Ever since the elections, Palani had been waiting for George York to make contact. He wasn’t sure how or when, but he was certain that the prime minister would contact him at some point. Their previous meeting had been loaded with double meanings, especially in hindsight. 

That’s why he wasn’t surprised when he got a phone call from the man’s scheduling secretary, asking for a private, off-the-record meeting with him. He had to admit that the second part of the request—that Lidon be present as well—did surprise him a little.

Of course, his relationship with his three men was not a secret. They had become open about it, and York had to have known even before that. After everything Palani had learned about the elections and the win of the CWP, he had no doubt that York had vetted him even before talking to him when he was still working for the newspaper. No, this man knew as much as he possibly could, which was why this meeting was a potentially dangerous situation.

“Do you think I should go?” Lidon asked when Palani told him about the invite.

Palani leaned back on the couch, folding his hands behind his head. “I honestly don’t know. I’m inclined to say you should, if only because I’d love to have you present there, but at the same time, I’ll admit I'm worried about why he wants you there.”

Lidon nodded thoughtfully. “Do you reckon the news about my shifting has reached him already?”

“I was wondering the same thing,” Palani said. “It’s only a matter of time before it becomes public knowledge since we haven’t closed the pack and have admitted new members. We’ve talked about this, and we both agreed it was a risk we're willing to take.”

“We made the right call there,” Lidon assured him. "Look, there was no way we were going to keep this a secret for long, so we might as well be as open about it as possible without broadcasting it. So it’s possible that York has heard about it, which is why I have to say I’m not comfortable sending you to meet with York by yourself.”

“I was planning on taking security,” Palani said.

Lidon shook his head. “That’s not what I’m worried about. Well, it is, and you should take a few of Bray’s men, but I’m more worried about you having to face the prime minister by yourself.”

Palani smiled. “You’re worried about me being able to stand up to him?”

Lidon’s reaction was swift. “Hell no and you know it, too. I don’t like you being with that man on your own. We’re a pack, we do things together. So I should come with you.”

Palani debated protesting more, then surrendered. To be honest, he liked the idea of Lidon coming with him. As much as he liked to pretend he was taken as seriously as an alpha-journalist, his beta status did play into how he was treated. Having a strong über-alpha like Lidon by his side couldn’t hurt.

“If he asks about the shifting, what do we tell him?” he wanted to know.

Lidon took his time to answer, and Palani took the opportunity to study him. He had changed since the shift. The last few weeks of Vieno’s pregnancy, Lidon had been restless, on edge. Now that his body had made the shift, he radiated his usual calmness, though it felt to Palani like his power had tripled. 

He’d always been aware of Lidon, from the day they had met. It was impossible not to feel him when you were in a room with him. But since he had shifted, that had increased. Palani could sometimes feel him walking into the house, like a swell of power rolling over him whenever Lidon approached. He wasn’t sure if it was just him, or if Enar and Vieno experienced the same. He hadn’t had a chance to ask them yet.

It had made him wonder, this perceived increase in power. If the three of them could manage to tap into his powers, like Vieno had done during delivery, would they be able to shift as well? It was a question as intriguing as it was scary. And there was no way of finding out until it happened. Or not. It seemed like a lot of what they were doing now was on a trial-and-error basis.

“I say we tell him the truth,” Lidon said. “Their methods are questionable, not in the last place the election fraud. But they are our best allies right now. If the public finds out about the pack and about my powers, there will be a media frenzy to say the least, and the AWC will come for us for sure. Having the prime minister on our side could be beneficial then.”

He was right. Palani didn’t fear the media frenzy so much, certain that Bray’s men could keep reporters out. It was the reaction of other parties he was far more concerned about, the AWC foremost. There was no predicting how they would respond to the undeniable proof the shifters were back. 

“They’ve been quiet publicly,” he commented.

“The AWC? Yeah, I noticed,” Lidon said. 

“Their militant wing is growing, though, according to one of my sources. They’re getting a lot of new members since the new government, mostly older alphas who resist the challenge to the status quo.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“They’re not only growing in numbers but radicalizing. Their leader is a guy named Bennett Wyndham, calls himself a business man, but there’s a euphemism if I’ve ever heard one. He’s kind of like the unofficial mob guy from the south side.”

“Big Bennett?” Lidon asked, dragging a hand through his hair. “I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s got quite the empire, all right. We butted heads with him multiple times, but we never could make a charge against him stick. A few of his underlings, yes, but never the big man himself.” 

Palani wasn’t surprised Lidon knew him. From the little research he’d been able to do into the guy’s dealings, a lot of them were drug-related. “I think he’s Watkins’s client.”

He’d spent quite some time trying to figure out the clues Watkins had given them and he’d stumbled across Wyndham’s name. Turns out, the man had a son, an omega, though Palani hadn’t been able to find out much more than his name. James Wyndham. It sounded like some kind of earl or duke, he’d thought wryly, but he doubted the boy’s life had been much fun with a father like that. 

Lidon’s eyes widened, then closed as he shook his head. “Dammit. Of course, he is. It fits.”

“It does. And it makes Watkins’s info on Melloni even more reliable.”

“What would they have him work on?” Lidon wondered.

Palani had considered that. “My guess? Reversing the effects of the gene. They don’t want wolf shifters.”

“Isn’t it crazy how it all crosses? Our enemy is kidnapping Melloni to basically do the same thing we want, to reverse the gene, while the people who claim to support us are the ones behind it,” Lidon said with a sigh, rubbing his temples. “I swear, it gets harder and harder to tell who the good guys are anymore.”

They hadn’t told Sando about Watkins’s suspicion. They had debated it long and hard, but had decided not to say anything until they had hard proof it was Melloni. The kid had been through hell and giving him false hope would be cruel. They’d waited for Watkins to contact them with more info, but he’d gone quiet after their meeting. Palani was almost at the point where he was getting worried, but there was little they could do. 

“Let me assure you that Wyndham is definitely not a good guy, not even close. He’s now branching out into anti-government militia,” Palani said. “One of my former colleagues from the paper told me they’re stocking up on all the guns they can get their hands on.”

“The prime minister should investigate that.”

“They've done nothing illegal. Yet.”

“Not that anyone can prove,” Lidon said. “But if Watkins is correct, they were behind the attack on the ranch.”

“Not something the prime minister can use without going against the official police report, now can he?” Palani countered. “Or something he can investigate without us giving him access to the pack, which we don’t want to do.”

Lidon let out a frustrated sigh. “I hate it when you’re right.”

Palani grinned. “You must hate me a lot, then.”

Lidon laughed, a full laugh, and Palani realized how long it had been since he’d heard that sound. He acted on impulse and slid off his chair, crawling toward his alpha on his knees. “Maybe I can do something to get into your good graces again?” he asked with a sly smile, reaching for Lidon’s belt. 

Much to his surprise, Lidon bent over, grabbed his head with both hands and kissed him hard. “I couldn’t possibly love you more than I already do.”

Palani beamed, his lips tingling from the kiss. “Does that mean you don’t want the blow job?”

Lidon unbuckled his belt himself, then unzipped and whipped out his cock, which was already growing hard. “I wouldn’t go quite that far.”

Lidon was nervous for the meeting with York. Something about the man made him uncomfortable. Maybe it was the knowledge of what he had been involved in, the many shady practices tied to his name.

There was the Melloni gene, first of all, and while they possessed no concrete evidence York was involved, he'd had knowledge of it and certainly hadn’t spoken out against it. More damning by far was the election fraud. The man was prime minister and his party had won the elections, but not by a democratic process. They had rigged the election, not just the pre-election polls.

“It’s because you don’t know what to expect,” Palani told him in the car. “You don’t like to go into a situation blind, and that’s exactly what this is.”

Lidon pondered that for a bit. “You may be right. I don’t like that we don’t know why he wants to meet with us.”

Palani smiled. “Of course, I’m right. Didn’t we establish that two days ago when I sucked you off like a champ?” he teased.

Lidon snorted. “And so humble, too.”

“You know you love me.”

Lidon’s face softened. “That, I do. Very much, in fact.” 

Since they were stopped at a traffic light, he leaned in for a quick kiss. He wasn’t usually this mushy, but the whole thing with Vieno had hit him hard. His mates needed to feel and hear how much he loved them, and even though it didn’t come easy for him, he’d vowed to do a better job showing them.

He wasn’t sure why he had expected York to meet them with his whole entourage, but it was just him and one other guy, who he introduced as his personal assistant. Lidon and Palani shared a quick look at that introduction, as the small gestures of intimacy between the two men betrayed they were a lot more than coworkers. Lidon tried to remember if he’d seen anything in the news about the prime minister being married, but he couldn’t recall. He would have to ask Palani afterward.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I asked for this meeting,” York said.

“We are,” Palani said, and how Lidon loved him for blatantly disrespecting protocol and speaking out as a beta rather than letting his alpha speak for him.

York didn’t react other than his mouth pulling up a little into a hint of a smile. “Before we get into that, I wanted to assure you that this conversation is off the record,” he said.

Again, it was Palani who reacted. “Off the record from your side or from ours?” he asked.

York’s smile widened. “I do admire your sharp mind, Mr. Hightower,” he said. “Let’s say that you are guaranteed this is off the record from our side and that we hope you would extend us the same privilege.”

That was not a call Lidon was prepared to make at this point, not when he had no idea what the topic was they would be discussing. He was sure Palani felt the same way. “We’ll need to hear what you have to say first, before we can make any guarantees or promises,” he said coolly. “Your track record so far shows you have little appreciation for the truth, so we’re not exactly embracing you as our ally.”

“Fair enough. I can see how you would come to that conclusion. I do hope that over time, you will see I do have the best interests of our species at heart.”

“That’s debatable statement,” Palani said. “I think what you mean is that you have the best interests of the alphas at heart.”

York’s eyes sparked with anger before he got himself under control again. “How can you say that? No one has done more for omegas than we have in the last few months. Have you not seen all the new legislation that gives them more power to make their own decisions?”

“Oh, trust me, I’ve seen it. But don’t you agree it’s a tad hypocritical to talk about giving omegas power when you condone an alteration to their genetic makeup that takes away all their power. An alteration to which they never consented, which they weren’t aware of, and which may have repercussions for generations to come. I don’t qualify that as being in their best interest.”

Palani stayed calm, which Lidon appreciated. He wasn’t sure if he would’ve picked up on the prime minister’s condescending tone a year earlier, but he sure did now. He had learned a lot from Palani about how subtly alphas could exert their dominance over betas and omegas. It only fueled the rage already flaring up inside him. 

“Yes, I can see how you would interpret it that way, but I see it as a sacrifice that had to be made for the greater good of our species. And it worked, didn’t it? We brought back the shifters.”

There was one word in York’s answer that stood out to Lidon. We. The man had used the word “we” when he spoke about bringing back the shifters. That meant he not only had been aware of the ultimate goal and strategy behind the gene, but he approved it, was part of it. They had suspected it from the start, but here was his own admission. Maiitsoh, Lukos, York, they all were connected. It was one big conspiracy. 

“The greater good, right. That’s been the excuse and rationale behind many wars, hasn’t it? It was for the greater good. Meanwhile, the people who made the sacrifice were not consulted or informed, let alone asked for their consent. These women went into this blind, trusting their doctor, and you violated that trust in the worst way possible. You decided that this was a reasonable sacrifice, but those who actually made it didn’t have a choice. What about all the omegas who committed suicide? What about all the omegas who were raped or sexually assaulted because of the gene? How can you say that's a sacrifice you’re willing to make? It was never yours to make in the first place,” Palani railed, his voice strong.

“You don't understand how heavy that weighs on those who created the gene, the suffering they unintentionally caused. They weren’t aware of the side effects of the gene.”

“Because it was never properly tested! How the hell could they use this on unsuspecting women when they weren't even sure what it would do to their babies?” Palani exploded, and Lidon loved him for his fierce and passionate defense on behalf of Vieno, Sven, Ruari, and all the others they had met or heard about. They could not have asked for a better advocate than Palani Hightower, and it made Lidon proud all over again that this man was his mate. Fate had chosen well.

Lidon had to admit that York appeared genuinely sad and conflicted. “I’ll be the first to admit that mistakes were made,” he said softly.

“No, don’t give me that,” Palani said, his voice still tight with anger. “This is not a case of ‘mistakes were made.’ This was a deliberate violation of core principles of our society. How can you not see that with all your rants against how badly omegas were treated before that what you did to these women and their offspring was ten times worse? They had no idea. And there’s still a lot you have more information about but you’re not willing to share. That’s not ‘mistakes were made.’ That's alpha men deciding what they think will be in everyone’s best interest. That’s dictatorship.”

Lidon reached for Palani’s hand, but it wasn’t to calm him down. He was in pure awe of the beta’s passionate words, every syllable dripping with his fury over the injustice of it all.

York took maybe half a minute to visibly calm himself, getting up from the table and pacing, sharing a poignant look with his assistant. Then he sat down again and, much more in control, leaned forward. “Perhaps I can convince you of my good intentions by sharing classified intel with you.”

Lidon leaned forward, curious what the man was about to bring up. 

“We have information that the AWC is growing militant,” York said. 

“We have that same information,” Palani shot back. “And we already know they were behind the attack on our ranch.”

York looked taken aback, as if he’d expected to wow them with this and had gotten cheated out of it. “Okay, then,” he said, glancing sideways at his assistant before focusing on them again. “Then you also know they’re awfully interested in your pack.”

That was news to Lidon, though it didn’t surprise him. “Interested how?”

“Interested as in an informant within their organization says they’re gearing up for another attack.”

Lidon swallowed back the fear that rose inside him. “On our ranch?”

York nodded slowly.

“And what do you plan on doing to stop them?” Palani asked, only the tightness in his voice betraying his emotions.

York held up his hands in a helpless gesture. “They've done nothing illegal yet, unless we officially reopen the investigation into the first attack. I’m fully open to that idea, but we’d need full access to your ranch and your pack.”

There it was, the catch-22. “Why are you so interested in my pack?”

York leaned forward, dropping his voice. “Because you know something that’s eluding us. The gene was supposed to enable the offspring of these omegas to shift, not this generation, but somehow, you managed. We want to know how. We're well aware your bloodline is strong, but there’s an element we’re missing that you’ve discovered that’s enabling you to shift, and we want to find out what it is.”

The polyamorous dynamic, Lidon realized, that was the piece of the puzzle they were missing. They hadn’t realized it was because of his three mates that his powers had gotten so strong, that they were able to share those powers. 

“So what you’re saying is that you’re blackmailing us,” Palani said calmly.

“Blackmail is an ugly word,” York protested.

“How else do you want me to call it when there will be an attack against us but you refuse to stop it unless we give you certain information? That, to me, is a classic blackmail scenario.”

“I think of it more as helping each other out. Tell us how you managed to shift, and we’ll help you defend yourself.”

Rage bubbled inside Lidon, red and dangerous. He couldn’t show it, couldn’t let this man witness the depths of his anger. He did allow his eyes to change, something he recognized now when it happened. York gasped as he witnessed it, then shrunk back visibly, as did his assistant. 

“I’m not comfortable discussing this topic with you,” Lidon said, leaning back in his chair, his fingernails digging in his palm to keep his temper in check. He despised this, this political game of cat and mouse, this pretense. He’d play it, but he told himself he didn’t have to like it. 

“I had hoped we could have a reasonable discussion,” York said, his voice tight and controlled. “But I can see you've made up your mind that we are the villains in this story.”

Lidon squeezed Palani’s hand as he answered. “To be honest, I’m not sure if there are good guys anymore. It seems to me that between you and the AWC, we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

“Is that why you didn’t act on the information you had about election fraud?” York asked.

Lidon shouldn’t be surprised that the man knew, and yet it amazed him, the sources this guy had, the amount of information he had to be sitting on.

“Yes. Well, one of the reasons anyway. It was kind of like the least evil of two choices, So I wouldn’t take it as a compliment,” Lidon said.

“After Mr. Hightower’s rant, there’s no risk of me interpreting anything you say as a compliment,” York said.

“Good,” Lidon said amicably. “Because I wouldn’t want you to think for a second that we support you, your party, or your methods.”

“Not even when those methods gave you back the power to shift?”

“No. And I’m sure you think I’m lying, but I am not.” Lidon considered it for a second, then decided that he might as well admit what York knew to be true anyway. “There's incredible power in being able to shift, and I won’t deny that.” York’s eyes widened at Lidon’s admission, and he shared another look with his companion, who had been silent the whole time.

“And you may think I would value that power more than anything else, but I don’t. If I could trade it to see not just my mate be rid of this gene that has wrecked his life in so many ways, but the other gene carriers as well, I would do it in a heartbeat. You may not understand, but nothing compares to their suffering. Every time I shift…”

He surprised himself by choking up, not something he was accustomed to and especially not in front of strangers. He closed his eyes for a second, willed himself to calm down and swallow back his emotions.

“Every time I shift, I'm aware of what Vieno had to suffer in order for me to do it, and I can tell you, it wasn’t worth it.”