Chapter Eleven
“What the hell are you doing home? You know better than to leave work early, bitch. I expect you to have my money by the end of the week, or you know what’ll happen,” an angry, slurred voice yelled from the living room. It took a serious amount of alcohol to get any shifter drunk, and Karli didn’t need her powers to know where the money for his booze was coming from. Right out of Sara’s paycheck.
Karli and Sara were pulled back behind her mates as Jerome and Niven rushed into the other room. “You know I can take care of myself, right?” Karli asked.
Before her men could answer, Sara’s father began yelling and cursing up a storm. That accompanied by the furniture crashing against the wall told Karli there’d be no easy way out of this confrontation. But after what she’d seen in Sara’s memories, there was no chance they’d leave her in this house.
“I’m so sorry.” Sara dipped her head over the sound of breaking glass. “You should probably go.”
“Go? Hell no. I wouldn’t leave you with that abusive asshole even if you weren’t my advisor,” Karli declared just as Jerome and Niven dragged Sara’s drunk dad to stand in front of them. “You don’t need to fear him any longer.”
His long, matted hair clung to the sides of his thin face as blood dripped from his crooked nose. The man’s eyes were filled with pure hatred, but mercifully he remained silent.
“Karli, darling. He’s all yours.” Joseph grinned as he and Rowl stepped to the side, leaving her and Sara standing a few feet away from the irate man. She smiled at her mates. They may be overprotective, but she was their equal in this triad, and they were getting the clue that they had to treat her as they did each other.
Karli could feel the anxiety coming off of Sara. Even though she looked composed, the room was filled with the burning scent of fear. “Mr. Small, my name is Karli, and in case you didn’t know, I’m this pack’s omega. These are my mates, Alpha Joseph and Beta Rowl.”
“I know who you are, whore. What do you want?” he slurred, his voice little more than a growl.
Rowl stepped forward and grabbed Sara’s dad by his throat. “You will show your omega respect. I realize this might be difficult for someone like you, but say something offensive again and I’ll rip your throat out. Do you understand?”
“What gives you the right to come into my house?” the drunk snarled.
Rowl squeezed harder and asked for a second time, “Do you understand?”
“Yes,” he barked out, revealing the sharp tips of his wolf’s canines. Karli sensed Mr. Small was having a hard time controlling his wolf. Never a good sign for an angry shifter.
“Sara, what’s your dad’s first name?” Karli hadn’t had the opportunity to go through the records to begin learning the names of the people in her pack.
“Stan,” she answered softly. “Please be careful, Karli. He’ll hurt you if he has a chance.”
“Shut your mouth,” Stan ordered, and Rowl reached out to take him by the throat again, but at the last second, Karli stopped him.
“He’s not worth the effort, love. No matter what we do or say, he’s still going to be a sorry excuse for a shifter.” Karli had second thoughts about what she’d said; after all, he was still Sara’s dad. She looked at her soon-to-be advisor and new friend, but she didn’t seem offended.
“Don’t worry. I know what he is,” Sara stated in a somber voice, but she held her head high and stared at her father. Karli had the feeling Sara had been waiting a long time for this day. Karli’s heart went out to the young woman. She’d suffered at the hands of the one person who should have protected and cherished her. “After today, he’ll have no more power over me.”
“That’s right, Sara. By the way, where’s your mom?” Karli asked. If she was here somewhere, they wouldn’t be leaving her behind.
I don’t scent anyone else in the house, Karli, Joseph explained through their bond.
Sara’s next words confirmed Joseph’s suspicion. “She left when I was a child.”
“Left?” That seemed odd. Shifter parents would never willingly leave their child. Poor Sara got the short end of the stick when it came to her parents. Karli could relate.
“She took off,” Stan spat. “The useless cunt left.”
Apparently, her warriors had heard enough and physically forced Stan to his knees. “You can’t stop yourself, can you?” Karli asked, already knowing the answer. “Let’s get down to business. Sara will be collecting her belongings and moving to the main house. You will have no contact with her from this point forward. If you come anywhere near her, you will be punished.” Karli let the electricity in the room flood her body until her hands began to glow and spark. “This is your only warning.”
“Take him outside while Sara packs,” Joseph ordered, and Stan was dragged from the room.
Sara turned to face Karli, Joseph, and Rowl but refused to look them in the eye. “How did you know what my father was doing?”
Karli stepped closer to Sara and held out her hand. “I’ve recently discovered that I have the ability to glimpse into another person’s life through touch. It wasn’t intentional, but I haven’t figured out how to control it yet. I would appreciate it if we kept this between ourselves for now, until I get a handle on it.”
Sara finally looked Karli in the eyes. “I don’t know how to feel about that right now. But I’m willing to go on a little faith that you’re an honorable triad.”
“We would never break your trust by sharing what we’ve seen. I swear it to you, on my word as your alpha,” Joseph stated firmly, and Karli knew he was trying to convey how seriously he took his oath.
Sara slowly nodded her head in agreement. “Okay.”
“Let’s get you packed,” Karli offered, and she followed Sara down a short, dingy hallway. Karli swore the young woman would have a better life—that all the innocent members of her pack would.
The next few weeks were spent in meetings with the members of their pack. The first week or so, there’d been an air of suspicion surrounding each gathering. Joseph knew they had a right to be cautious. Up to this point, their lives under their former alpha had been hell. But the tide was slowly turning toward optimism, and pack members were smiling more easily at him, Karli, and Rowl.
A lot happened since they’d taken over the pack. John McNaught was now the lead manager of the mill, and everything was up and running after several safety concerns were addressed. No surprise given who was running the mill; the workers’ wellbeing had never been a top priority. The seven individuals receiving money stolen directly from the mill, along with Renfrew Haleybrook, had been sent to King Leonidas to have their day in court. Of course, Joseph could have handled that himself, but he wanted his new pack to understand he was a fair alpha and everyone deserved their day in court to put forth their case. He knew there was no good explanation for what they had done, but that was up to the court to decide.
The remainder of the Restone and Haleybrook families had left Eagle’s Cove’s pack lands soon after their family members were taken away, leaving behind several large houses in need of no repair. Joseph had chosen families whose houses were ready to fall down to take possession of the former Restone and Haleybrook homes.
Karli spent most of her time working with pack members to get a handle on their basic needs and the farmers to get their crops off to a solid start. As promised, three more deliveries of supplies had arrived, and everyone was working hard on rebuilding the homes and stores in the community. Once his pack was safe and comfortable in their homes, they could start returning to a healthy community with stores selling what they needed and honest wages to buy them with.
Joseph stood outside one of their latest projects, the community center for the pack. The original one stood derelict and abandoned, with the forest reclaiming the back half of the building. With repairs well on their way on individual homes and businesses, it was time to think of his pack’s continued wellbeing, and that started here with a community center that benefited the whole pack. Wolf shifters were social creatures, needing the comfort of their pack members around them. A community center provided the opportunity for that, getting people out of their homes to gather together. By the looks of the building, a sense of community had never been a top priority.
“Well, do we just tear it down and start over?” Rowl asked, as a group of them stood staring at what had to have been an impressive building at one time.
“Probably the best idea,” Glen replied. Glen McNaught was the eldest and head of the McNaughts, and he and his family had stayed on at the main house to aid the alpha triad. He’d become an irreplaceable asset, from his knowledge about everyone in the pack, to his insights into what Saxx had put all these people through.
“I see this becoming a place for the pack to gather, socialize, and have fun. There should be a few restaurants to choose from, a games area, theater, and maybe even a bowling alley.” Karli’s excited voice made Joseph smile. His mate was always seeing what could be, instead of the condemned building in front of her. Her generous heart and the joy she shared with every pack member had gained her the trust and affection of many.
“We should ask the pack what they’d like to have,” Rowl suggested as he took Karli’s hand.
“That’s a great idea, mate,” Karli agreed and kissed Rowl’s cheek. Joseph loved watching his mates. He knew how lucky he was.
“I’ll add it to our weekly newsletter,” Sara agreed.
With the extra money that was found in Renfrew’s safe, they’d decided to put it toward pack renovations and computer systems, along with the funds they had brought. Karli had noted when meeting several members of the pack that hardly anyone had a computer to access the Internet or updated news and information. It was as if Saxx kept them in the dark and uninformed on purpose, but that wasn’t what Joseph and his mates wanted for their pack. So the three of them decided to have one complete computer system installed in every house, along with available instruction if needed.
“How have the emailed newsletters been accepted by the pack?” Rowl asked. Along with the emails, they’d instituted monthly pack meetings so that everyone had the chance to participate in pack decisions. Of course, Joseph had the last say, but he listened to everyone’s opinion.
“Actually, the newsletters and pack information we’ve sent them online have been well received,” Karli answered. “I’ve been thinking of adding a new section, ‘Ask Your Alpha Triad.’ Then they could ask us questions and we’d feature one in every week’s newsletter.”
“I like it. Now, back to the problem in front of us.” Joseph took a deep breath before saying, “There’s nothing we could save from what’s left here. Let’s tear it down and start new. We’ll need to have plans drawn up after we get the feedback from the pack.”
“I’ll have one of the construction crews come over and get started once they complete the Reynoldses’ house. Is that okay, Alpha?” Glen asked as he typed on the tablet in his hands.
“Of course, homes are the priority right now. Thank the gods at least the school house wasn’t too far gone.”
“Yeah, the new desks and textbooks should be arriving by the end of the week,” Karli replied.
“Good. Let’s get back to the main house. We have a meeting with Theron and Tofa.”
Joseph and his mates, as well as Sara and Glen, walked to their waiting pickups. The alpha triad rode in the front one, while Sara and Glen took the other. Karli sat in the middle of the small cab and held both of her mates’ hands.
“You happy, sweetheart?” Joseph asked, already knowing the answer, because her happiness was flowing through their link like beams of sunlight.
“I am. Everything is coming together bit by bit. I know we have a long way to go, but I think we’re on the right track to helping these people.”
“Yep, we are. It’s not going to get any easier, but I believe we’ve gained a bit of their trust,” Rowl agreed before cupping Karli’s chin and gently kissing her. Joseph angled the rearview mirror so that he wouldn’t miss a thing. It always turned him on to see his mates expressing their love and passion.
They were driving down the road leading to the lake and their home, but when Joseph pushed on the brakes to slow down, nothing happened. He pushed again, nothing. The emergency brake was no better. We have no brakes.
“What?” Karli asked.
“The brakes aren’t working.”
“Shit, what do we do?” Rowl growled as he checked Karli’s seatbelt. “This road ends in a sharp curve up to the main house.”
Joseph had the brake pedal buried to the floor of the cab, and nothing happened. He shifted into lower gears to try and slow them down as much as possible. He looked around for a place to slow them until they could stop the truck. The only choice was the lake at the bottom of the hill. They could tow the truck out later.
“I’m going to ditch us in the lake. Roll down your window so you can get out once we stop.”
Rowl reached over and tugged on Joseph’s seatbelt, making sure it was secure, and rolled down his window. Joseph could feel Karli shaking, and Rowl wrapped his arms around her. “We’ll be okay, love. I promise.”
Thankfully, there was no one in the way. It was a straight shot for the water. The truck bounced violently over the curb and onto the grass. Joseph fought to keep the truck from flipping. Seconds later, he heard Karli scream as they slammed into the water. It felt like they’d hit a wall, but the truck began to slow until it came to rest, momentarily floating on the lake.
Joseph knew it was only moments before they sank. He pried his fingers off of the steering wheel and turned to release his and Karli’s seatbelts. Rowl already had Karli in his arms, pulling her through the passenger side door. She was unconscious and had blood dripping from her head. Joseph pushed his door open and waded out into the water. The cab of their truck was filling fast and soon would be under the surface. He ran to the edge of the lake, where Rowl had Karli lying on the grass and a crowd was gathering. He felt nothing coming from her over their bond and was in the grip of utter fear when he knelt down by her side.
“I’ll get the doctor,” someone yelled before running off.
“Karli, honey. Can you hear me?” Joseph asked as he brushed her wet hair away from her pale face.
“Joseph, Rowl, what happened?” General Jensgar asked as he ran up and joined them.
“The brakes went out. I want answers,” Joseph growled with enough anger that everyone present bared their necks to him, except Rowl. Mates didn’t submit to the alpha in that manner. Rowl gathered their mate into his arms and stood. Even though he still had a minor limp, Rowl’s injured leg was now back to full strength. “I’m taking Karli to the safety of the house. Have the doctor come there when he arrives,” Rowl ordered Sara before starting toward their home, Joseph by his side watching over both of his mates.
Whoever did this would pay, dearly.
Karli woke slowly. It felt like a hammer was pounding on the side of her head. The room was dark, but she was comforted by the fact that she was in their bed in their master suite. She tried to remember how she’d gotten here but came up blank. She turned her aching head to the side to find Rowl lying beside her, fast asleep. She didn’t want to wake him, but she had to use the bathroom. She pushed herself up on her elbows and groaned as her head swam. Rowl opened his eyes, and she heard footsteps running down the hall toward their room.
“You’re awake, sweetheart,” Rowl whispered as he sat up and gathered her into his arms.
Their bedroom door flew open, and Joseph came barreling into the room and straight onto the bed. He wrapped his arms around both of them, and Karli was beginning to get the suspicion something was wrong.
“What’s the matter?” she gasped.
“Karli, do you remember what we did today?” Joseph questioned.
She thought back. “We went to the pack hall to make plans to build a new one.”
“Right. And after that?”
Karli tried, but she was drawing a blank. “I don’t remember anything after that.” She was starting to get a sick feeling in her stomach. She reached for the side of her head that was throbbing but found it covered in bandages. “What’s going on?”
Her mates clung tighter before Joseph answered, “We were in an accident on our way back from the hall. The brakes failed on our truck and we were forced to ditch it in the lake. You hit your head when it happened and have been unconscious ever since. The doc has been in to see you and confirmed you will be fully healed by morning.”
Karli had one question. “Was it intentional?”
“We had the truck towed out of the lake, and Joseph inspected it himself. The brake lines were cut,” Rowl confirmed.
Karli’s heart dropped. The weight of her sadness made her feel like she was choking. Just when she thought they were making headway with the pack, someone tried to kill them. But she had to wonder at how hard they were trying, because most shifters could walk away from a motor vehicle accident.
“Do we know who it was?” she asked.
“Not yet, but the investigation has begun,” Joseph maintained. “They will be discovered.”
“Why would someone do this?”
“We don’t know yet, love,” Rowl consoled. “But we think whoever did it must have followed us to the site of the new recreation center, and when we left the trucks at the bottom of the hill, they made their move.”
“Could it be Mr. Small, Sara’s father?” He certainly had the anger needed to pull that off, considering he now had to work every day since Sara was staying at the main house and keeping her pay for herself. Stan Small would be a vindictive man.
“That was our first suspicion, but he has an alibi we can’t easily discount. He was in the presence of Doc, getting stitches during the time we were at the hall,” Joseph explained.
“So he couldn’t have snuck away and cut the lines,” Rowl added.
“I thought we were really making a difference here. I actually believed we were gaining their trust.” She felt like she was deflating in her mates’ arms. They held her even closer. “Am I really that naïve?”
“No, sweetheart, you’re not naïve. You’re loving and kind and we cherish you the way you are. We’ll find out who did this and why,” Joseph swore to her, and she wanted to believe him.
Soon, her mind was pulled in another direction by her bladder. “I have to get up. I need to use the bathroom.” Karli wiggled from between them and crawled to the edge of the bed. She went to stand, but her head began to swim again. Before she even had a chance to fall, she was pulled up into Joseph’s arms and held securely to his chest.
“Thank you.”
“Anytime, beautiful. Now, let’s get you to the bathroom.” Joseph walked to their en suite bath and held her while she did what she needed to do. Not embarrassing at all.
“Can we go out to the kitchen? I’m kind of hungry,” Karli noted before her stomach growled in agreement.
“Understandable—you missed supper,” Rowl stated as he waited by their bedroom door to lead them out.
“What time is it?” Karli asked.
“Just after nine p.m.,” Joseph answered. Crap. She’d missed most of the afternoon and evening. Must have been one hell of a bump on the head.
They walked down the long hallway leading from their private wing and into the large kitchen. Mae McNaught, Glen’s mate and mother hen of the house, stood at the stove grilling a steak on the indoor grill. It smelled heavenly.
Mae turned to face them the moment they sat at the kitchen island, and exclaimed, “There you are, dear. You look so much better than when they first brought you home. I have this steak here grilling for you, along with potatoes and corn. We’ll get you back on your feet in no time.”
“Thank you, Mae. I appreciate all you’ve done,” Karli murmured, her voice sounding as depressed as she felt.
Both her mates comforted her, but neither tried to convince her that things would get better. She wasn’t ready to hear that yet. She’d spent every waking moment of the last few weeks doing everything in her power to make the lives of her pack members better. Then one of them tried to kill her and her mates. Hell, it could be a group for all she knew.
Mae set the plate of food in front of her, but she wasn’t feeling all that hungry anymore. She knew there were good people living in the pack, and she assumed the ones who didn’t know whether or not to believe their new triad would adopt a wait-and-see attitude. Attempting to harm the three of them had never even entered her mind as a possibility.
Karli moved the food around on her plate until Rowl finally asked, “Aren’t you hungry, sweetheart?”
“No. Not anymore. Would it be okay if we save this for a midnight snack, Mae?”
“Of course, Karli. I’ll wrap it all up and you can heat it whenever you want to,” Mae answered before taking the plate and pulling out a roll of plastic wrap. She looked as worried as Karli’s mates.
“Do you want to go lie down again?” Joseph asked. She could see the concern on both of her mates’ faces, but she had nothing left inside of her to calm them. She didn’t even try.
“I’d like some fresh air. Could we sit outside for a bit?”
“Of course, love,” Rowl answered before lifting her and heading for the front door and their large deck. Joseph opened the doors for them, and the first thing she noticed were all the guards stationed around the house. Was it that bad?
They’re just here as an extra precaution. Once we figure out what’s going on, then we can go back to normal, Joseph explained through their shared link.
Normal. Is it our new normal having our pack trying to kill us?
No, of course not, Rowl answered before setting Karli down in a cushioned Adirondack chair. I’m positive the whole pack wasn’t involved in the attack and that there are those who truly appreciate what we’ve done for them.
Joseph and Rowl sat down in chairs on either side of her. Karli could see two warriors at the bottom of the steps leading to the courtyard as others roamed through the forest surrounding the house. Even in her worst nightmares, it wasn’t as bad as this. She wasn’t safe in her own pack. Her men took her hands and they sat in silence as she tried to calm herself. She truly wanted to help the pack, but she had to wonder if it was even possible at this point.
She could hear loud voices coming from the courtyard. Immediately, she gathered the electricity around her. She would protect herself and her mates. She wasn’t taking any chances this time around; she’d fry the first person who threatened them.
“Easy, love. Let me go check and see what’s going on.” Joseph stood and walked across the deck and down the steps leading to the courtyard.
Karli kept a close eye on him as he joined his warriors and a group of pack members. She noticed most of those gathered were the heads of their families that she’d met during one of their many meetings. What could they possibly want this late at night?
“He’s fine, mate,” Rowl reassured while squeezing her hand. She felt bad that she no longer trusted her own pack. But with recent events, who could blame her?
Joseph and the group turned toward them and began walking up the steps. Joseph, what’s going on?
They wish to speak with us. They’ve been helping conduct the investigation alongside our warriors.
Rowl stood as they neared and took up a position beside her. General Jensgar was among the men and women approaching. They stopped several feet back as Joseph came to stand beside Karli.
“Alpha Triad, my name is Garth and I’m the head of the Trenault family,” announced a large, older shifter with graying hair.
“We met at the first initial meeting of the pack. I remember you. Your mate operates the daycare,” Karli answered. “How’s the construction going on the new center?”
“It’s going well, thank you. She’s going to be hiring a few ladies on, because the response has been so great. By the sounds of it, all the daycare spots will be full before we even open.”
“That’s wonderful, Garth,” Karli gasped before reaching for her head. It was beginning to pound again.
“Are you all right, love?” Rowl asked as he knelt down beside her.
“My head’s beginning to hurt again, but I’ll be okay,” she groaned before looking up to find the pack members looking at her with concern.
Are you sure, mate? We can do this tomorrow. Joseph’s voice was like a caress as it whispered through her mind.
“I’m sure.”
Rowl kissed the side of her head near the bandages and stood. “What do you have to report?”
“We’ve found that there’s one pack member missing. No one has seen him since breakfast. We’ve gone from house to house to find him, but without luck. Also, we haven’t been able to track down anyone who would want to hurt the three of you,” Garth explained. “There was no other evidence than the cut brake line.”
“Unfortunately, someone did. Who’s the man who’s missing?” Joseph asked.
“His name is Paul Graham. He’s a baker,” General Jensgar answered. “His family hasn’t seen him since early this morning.”
“Could he be responsible?” Rowl demanded.
“I doubt he’s involved. Paul has been one of your strongest allies. Always talking about how much better everyone’s lives were going to be now that they had a new triad leading us,” Garth explained. “I’m worried about him. He’s not the type to up and take off.”
Even though Karli was now cautious of the pack, she needed to find the missing man. After all, he was one of her people she’d sworn to protect. “I want all manpower spent on finding Paul. Anything could have happened to him. He could be hurt,” Karli ordered.
“But we need warriors to stand guard around the main house,” General Jensgar stated. “In case there’s another attempt.”
Karli didn’t want to be reminded of that fact but understood the general’s concern. “Leave Jerome and one other. That will be enough. I appreciate your concern, Jensgar, but we are not without our own powers.”
“Understood, Karli,” he replied before turning to the men gathered and issuing orders.
She wasn’t surprised that her mates didn’t try to disagree with her. She was an equal partner in everything and intended to keep it that way.
So do we, sweetheart. We’re not surprised you are more concerned with Paul’s welfare than your own. Joseph’s voice was soft and loving.
“Can we go back inside?” Karli asked. “I need to lie down again.”
“Of course, mate,” Rowl answered before picking her up and heading for the front door.
Nothing more was said between the three as they undressed and slid under the covers. They held each other tight, the knowledge that they could have lost one another heavy in their hearts and minds.
Karli lay cocooned in her mates’ arms as she drifted off into a restless sleep, hoping they’d have more answers when the sun rose.