Shaya said, “You gave him up to your parents?”
Adriane looked surprised by the question. “No. He left of his own accord. He gave my parents a big sob story about how we were bad and abusive and hadn’t defended him against the accusations. They took him in, convinced he would be happier with humans.”
Nick leaned forward, hands loosely clasped. “Do you believe he was innocent?”
“Hector was guilty. I know he was.”
“How do you know?” asked Nick.
“He told me. No, he taunted me with it. It wasn’t until after we left the pack, though. Just before he went to live with my parents. Jenny, the girl who was assaulted and killed, was such a sweetie. She was a great help to me, and I often wonder if that was why he did what he did. He didn’t like to share my attention, you see. He didn’t like me having friends or even Thad, so he tried to isolate me.”
Jesse recalled Garth’s tale of how Adriane had isolated herself from the pack. It would seem that Hector was responsible for that.
Nick’s mouth twisted. “What made you and your mate step down from your position as Alpha pair?”
“We were blackmailed.”
Every Mercury wolf stilled. It was Nick who spoke. “Blackmailed?”
“I didn’t know about the blackmail.” Adriane crossed one leg over the other. “Thad told me he wanted to step down because the pack didn’t trust us anymore. He didn’t tell me until after we left the pack, but the Beta male, Jerold, had evidence that Hector was involved in what happened to Jenny.”
“What kind of evidence?” asked Shaya.
“Photos were taken by Jenny’s ex-boyfriend and hidden in his room. When Jerold was searching for evidence against the boy, he found them. Apparently some of them showed Hector very clearly. Jerold told Thad that if he promoted him to Alpha, the photos would be destroyed. I suspect he also blackmailed the parents of the other guilty boys in some way—maybe tried to extort money from them.”
“Why didn’t Thad hold Hector responsible?” Nick’s tone held no judgment.
“It sounds like a simple thing to do, doesn’t it? Straightforward. Just. If he was guilty, he should pay. You can’t know until you’re in that situation whether you really could give up your own child. Thad didn’t feel he could. He felt responsible for Hector being the way he was. Felt like he was a failure as a father. And if Thad had accepted that our son was guilty, he would have had to kill Hector.” As Alpha, it would have been his duty. “So he protected him.”
Nick sat upright. “Did Hector know about the blackmail?”
“Yes,” replied Adriane. “We’re not sure how he found out, but he was enraged that Jerold had ‘stolen his life’ from him. That was the way Hector saw it. He had a very strong sense of entitlement, you see. He thought he was next in line to be Alpha. Being the son of the Alpha pair gave him certain advantages, privileges, and an element of power. He lost all that.”
“He deserved to lose it,” stated Nick.
“Oh yes,” agreed Adriane. “But Hector didn’t see that because he didn’t care that his actions were wrong. He probably still doesn’t care. And in his world, everything is always someone else’s fault. He never took the blame for anything.”
Nick was quiet for a moment. “Is Jerold still alive?”
“No. He was the victim of a racial attack.” She glanced at all the Mercury wolves. “What will you do to Hector?”
“The same thing he’s doing to us,” Nick told her.
“I won’t make any statements against him. He’s my son. And . . . and I don’t want him back in my life.” She didn’t want his attention on her, because she feared him.
Hearing a car pulling up outside, Jesse cocked his head. “Sounds like your mate is home.” Her eyes widened. “He’ll scent us straightaway. You should open the door for him now, let him see that you’re unhurt.”
Everyone stood as she made a mad dash for the front door. She opened it and raised a calming hand at her mate, who was rushing toward her. “I’m all right,” she assured him. “Really.”
The male entered quickly and shifted his body protectively in front of hers. By that time, all the Mercury wolves were gathered in the hallway. “Get out of my house,” he growled.
“They’re here because of Hector,” Adriane told him. “He’s trying to take their territory from them, just like he’s done to others. They just want to understand what drives him to do so.”
Thad’s features settled into a mask of pain.
“I’m Nick Axton, Alpha of the Mercury Pack. You don’t need to fear for your mate’s safety. If we’d had any intention of harming her, we’d have done it already.”
Adriane rubbed her mate’s arm. “They already knew about the accusations. I told them about the blackmail.”
Thad shifted slightly to face her, though he didn’t turn his back on the Mercury wolves. “You told them Hector was guilty,” he guessed.
“We’ve protected him long enough. If he’d been held accountable for his part in Jenny’s death all those years ago, he wouldn’t be free to make other packs suffer.”
“He’s blackmailing us,” said Nick.
That had Thad’s attention snapping their way. “Blackmailing?”
“We’ve learned it’s a strategy he uses when shifters refuse to sell their territory,” Nick continued. “Although his so-called evidence against our pack would never lead to a trial, it would cause us a massive amount of attention and trouble if it was exposed to reporters and extremists—which is exactly what he’s threatening to do. We can sense that he hates shifters. We needed to understand why.”
Thad’s mouth set into a thin line. “And you hoped you would find something on him you could threaten to expose if he didn’t back off.”
Nick arched a brow. “Wouldn’t you, in our position?”
Sighing, Thad asked, “Do you have a child?”
“Yes. And I would do everything to protect her, even lie. I don’t judge your actions. You were protecting your son.”
“He didn’t deserve that protection.” Thad shoved a hand through his mousy hair.
“No, he didn’t. Which is why I’m going to ask you if there’s any chance Jerold’s photos weren’t destroyed.”
“After Jerold died, I went to his home to search for them, just to be sure. I didn’t want to risk that they would be handed over to the shifter council. Jenny’s family was dead. Our old pack had splintered. There didn’t seem much point in dragging it all up again. So, once more, I was prepared to cover up my son’s crime. There were no photos. Jerold destroyed them, as he’d promised.”
“Thank you for telling us what you know,” said Nick. “As a father, I understand how hard this had to be. You didn’t betray your son today. He was never a son to either of you.”
The couple nodded, but they didn’t appear comforted by the words. Who could blame them? There was really no way to be comforted in a situation like that.
“As I told your mate, you now have my protection,” Nick told him, making the lines of stress on Thad’s face ease a little. “I’ll leave you my number. If you’re ever in trouble, use it.” Nick scribbled his number on a pad, and then they left.
As Jesse and his pack mates headed for the rental vehicle, Jesse said, “Hector’s life was probably pretty comfortable when he was part of his pack, as the Alpha’s son. Then they were blackmailed and he lost his life as he knew it . . . all because of an ambitious shifter.”
“Of course, none of it would have happened if Hector hadn’t been so fucking cruel as to rape and kill that poor girl,” clipped Roni. She had once almost been gang-raped by a bunch of human boys, so she could no doubt relate to the terror Jenny must have felt. “But Hector doesn’t see that he did anything wrong.”
“I think he killed Jerold,” said Jesse.
“So do I,” said Nick. “But I think it wasn’t enough for Hector.”
Marcus nodded in agreement. “So he revisits that crime onto others again and again
, avenging his own ‘wrong’ again and again. Really, it’s not about vengeance. It’s just that he’s a sick fuck who’s stuck in a loop of rage.”
“Loop of rage,” repeated Roni. “I like that.”
Inside the vehicle, Nick said, “Knowing the facts helps, but we still have no evidence of his involvement. Nothing to blackmail him with.”
“We could bluff him, tell him we have the photos,” suggested Eli. “It’s not a great plan, but I don’t see what else we can do.”
Sad as it was, neither could Jesse.
The little cat slowly prowled across the branch, never making a sound. She watched the bird that was perched on the branch below. A kestrel. A shifter. It was looking at the lodge, not sensing the danger stalking it. Her prey never did.
The cat stopped directly above the bird. Tensed. Coiled. Prepared to strike.
She pounced.
She didn’t go for a killing bite. The bird needed to live. She slammed one paw on the kestrel’s body and sank her teeth into one wing. The shifter froze, understanding that to move would mean terrible damage to her wing.
“She won’t release you unless you shift back,” a female voice called out from below. Ally. The Mercury Pack males were also there, two in wolf form, two in human form.
The kestrel squawked, so the cat pressed her paw down harder.
“Shift,” ordered the she-wolf. “That’s a margay that has a grip on you, Tweety Pie. This particular margay ain’t what I’d call predictable. Definitely not patient. Right now, I’m guessing you’re testing that patience.”
“I once tested her patience,” said the Head Enforcer. “It didn’t end well for me. Now shift before she mangles your wing.”
The cat didn’t understand all of the words, but she sensed what her pack mates wanted. So she waited. Tension began to gather in the bird’s body. Feathers shrank and receded. The cat released the bird and knocked it off the branch. By the time the body hit the ground, it was human. A juvenile female, to the cat’s surprise.
The Beta male said, “Who are you and why are you here?”
Harley pushed for dominance, but the cat wanted freedom a little longer. She didn’t trust the bird not to shift. Harley understood and ceased pushing, though she stayed close to the surface and listened to the words.
“No sense in playing dumb, little bird. You invaded our territory. You owe us an explanation as to why.”
Fear tainted the bird’s scent, making the cat’s nose twitch.
“Are you part of a flock?”
The bird slowly stood, holding her injured arm. “No.”
“Who hired you?”
Two wolves padded close, and more fear wafted from the bird. “Hector Flynt.”
Recognizing the name, the cat hissed. Eyes snapped to her. The cat stared back.
“Come on, kitty,” called the Beta female, tapping her thigh.
The cat didn’t move. She didn’t want the she-wolf’s touch.
The Beta female let out a long breath and then turned back to the bird. “I’m guessing you weren’t sent here to kill any of us.”
“No, he just wanted some information.”
“What kind of info?”
Tension again gathered in the bird. Not trusting the shifter wouldn’t try to flee, the cat slid off the branch so she was hanging upside down, gripping it with her hind paws.
The young female jerked, and the level of anxiety in her scent rose. “He asked me to look around, listen to some conversations, find out what’s happening, and report back to him.”
The Beta female looked at her mate. “He wants to know if we’re making preparations to leave; he’s checking to make sure we’re doing what he wants.”
The bird blinked. “Why would you leave? This place is awesome.”
“Glad you think so,” said the Head Enforcer.
Looking at the cat, the bird smiled. “Even she’s pretty cute.” The female reached out to touch the cat; she whipped her tail, making her jerk again. “Or not.”
The Head Enforcer said, “It’s best not to antagonize our little margay. There’s really only one wolf in this pack who can calm her down. And he’s not here.”
Sadness was thick and heavy in the female’s scent. She rubbed her wounded arm. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you? Just make it quick.”
The Beta female folded her arms. “How did you become a loner?”
“My family was exiled.”
“Because . . . ?”
“My father dueled with the Alpha and lost. Even though my dad was badly hurt, they cast out my parents and me. My dad died a few weeks later. My mother was dead within days of his death.”
Becoming bored, the cat tapped her tail on the tree trunk.
The Beta male spoke to the wolves. “Take her to the toolshed.”
The wolves shifted into their human form. The bird tensed but went without a fight. Still distrustful, the cat heaved herself back up to the branch and, leaping from tree to tree, kept pace with the three shifters as they walked.
One of the wolves—Bracken, the cat sensed—put the bird inside and locked the door. The cat leapt onto the roof, and he smiled at her. “Don’t worry, little cat, there’s no way she can get out. Not even in her bird form. Zander will be standing guard anyway. Come on, let’s head back to the lodge.”
The pack was just finishing dinner when Jesse and the others finally returned. He went straight to where Harley was sat at the long table and kissed her smack on the mouth, luxuriating in her taste and scent. He’d spent most of his day on a jet, and all he’d thought about was her. “Hey, baby.”
She nipped his lip. “Hey.”
Lifting her, he sat in her chair and set her on his lap. “That’s better.”
“I saved you all some food,” Kathy told them. As the pups chatted animatedly to Shaya about their day, Kathy slid plates heaped with food in front of Jesse, Nick, Shaya, Roni, and Marcus.
“What did Hector’s parents say?” Ally asked Nick.
Everyone went quiet, eager to hear the answer.
“Wait a sec,” said Shaya. She then guided the pups into the living area. Once she returned to the kitchen, she said, “They’re preoccupied with the TV.”
Satisfied, Nick then spoke. “Hector’s father wasn’t home at first, so we mostly talked with the mother.” He relayed everything the human told them followed by their brief conversation with Thad. “In sum, we still have no blackmail material. Nothing to help us get Hector off our back for good.”
“I think our best bet is to arrange a meeting with him and then claim we have the photos,” said Eli. “We have nothing to lose. But if we do nothing, we risk losing our home.”
Jesse nodded, only then noticing that Nick was staring at his brother, eyes narrowed and suspicious. Eli paid him no attention, but there was no doubt in Jesse’s mind that he knew he was being watched closely.
“Okay, what did we miss?” asked Nick, running his gaze along everyone.
Ally sighed. “I told you they’d sense that something happened.” She turned to Nick. “We were going to tell you after you’d eaten.”
Jesse’s hand clenched on his mate’s thigh. “What? What happened?” His wolf shot to alertness.
Shaya rubbed her arms. “Tell me the extremists didn’t turn up.”
“The extremists didn’t come here.” Derren put down his fork. “We had an intruder while you were gone. Not anyone dangerous, just a juvenile bird shifter; she was sent by Hector to spy on us.”
“What?” demanded Nick.
“It’s fine,” said Bracken. “Harley’s cat caught her and then shoved her to the ground.”
“What?” demanded Jesse. His fury rose hot and fast.
Harley patted his hand. “No need to panic. Really. No one other than the bird got hurt. Bracken and Zander locked her in the toolshed.”
“Toolshed?” repeated Nick, pushing out of his chair. “I’ll deal with this.”
Ally jumped to her feet and planted
herself in front of him. “We can’t kill her.”
The Alpha snorted. “Oh yes we can. If you and the other females want to deal with this one, I’ll show you where I hid the shears.”
Harley looked at Jesse. “Shears?”
“I’ll explain later,” he told her, enraged with himself for not being there to protect her from an intruder and enraged with her for involving herself in the situation.
“You’re pissed, Nick,” said Ally. “Understandable. But she’s sixteen, if that.”
“Sixteen?” echoed Shaya, face softening.
“And all alone,” added Ally. “She’s just trying to survive.”
“Yeah, and that can’t be a nice situation,” clipped Nick. “But think of what damage she could have done if you hadn’t known she was there. She would have heard us telling you about our conversation with Hector’s parents, and she would have given him that information—”
“But she didn’t, because I had the vision and Harley’s cat caught her. Think, Nick. We can use the girl. Like I said, she’s just trying to survive. I sensed shame in her. She doesn’t like what she’s doing. For the right amount of money, she’ll tell Hector only what we want him to be told.”
Derren nodded. “We can have him think that we’re making arrangements and starting to pack our shit.”
“And if we kill her, he’ll just send someone else,” Eli pointed out.
Shaya inclined her head. “That’s true.”
“Just talk to the girl before you do anything rash,” urged Ally. “She’s scared and ashamed.”
Shaya took Nick’s hand. “Come on, we’ll talk to her.” The Beta pair followed them out of the lodge.
That was when Jesse turned to his mate. “Protocol is for the nonwarriors of the pack to take cover in the basement. Why weren’t you in the basement?”