“What the hell do you mean ‘she’s gone’!” I yell at my pack member—a subordinate from one of the families. Slamming my palm on the desk, I remind him of his duty. “You were trusted to watch her.”
The male in front of me drops his head and tucks his hands behind his back. “I’m sorry, Alpha. I—”
“No fucking excuses,” I roar. Brian comes to my side and touches my shoulder in an attempt to calm me down. I shrug him off. Peace will not be had until Audra and her sister are found. “Find both of them, or I’ll rip your mother fucking throat out!”
“Calm down, Brady,” Brian says firmly. “She’s with Tia. We can find them.”
The bond. Of course. That’s why my brother is unruffled. My head whips back to the idiot still standing in the middle of the floor. I glare at the fool for a too-long minute. Finally, he gets the message and retreats a step before high-tailing it from my father’s study.
“How the fuck did this happen?” My voice shakes with fury.
“Take a chill pill, Brady. We’ve got this. That asshole who just left won’t get far.” Brian perches on the corner of the desk as if we’re about to discuss the weather or some mundane shit.
I take a deep breath. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“The wolf that just left here is responsible for the abduction.” My brother lifts his hand before I can speak. “He won’t make it to the front gate. The omega wasn’t the only weak link in the pack. I’ve had him taken care of as well.”
Damn. I wouldn’t have thought my brother was a male of action. First, he claimed his mate and married her. Then, he moved right into the role of beta without further hesitation. To be honest, Brian is a better beta than I was to Braden. In all fairness, though, my little brother has had years to observe how a pack is run.
Pulling my mind together, I ask, “What else?”
“Like I was saying… The asshole left Tia unguarded. Cal and Drew’s goons swept in and grabbed her while she was shopping. I can feel her, Brady.” His gaze drops to the floor. “I won’t tell you not to worry. Tia’s signature is strong, but there’s something dark mixed with it. Before you say it, I’ve already sent someone to collect Elsbeth. We need her help.”
I nod. “What about Audra? How did Cal get to her?”
“I’m not sure. If Elsbeth can tell us more about this darkness surrounding Tia, we might be able to figure it out.”
“Let’s go to the island. I’m not sitting here.”
We storm out of the room and collide with a transformed Elsbeth. Her gaze bounces from me to my brother and back to me. “You won’t like this.”
“What?” I say through my clenched teeth.
“Before I trapped the Mercier witch, she left behind some dark magic trinkets.”
Brian jumps in. “Like what?”
“Collars. They’re meant to prevent change in shifters.”
A scowl settles on Brian’s face. “Elsbeth, do they change a person’s signature?”
“You’re bonded.” Her eyes widen. “As long as your mates lives, you will sense her but it will feel as if she wears a dark shroud.” Elsbeth steps closer to Brian. “You’re a special wolf. You don’t just sense the bond.” She smiles. “You’re experiencing it, seer.”
Seer? What the fuck?
Elsbeth squints as she walks in a circle around Brian. “This power doesn’t belong to you. His mate possesses it. He has it because of the bond.”
Pacing the floor, I clench my fists. This witch is trying my patience. “Speak plainly, Elsbeth. What power?”
Reluctantly, she turns to me. “The sister of your mate, Alpha, has the ability to foresee events. I’m guessing she’s unaware of her power.” Elsbeth’s eyes rake over me. “Can I finish or do you have other questions?”
I wave my hand in the air.
Elsbeth walks in a circle around Brian, and then stops in front of him. “How does it taste, Beta?”
Taste? I start to say something, but then I notice Brian. He’s twisting his head from side to side. His face scrunches up while his mouth opens and closes. My brother ambles over to the bar and twists the cap off a bottle of water. He chugs down half of it before facing us.
“It’s foul. Whatever that is tastes like decay.” He clears his throat. “Feels like I have a mouth full of ashes.”
Elsbeth touches his shoulder, and Brian’s agony dissipates. “Revenge magic. The Mercier witch spelled the collars using the blood of Elijah Ryder. I can counteract it, but I’ll need to go with you.”
“Not a problem. Let’s leave now,” I say.
“Wait!” The Red Witch’s gaze goes distant for a moment. She cocks her head to one side. “Give me some time with your brother. Let us get their exact location before moving forward.”
My blood boils. Waiting is not part of the program.
Elsbeth straightens and meets my gaze. “If I kill them, you will have to answer to both councils. If you show up to rescue the she-wolves and an attack happens, no one can hold you accountable. I can channel Brian’s mate through him—learn their status and their location. I will let you know if you have reason to worry.”
For once, my being the alpha means nothing. This situation is out of my hands.
For now.
An hour later, Elsbeth and Brian are still closed up in my father’s study. I’ve paced so much I’m sure there’s a new groove in the hallway floor.
“Brady?”
I stop long enough to notice Mom in front of me. Her forehead creases with concern. “Any news?”
“No.” I glance at the closed and locked door. “They’ve been in there for an hour.”
Mom inches forward and takes my hand. “Our family has always trusted Elsbeth. She has never put us in danger.” With her other hand, she rubs my forearm. “Maybe you should go for a run? Take your mind—”
“No.” I step out of her reach. “I won’t stop worrying until Audra is safe.”
“Understood.” Mom’s eyes narrow. “But what happens when you get her back?”
“Life returns to normal,” I say cautiously. I’m unsure if I like where this conversation is going.
Mom shakes her head. “Brady, I know you two have been putting this off, but it can’t wait. You will have to bond and marry her. I heard Elsbeth. Those Nevers wolves have powers that will keep them in danger. Your intended may not want this union, but she needs it to stay safe.”
“Wouldn’t be a problem if my son would man the fuck up!” My father’s heated voice fills the hall around us.
Normally, I back down when my father speaks. Normally, I don’t want to deal with his wrath. But there’s nothing normal about this scenario.
“What are you talking about, Dad?” I ask, gritting my teeth.
“Leave us, Brenna!”
Mom’s surprised gaze bounces between us. Ever since his illness, she had to be in control. She had to be the one to lay down the law. Forever the good alpha’s wife, she nods and leaves the room. I’m sure she’ll be back though. As pups, whenever we did something wrong, it was Dad who read us the riot act, but it was Mom who made sure we followed the rules.
Dad looks at me with an eyebrow raised and then jerks his head toward the office door. I follow behind him, half-expecting a lecture.
“You have something to say to me?” Closing the office door, I cross the room and take a seat in front of the desk.
Dad swings to face me and then goes over to the window. He lowers his voice when he says, “Two things, son. First, don’t ever show weakness in front of females, especially your mate. Let them believe you’re tough ass and they’ll always respect your authority.”
Somehow, I don’t think that’ll fly with Audra.
“Second, you can’t be anyone’s alpha by taking damned opinion polls. Lay down the law and the pack follows, that includes mates.”
I don’t know whether to be upset or let it slide. When I took over as alpha, I swore I’d do things differently. Ruling with a firm hand while challenging pack members and anyone else who disagreed stopped. It was a practice not worth shedding blood over.
Dad was astonished when my way of running things worked. Pack membership increased. Profits rose. Outside of the earlier challenges to my position, no one else has threatened it.
“I’m not you,” I remind my father. “That’s not my way.”
“Obviously. If you did, you’d be bonded and married by now,” he says dryly with a hard gaze.
“Must we do this now?” Somehow I manage to keep a level of control in my voice. “I need to find Audra and put an end to the Ryders.”
“Will you truly put an end to them, or will you choose to make peace?”
Running my hands through my hair, I glare at my father, not liking his implication. “You think I’m soft.”
“It’s not a thought. I’ve seen you in action.” My father sits at his desk. “I warned you when Hank killed Jackson. I said you needed to make a stand.”
“Have you forgotten that I got the curse lifted?” Although I know I’m pushing my luck with my father, I point out, “Besides, you were Alpha then. It wasn’t up to me to do shit!”
My father’s steely gaze meets mine. He hangs onto it for a minute before it softens. “True, but you swore you’d handle the matter after your mother begged me not to retaliate.”
Ball’s back in your court.
“We did handle it.” At the time, I thought it was enough that we kept Hank safe. When Council ruled Jackson’s death self-defense, I believed the matter settled.
Obviously, you were wrong.
“Bullshit. You chose the path of least resistance. The wrong decision when it comes to the Ryders. Those cats have always hungered for everything we have. There’s only one way to deal with those creatures.”
Death.
Something I didn’t want back then. Killing never solved anything, but now I regret that choice. I’ll gladly execute the smelly fool myself.
“If I had taken care of this…” Dad’s words trail off, and he turns back to the window, staring into the night.
His refusal to continue doesn’t surprise me. It’s a secret he thought only he knew. Sadly, we all know the truth. Clearing my throat, I say, “But you let Elijah live despite what he did.”
My father whirls around with a flash of shock in his eyes. “You know?”
“Braden told me the story when I turned twenty-one.” Elijah Ryder was a delusional fool, just like Calhoun. The patriarch fell in love with my mother and wanted her for himself. Her disinterest fueled his insanity. The cat constantly threatened my father, but he took no action because Mom asked him to let it be.
“If it weren’t for Brenna, I would have ended Elijah and his line.”
“Don’t worry, Dad. Calhoun and Drew won’t get another chance. We’ll find Audra and Tia and then destroy the Ryders. They won’t ever threaten another female.”
Dad sits behind his desk and fixes his gaze on me. A deep, dangerous edge slips into his voice. “Be sure you handle this correctly, son.”
Splaying my hands on the desktop I lean on it, meeting my father face to face. “Or what, Dad? With all due respect, you’re too old to challenge me. You can’t replace me either. I’m alpha. If I wanted, I could give you orders.”
Anger flashes in his eyes. “Alpha, remember I’m still your father. Think twice before you leap.”
My wolf snarls but doesn’t act. He knows better. Swallowing my fury, I hold my chin high. “I always think twice. About everything.”
The door creaks open. “Brady…Santiago…”
“What is it, Brenna?” Ice slides into my father’s voice. I hate the way he treats my mother, but she deals with it. Expected behavior from the wife of an alpha, I suppose. Audra will never act that way. She’s too strong and full of pride for it. Besides, I’d never disrespect her that way.
“Elsbeth is waiting for Brady.”
Dad and I exchange a frosty gaze before I stalk from the room.
“I’m not understanding any of this,” I say.
Elsbeth tried to explain this power that Brian gained from Tia. After twenty minutes, she gave up and Brian took over.
He scrubs a hand over his face. “Think of it as a glitch. Tia probably didn’t know she had the power, but it was so strong that when I bit her it leaked through.”
“Sort of like how vampires gain knowledge when they bite?”
“Finally!” Elsbeth steps away from the fireplace. “It should not have taken you this long, Alpha. Get your head back in the game. You won’t get to your intended with slow thinking.”
My head bobs. “Okay. So do you know where Cal is keeping the females?”
“Yeah. On the waterfront,” Brian says. “The abandoned apartment building.”
Un-fucking-believable! Calhoun really is short on brain cells. That structure is set for demolition. City Council deemed it a hazard when a couple of human teenagers were almost killed hanging out there.
Brian grabs my wrist as soon as I jump to my feet. “What are you doing? We need—”
“Tia and Audra are safe. Believe it or not, the part of the building they’re in is secure. I’ve sent word out to the pack. Once they’re all in place, we act.”
Damn. I have greatly underestimated my little brother. It’s hard to believe that he fought against being beta. If I chose to step down tomorrow, I know he’ll make a great alpha. Probably better than me.
“What do you suggest we do in the meantime?” I ask.
“Drive down to the waterfront and wait. As soon as I get the text from Ace, we’ll move in.”