Chapter Nineteen
Chloe
Lachlan and I remained silent as we walked through the woods. We’d discussed our plan before leaving the cabin. After we determined whether or not Carter was alone, Lach would hang back in the trees, watching, as I talked to Darrell’s son. In my gut I felt that Carter truly did intend to help us, but it would be stupid not to take precautions.
I lifted my head and inhaled as we drew closer to the area where Carter directed us. I could smell another wolf in the vicinity, but just one. Glancing at Lachlan, I gave him a nod and we split off, moving as silently as possible through the brush.
After circling the area, we met on the other side, far enough away from the clearing that Carter wouldn’t hear us.
“He’s alone,” Lachlan stated.
“I hoped he would be.”
“I’m going to move back around to wait. I’ll be watching and listening. Give me a couple of minutes before you go out to talk to him.”
I nodded. He disappeared through the trees, his feet making no sound in the leaves. The wind changed and I could smell Carter once again. That meant he wouldn’t be able to scent Lachlan’s location at the moment.
When enough time had passed, I walked toward the clearing and emerged from the trees, not bothering with stealth.
Carter’s face was turned toward me as I appeared. He looked a great deal like his father, tall and lean with dark hair and eyes. He inclined his head when he saw me.
“Chloe.” He looked around. “Where’s Lachlan?”
“He’s waiting for me in the woods,” I answered simply.
A small frown pulled at the corners of his mouth before it quickly cleared. “I suppose that was a smart move. I’m an unknown element.”
I nodded. “There are not many children who would turn on their parents.”
The frown returned, morphing into a scowl. “Then their parents haven’t done what my father has. Someone has to stop him, but I’m not strong enough.”
Moving slowly, I walked closer. “What has your father done, Carter?” I asked softly.
His eyes focused on me, dark and haunted. “You know he killed your parents. Emma said she’d told you.”
“Yes, she did.”
“He’s done so much worse,” Carter murmured. “And he encourages his friends to do the same.”
“Has he always been this way, Carter?” I asked.
“Yes. Always.” My surprise must have shown on my face because he released a harsh bark of laughter. “My father is many things, but first and foremost he’s a talented liar and manipulator. I don’t know how he does it, but no one can ever smell his lies.”
That explained how he managed to hide his inclinations from my parents. “What else has he done, Carter?”
“Emma said she told you everything,” he replied. I could smell the frustration and the anger emanating from his pores.
“She told me about the females of the pack, and about the stealing. Is there more?”
Carter nodded, his shoulders slumping. “He’s killed others. Males and females who defied him or tried to report him to the Tribunal. He’s not alpha enough to hold the pack according to our laws, but he’ll use any means necessary to circumvent losing his position. He has no honor.”
“Do you have proof?” I questioned. “Any evidence of his actions?”
“No, but I know where to find it. My father…” he stopped and swallowed hard before he continued. “He likes to take pictures so he can look back and remember. He also records everything. He’s gotten complacent over the last two years. Somehow he’s convinced himself that he’s untouchable.”
My stomach twisted at Carter’s words. “Pictures? Of my parents? And the girls?”
“Of everything,” he reiterated.
Disgust and triumph mingled within me. “Where?”
“In his office in town. There’s a hidden safe. I’ve wanted to go inside and get them so many times over the years but the building is never empty and he has cameras everywhere. Not just inside, but all over town.”
My skin crawled at the idea of a pack leader watching the lives of his wolves, learning their habits and perhaps choosing his next victim.
“Well, you aren’t alone anymore, Carter. Lachlan and I can help. And my grandmother.”
At the mention of Sophia, his eyes shifted to the side.
“I know you called her, Carter,” I stated gently. “And I’m glad.”
His gaze came back to me. “I just wish you’d come two years ago.”
Guilt ate at my gut. “I do too, but we were all under attack then, not just this pack.”
“I know,” he admitted, his eyes never leaving mine.
I sensed Lachlan’s presence and turned my head. He walked into the clearing, moving cautiously. One look at his face and I knew that he felt guilty as well. I’d spent the last eighteen months dragging him away from the brink of oblivion while this pack suffered. I jerked my head, a short, single shake. This wasn’t his burden to take on.
Carter noticed Lach’s presence then and turned toward him. “Lachlan,” he greeted. He squared his shoulders. “Thank you for coming.”
Though Emma said that Carter was weak and he’d admitted as much a few minutes ago, I noticed he had little trouble meeting my eyes or Lachlan’s. If he were truly a beta wolf, he wouldn’t be able to maintain eye contact with us for such a prolonged period. The mystery of Carter Whelby deepened. He was clearly stronger than he let everyone else believe. Why wouldn’t he challenge his father?
Then I realized that he was just trying to survive. His father was surrounded by wolves that wouldn’t hesitate to kill him by any means necessary if they believed he was a threat. If Carter were removed, there would be no one brave enough or strong enough to take on Darrell and his officers.
“Can you get me specs for the police department?” Lachlan asked Carter. “And a map of the town with the locations of the cameras?”
Carter nodded. “Yes, but it’ll take me a few days to get it.”
“Be careful, Carter,” I said.
His mouth curved into a grim smile. “I’m always careful. That’s why it will take me a few days. With Darrell watching every move his pack makes while you’re here, we’re all walking on eggshells.”
I winced inwardly at the idea that the pack was terrified by my presence.
“We’ll need your help creating a plan,” Lachlan declared, bringing our attention back to him. “Are there any wolves here you can trust to help us?”
Carter’s expression was sad when he shook his head. “They’re too frightened of what Darrell might do to them. Or their children.”
I bit back a growl. Only a monster would threaten a child. “Gram will find a way to help us.”
Lach glanced at me. A look that clearly stated we’ll talk about this later. It seemed he wanted to keep some of our plans separate from Carter.
“I can’t stay any longer,” Carter said. “It’ll raise questions if I’m unreachable for any length of time. I’ll call you when I get what we need. Just sit tight.”
I waited until he was a few feet away before I called his name. He stopped and turned back toward me. “Thank you, Carter. For calling my grandmother and helping us now.”
His jaw tightened and his entire face changed. He no longer looked weak or beaten down. Carter Whelby was strong, determined, and smart—an alpha wolf forced to hide to save the shifters he cared about. He chose to do what was necessary to help his pack rather than allowing his pride to dictate his actions. He could have easily challenged his father, ending up buried beside my parents and leaving his pack unprotected and isolated.
“I’m only doing what’s right,” he replied before turning and disappearing into the trees.
When the sound of his footsteps faded, I looked at Lachlan and opened my mouth. He shook his head, lifting a finger to his lips.
“Not here. Let’s go back to the cabin.”
We moved through the trees at a quicker pace this time since we weren’t trying to muffle the noise we made. When we reached the cabin, I followed Lachlan inside.
He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and asked, “Want one?”
When I nodded, he tossed me the one in his hand and withdrew another. After he took a deep drink, he spoke. “Carter is no beta wolf,” he stated.
“I know.”
“He’s fighting his instincts to protect his people,” he continued.
I sipped my water and shrugged. “Isn’t that what a good alpha does?”
Lachlan sighed. “Yes.”
“Do you believe him about Darrell?”
He eyed me. “Do you?”
I nodded.
“So do I,” Lachlan admitted.
“Why didn’t you want to talk in front of him then?” I queried.
“Because he’s in a dangerous position. If his father finds out what he’s doing, he’ll do whatever it takes to find out what our plans are. It’s better if he doesn’t know until later.”
I saw the logic in that and agreed. “So we should call Gram and tell her we need help, then.”
Lachlan shook his head. “I’ll call Calder. The pack is closer.”
“No, Lach. I’m not dragging the MacIntire pack into this. They’re still recovering from our battle with the Faction and the devastation of discovering so many traitors in their midst. And Calder and Ricki have pups now. They can’t afford to go to war. There’s too much at stake.”
“And there isn’t for your grandmother’s pack?” he asked, arching a brow.
“It’s different, Lachlan. She’s a thousand miles away from here. If we don’t succeed, Darrell can hardly declare war from Oklahoma. Calder is too close to this.”
“We won’t fail,” Lachlan stated darkly.
“I don’t want to pull Calder into this,” I reiterated.
“He’s already in it, Chloe,” Lachlan declared. “I’m here. Darrell knows why you’re here, how much of a stretch do you think it is before he realizes that I’m not here because we’re mates?”
My heart skipped a beat when he said the word mate. But he was right. Darrell might be a sociopath, but he wasn’t stupid. He probably already suspected that we were lying.
“Fine, but I don’t want Calder or Ricki here unless it’s absolutely necessary,” I growled. “Their pups need them whole and healthy.”
“Agreed.”
Surprised at his capitulation, I sank into the chair at the small kitchen table. “All we can do right now is wait,” I sighed. “Fuck.”
Lachlan nodded. “We wait and we plan.” He sat down across from me and we drank our water in silence for a few minutes.
“I feel like this is my fault, Lach,” I admitted.
“Don’t. You had no way of knowing what was happening here.”
“I should have come back two years ago,” I argued.
Lach’s eyes sparked with anger, the scent of it tingeing the air. “We wouldn’t have been able to beat the Faction without you, Chloe. If we failed, how long do you think it would have been before they spread from Texas and the surrounding areas to the rest of the country, then the world? You were needed in Dallas. This pack would have been fucked whether you were here or not because it would have only been a matter of time before the Faction corrupted this area too.”
“Maybe you’re right,” I conceded.
“I know I am.” He surprised me by leaning forward and taking my hand. “And, Chloe, I wouldn’t be here without you. If you hadn’t been there, refusing to give up on me, I would have died too. I wanted to die for a long time. You were the only thing standing between me and the Underworld.”
“Calder wouldn’t have let you pine yourself to death, Lachlan,” I whispered. Something in my chest twisted, as if my heart were tying itself in a tight knot.
Lach shook his head. “He couldn’t get through to me. Only you could,” he insisted, gripping my hand tighter. “If you’re going to blame someone for this situation, blame me. If I hadn’t needed you, you could have come here a long time ago and saved this pack a multitude of pain.”
I shook my head. “Don’t say that. This isn’t your fault,” I stated.
“It isn’t yours either,” he replied quickly. “But you can help them now. And you will. We both will.”
I nodded and Lachlan squeezed my hand tighter, but he didn’t release it.
We sat at the kitchen table, holding hands, as the afternoon faded to evening.