MAX
Weâre huddled in the barracks, whispers floating around us. We canât make out the specifics, but the distress in the voices is clear.
Alpha Damian is ordering the children to school. Anyone over fifteen is required to stay; theyâre potential threats, having likely found their wolves by now.
Derek had filled me in on the interrogations of the detained warriors. Under the alphaâs command, they were compelled to tell the truth, a process that could be excruciatingly painful if they resisted.
Not one of them was found to be lying. However, that didnât rule out the possibility of other warriors being involved in the deception.
Derekâs eyes glaze over, a sign that heâs receiving a mind-link message. Moments later, he nods at us and we leave the barracks, positioning ourselves around the training field at every possible exit.
The packâs warriors, not understanding whatâs happening, adopt defensive stances when they see us and realize our scent isnât familiar. There are a few aggressive growls before the alpha orders them to stand down and introduces us.
Beta Elijah (my uncle) steps forward and introduces me as the alpha heir to Ridge Mountain Pack. They also know Iâm his nephew.
Thereâs silence as I move back to stand in front of my warriors, signaling that Iâm in charge. A good alpha always leads his warriors.
Alpha Damien starts dividing the pack members into smaller groups. The reason for this isnât clear to them until the beta goes around explaining, while Damien moves about, trying to detect anyone exuding unusual amounts of fear.
An alpha could smell fear on his pack members when he focused on it. The first group that the alpha approaches doesnât flinch when he commands them to tell the truth, asking if they knew anything about Charityâs attack.
He asks where they were that night and who they were with. Theyâre dismissed and asked to return to their homes until this is over.
The alpha will send a mind link to the pack once they can resume their normal activities and pick up their children from school. The children are safe, under the care of the luna and the betaâs mate.
Several of my warriors are guarding the school to prevent any unexpected incidents. As whispers start circulating around the field, I hear a young she-wolf start to cry.
I scan the field to locate her. Sheâs about fifteen, with bright blue eyes and dark brown hair.
Sheâs collapsed to her knees in the grass, praying to the Moon Goddess. I signal Derek to look at her.
He glances at her and then back at me. âThatâs Jarodâs sister. The one who was supposed to have communicated with Charity. She breaks down every time this is mentioned. Itâs honestly irritating.â
âDonât you think itâs strange? Is she upset because she was caught lying? Or is there more to it?â I canât help but be suspicious, despite her age.
Girls can often be spiteful and vindictive. Derek shrugs. âWeâre about to find out.â
We watch as the alpha sifts through them, demanding their obedience and honesty. So far, theyâve singled out one warrior from the group and heâs now kneeling on the ground, hands tied behind his back.
Heâs glaring at the crying girl, his face flushed with anger. Another stands off to the side but isnât restrained.
My guess is that he has information but isnât directly involved in the situation, otherwise heâd be restrained as well. Two groups of about thirty each are left in the field.
A couple in their forties stands over the girl, urging her to stand and to be quiet. Theyâre likely her parents.
When Damien stands in front of them, their gazes immediately shoot up to the alpha, terror evident in their eyes. Now the pieces are starting to fall into place for me and Iâm curious about this young she-wolfâs connection with a couple of warriors, who are clearly older than her.
Damien steps forward and pulls the girl to her feet. She keeps her gaze on the ground, whimpering.
âDo I need to use my aura on you, or are you going to finally tell the truth?â Damien growls at her. At that moment, the mother steps forward and pleads with the alpha not to harm her daughter.
I can see the veins in his neck bulging as he struggles to control himself. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Derek stride up and pull the girl from his fatherâs grip.
He drags her off the field toward the prison. My guess is that itâs for interrogation away from her parents and prying eyes.
Vengeful wolves are not to be underestimated. Damien growls at the group, and they all turn their heads and expose their necks in submission.
He exerts his aura on them to extract the truth and the girlâs mother steps forward. âPlease Alpha, all I know is that my daughter is somehow involved but she wouldnât elaborate any further and I donât want to see her hurt. Sheâs just a girl.â
âShe will be dealt with as I see fit. Now the rest of you go home and do not leave your homes until I have instructed you to do so. If you do not follow my orders, the guards will apprehend you and bring you to my prison. I hope I am clear?â
Everyone present nods in understanding and begins to head back to their homes. The two warriors that we had taken aside are also escorted to the prison, one in cuffs and the other walking willingly.
Iâm eager to find out whatâs going to unfold. Itâs clear that the one warrior and the girl are involved in some way.
My warriors return to the barracks, some preparing for patrol. Weâll be on patrol until tomorrow to assist the alpha in resolving this issue with minimal disruption from his pack members.
I watch them leave and then follow my uncle to the prison. We walk close together, talking in hushed tones.
He tells me that the girl is Jarodâs sister and it seems sheâs been lying about several things. The alpha had trusted that family, having watched those kids grow up with his own.
Jarod is devastated and had left the moment he was told he could. He had accepted some of the blame and is clearly upset about what had happened.
I feel heâs partly to blame for persuading Charity to meet him in the woods. What were they planning to do in the woods at night, with patrols roaming around?
We reach the prison doors and Uncle Elijah uses his thumbprint to let us in. Despite the packâs small size, this building is just as technologically advanced as ours.
Uncle Elijahâs businesses have been so successful that they were able to upgrade the prison as soon as they could afford it. Iâm proud to say that my mom was the first to help get it on track, and my grandpa never misses a chance to say how valuable she would have been to the pack if she had stayed.
This always gets an eye roll from her and my grandma. The thought of her luna duties taking a back seat to being the packâs accountant is a family joke.
I turn to my uncle. âWhat do you think all of this means?â
He shrugs. âHard to say, but itâs clearly more complicated than we thought. Of course, we owe it to your mother for devising this plan. Sheâs always been incredibly smart. Iâm glad to see sheâs still got it.â
We both laugh because we know he still frequently calls her to discuss finances and get her opinion. Itâs no secret that my momâs mind is always working.
As we go down the stairs to the underground cells, we get there just in time to see the alpha punch the restrained warrior in the face. No one reacts as he continues to hit his face over and over until Derek pulls him off, reminding him that we need more information.
Beta Elijah moves toward the two visibly angry alpha males. âWhat did we miss?â
âYou missed hearing how this piece of shit was involved in my daughterâs assault,â the alpha spits out, his canines showing as he struggles to control his wolf.
The room goes eerily silent, the only sound being the alphaâs heavy breathing and the girlâs sniffling from down the hall in another cell. I lean against the wall. âDo tell.â
âGive me a sec,â Alpha Damien mutters, pushing past us and bounding up the stairs two at a time. The sound of his clothes tearing echoes down as he shifts at the top of the stairs, then bolts out of the building.
Iâm starting to understand why Derek hadnât mastered control over his wolf until heâd undergone training. Iâve been watching his fatherâs struggle with it for the past two days.
In that moment, I realize something. Derek is destined to be a much more effective alpha than his father ever was.