As Ryan's discomfort became palpable, Beta Carter turned his gaze to Jess. "The room to the left of Trinity's is free," he stated, his voice a clear dismissal. Jess's lips thinned, but she nodded curtly and slipped out of the room, leaving the heavy oak door to click softly shut behind her.
Boris then led Ryan down a short hallway, past a framed portrait of a stern-looking she-wolf, and into his office. The air in the small room was thick with the scent of old paper and polished wood, a stark contrast to the lingering sweetness of Trinity's heat that still clung to the main living area. Boris gestured to one of two leather-bound chairs that flanked a large mahogany desk, its surface orderly with stacks of folders and a single, photo of Boris holding a new born trinity. He wasn't probing into their sexual activities; he simply wanted to understand their plan for when Trinity went into heat. He had never dealt with his daughter's heat before and hadn't truly considered it. However, if Trinity had remained in the pack, this would have been an incredibly awkward scenario.
Boris considered contacting his Alpha, Adrian, who had two daughters and would have experience with she-wolves in heat, neither of whom had found their mates. The only thing holding him back was Adrian's obvious disdain for defectives, making him unsure if he would receive the answer he sought.
Seated behind his desk, Boris leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on Ryan expectantly. He wanted a concise explanation of their usual routine, as few details as possible.
Ryan shifted in his seat, the leather creaking beneath him. He wished the floor would turn into lava and consume him. Did he truly have to spell out that he would simply avoid her? This didn't need to be a conversation.
"I don't know what to tell you. I leave Trinity to do whatever she does. I don't see her much when she is in heat," Ryan confessed, feeling an intense blush creep up his neck, warmth spreading to the tips of his ears, and even t.o his fingertips. He wasn't entirely sure why he needed to explain this to the Beta. He told her father firmly, his voice cracking slightly, hoping to end the conversation.
Ryan couldn't understand what was going through the Beta's head. For some reason, his words only made Trinity's father glare at him more forcefully, the elder wolf's jaw clenching.
Beta Carter couldn't believe he was hearing a mate openly admit that he would leave his soulmate in pain and discomfort during her heat. It was utterly unthinkable to him.
"You leave her by herself when she is in heat?" Carter questioned, his voice low, his eyes narrowing slightly, just to be sure he had heard correctly.
"Well, yeah. I mean, it would be weird if I stuck around. My wolf may be dormant, but my genes respond to her too much." Ryan wasn't looking to create an awkward situation. Trinity didn't even know she was going into heat. What was there for him to do but avoid her? "That's an awkward situation," he mumbled, disbelieving the words he was saying to her father. Talking about being sexually attracted to his daughter felt bizarre.
"My pup is an awkward situation?" Boris debated in his mind if punching Ryan hard enough to bruise him would anger his daughter. His right hand twitched, his knuckles clenching for a brief moment.
Ryan couldn't wrap his head around this protective father who seemed to want him to sleep with his daughter. It just didn't make any sense to him.
He wasn't sure if this was one of those wolf customs his family had failed to mention, knowing it wasn't an issue since he didn't have a sister. Though if he did have a sister, he'd be completely against this kind of arrangement.
"We don't have that kind—." Ryan cut himself off, his words catching in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to tell Trinity's dad that he wasn't having sex with his daughter or explain why he didn't feel it was necessary to please her in that way. It was weird. But he knew if he lied, her father would instantly smell it. So he couldn't very well say he'd never had sex with his daughter because that would be a lie.
So he opted for silence, his gaze dropping to the polished wood of the desk, which he soon realized was also the wrong choice.
"Get out of my house," Boris ordered, his voice resonating with an undeniable Beta command.
Even though Ryan wasn't affected by a Beta's order, he could tell when one was being given. He felt the raw power prickle his skin, making it bristle. It was more than enough for him to quickly stand from his chair, a respectful bow to the Beta his last act before turning and leaving the office, his footsteps quick and purposeful as he walked back to his own home, far away from Trinity's aggressive father and the delicious scent she left perfuming the entire house. He was glad to finally be able to leave. He would just visit her in a few days when this was all over.
Grayson stood hunched at the back of the church basement, the stale air thick with the scent of damp concrete and desperation. Around him, the lone wolves murmured, their voices a low, constant hum, as they recounted the harrowing tales of what had happened to their loved ones. The flaking paint on the stone walls seemed to absorb their pain, and the single, bare bulb hanging from the ceiling cast long, dancing shadows that mirrored the fear in their eyes.
"We were at home, and four wolves in tactical gear burst through the door. They shot me with a silver tranquilizer. I couldn't move as they dragged my husband away," a woman in her thirties spoke, her voice choked with sobs as tears streamed down her face, glistening in the dim light. She wrung her hands, her shoulders shaking with each shuddering breath.
Every story was agonizingly the same: full-blooded wolves, cold and efficient, sweeping in and taking the defectives. They moved tactically, like a well-oiled machine, seeming to know exactly who they were looking for and what to expect. Some people, like Grayson's brother, were lured away by a ruse, someone pretending to be a cop. Others faced a brutal strike force. It seemed anyone who was with a full-blooded wolf received a swift, violent capture.
Grayson couldn't stand the constant chattering of stories, complaints, and mindless chatter. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his knuckles white. Someone had taken his brother, and he desperately needed to find him. They were meant to stick together.
"Listen up!" Jeremy, the self-appointed Alpha of the lone wolves, announced, his voice cutting through the murmurs. Grayson hated him; the moment he spoke, Grayson couldn't help but let out a small, guttural growl of discontent, barely audible above the others but potent with his simmering anger.
"We got lucky. Some of my boys were able to track one of the buses. They didn't get too close, but they all went back to the Council House. So whatever is going on is big," he spoke in his Southern drawl, his voice oozing with a false sense of concern. He didn't really care about anyone; he just cared about maintaining his power, his gaze sweeping over the gathered defectives as if counting his possessions. Grayson couldn't stand people like him.
"Now, my boys were able to hear that they were sorting people. Whoever is in charge of our Council, she was calling names and packs. My guess is, anybody who was taken went back to their original pack." Jeremy looked out over all the lost souls he had begun to shepherd. It seemed only right that he was in control. He was a twin. Alpha twins were not something people liked, as they could divide loyalties and power. His brother was born three seconds before him, so the pack was his. The moment his brother took control, Jeremy tried to have him killed. His betrayal failing miserably. It was more than enough reason for Jeremy to get out of Dodge.
"I know we want our people back. But we can't go in there gung-ho. We'll all end up dead. We're going to do some more recon. Figure out what's happening out there. For now, I just need everyone to keep their eyes open."
Until then, what were they supposed to do, Grayson wondered, his teeth grinding together? Just let his brother be killed or disfigured? He knew what it had been like for defectives. He hadn't seen it, but his parents had told him all about it—how the bigger packs would mutilate and harm their defectives in all types of horrific manners. He wasn't leaving his brother to that kind of fate.
"So you won't do anything?" Grayson challenged, his voice sharp, the words on the edge of a dare, something he knew Jeremy would answer. He wasn't so sure he would win in a battle of strength against him, but the desperation gnawing at him outweighed any fear.
Jeremy's eyes, cold and calculating, landed on the sullen-looking man. Like a candle being blown out, it struck him that he knew him. He truly knew him. Smirking, he took a slow, deliberate step closer to the dark-haired, brown-eyed loser. "And you think you can sneak into a pack, get your family back, and not get killed in the process?" Jeremy asked mockingly, a cruel smile playing on his lips. Everyone there knew the answer. The pack was too strong. There weren't enough of them, and no one was willing to risk their neck for someone else's kid. And everyone in this room had a family member, very few of whom were in the same pack.
"Tell me, what pack has your kin?" Jeremy asked, his voice dripping with condescension.
"Moon Blessed Pack," Grayson gritted out, his jaw tight, barely able to force the words past his clenched teeth.
Jeremy's smile widened, a predatory gleam in his eyes. He knew the Moon Blessed Pack well. It was his home pack, the pack his brother still controlled.
"That's one of the biggest packs in all of North America. You think you can get in? You know what, you can go ahead and try. When you do, tell that brother of mine I said hello."
Jeremy was deeply scared of his brother, which was why he ran in the first place. He didn't fear telling Grayson that Alpha Adrian was his brother. The boy would die before he even got to open his mouth, before he even got to see his own family.
Grayson didn't wait around to hear what everyone else had to say or what stupid plan they would hatch that consisted of waiting, seeing, hoping, and praying. He wouldn't leave his brother's fate in these idiots' hands. He was going to find him, and now he knew where to look.
He pushed open the creaking, warped door, its wood splintering at the edges, as he walked out of the dilapidated church. The building itself was falling apart, its windows long since boarded up with uneven planks, a testament to neglect and disuse. But it was a meeting spot for all lone wolves, at least the same ones, a refuge for the outcast.
Since he had left all those years ago, he was finally able to claw back his sanity. And he was clear-minded again. But even with all that clarity, a dangerous glint entered his eyes. He was about to do something extremely crazy. He was going to try to sneak into the Moon Blessed Pack. He was going to see his brother soon.
Author's Note:
I'm excited to announce that I'll be starting a Facebook page! It'll feature clip art for the various chapters, and I hope you'll all come and take a look. I'll let everyone know as soon as it's launched!