The Change (Fated Series: book1)

Nessa

Nessa changed her mud-covered clothes in record time. She even retouched her make-up, fixed her hair and selected an outfit for Marcus by the time the shower finally turned off. She grinned at the predicament in which he had gone to shower. He had hoped to convince her to join him.

Her eyes landed on her reflection in the mirror. She looked happy. Even her otherwise dull brown hair looked vibrant in all its curls. Her eyes were sparkling in mischief, a change she could only attribute to one person.

Her Alpha.

Her Mate.

Even the mere thought of him brought a bigger smile on her face. She was more than happy.

She was home.

“Admiring yourself?” His voice brought her back. Nessa smiled at him in the mirror, noticing how his mirror reflection began flexing his muscles. He really knew how to captivate her attention. Nessa couldn’t help but admire his body. Just the mere knowledge he belonged to her, made her feel proud.

Wanted.

Treasured.

“Nah,” she dismissed his words. “I was just thinking that guys were supposed to take a shorter time to get ready.”

“If you wanted me to finish quicker, you should have showered with me,” he casually flirted, making her grin at his implication of “finishing”.

He was pouting because he didn’t get what he wanted. Alphas were notorious for manipulating people and circumstances to get their way. In their case, it was a power play they both enjoyed and both knew she would submit to him in the end. Eventually. The challenge was to see how long she could tip-toe around it.

“Oh, you poor boy,” she giggled at his confession.

“You’ll pay for it,” he promised her in a threatening voice.

If those words were said by some random Alpha, she would have been scared, or at least smart enough not to put oil in the fire. But it was her Marcus.

“Oh, I am shaking!”

“You will be,” Marcus promised her, walking over to the bed to find the clothes already laid out for him.

She could almost predict his thoughts. He was thinking of a way to wiggle out of wearing them, then he would try to seduce her. He didn’t disappoint.

“If you are going to pick my clothes, you will have to dress me,” he informed her with a devilish grin before dropping the towel from around his waist.

Who said Alpha Ned was not predictable?

He was like an open book. A very naked book.

“Parading naked, really mature, Alpha!” Nessa huffed in dismay, but allowed her eyes to linger on his naked frame. He was a delicious sight to feast on, and knew how to seduce her. She smiled – he was all hers and judging by his excitement he wanted her just as badly.

“Can’t blame a man for trying,” Marcus finally gave up and decided to put on his boxers. Nessa watched him intently as his arms flexed in motion. “What did ma’ discuss with you?”

“Grooming,” Nessa told him watching the ropes of his back muscles move as he was putting on his jeans. He arched an eyebrow at her, slightly turning around to face her complely. “Claire wants you to familiarize yourself with razors and scissors.”

He laced his hand through his wet hair.

“I might need a haircut,” Marcus admitted.

“Not necessarily,” Nessa trailed off and then walked towards him. “However, the beard’s gotta go.”

“Why?” Marcus asked protectively, placing a hand over his goatee.

“I like the five o’clock shadow on you,” Nessa confessed then whispered. “It pricks on all the right places.”

His laughter told her the beard was going to be history soon.

“How did I get so lucky?”

“You must have done something right,” Nessa retorted, flickering his nose.

“I must have done someone right,” he retorted, moving to flicker her nose, too. Nessa tried to side step him in order to avoid his hand, which only served to motivate him to do so even more. He finally pulled her into his body, topping over her on the bed. He was done being playful. He was exerting his dominance over her and demanding all of her attention.

“What an audacious Alpha. What should I do with you?” Nessa said in a serious tone, shaking her head as if she was really pondering on the situation.

“I can think about a thing or two,” Marcus whispered, his mouth descending over her neck, while his free hand lifted her leg and placed it around his waist.

Nessa laughed and tried pushing his forehead away from her neck. The Claim was one of the most erogenous zones for a mate. If he nibbled her neck, her resistance towards his advances would be gone in an instant.

And she did need to keep her mind together.

He grinned at her attempt to postpone the inevitable, slowly pressing his head into her palm.

“Marcus!”

“Yes, Love?”

“Knock it off!”

“No, can’t do,” he answered her honestly.

His lips found his claim on her rather quickly. In a final attempt to control their mating, she tried to roll on top of him, which he deemed reasonable and allowed her to do. She quickly pinned his hands over his head, lifting her weight from his torso and putting it behind the hold on his hands. He allowed her the small victory and didn’t resist her.

“You’re such a tease!”

“No, I am not,” Nessa replied defensively. “I need to be the adult in this relationship, because apparently you, my dear, are not thinking clearly. Cam will be here any minute and you need to be more rational than this!”

“This,” he pushed his hips into hers, “helps me be rational.”

“That’s really sweet of yours to share with me, but we are not mating because you are anxious, we have so much shit going on.”

“I’m telling you, mating is relaxing,” he insisted.

“Sure, never mind my brain would be a jelly donut afterwards,” Nessa told him.

How could he be so driven when they had bigger things to consider?

“Then I must be doing something very right,” Marcus smugly replied, only for Nessa to lean her forehead against his chest, shaking her head.

“You’re missing the point,” her voice was so low she doubted that he would have heard her had he not been an Alpha. “If my brain is jelly, I won’t be able to balance you out. That rage I felt through the bond, it was scary.”

His hands quickly pressed against hers and he managed to effortlessly sit down on the bed, keeping her snug against his body. She was sitting on his lap as he kissed the top of her head.

“Your mere presence is keeping my anger in bay,” he told her honestly. “Whatever the Rogue has to say, it would only give me closure. Pack Law will be present and I am confident they will execute a just sentence. Nothing will bring Emma back and I am sure she would want me to be happy. She would want the pack to be stable.” He told her and then softly placed his hands around her, pulling her even closer to his torso. “I don’t need to live for revenge. I have you and I am living for you… and our future pups. It’s time for Pack Law to warrant their keep.” He kissed the top of her head again and then asked “Provided we still think Rifkin is a proper Commander?”

She placed her arms around him.

“I love you.”

“You always know what to say,” he chuckled and then stood up with her in his hands, letting her slide down his body. “I love you, too, but we should stop cuddling or else I might need another shower.”

“Look at you, being the voice of reason,” Nessa teased, trying to convince herself as much as him. “I would die out of embarrassment if someone else walks in on us!”

“Cameron will mind-link me before he comes up to check up on us.”

“And would you keep your mind link open?” Nessa asked unbelievably and got the answer she expected as his grin got wider. “My point exactly!”

“Touche,” Marcus admitted then continued on a more serious note, “I’m a healthy Alpha, you’re delicious, we are newly mated. If it’s up to me, we’d be leaving our bedroom only to get some real food!”

He grinned at her, which made her roll her eyes at his excited face. He used his index finger to move her chin up.

“Choice mates aren’t chosen only by the human side. The wolf needs to agree with the choice, too. That’s what makes it so difficult to find a choice mate. The ultimate show of such a choice is procreate. Until we are expecting it’s only natural for our wolves to want to mate. It’s nature at its finest. Secure a future. It would be odd if we didn’t crave each other.”

“Just as long our whole relationship is not solely based on the physical.”

“We have everything. You understand and complete me. I don't need to pretend with you. I get to be me, and when I see your desire for me, despite my flaws, my world only exists because of you, around you. Of course I’d want to be with you. You’re my reason of being.”

Nessa smiled at him, lacing her hands through his hair.

“I love you, too.”

“I love you more than life itself,” Marcus responded then let her snuggle into him. “Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. Even if that someone is my mother.”

“I can handle her,” Nessa replied and then placed a peck kiss on his chest. Sometimes having him tower over her was really inconvenient. Her lips barely reached his upper chest. If she wanted to kiss his lips, she would have to pull his neck down or try to climb up his body. “You should dress.”

Marcus kept his gaze on her for a while longer before he nodded to himself and walked to sit on the edge of the bed and started putting on his socks, allowing her to appreciate his shirtless torso for a while longer.

“So what else did she talk to you about?” Marcus casually started.

“I can see why dad wanted you to head the Interrogations for Pack Law. You make these questions sound very casual. Damn, you’re really good at it!”

“And you must have a lot of practice deflecting such inquiries,” Marcus chuckled shaking his head.

“There’s nothing really to be said. Unlike my warm, gooey, hands on mom, Claire is more politically correct Mom in law. We talked about proper things, grooming, fashion choices, satisfying expectations,” Nessa started only for him to intently keep his eyes on her.

“How did you say it? I believe in gummy bears?” He used her own words against her.

“I will have you know they were pretty popular when I was growing up,” Nessa said in her defense.

“You know, I am not that much older than you are,” Marcus chuckled at her argument. She looked at him and for the love of the Goddess, she couldn’t picture him as a child. Perhaps his stern face and chiseled body were holding her back. She knew he must have had a childhood, a rather fun one at that, but she could not picture him watching Gummy Bears. Nah!

She made a mental note to hunt down those childhood albums and see it for herself. She could bet that he was rather reserved and serious even as a child. He must have noticed she spaced out, because his voice brought her back to the conversation at hand.

“So what actually did she say?”

“She put things in different prospective. She had a point that our relationship is public and that we are like… celebrities?” Nessa questioned earning a chuckle out of him. “I really never thought about us as role models. I’ve been selfish trying to keep you, us, to myself. I know you’re the Alpha but I never really thought about what that would mean for our relationship. I won’t tease you too much in public. But behind closed doors,” she winked at him, “your hide is mine.”

“I’m yours to have and to hold, hide or skin,” Marcus rebutted.

“A Luna should not live in sin with her Alpha,” she wiggled her ring finger, “check. Also for unity reasons we should claim the Alpha quarters, clear my apartment and move in my junk here and populate the nursery. The task lists goes on with grooming you because being an unkempt Alpha reflects poorly on our relationship.”

“Our relationship is public. I don’t care what the world thinks of us. I am strong because of you. If someone is foolish to think otherwise, then they’re better off dead,” Marcus shrugged. “My mother’s meddling means well, but is overbearing. We need to decide what is us and not follow someone else’s idea of what our mating should look like.”

“Agreed,” Nessa replied.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Her view into our relationship was intrusive yes, but also gave me a new prospective.”

“Yeah?” He led her on.

“Everything will fall in its right place in time. The Pack House is packed. I don’t think putting a U-haul in the mix will do us any good. I have tons of junk that I am rather fond of,” Nessa honestly admitted and looked at his face to judge his reaction. The small smile forming on his lips urged her to continue. “We can’t possibly fit anything or anyone in the Pack House at this moment. So it has to wait. Of course, I would have preferred to be asked to move in with you, instead of being ordered by my Alpha for my safety but I can live with that because I get to live with you.”

“Now who is sweet and gory,” Marcus teased her then explained. “Asking you to move in with me implies you can decline, and I didn’t want to risk such an awful outcome. So yes, I demanded you do so.”

“You can at least look a little guilty about it,” Nessa scolded him.

“I don’t regret it. We are both a bit stubborn and we need a push to get out of our own way. Moving in was logical next step. Are we really going to linger on the semantics of how it happened?”

“The results justifies the means in this case,” Nessa agreed. “I sometimes get petty about things.”

“And I sometimes exaggerate and use my title to get what I want. I really regret not doing it earlier. I guess that makes me a bully. Sorry.”

“Just my stubborn knucklehead,” Nessa teased.

“See, this,” he pointed between them, “is the type of understanding that takes years for couples to build. With us, it’s innate.”

“We’re amazing together,” Nessa smiled.

“That we are,” Marcus replied. “As for the task list ma’ made. I don’t care about the Alpha quarters. But I think you’d want to make them work for you, us, so we’ll have to renovate. We can’t kick your parents out when our pack house is crowded as it is. And I assume you wouldn’t want me to suggest Rifkin cut his visit short, so they are also staying.”

“Yeah. We’re not procrastinating. We are being practical. As for kids,” she announced as the next topic on the agenda. “I want them with you. But I also want to enjoy you without having the pressure of “making an heir”. It is not like it’s not going to happen sooner rather than later, seeing how I don’t have my pills and we keep on forgetting protection.” Nessa continued and added in his guilty expression. “Yes, I’ve noticed it.”

“And enjoyed it,” he shrugged it off.

“Love it,” she corrected him. “I hear childbirth will make me regret it. FYI, I am not doing a home birth and I want an epidural. My physical pain tolerance is very limited. I’m a scaredy-cat at the dentist. But who isn’t? Anesthesia is a game changer and I intend on fully taking advantage of modern medicine.”

“Then that’s the plan,” he agreed smiling.

“I don’t want to be a trophy wife. I need purpose especially now that I don’t have my job at the dinner,” Nessa explained.

“Luna duties are a full time gig and if that wasn’t enough you have a furious Alpha to tame on the daily, so you won’t be bored,” Marcus winked at her before putting on the t-shirt she had laid out on the bed. “Besides what’s mine is yours. Have at it. Whatever makes you happy, makes me happy.”

“Any preferences on redecorating the Alpha Quarters?”

“Remember I am on the taller side, and I don’t like my feet to dangle off the bed,” Marcus shrugged.

“You didn’t complain about my bed before.”

“We didn’t really sleep much that night. Besides, I wanted to leave a good impression. I’m not whinny. I just like comfort,” Marcus confessed then continued before she could question him. “I made sure you’re in the Enforcer’s wing. Travis is a few doors down. No harm can come to you here. It’s like a fortress, furnished with longer beds.”

“That explains why I haven’t seen many she-wolves,” she said out loud.

“Pack House rules for the Enforcers. No sleepovers for unmated couples.”

“But you,” Nessa pointed out that he had moved into her room.

“It is was our Pack House. We can sleep wherever you like.”

“You’re so sweet,” she told him.

“You should thank me properly. Especially after I tell you our housekeeper Ashley has plans for increased storage throughout the Packhouse. She could run logistics and hire some of our pack mates to bring your stuff over. They own one of the rental companies and will be honored to do it for us.”

“So I should just drop your name everywhere I go?” Nessa asked, baffled, realizing the influence he had in the region. If the pack was prosperous as she knew it was, that only meant the Alpha would have to be very influential even in the human settlements in twenty miles radius at least. His smug grin told her he would be more than happy if her every word was his name! Alpha genes were to blame for it. His huge Ego would explode if she was to drop his name everywhere she went. He would register it as an acceptance of his claim, acknowledgement that she is HIS. Possessive Alphas!

“We are keeping my apartment building! It’s a good investment,” Nessa continued. Marcus nodded his agreement. “And I am buying you some clothes.”

“Sure.”

“And you will wear them.”

“Don’t go crazy on the pink,” he cautioned her.

“Sure. We can preplan dates and get-aways so you don’t get too busy,” Nessa pointed out. He nodded. “And… and…” Nessa stumbled. What else was there to ask. “And you promise to agree with my demands whenever I wish to revisit this topic.”

His laughter echoed in the room. He motioned her to come closer and when she did, he pulled her into his arms, letting his face bury into her neck. He inhaled her scent and then slowly looked up to her. Before she figured out his intention he forcefully pulled her onto the bed and then proceeded to cover her body with his.

“I thought the shower was enough, but no, can’t do. I need to have you!” Marcus told her before he ripped off her blouse discarding it on the side. Nessa shook her head in disbelieve. “Consider this your punishment,” and proceeded to ravish her.

Joel Rifkin

Joel walked down the corridor and knocked on the Alpha’s office before he entered, only to discover it was empty. Joel rubbed the back of his neck while his mind wondered, wasn’t the Interrogation of the Rogue going to commerce shortly after the patrol returned?

He quickly closed the door and looked through the open layout of the living space of the Pack House. His eyes quickly found Beta Cameron and Travis, discussing something vividly in hushed voices. As Joel made his way to them, they quickly cut their conversation short.

“Alpha Ned wanted Pack Law to be present at the Interrogation,” Joel started.

No point of beating around the bush with these influential Enforcers. They had Interrogation to prepare for.

“You will be called as soon as the Interrogation is set up,” the Beta replied as formally and politely as he could and gave Travis a side glance, something passing between them through the mindlink, finishing the conversation he interrupted. Beta Cameron’s eyes quickly shifted to Joel and then informed him cryptically. “We are still looking into some organizational details. All will happen in its time.”

Without waiting for an answer the Beta walked out of the room. Joel raised his eyebrows. So much for the reputation of a polite and welcoming Beta.

“What’s up with him?” Joel wondered.

Travis shook his head in amusement.

“You don’t want to know,” Travis responded, sitting down on the sofa and casually looked through the newspaper.

Who in their mind still read newspapers?

Joel narrowed his eyes on Travis, “Where’s Nessa?”

“With the Alpha,” Travis replied.

“Where?” Joel pressed.

“If the Alpha requested your presence at the Interrogation, he would not start it without you,” Travis replied offhandedly, choosing not to share the whereabouts of his Alpha.

The last thing Joel was worried about was the stupid Interrogation. Joel did not fully trust Alpha Ned to keep it together. Nessa was still vulnerable after his earlier episode. Intense emotions brought the animal to the front, intensifying every single emotion ten-fold. The mating bond passed the emotions between the mated pair, making it possible to overcome such a predicament but increasing the instability of both mates. Rage could consume the consciousness of a person and leave him stripped of all that was human. Leave him berserk.

Joel had responsibilities and duties weighing him. He felt tired, alone and so damn old. He was not even in his thirties but had seen life at its ugliest, hunted down fugitives, settled stupid feuds, and solved gruesome murders. He had seen all the twisted ways of the conscious mind, may it be human or one of the twenty different supernaturals on this planet. He had seen lives destroyed by less. Why he had survived was a mystery he did not care to unravel. After all, he was responsible for one of the Pack Law’s largest territories, had a hormonal teen for a mate and two of his closest friends faced the possibility of becoming berserk. There was no time for self-analysis or pity. He had to control, to prevent, to be there for them.

“She is still susceptible to his emotions,” Joel started only for Travis to smirk and shake his head.

“They are crazy for each other but not slipping into the darkness,” Travis told him, choosing another expression for being berserk. He who was berserk had slipped into the darkness of his own subconscious.

“You don’t understand. What you saw today wasn’t the first time she lost control,” Joel tried to explain only for Travis to interrupt.

“You handled it well,” Travis shortly replied.

Then it all clicked.

Joel recognized the loss of control because he had seen it before in those first years after Brandon’s rejection. Beta Cameron and Travis had to have seen their fair share of temporary lapses in their Alpha. How nobody called Pack Law was a testimony to the loyalty Blackwood wolves had to their Alpha.

No, to their Beta, Joel corrected himself. Beta Cameron was the appointment Heir and the future of Blackwood’s leadership. His loyalty to Ned was unquestionable, who else in their right mind would have chosen to dance a dangerous tango with Death?

Alphas were dangerous. Berserk ones brought destruction on epic proportions. Pack Wars could have started without provocation. The beast inside did not adhere to any common Laws.

The severity of the insanity depended heavily on the subject. Some of the most gruesome crime scenes, which Joel had the unfortunate luck of investigating, had been the work berserk weres or probably newly bitten loupe gurus whose human side hadn’t fully accustomed to the transformation. They all spelled trouble and Pack Law was sent to deal with them, which rarely ended with anything other than a death sentence.

Nessa’s case had been one of the few exceptions. She had learned to function in society. Alpha Ned had done an exceptional job at masking his symptoms or had it been the work of his Beta? Joel shook his head.

He would not let him take her down.

“He’s dangerous.”

“She’s his mate,” Travis replied.

“Exactly,” Joel started only for Travis to chuckle.

“She can handle the Alpha. It’s just newly mated mates mate a lot.” Travis interrupted Joel then added as an afterthought. “The longer time those two spend together, the calmer they both will be.”

Joel squeezed the bridge of his nose. Here he was concerned about Nessa. How did he never think about the mating pull before? The answer was right there in front of him and he was really embarrassed to have overlooked it. It was not as if he had experienced the mating bond fully.

“You look like you could use a cold beer,” Travis told him.

Joel’s eyes snapped at him and Travis only pointed the kitchen with his head. Joel decided to trust his gut and to follow the suggestion of Nessa’s guard. He went to grab something refreshing from the fridge. Beer was not an option but soda was just as refreshing. The back patio door opened and a small escort entered. Beta Cameron nodded at Joel then ushered a young Rogue.

Joel’s attention was immediately focused on the young Rogue, who was flanked by Guards.

“You’re still here?” Beta Cameron asked.

Joel smiled as he lifted his soda can in a greeting. Travis had pulled off what many failed - a casual meeting. His suggestion for a refreshing drink had ensured Joel stayed when the prisoner was walked in.

“Is that him?” Joel asked in return. The Beta nodded. “Wasn’t he to be brought in the dungeon,” Joel wondered.

“Nessa wouldn’t want to go there,” Cameron replied, confirming what Joel suspected. The Beta was used to a wide interpretention of the Alpha’s orders he received.

“Can I have one?” The pup’s eyes were focused on the soda can Joel was holding. He absentmindedly opened the fridge again, took a can and threw it in the pup’s direction. The pup surprisingly snatched it midair. Then settled it in one of his hands.

“Won’t you open it?” Joel asked, eyeing the can in the pup’s eyes. Wasn’t he thirsty if he had asked for one?

The pup looked at the Beta before answering.

“Don’t I get something to wash it down with? I come from far away, you know.”

Beta Cameron chuckled at the reply and then nodded for the pup to help himself with the fridge which he immediately complied with.

“Wash your hands,” Cameron added before the pup reached the large fridge.

“Does anyone else want a snack? I assume I wouldn’t be allowed to cook, knives and all,” the pup chined making everyone grin.

“Surprise us,” Cameron replied, the pup nodding in his direction.

The escort quietly spread around the massive kitchen, keeping an eye on the parameter. They were obviously not considering him much of a risk because of his age. Joel however had seen even smaller pups succumb to their primal desires to hunt and kill.

The pup quietly raided the fridge pulling out any left overs, warming up the containers in the microwave and then swiftly proceeding with stacking everything in one giant burger while bringing out chips and pretzels for the Enforcers.

Joel’s eyebrows rose up when the pup bit down in the burger. Shortly after he swallowed, the pup finally caught on Joel’s interest in him.

“I’m sorry. Did you want some?” The pup asked offering the massive burger to him. Joel shook his head. “More for me then!” The pup said then took a sip of his soda can. “You smell different.”

“He’s Pack Law,” Travis replied.

The pup acknowledged Travis then returned his attention to Joel, studying him intently.

“Cool,” the pup shrugged it off and continued eating his monstrous burger.

“He’s too clean to be a Rogue,” Joel told Cameron who only chuckled.

“He’s a former Blood Hound. Ricardo Lopez, meet Commander Rifkin of Pack Law,” Cameron quickly introduced them.

“Why did Alpha Nicolas renounce you?” Joel quickly extrapolated.

“You know him?” The pup asked only for Joel to nod. It was in his job description to know all the Alphas on his territory. “Good. So I might have heard him talking to Alpha Wynton. You know him? Now he’s dope,” the pup commented before Joel nodded his head once again. “Alpha Nicolas was warning Alpha Wynton to stay out of it and that they, Alpha Nicolas and Alpha Alfred, Alpha Wynton’s father, had handled it. It being “Emma Kennard”. You see, how quickly I found myself to be the hunted underdog? Pun intended.”

“So you decided to drop by Blackwood and bring War with the information?” Joel asked.

“I decided I want to live,” the pup corrected him. “Plus Alpha Ned is just. And I am not scared of Pack Law. I did nothing wrong.”

“You still trespassed,” Joel pointed out. The pup waved his hand dismissively.

“I am a pup. True I have shifted, but I am underage. Technically, it is neither Pack Law nor Alpha Ned who would pass judgment on me. And yeah, I know I am not a Pack’s pup, but I don’t think that would make any difference to the Luna. She’s kind of like an awesome side-kick to a kick ass Alpha!” The pup quickly blurred.

Joel’s eyebrows rose in question and he quickly focused Cameron who shrugged, replying to his silent question.

“He’s a fan. You should have seen him with the Alpha.”

“By the way, is Luna Vanessa coming to my Interrogation? I don't want the Alpha to flip on us again.” The pup asked Cameron, completely ignoring Joel’s presence. It was obvious that the two had formed a connection. While the pup probably saw Cameron in the role of his Guardian, the Beta was more than entertained by the pup.

“She will attend,” Joel surprised Ricardo by taking the lead.

“Cool,” the pup replied and then finished off his sandwich and proceeded to place all the plates in the washing machine. Joel glanced at Cameron who shrugged. “I am now ready to see them.”

Marcus

When they finally emerged from her room, Marcus was in a better mind-place. Having spent time with his unpredictable mate had been refreshing. He could still not fully comprehend how her mind worked but he was glad she had accepted him as a Choice Mate. She was level-headed and entertaining to be around with. The only drawback from having a spirited mate was often times she was just as stubborn as he was! He should have just hauled her to the shower himself instead of letting her convince him she would simply change her clothes while he showered. She would pout and retort, but at the end he knew she would have been sated just as he was. And it wouldn’t have taken him so long time! Cameron had already tried to mindlink him several times. The rogue had arrived.

His eyes landed on Nessa and the stress of the whole situation evaporated. She was delicious. Mouthwatering.

She made him feel like a pup once again! So young, so carefree, so inexperienced with his own body. Marcus could not comprehend how all the years of control slipped away the moment his eyes landed on Ness. You would think constant hard-ons were a thing of the youth! He had lived long enough to be able to control himself. And yet, the bulge in his jeans was proving him wrong.

He quickly pulled her into the library and pressed her against the door. She looked confused until he pressed his hard on against her.

“Again?” She asked in awe.

So what if they mated just before they walked out of their room? The admiration of his stamina in her voice was all he needed. He had to have her.

NOW.

He tried telling her that but all he could pass through his own lips was a growl. She never flinched only smiled at him, “You’re that worked up?”

He nodded, his hands already tugging at her clothes, conveying the urgency he was feeling. His lips took charge of hers, silencing her. There was no need for words anymore. He kissed her roughly, leaving her no chance to protest. Not that she would. He could smell her arousal and proceeded to unbutton his jeans and free himself of their constriction. She must have felt his attempt to arrange himself and grinned against his lips, silently conveying her acceptance and ultimately provoking another growl out of his chest.

Damn it. Marcus knew she was entertained at his enthusiasm for her, but his wolf did not appreciate being laughed at. An Alpha wolf was dominant in nature, and that extended to his mate. It was a show of strength, a conformation he could take care of his own. After all, in the animal world, the survival of the fittest was what determined who lived and who ceased to exist. His wolf was merely connecting with hers, proving to hers, he was a strong mate.

Marcus smirked against her lips as his hand moved her skirt up her waist and cupped her behind, trailing his palms over the rounded globes. The moan that escaped her lips was cut short as he spanked one of globes of her behind, making her gasp.

“Marcus!” Nessa whisper-yelled at him.

Whether it was him, Marcus, that spanked her or his wolf, Marcus did not care. He hadn’t spanked her hard. Just enough to show dominance over her and to make her arousal peak.

“I can’t help it,” Marcus confessed and captured her lips in a softer kiss, letting her know he was losing control and this mating wasn’t going to be tender as he had first thought. She tried to keep up with his pace, but reluctantly lost as she moaned as soon as his fingers reached her groin and tugged against the string of her thong, wedging the coarse material against her sensitive bud.

“I need you,” he told her.

Nessa looped her hands around his neck, urging him to bent down to her height and enabling her to connect her lips to his. He smiled against her lips and traced soothing circles over her spanked butt cheek.

There was no need for words. They understood the yearning their bodies needed and gladly submitted to the longing for each other.

He quickly lifted her up against his body, letting her back slide up against the door. As her legs locked behind his waist, he cupped her behind and brought her onto his hardness. She groaned as he slipped in.

Feeling her wetness coat his member, Marcus lusted. They were going to get pregnant sooner rather than later. If it was up to him, he would have done so weeks ago!

How long had it taken them to come downstairs to the library? Five minutes? And he was still aching for her as if he hadn’t had her in days! Damn, was he seriously mating with her so soon? He was enthralled. And that was worse than being her addict.

His control slipped and he rammed into her roughly, never leaving her time to accommodate to his grown size. She exhaled sharply, steadying herself against his body. He could distantly feel her womb tightening against him. He wanted to remind himself to go slow and allow her to accommodate, but his wolf was not having any of it. He had the impatience only a pup possessed and the dominance of an Alpha.

With every plunge into her sweetness, the edge seemed to near. And he was helpless but to aim for the finish.

Her flushed face and his clawed back were all the unmistakable evidence he needed, to know she was enjoying this as much as he did. Her head is was tilted back, neck fully exposed to him – an ultimate submission. Surrender. His possessiveness of her body, made him want to give her his own just as badly as he was taking hers.

There was so much he could read in her eyes. She was trying and failing at being quiet ad their mating dance intensified brining her to the verge where sound made it pass her lips. When he grin grew bigger, pride pushing him onward, she stuck her tongue out at him.

Oh, she did not just do that!

Seeing her tongue slide between her lips pushed him over the edge and he roughly started bouncing her up and down his stiffness, making her pant even more frantically against him. He was going to show her what he thought of her attempt to tease him! She exactly knew how he felt about her tongue or her lips as a matter of fact.

It was gratifying knowing when exactly she reached her peak. He didn’t need to carefully look at her face to witness it. He could feel it through the light sweat coating her forehead, the tremor quickly taking over her body, the frenzy with which her hands tugged at him in attempt to bring him closer to her body. But nothing compared to the spasm with which her womb clammed against him in a rhythmic manner from the base of his shaft to its tip.

She was climaxing… feeling him… leading him into her own bliss.

Even though he knew he was fully embedded in her, he pressed his hips deeper into her. He could feel the end of the tunnel, the constriction against which he forcefully pressed before he exploded.

Nessa

Nessa winked at Marcus who kept on holding her hand as they walked down the stairs. It had taken them a while to spiral down from their highs and clean themselves up before they finally deemed themselves presentable for the Interrogation. As Marcus had pointed out they had to appear approachable but official. Nessa had even ended up having to change her outfit again by the insistence of her mate. Deep down in her heart, Nessa suspected it was all a very well-thought tactic to stall. Even though Marcus had lived for the revenge, he was now postponing the moment of truth. Or could a barely shifted Rogue pup unravel the mystery powerful weres could not?

As they finally made it to the ground floor, Nessa noticed Travis who was the first to greet them. He quickly stood up, nodding at the pair in greeting, while his face looked more sharp and alert than ever. She knew the transformation was more for Marcus’ benefit than hers. Travis wanted to prove himself worthy to be her Appointed Guard and he wanted to make the best impression to his Alpha. Marcus regarded him with a short nod, before his whole body stiffened. Marcus narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath, then snarled.

“Let’s go to my study,” Marcus directed Travis and then sharply turned, proceeding to his office. Nessa had to run up to keep up with his pace or risk to be dragged in it as a rag doll. She didn’t think that Marcus realized how inconsiderate he was being. The moment he closed the door, Nessa asked:

“What happened?”

“Cameron had brought the Rogue here instead of the dungeon,” Marcus snarled.

“Aren’t we interrogating him here?” Nessa pressed, rubbing her hand. His eyes narrowed on her hand and then suddenly his posture relaxed.

“Sorry. I lost it again,” Marcus replied tenderly rubbing his thumb over her wrist in an apology. “I got mad Cam didn’t do as I told him. The rogue was to be thrown in the dungeon.”

“I am sure he was just going to throw him into the dungeon after the pup is fed. So technically he didn’t defy your order. But since they are here, we might as well listen to what he has to say,” Nessa reasoned trying to diminish the offense. A Beta was never to go against the Alpha’s Order. Yet Cameron had found it prudent to be more lax with this particular Rogue.

“I am sure he was,” Marcus huffed and sat behind his desk, while Nessa watched him carefully. As his annoyed face didn’t dissipate, she finally went towards the back of his chair and placed her palms on his shoulders, giving them a quick massage.

“Relax,” Nessa whispered.

Nessa would have probably kissed his neck and inhaled his scent had it not been for three distinct knocks on the door. Travis entered, stopping midway as to not to allow anyone behind him to witness the pair’s moment. Nessa smiled at her Guard and nodded as she moved to straighten up. He was giving her the privacy she so adamantly pursued.

Marcus smiled at the exchange, covering Nessa’s hand on his shoulder with his own, slightly tapping it in a reassurance.

Cameron followed next with Joel. The pair looked suspiciously enthralled by their conversation, discussing possible leads for his mate. Joel entered first, his face relaxing after he gave her a once over. Alex and her father followed behind. All together there were three representatives of Blackwood and Pack Law that took a seat to the left and right respectively in the small Alpha office. Two Enforcers brought a chair and placed it in the middle, shortly before a skinny pup finally stepped into the room.

He gave her a small smile and settled in the chair facing them all. Nessa returned the smile only for Marcus to growl at the pup.

“You have your hearing,” Marcus snarled at the pup.

“Hi,” the pup locked his eyes on Nessa. “I would like to petition the Luna of the Blackwood Pack for protection.”

“State your reason,” Cameron gruffly asked. Nessa had to hide her smirk at his agitated face.

“Dreading the paperwork already?” Nessa shot at Cameron through the mind link.

“Nah, this hot potato is all yours, Luna. Didn’t you hear the pup petition you, not Blackwood? Therefore the paperwork heaven is yours!” Cameron shot back lacing his mindlink with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

“My name is Ricardo Lopez and if I am to leave Blackwood, I am as good as dead,” the pup started and then focused on Nessa. “I’m good with computers. I am fluent in five languages and I am capable of unraveling a conspiracy that started ages ago. All I ask in return is for the chance to grow up and meet my mate. My death would only serve to punish her. Coz after I’m dead, how would she know she should start searching for a Choice Mate? I don’t want her withering away because she can’t find me.”

Nessa nodded. It made sense. Moreover, it was kind of sweet how a boy his age would think about his future mate and what his untimely demise would do to her. Nessa wondered what happened if one of the intended fated mates died before they even meeting their soulmate. She wanted to believe thought Fate would not allow it to occur. But wasn’t Fate part of one’s choices?

“What makes you think that you’d be safe in Blackwood?” Marcus asked the pup.

“You, Alpha. I mean you can wipe off Alpha Nicolas with a hiccup,” Ricardo shot back very quickly and confidently which made Nessa giggle, and Marcus snort. The pup ignored Nessa’s reaction and focused his undivided attention to Marcus. “You know what I mean. You are like Superman and he is just a common villain. You won’t even break a sweat disposing of him!”

Nessa smiled at Marcus’ annoyed expression. Who would have thought he would have a Rogue as his biggest fan? Nessa briefly wondered why the famous Alpha Ego wasn’t inflating with every single word the pup was saying. Then it all came to her. Marcus did not see the Rogue as anything but a Rogue and as such the pup was the lowest of all scumbags. His admiration was irrelevant.

As she was still standing behind Marcus, she squeezed his shoulders, making his stormy green eyes focus on her. As soon as he looked at her, his glare and stand relaxed.

“He’s beyond frustrating,” Marcus shot through the mindlink.

“You are indeed a man of steel,” Nessa mind-linked him.

Marcus winked back at her in reply, which only served to color her cheeks. He then reached and pulled her to sit in his lap. Their exchange obviously did not remain unnoticed by the others as Frank coughed, interrupting their moment.

“So what’s this conspiracy you hint about, Son?” Frank asked.

“I am not hinting, Sir,” Ricardo clarified. “I know exactly who is responsible for it and where the evidence is buried.”

“Proceed,” Marcus snarled and the pup started.

“Is my petition approved?” The pup cockily asked, focusing on Nessa.

“We can give you a provisional stay of ninety days. Whether it shall be extended or terminated, depends on your behavior, and the value of the information you give us,” Marcus replied.

“I won’t disappoint you, Alpha,” Ricardo cheerfully promised. “Now, where do you want me to start? What happened to me, or with the conspiracy in chronological order? Or do you prefer if I fetch you the evidence first?”

“What evidence?” Marcus asked.

“I might have hacked an account or two,” the pup answered slowly and then quickly flashed his eyes towards Pack Law. “But I am the whistleblower so technically I should be exempt from prosecution!”

“Then you have nothing to worry about. What accounts?” Rifkin asked.

“Financial information and recorded conversation between the leader of the ring and his minions. Though, could you be a minion if you are an Alpha? I am not sure about that one,” the teen scratched his head and then looked at Marcus. “You can’t, right?”

“Whose accounts have you hacked?” Marcus ignored his question.

“Pablo Alvarez,’” the pup replied and continued speaking really quickly. “I know he is very influential, but he is a snake. I can imagine what you think of me now that I’m a lone wolf. I probably won’t believe the likes of me, either if I were you. This trespassing rogue can give you data to prove he’s up to his elbows in shit.”

“How is he connected?” Frank asked.

“You believe me?” The pup shot right back at Frank who only narrowed his eyes at him. “What if I tell you he plans to execute all of the remaining Royal Families and raise the Monarchy with his son on the throne?”

“We are familiar with him,” Joel replied before Frank had the chance to answer. “How is he connected to Emma Kennard?”

“Alvarez is in bed with my former Alpha… Alpha Nicolas of the Blood Hounds. Our first Luna was close friends with Emma Kennard,” the pup replied in one breath only for Marcus to shift his attention to him. As the pup noticed the peeked interest, he faced Marcus. “Apparently they met in the Academy before Avery found out she’s Alpha Nicolas’ mate and before Emma was mated to you, Alpha.”

“Who was responsible?” Marcus growled his frustration with the time the pup took to make a point. As the pup didn’t respond, Marcus hit his left fist against his polished surface of his desk with so much force everything on it shook from the impact. Nessa quickly slid her hand over his arm to his fist on the table and felt how his right hand tightened supporting her on his lap. When her fingers reached his fist he pulled it back and laced his fingers with hers. Nessa quietly pulled his hand onto her own lap and started tracing figures on his hand, helping him relax.

“Alpha Nicolas, Sir. I caught him threatening Alpha Wynton of the Iron Hearts that he could frame him as a disgruntled ex for Kennard if he doesn’t comply,” the pup quickly replied after his shock subsided.

“The proof,” Marcus insisted. “Where is it?”

“In the cloud?” Ricardo pointed upwards. “I need a computer to access it.”

Marcus pushed his laptop in the direction of the pup who casually stood up and walked over the desk to take it. Nessa let her eyes linger on the pup. He really looked well taken care of despite being a little on the skinnier side. It was remarkable a run through pack territories hadn’t taken a bigger toll on him.

“Is there something I can help you with, Luna?” The pup asked.

“You look pretty healthy for a rogue,” Nessa replied.

“I have been on the run for just a couple of days, Luna,” Ricardo replied without taking his eyes off the computer screen, while his fingers were dancing on the keyboard.

“You ran all the way here?” Marcus finally caught up on Nessa’s line of questioning.

“My wolf is not strong for a run like that. My getaway was a car and my disguise – a flowery perfume. I can still smell it on me. It’s remarkable how some scents get under your skin when you are exposed to them in confined spaces. But on the upside screwed up the Blood Hound trackers so I could put much needed distance through several human settlements.”

“Where is your car?” Marcus asked.

“Technically it’s not my car. I might-have-borrowed-it?” The pup quickly pushed the words out of his lips that Nessa had to blink before the meaning finally settled.

“Joy ride?” Frank asked.

“Whistle-blower?” The pup offered as an excuse, while turning the laptop for Marcus to see, and then calmly returned to his chair. Marcus quickly snatched the laptop and pulled it closer. Nessa could not make out the documents, but they were hundreds of files and documents, most of which were bank statements, investment portfolios, tax returns – the list kept going. Marcus, on the other hand, had no problem following the thread of evidence. As he handed the laptop to Joel, he summarized for his pack’s benefit.

“It looks legit and ties Alvarez down. There are payments to Alpha Alfred and Alpha Nicolas as well as to some Council Elders,” Marcus said and then looked at Ricardo. “Now, tell us what you know.”

“As the documents can prove, Alpha Alfred had established his mining company for years and it was one of the main sources of income for the Iron Heart Pack. So a couple of years before the financial collapse of 2008, Alpha Alfred took the company public. That means he would have to sell shares of his company to potential investors. However, that’s kind of harder than it sounds. In order to attack investors, the company has to be: A) profitable B) must have pristine reputation and C) attractive to investors. Let’s be honest, there’s nothing sexy about mining. Although the company was running for a long time before Alpha Alfred decided to take it public, he had no idea how to position himself, and sell those stocks. So it comes to reason he would ask for someone influential to back his company and be the “face” of the advertisement.

There is where Pablo Alvarez came in. He would not only invest in the company but would bring other investors if Alpha Alfred agreed to accustom his Pack to host some of Alvarez’ friends for the next couple of years.

Alpha Alfred obviously agreed and acquired his biggest investor, who not only bought half of the company, but also brought in many other investors. In return Alpha Alfred had to give sanctuary to some folks. He didn’t see the harm in that. Up in the mountains, there’s nothing but SPACE, so he definitely didn’t mind holding his end of the bargain. He didn’t even back out when the “friends” turned out to be a nest of vampires. In all honesty, he was lucky. The nest was conservative vamps who followed Giovanni’s principles vampires should not alert the public to their existence, so all together the pack and the nest made it work. The new lair that was given to them was even underground – an old mining vein that was already deployed.

Win-win and all was good, until the financial crisis of 2008 hit.

Alpha Nicolas was probably one of the few ones who was actually happy when all the investments went down the drain. You see, he had always envied Alpha Alfred for the flourishing mining and he saw the crisis as the Goddess way to balancing out the increasing influence Iron Hearts had acquired over the last couple of years. Much for his disappointment, the Alpha of the Northern Hills surprisingly invested into the loosing stock of the mining company and kept it afloat. That’s when Alpha Nicolas got suspicious of the good fortune that Alpha Alfred continued to have and sent scouts. My pack learned about the deal with Alvarez.

The way Alpha Nicolas saw it, if Alpha Alfred could profit of such a powerful ally, why should he refrain from getting involved? It was then our turn to make a deal with Pablo Alvarez. You see, one thing Alpha Nicolas despised more than the prosperity in Iron Hearts was sadly our Luna. You may have heard that his True Mate did not produce him an Heir, and so his plan was formed. Resolving to good old blackmail, Alpha Nicolas suggested he’d keep Pack Law out of it, if they would help handle our Luna,” the pup glanced at Nessa.

“He is implying Nicolas had his fated mate Avie assassinated?” Nessa asked through the mindlink.

“Sadly, it tracks. After the rejection none one has seen her ever since,” Marcus responded through the mindlink and Vanessa gasped.

And here she thought what Brandon did was despicable!

The implication here was ten times worse!

Outrageous!

The pup slowly continued as if he was testing for her reaction and waiting for someone to stop his narrative, but none interfered.

“That kind of happened, before my time, so I had to ask around for our Luna Avie. I mean I remember her as a sweet lady who always smelled like cookies,” the pup smiled at the memory. “She simply disappeared one day. I never understood why Alpha Nicolas had a second mate until I researched. You see, Alpha Nicolas was more experienced than her and apparently had fathered a girl and a boy by two of his…” the pup’s eyes darted at Nessa and then obviously searched for a proper word that came out as a question, “girlfriends?”

Marcus snorted, while Nessa’s father shook his head in disapproval.

While indulging one’s desires before finding one’s mate was considered a personal choice, any offspring produced by such union was severely frowned upon. Alphas were not exempt because they ran high on adrenaline and testosterone. On the contrary, they were held up to a higher moral standard. It was extremely difficult to deduce if an Alpha Command was involved in such mating, and if a proper consent was obtained. And then there were the social climbers who would risk their family’s name for the chance of trapping a powerful mate, may it be willing or not. It was remarkable how a law of the old days, written down to protect She-wolves of station from being kidnapped and mated, was applied in defense of Alphas who could not trust their partners these days. Nowadays, she-wolves were proactively searching for a proper mate, may it be a Choice or Fated one, who would support their outrageously lavish lifestyles. Wolves of power were associated with access to bigger funds, and quickly became target of entrepreneurial she-wolves chasing the glamour associated with a title.

Marcus smiled showed his pride as he snuggled Nessa. Their relationship was special. She had taken him even when she thought he had no title. He had chosen her before he knew she had some blue blood.

“You better be not thinking about any girlfriends!” Nessa mind-linked him.

Marcus opened his mind and shared the memory of being slapped and his confusion at it, when she finally figured out him he’s her Alpha.

Nessa’s lips spread in a wide smile, “Yeah, your Alpha’s title got you assaulted, not in the good way!”

Marcus could not help but chuckled at her statement. Not only that the Alpha title hasn’t worked on her as the laws predicted, it had actually caused him a headache at the beginning of their relationship. He shook his head and then moved her closer to himself and gave her forehead a kiss.

Frank cleared his throat.

“Pay attention,” she playfully scolded Marcus.

“Stop distracting me,” his serious voice made the pup took at him in freight. Nessa just smiled and squeezed the back of Marcus’ neck.

“So his bastards were actually considered proof that you know… he was capable, and the problem lay with her. Alpha Nicolas rejected her. I am not sure why she stuck around and fought for his lame ass, but she did, and that’s when Alvarez was recruited to help her accept it,” Ricardo continued.

“That bastard!” Nessa exclaimed and caused the pup to lose his trail of thoughts.

“Love, between Jonathan and I, he’d be taken care of,” Marcus reassuringly told her sensing her anger towards Pablo raising to a whole new level. As Nessa smiled at him, he focused on the pup and he proceeded cautiously.

“The word had gotten around and people were actually out casting her. All except for Luna Avie’s closest friend - Emma Kennard. Before she was mated to you, Alpha, Kennard, Luna Aivie and Alpha Wynton were close friends from college. So close that both Alvarez and Alpha Nicolas were worried, Luna Aivie may flee and confide in them about their dealings,” Ricardo explained.

Nessa pressed her fingernails into her palm just so she wouldn’t interrupt. Marcus quickly laced his hand through her making her relax it before she drew blood.

“Apparently after our Luna disappeared from the scene, Emma called the Pack House to speak with Luna Avie and therefore focused their attention on herself. She had been relentless to find what happened to her friend. Her friendship with the Luna got her killed as she even visited Pack Grounds, and may or may have not ran into Giovanni himself. It’s kind of difficult to narrow it down. That is how she had turned to be the biggest inconvenience, and had to be eliminated. I’m sorry, Alpha Ned,” the pup quickly changed the narrative. “With that, the trio proceeded to increase their influence within Pack Law. They have weres, vampires and humans on their payroll.”

“Infestation,” Joel spoke under his nose as he was looking through the financial paper trail, pointing out names for Frank and Alex who were silently nodding their heads in agreement. It didn’t take a genius to figure out they were mind-linking, keeping whatever conclusions they had – private. Joel spoke, “Even couple of Battalion Commanders are compromised.”

“As it was handled, it was them three against all others. They needed to secure more funds – they promised Northern Hills an arranged mating with an influential mate - Juliet Grey. Of course, Alpha Grey would not have it so they staged an accident for him. They thought using a Bank in the Cayman’s would make the transaction untraceable,” the pup huffed in disapproval. “Things got pretty heated once Alpha Alfred decided it was best to let Juliet pick her own mate, instead of forcing an alliance with Northern Hills. Juliet and Oliver had grown up together, and such alliance was the most reasonable next step. Out of respect, they decided to let it play out only agreeing to interfere if Pack Law was to be involved.”

“Did you find a specific reason?” Nessa asked quickly.

“Alvarez was adamant that Pack Law should stay out of it. I didn’t think to search for any other reasons. I mean they don’t have the manpower to pull a full frontal take down of Pack Law,” Ricardo replied and then after he received a nod from Nessa.

“Alvarez knows Jonathan runs with us,” Frank explained what Nessa didn’t share.

“He must be badass to have Alvarez avoid him,” the pup concluded. “When the Elder’s Council sanctioned Alpha Juliet’s mating to Beta Brandon things got heated. Northern Hills were threatening selling shares; Alpha Alfred was constantly calling Alpha Nicolas. Apparently there was a rift. Northern hills and Iron Hearts were pissed off, while Alpha Nicolas only took it as a sign the union had outgrown its usefulness. The only thing that troubled Alpha Nicolas was that Pablo Alvarez was joyful. That is when the Alpha decided that there was still benefit of keeping Alvarez around. After all the plan was failing but yet there he was, laughing and celebrating. I overhead one of the Omegas say that he bragged about putting a family dispute to rest.”

A loud growl vibrated through Frank’s chest.

It was clear. The bastard must have known at least that Brandon had been Nessa’s True Mate, if not suspected that Jonathan was Juliet Grey’s mate. But how would he know?

“Pack Law’s mating calculator must have worked properly before your rejection,” Cameron’s astonished voice echoed through the mindlink.

“But wouldn’t have Jonathan checked out all of his intended matches? And he just met Juliet!” Marcus asked Vanessa.

“The Intelligence team was given access to months after my rejection,” Nessa’s voice floated through the mindlink. “There’s no way of knowing what the machine would have calculated before Juliet and Brandon’s mating.”

“If someone inquired, wouldn’t there be a record of it?” Travis pitched in and Nessa gasped.

“The pup can hack it,” she quickly supplied.

“Ness, we’d have to discuss that with Joel and your father. It’s a Pack Law’s system and we don’t want to be stepping on our “allias” toes!” Marcus cautioned Vanessa, who reluctantly nodded in agreement.

“I bet they are discussing the same thing,” Cameron narrowed his eyes at Joel, which made Nessa smile.

“Am I missing something?” The pup must have followed closely the interaction to notice the exchange between the members of the two groups.

“Please proceed,” Marcus urged him, ignoring his question and the pup had no other choice but to comply.

“In the same time Giovanni increased his influence and it became prudent to hide their hideout. It didn’t take a genius to connect the dots from Alvarez to Iron Hearts’ mining corporation, and their possible nest location. There was too much exposure for Alphas Alfred, who out of spite would have outed Alpha Nicolas as soon as the authorities were to be involved. Alvarez turned on Giovanni’s followers and banished them from Alpha Alfred’s territory. It is rumored that Giovanni himself is planning to eliminate Alvarez. Alpha Alfred was happy with the outcome, but he must have realized he, too, was replaceable in Alvarez’ scheme, and decided it was time to back out. Later on, we learned that he went so far as reaching out to both Giovanni and Yiakimeri for their support, before he met up with an unfortunate accident that made his son Wynton the Alpha of the Iron Hearts.

See, after Alpha Wynton took over things for Alvarez and Alpha Nicolas hadn’t been good. They needed to keep Alpha Wynton in check and so they ganged up on him and told him the story. Unfortunately, for me, that was the conversation I overheard. Their plan was simple: eliminate the other contestants. It is for Alpha Nicolas to be sent for the Geary’s girls, while Alvarez and Alpha Wynton work together to eliminate the Aytons. They are the strongest and of course outnumber them. What Alvarez didn’t take into account is that Alpha Wynton is a good guy. Obviously he didn’t agree to the plan. When that happened Alpha Nicolas tried to blackmail Alpha Wynton with the truth of how his father, Alpha Alfred, was involved and that Alvarez and Reverhill own combined 51% shares of the mining company. When that didn’t work, he told Alpha Wynton that they’ll lead Alpha Ned to believe that Wynton is responsible for Emma Kennard’s death.

Since Alvarez had taken care of Alpha Nicolas’ wayward mate, Alpha Nicolas had to take care of Emma. Apparently he saved enough evidence and was trying to pressure Alpha Wynton in believing that Alpha Alfred had been the one who had done the deed. Alpha Wynton didn’t buy any of it. He didn’t even flinch at the implication Blackwood will go after him. He said that Giovanni would back him up and that neither he, nor Iron Hearts are responsible for Emma Kennard’s passing, and nobody in their right mind would believe it. Just as Alpha Nicolas commanded his Enforcers to detain Alpha Wynton, they noticed me, and I took off. I thought I’d lose them by the borders but they followed me through Moonlight territory into here. I’m guessing Alpha Lee is staying over here, as I didn’t run into him.”

“What do you mean “detain Alpha Wynton”?” Joel asked.

“Silver chains and all,” Ricardo elaborated.

“We have to intervene,” Rifkin concluded.

“You have my support,” Marcus offered only for Joel to nod as his phone started vibrating. He quickly picked it up.

“It’s started,” Jonathan’s voice came through the connection.