Chapter 19
1251 Words
Packhouse, Alpha’s Office
Jason
“This couldn’t have come at a worse time!” I slam my hand down on the desk, rattling my laptop and knocking over a cup of pens.
“I know, I know.” My Beta is trying to keep my calm. It’s clearly working.
“How could you let this happen?”
Mark breathes in heavily. He wasn’t on duty last night. We both know that. I can’t seem to get my anger under control. He ignores my question, which only my Beta could do.
“How is Ethan?”
I let out a sigh. “Honestly?”
Mark’s purple probing eyes are unsettling.
“Not good. The number of blood transfusions he’s had since last night are… not a good sign.”
“Blood transfusions?” Mark’s eyes almost bug out of his head. “But those are--”
“Against the will of the Goddess, yes, I know.” My head starts to ache. Fingering my temples, I slump down behind my desk into the thick leather chair.
Mark sits opposite of me, alarm evident on his face.
“Who would the Ascended even allow to donate? Who would willingly allow their blood to be taken?”
“I don’t know. And the Ascended won’t tell me.”
“But you’re Alpha! I’m sure you could--”
“No, they can’t.” There are few things more sacred than honoring an Alpha, but the ways of healing aren’t something they will divulge. “Their sources, their secrets, their practices… we must accept it.”
“But for them to make that kind of decision…. Shouldn’t they have consulted you first? I still don’t get where the blood came from!” It was clear Mark wasn’t going to let this go.
“That’s not our concern for the moment.” I force him to look at me and enforce a change in direction for this conversation. “What matters now, is what to do now that Ethan won’t be here this afternoon.”
“This afternoon? But… It’s going to be much longer than that.”
“This afternoon,” cutting him off, I stand up, regaining a sense of self and control I hadn’t felt since early yesterday, “is where we need to focus. We can’t keep Ethan’s … condition, a secret. The challengers will notice his absence from today’s ceremony. We need to keep our story clear and straight. We’ll say that Ethan had an… an accident.”
Mark raises his eyebrows. “An accident.” He says flatly. “What other challenger for Beta would let an accident stop them from coming to the welcome ceremony?”
I know he’s only playing devil’s advocate to help, but my frustration starts to grow.
“I spoke with Gamma Janas,” I continue. “He is going to ensure that the pack members on patrol last night remain tight-lipped about what happened, and what they did and didn’t see.” I sink down again in my chair.
“And what about the Ascended? The staff at the infirmary? How can we guarantee their silence?”
“I’m sure Deidre can handle that.”
“She better,” Mark snarled.
“WATCH IT!” I didn’t often have to keep my Beta in check. He cast his eyes down.
“What I meant to say… is that she’s been there MOST of the past 12 hours, has she not?” He gives me a knowing glare.
I look away from him, pretending to shuffle important paperwork on my desk. “Let’s just get through today, shall we?”
Mark’s got his hand on his chin, lost in thought.
I stare at him from across my desk. “What?”
He shakes off the fog of thought and rises. “Nothing. I just. I don’t know who from our pack can stand in the place of where Ethan stood.”
Mark has no children apart from Leila. But we both know the larger absence felt in the room.
Kyle.
A small, faded photograph of the three of us graduating high school has always hung on the side of one of my filing cabinets. It’s only visible from where I’m sitting. Few know it’s there. Mark does--he and the Luna-- are one of the few who are allowed on this side of my desk.
My eyes flicker to the filing cabinet. Mark’s eyebrows furrow in acknowledgement.
We both miss him, but it’s been over ten years. We both wanted his son to shine--to regain the honors of that bloodline. Mark’s been incredibly unselfish about retiring his title. The personal toll that his swift promotion on him and his family was…
A sharp knock rattles my door.
“Yes?”
Gamma Janas opens the door and steps inside.
A quick bow of the head to each of us and he reports. “I’ve touched base with the entire pack. I don’t believe we’ll be in any danger of the news getting out this afternoon.”
“Good.”
The moment broken, I pick up the phone and dismiss both of them. “I’ll see you in an hour for the ceremony.”
**
Perrin
My phone buzzes and I pull it out of my pocket.
JASMINE: Do I need to remind you to behave yourself tonight?
PERRIN: Seriously Jaz? We’ve talked about this a million times.
JASMINE: You can’t blame me. I’m sure they’ll be throwing themselves at you.
PERRIN: Jaz...
JASMINE: I mean, how many are there? At least three dozen?
JASMINE: Ethan told you’d already gone out with six, so if I tick those off the list...
I try not to roll my eyes.
PERRIN: You know I love you. I entertain them for my father. When this is all over, I can do what I want. WE can do what we want.
JASMINE: Mhmm.
PERRIN: I’ll make it up to you later, ok? Prove to you that I don’t have eyes for anybody else?
JASMINE: Prove to me… how?
PERRIN: How about I ditch the feast a little early and come show you?
JASMINE: How about you show me now ;-)
PERRIN: C’mon Jaz, you know I don’t send pics like that.
JASMINE:
I stare at the picture, then realize my mouth is open. Holy s**t. I can feel my face flushing the longer I look at the photo.
I run my fingers through my hair in…. Frustration. Jasmine can be so jealous but damn. She is sexy.
I text her back.
PERRIN: I’ll pick you up at 7.
JASMINE: Make it 6.
I take another look at the picture, a grin sliding across my lips.
PERRIN: Deal.
- Writer
