. We’re so lucky I’m here to take over for you. Perhaps you are getting too old.”

“I will never turn over power to you, Joyce,” Walsh growls, “not while there’s still breath in my body.”

“It’s not up to you,” Joyce says, shrugging. “It’s already done. You’ve been declared incompetent, deposed. I was the one to take Victor Kensington alive, not you.”

Walsh’s jaw drops open at this news.

“Yes,” Joyce says, raising his eyebrows. “A bit of a coup, with that one. He’s mortally wounded, in the cells downstairs, dead or dying at the moment – I don’t care which. And I have the boys,” Joyce says, nodding towards Alvin and Ian. “The heirs to both packs.”

Walsh begins to slowly shake his head, assessing the situation and his weakened place within it.

“Yes,” Joyce says, watching him. “Soon the pack will be mine. All mine. And you will have nothing to do with it.”

“Our papa,” Alvin says before John can respond, working to make his eyes fill with tears and his lower lip tremble. “Our papa is…dead?”

Ian slaps his hands over his mouth, catching the hint from his brother and working to raise a bit of hysteria on his own face as well. Of course, both boys know that their father is alive – they can feel it, inside of themselves. But they also know how gravely wounded he is.

Still, they sense that this is their chance.

Joyce opens his mouth to scold the boys, to tell them to be quiet, but before he can they both throw their heads back and proceed to sob their hearts out. Their bodies go almost boneless as they collapse back on the couch, screaming their terror and their sadness and their rage.

Joyce flinches back – he didn’t know children could make that kind of noise. John reaches out for them – either wanting to silence or comfort his grandchildren, they didn’t know.

But the boys keep going, evading any comforting touch from their uncle or their grandfather. Instead, their faces go red as they vent their apparent sadness in an unyielding wail.

“Come!” Joyce barks to his Betas, who, hesitating, come forward and stand next to their Alphas, having absolutely no idea how to do. Childcare was not part of their Beta training program.

“Well?!” Joyce says, frustrated, looking around at the four Betas who stand by him. “Do something!”

“Sir?” Beta Brent says, drawing his brows close together. “What would you like us to do?”

“Seize them!” Joyce commands. “Take them away, upstairs! To their own room, lock them in!”

Brent nods, moving forward and hesitating before he puts a hand on Alvin’s shoulder.

“There there, little tyke,” Brent says awkwardly. “Come on now, stop crying, you’ll –“

But before he can say anything else, Alvin acts.

His crying ceases immediately, act that it was, and he snaps his head up to look into Brent’s eyes. He points a finger at Joyce and says, his voice talking on the calm control of the Alpha command, “seize him.”

Brent’s eyes go wide as he feels the command take control of his body. Before he knows what he’s doing, he is reaching for Joyce, twisting his arm around his back –

“Seize my grandfather!” Alvin says firmly to the Beta behind Brent, whose face also takes on a look of shock before complying. “Cover their mouths!” Alvin commands, knowing that a contrary command from Joyce could very well undo his own order.

But his control of the Betas is strong, and John and Joyce’s shock works against them. Before they can protest, each has his arms twisted around his back, a hand over his mouth.

“You!” Alvin says to the larger of the two Betas left, who both stare uncomprehending at the scene in front of them – it’s only been seconds since Joyce had been seized – “grab him!” Alvin says, pointing to the other Beta. “Tie him up!”

The Beta obeys, dismay on his face as he realizes what’s happening, pulling zip ties from his pocket and securing the other Beta with his arms around his back.

When Alvin sees the zip ties appear from the Beta’s pocket, his eyes light up. He hadn’t been aware that the Beta forces in his grandfather’s army carried these – his father’s didn’t. An idea he’d have to mention to his father, next time he got the chance.

“Tie them up as well!” Alvin commands of Brent and the Beta holding his grandfather, pleased at the progress. “And gag them! Gag everyone!”

The Betas comply, and then Alvin commands each of the Betas to tie each other up until only Brent is left free and under his command.

When Alvin finishes, he turns to his brother, ready for the next step when he stops suddenly, surprised by the shock he sees on Ian’s face.

“What?” Alvin asks, eyes wide. “What’s wrong?” he looks hurriedly around the room for whatever Ian sees as the source of danger.