Unfounded Allegations

Axel

“So, what’s your plan?” Harper inquired, his eyes scanning the documents spread out before us. I stood there, my gaze fixed on the accusations that were being leveled against me. It was clear that the little jerk had been working overtime to corner me legally. I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes.

“Unless he’s got the guts to come over here and drag me to the council law house himself, I’m not worried. These are just baseless allegations he’s using to see who will join him in his fight against me. He’s trying to start a war,” I explained to Harper, my irritation evident. Just by looking at the accusations, I could tell who he had sought help from.

Harper chuckled. “We did do a few of those things, though.”

I shot him a look.

“Let them prove it,” I retorted. Harper just shrugged.

“They can’t. But we can’t ignore the summons either. Layla’s sister has filed a missing person report. Nate is still insisting that you’re holding his future luna hostage,” Harper reminded me, his voice steady. I took a deep breath, reminding myself not to rush out and kill the bastard just yet.

“Well, there’s no undoing the mark. We’re bonded and there’s no denying that. Let him whine all he wants,” I said. “Isn’t it a bit messed up that her sister is filing this report when he claimed she was to be his luna just a few months ago? Now it’s Layla? Doesn’t Ashley have an issue with her man wanting to sleep with another woman?” I was disgusted by the whole situation. Having seen Layla’s memories, I knew how her sister treated her. It was all kinds of messed up.

“Probably just doing what Nate says, hoping it will earn her some brownie points. It’s definitely messed up,” Harper agreed. I fell silent for a moment.

“Damn it, how long before we have to deal with council members coming to inspect and inventory what we have?” I asked, flipping through a few pages.

“About a week, give or take. They’ll have to address the claims unless they’re withdrawn,” Harper stated. I read another page and had to resist the urge to crumple the paper in frustration.

“Or unless he’s dead,” I said, my tone serious. I was tired of being challenged at every turn. If they wanted to paint me as an uncivilized beast, then that’s exactly what they were going to get.

“That could work too. Are you planning to challenge him?” Harper asked, meeting my gaze.

“I am going to challenge him. I want to do it before this whole thing escalates,” I said. Harper sighed.

“Even if you take over his territory, they might still investigate,” Harper warned, always the voice of reason.

“Let them. Without Nate buzzing in their ears, they won’t do much,” I said, and Harper shrugged.

“Some might be worried about you taking over another large territory. I’m not against you challenging him, we just need to be prepared for the fallout. Many in the North territory won’t just bow down to you,” Harper said, a note of caution in his eyes. I sighed.

“I know,” I admitted, feeling a bit defeated. I rubbed my forehead. Taking over a territory was no easy task. There would be resistance, but hopefully, the hatred for Nate’s rule would outweigh the fear of being taken over.

I would give the people a choice: stay and adapt to the new territory structure or leave for a territory of their choice. There was a soft knock on the door.

“Axel?”

My heart raced at the sound of Layla’s voice. Harper quickly went over and opened the door for her. She looked as beautiful as ever, and despite having spent the entire morning with her, my mind couldn’t help but wander. Especially when I saw my mark on her shoulder, visible through the shirt she wore.

“You called?” Layla asked, her gaze meeting mine. She seemed a bit nervous. I couldn’t resist; I beckoned her to come closer. I watched as she approached me, leaning against the desk.

She didn’t hesitate, and I quickly reached out to pull her closer. Just because I could, I pulled her almost into me. My hand cradled the side of her head as I buried my face in her neck and hair, taking in our combined scents. Perfect.

“I did,” I said after a moment. I pulled back slightly, seeing a mix of amusement and desire in her eyes. She didn’t have to do anything to turn me on.

“Well?” she asked when I didn’t speak again but continued to play with her hair and pull her in by her waist. Harper cleared his throat, amusement in his eyes.

“Should I come back later?” he asked, and I smirked.

“Maybe one day you’ll understand, Harper,” I said to him. He just raised an eyebrow at me. I turned my attention back to Layla.

“Your sister has reported you as a missing person. They’re still claiming that you’re being held against your will. There are a few other accusations against me, but the most pressing one involves you,” I told her. A range of emotions flickered across her face.

“Ashley doesn’t care about me. She never has. I don’t understand why he’s still trying. I’m not going back,” she said, her grip on my forearm tightening. Her hand was still in my hair.

“I love hearing that, sweetheart,” I said, feeling possessive and satisfied with her declaration. “But I think he’s more concerned with using it to turn other territories against me. He’s accusing me of other disappearances as well. He’s saying that I’m kidnapping females and you’re the biggest proof of how bold I’m becoming.”

She looked shocked.

“What?” Layla asked, glancing at Harper who just shrugged.

“Nate and a few others are making a lot of accusations, Luna. Nate is leading the charge. There have been quite a few missing wolf cases in recent years. We’ve taken in a few of these, but not all can be accounted for by us. We offer refuge to wolves or lycans who are fleeing from abusive packs or situations. Some territories hide darker secrets than ours. So they’re trying to paint us in a worse light,” Harper explained. Layla looked furious.

“You can’t force someone to go back to a pack they want to leave. Did you give them papers? Did you make them citizens of your territory? Who are they? Do they need to be addressed?” Layla demanded, and I couldn’t help but smile. She was getting worked up, showing her fierce side for people she didn’t even know but could relate to. God, she was perfect in so many ways. I could easily fall in love with this woman, I realized.

“Sweetheart,” I said, pulling her back as she had turned toward Harper. He raised his hand in surrender, amusement in his eyes at her demanding answers.

“Calm down. Of course, we did. They all signed into the territory, were given citizenship, and also provided statements and testimonies in private files to be kept for situations like this. But we need to deal with your accusations first,” I said with a sigh.

“You’re not yet a citizen of this territory. We have the papers, but they’ll be marked after the accusations. We’ll still do it, but we’ll have to go to the neutral area and bring it along to show that we’re a bonded pair. They’re going to question you alone and with me. Are you okay with this?” I asked, searching her eyes.

“Of course. If I can knock out a few of your top men and almost hit you with a chair to defend a hospital, I can answer some questions,” she said confidently.

“Almost, almost hit me with a chair. I caught it,” I corrected her, and she raised an eyebrow at me. I just gave her a boyish grin, causing her to roll her eyes. She searched my gaze for a moment.

“Is that all? You just want me to be prepared to be interrogated? I’ll stand by you, Axel. I made my choice.” She reached up, her fingers brushing my neck and collarbone, close to her mark. I felt my body react to her touch. If she kept this up, I was going to have to kick Harper out so I could have her. She didn’t need to be in her cycle for me to crave her like an addict.

“I’m going to challenge Nate. Once they finish their investigation of the accusations, I’ll issue the challenge. I want them to know that I’ll comply with the council’s demands, but I won’t let Nate continue to get away with his actions. Nor what he intended to do to you. He’ll do it to others. You know he will,” I said, and she nodded.

“Will you kill him or make him submit?” she asked, and I stared at her. I was silent for a moment, but I could see that she understood what that meant.

“I have to end him. I can’t let anyone who challenges me live. They’ll always pose a threat, and I can’t leave that hanging. Especially when it’s a threat to you, Layla. Does that upset you?” I asked, eager to know how my mate felt about my decision as the alpha of this territory. She took a moment to gather her thoughts.

“No, I’m not mad at you. Nate is a threat and even if you made him submit, he’d never let it go. He’d seek revenge, I know what you’re planning is the right thing to do, Axel.” Her words washed over me like a soothing balm. I pulled her closer and planted a quick, but passionate kiss on her lips.

“So, we’ll have to leave in three days. Are you okay with that?” I asked her.

“Yes, I’ll make sure they understand. Are you planning to ask any of the others you took in to testify as well?” Layla asked, and I exhaled deeply.

“Yes, I am. We have evidence and recorded testimonies from several of them about the abuse they endured and their decision to come here. They didn’t want their packs to know their whereabouts. They were all adults who made this choice,” I explained, and she nodded in understanding.

“Then I want to be involved. I want to help you talk to them and ensure they’re okay if they have to confront their abusers. I want them to know they have allies and that we’ll fight for their safety and freedom,” she said, her voice taking on a distinct luna tone. I couldn’t help but smile.

“With that attitude, Layla, I think they’ll be more than willing to cooperate,” I told her, and she returned my smile.

“That’s our duty as luna and alpha, isn’t it?” she asked, and I raised an eyebrow at her but agreed. Layla then turned her attention to Harper, who stood with his arms crossed.

“You, give me the list and all the information I need. I want to be prepared. As beta, I know you have it.” Harper grinned at her assertiveness and finger snapping.

“As you wish, my luna,” Harper replied, bowing deeply with a hint of sarcasm. He moved to fetch what she requested, a smile playing on his lips.

I couldn’t help but smile too. As she turned back to me, her eyes filled with determination, I let my gaze wander down her body. She was a true luna, omega or not, and in my eyes, she was still absolutely perfect.