Chapter 15
The sprawling two-story Alpha house sat in the middle of ten thousand acres in the southwestern part of the state. Theron’s pack lands boasted their own schools, a baseball and football field, a small hospital, a butcher, dry goods, a bar and all types of small businesses. There were pastures with livestock, numerous barns, and large fields of crops. Pools and playgrounds dotted the landscape, as well as several homes in small communities.
It had been a while since Silas had visited. Theron and his mate Shelby, a licensed veterinarian, always impressed him with their forward thinking. At the mouth of their lands a nice sized strip mall open to the public created jobs for pack members. That’s where Shelby opened her veterinarian practice, as well as a large grocery store, a drug store and small department stores. A movie theater and karaoke bar sat on opposite ends of the mall. All employees lived on pack lands. All deliveries for the pack's stores and office shared a space. Theron’s security teams enforced his strict rule of 'pack only' on their lands.
Security took the wolf prisoners to the small jail while a doctor checked the female. She hadn’t spoken since she’d screamed for them to stop killing the wolves. Shelby, Theron’s mate, strolled into the room where Silas sat talking to Theron. The Alpha had a smile on his face before she spoke.
“Greetings, La Patron.” The petite redhead with emerald green eyes that flashed fire when angry offered him a small bow with a large smile. He remembered when Theron courted the firebrand, her eyes flashed all the time. She hadn’t wanted to give up her schooling and move to the country. A wolf’s major strategy was to tire their opponents. Theron had been relentless in his pursuit and in the end won his prize.
Silas took her tanned hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. “It’s about time the light came into this dreary place.” He smiled as her cheeks reddened. “You are still beautiful, Shelby. It’s a pleasure to see you again. I wish the circumstances were better…”
She nodded and glanced at her mate. He reached for her. She stepped into his arms and he kissed her hard. Silas looked over their heads at the twins. They were in the middle of a discussion with Hank while Brad sat in a chair nearby, listening.
“The female is fine, a little shaken, but otherwise still angry and mouthing curses. We found this in the bushes. She recorded everything.”
Silas looked at the cell phone. “Have you tracked her last call?”
“It went to an untraceable phone. But she’d taken pictures of the fight, no doubt sent them as well,” Theron said looking at the device. Silas shrugged. “What about your wolves? The ones who suffered from the earlier attack?”
“They are healing.” She chuckled. “Although Philippe has decided to pass on the Alpha position.”
Silas looked between the two, wondering what he’d missed. “Why?”
Theron pulled his mate close and looked at him. “When we arrived, they couldn’t believe packs live like this. Within moments of eating a full meal in the hall, they all asked to join our pack and not return to Mexico. Philippe was the first to ask.”
Silas nodded. “You’ve done well. There is a sense of growth and security here. I understand that most of your young return from college to either work here on the lands or in your shopping areas.”
Theron nodded. “Yes, we’re building a few office buildings here for new businesses. Shelby has approved the business plans of ten pack members. We’ll build another structure near the strip mall for businesses that appeal to both sides of our nature.”
“That’s excellent,” he said with pride. “I’d love to hear more about that tomorrow, now I’d like to talk to the wolves. And then the female.”
Shelby nodded.
“Yes, Sir. This way please. There’s a holding section for the injured. The wolves are down this hall,” Theron said, leading the way.
The chained wolves lowered their heads when Silas and Theron walked in alone. Silas watched the mated pair and wondered what their connection to the human female was.
“Did your pack attack this pack earlier today as they crossed the border?” Silas asked.
The wolves frowned. “No. We are a small pack. To attack an Alpha is suicide.”
“Yet you put one of your drivers in my car and had him take me to a side location. You didn’t think that was suicide?”
The male blanched. “We didn’t know who… she just said to take the car, to bring the car to the clearing.”
“Who? Who told you to take the car?” They knew he was coming.
“Mar—”
The female stopped mid-sentence and looked at her mate. She snarled. “Even now you would protect her. After what she has done?”
“She didn’t …”
“Of course she didn’t, yet they are all dead. Dead because you chose to follow her instructions instead of listening to me. Me, your mate.” She tried to swipe at him but her chains prevented the domestic brawl from escalating
Silas’ brow rose. “This is the last time I will ask. Who told you to kidnap my car and how did you know I was coming?”
Theron tensed at the last question. It had been a long night and Silas forgave the Alpha for not realizing that important fact.
“It was Marguerite. The pack whore,” she spat. “She’s the human who’s been breeding for my mate and the older wolves for the past fifty years. I’ve never been able to breed, and when one of the wolves brought her to the pack, they received her as a gift from the goddess and gave her everything her heart desired. After a few deliveries, she started making suggestions on pack activities. Instead of questioning her knowledge, the males jumped and did as she suggested.”
“They were good ideas,” her mate said, his face reddening as she spoke of him in a disrespectful tone. “You said nothing at the time.”
Her head whipped around and she snarled. “I did. I questioned who she was and her ability to birth pups. That’s not natural, damn you. Nor is it natural for you to mate with her, but you swore the goddess favored you and allowed you to copulate with that bitch, and she bore you sons. She became your mate in all but name.”
Silas heard the pain in the bitch’s voice. The mating bond was sacrosanct. To hear that it had flaws, that it had been broken, sent a wave of trepidation through him. These humans threatened their existence.
“You violated your mating vows?” Theron asked, his voice deep, hard.
The male wolf jerked and stared a moment, before lowering his head. “I… At the time I didn’t see it that way. My thoughts focused on having pups. Nothing more. I… I failed my mate and my pack.”
“Where are the pups?” Silas couldn’t believe that the five they’d disposed of earlier were all there were after fifty years.
“Half had problems, he killed them outright,” the bitch said with sorrow. “Others died in fights, and others left to find their way in the world. The ones… the ones from tonight were the last of them.”
“What about the older wolves? The ones who brought her to the pack? What happened to them?” Theron asked.
“Over time they died.”
“You killed them, or had them killed,” his mate snapped, disgust dripping from her tone. “You wanted no one else to fuck that bitch and got rid of them all.”
“Yet you allowed your mate to live?” Silas asked, watching the male’s reaction.
“I am a fool. I saw a gold ring and reached for it. I thought… I thought I received a second chance. I was wrong and my people paid for it.” He turned to his mate. “You have hated me for a long time. I’m surprised you never killed her.”
Her eyes blazed for a moment and then she looked away. “I loved the pups even though they weren’t mine. I… I wanted the pups she provided.” The shame in her confession tore through Silas.
“This is Alpha Theron of Texas. Earlier today a group like yours attacked his pack. The only reason I allowed the driver to take us to the clearing was to gain information. Once the wolves attacked, they were dead. Your fate is in Theron’s hands.”
He stepped out the room to marshal his thoughts. The Mexican humans had no interest or involvement in pack life. Yet this human ran the pack through a weak pack leader. Like a wolf, the human must have sensed his weakness and used it to gain control over the small pack.
But why? What’d she hope to gain? Tonight she’d lost it all. So far none of the dots connected. Theron stepped out of the holding cell and they proceeded to the small infirmary to talk with the human female. When they stepped inside, Silas froze at the sight of Leara and Leann talking to the bound female.
Theron’s fury lit, and he leapt across the room, grabbed the women and pushed them against the walls. They screamed. Their eyes widened in fright.
Shelby and her guards walked into the room. Tyrone, Tyrese, Hank, and Brad walked in and flanked him.
“Why are you in here?” Shelby growled at the women who shivered in fear.
Their mouths opened and closed, but no words formed. The stench of their fear filled the air. Shelby got up in their faces, snatched Leann by the hair to pull her toward her face.
“What the fuck are you doing in here? I’m not going to ask this nice again.”
Silas withheld a chuckle at her version of nice.
“I thought… I heard someone calling me and… and I came to see what they wanted. I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do… I’m sorry.” She slumped down crying.
Tears rolled down Leara’s face as she watched her sister fall apart. “Honest, we didn’t realize this was wrong.”
“I called them, they came.” The human female said, watching Silas.
He’d sensed that’s what happened but wanted it confirmed. There was something off with this human’s scent. Something not quite right. Frowning, he tried to name the problem.
Shelby walked over to the female and growled. “You called them into my infirmary?” Theron stood behind his mate, blocking the human’s view of Silas.
“Yes.” There was no fear in the human’s voice.
Theron grabbed Shelby and pulled her back to him. “If the Patron doesn’t kill her, then I’ll let you and the other women have her. She’s been bad for the past few years,” Theron’s whisper was loud in the room.
The human laughed. It was warm and meant to seduce.
Although Silas’ cock twitched, his wolf yawned as though bored. He smiled and released a pulse of energy into the room. It’d been a long day, and the sun was rising. He wanted this over so he could rest and decipher the Goddess’ riddle.
The human screamed.
“Where are you from?” Silas asked in a bored tone. Theron continued to block him from the human
“Come here and ask –”
She screamed again.
Silas looked at Brad. “Take them out of here and don’t let them out of your sight. They need a heart-to-heart discussion with their Alphas on pack protocol.”
Leann and Leara’s eyes widened as they looked at Theron and Shelby. Brad ushered them out of the room.
“Don’t forget what I told you,” the human screamed at their backs, spittle flying. Silas recognized the scent, the woman was mentally unstable. When she spoke, her words smelled bitter, and stale. Shelby walked out behind the two women, taking her guard with her.
Theron braced his legs and crossed his arms in front of the human. “I don’t think this one likes our hospitality. Permission to break her neck?”
“I fought the wolf bastards earlier for that honor,” Hank said standing next to Theron. “If anyone should snap her neck, it should be me.”
Silas smiled as the two bickered back and forth.
“How can you stand there and listen to these… these animals talk of snapping a human’s neck?” Silas looked up and realized the female was talking to the twins. Ah… now they were getting somewhere.
Tyrone shrugged.
“You’re human. I feel that part of you.” She frowned. “Why didn’t you answer my call?”
“You called?” Tyrone asked. “I’m a wolf.”
“No,” the woman yelled, her face beet red. “You’re human. A large part of you is human.”
Tyrone shrugged and leaned against the wall watching her with a cheeky grin.
The female’s mouth opened and then closed. “How’d they change you?” She eyed him with a smidgeon of suspicion.
“How’d they change you?” Tyrone asked.
“I was born with this curse.”
“Me too.”
The female gritted her teeth.
Silas listened with a smile. Tyrone was an excellent interrogator; he’d surprised them at how much information he was able to gather with little effort during their training drills.
“But you don’t understand the importance of breaking free from their evil influence. You have to take control of your wolf and use your energies to change the way things are going. Each day we wake up with the knowledge that we’re here for a reason. We have a higher purpose,” the woman said with a fanatical edge.
“A higher purpose?” Tyrone said with the right amount of eagerness.
“You are a superior wolf. Faster, stronger and smarter than full bloods. Their time is coming to an end. You must train and prepare for change.” She cackled, it was an eerie sound. “I’m weary of all this. It would be nice to see the end of the declaration, but like Moses, the promise land is denied me. I made too many mistakes.” She sighed. “Pride is a terrible thing. Mated pairs should never be disturbed.” She released a breath.
Silas could hear the shock in the room.
“But tonight.” She chuckled looking at the twins. “Tonight I saw the future. I hated to see my sons destroyed. They lacked the training that you and your brother had. But they still gave you a good fight? Right?”
Silas wondered what fight the woman had been watching. The twins had picked off those wolves with little interaction from the pack.
Tyrone pulled his earlobe. “Yeah… yeah, I gotta admit they had us on the run. But I’m not sure I understand what you mean by seeing the future. I mean, I’m younger than you by a few years, what’d you mean by that?”
“Youth. And I am more than a few years older than you, insolent pup.” She smiled as she looked at him. “I’m going to die and I know it. Gerald was weak and allowed me to come between him, his mate, and his pack. Death was the outcome when I started that dance years ago.” She shrugged. “But I grew impatient. I’ve been birthing pups for over a decade. Lost most of them, although a few survived. It seems the better technology became, the more pups survived. Anyway, I never agreed to do this forever. It shouldn’t take this long.”
“Huh?” Tyrone asked.
“Patience pup,” she said with a frown.
“Shifters and humans. Separate, they’re enemies. Put them together and what do you have?”
“Abominations,” Theron growled.
The female twittered. “Look at these two, do they look like abominations to you?”
“They’re wolves,” Theron said.
“Not one hundred percent,” the female snapped. “It’s been hell finding a decent balance. Diet, exercise, upbringing, all of it plays a part.” She sighed. “Patron. It’s not that we don’t respect your abilities, we do. But change is inevitable, we’d hoped to work with you, but we weren’t ready and you’re here.” She shrugged. “And now we have a recording of what these wolves can do and you as well. We’ll be better prepared now.”
Silas suspected something like that, it was one of the reasons he held the two wolves immobile instead of killing them outright.
“But they were so excited watching the two of you fight,” she said to the twins, who returned her stare. “Even now, they’re researching your background so it can be duplicated. We figured something was missing and now we know.”
“Yeah? What?” Tyrone asked his voice tight.
She cocked her head and looked at him. The light of insanity burned bright. “Pack. You need a tight unit of comrades, like a pack.”
Tyrone nodded. “You’re right. Wolves can’t survive without a pack. The ones who try, go insane.” He stared at her.
She smiled. “You are strong, I’m glad. Glad to see this hasn’t all been in vain.” She looked at Theron. “I’m tired. You can give me to the bitches now.”