Third person POV
Alpha Leopold Heidler is barking orders. The patrols are on high alert. No one knows what happened to his son, how he got there. He doesn't feel the presence of his son's wolf as well. He and his luna did feel their bond to his son's wolf tether and that is the time they felt something was wrong.
It's midnight now. The pack members think they are under attack from an unforeseen force. Likely a witch coven. Alpha Leopold drags his Beta to the office. The emergency protocol has been initiated. A threat on his son is a threat to him. It is early hours of Friday. Whatever had to be done had to be done today. From Saturday guests will start to arrive. Now Sunday seems like a bad idea. But Alpha Leopold Heidler thinks, his plans were revealed to other clans, covens, or packs. There is a mole in the pack. it was decided the Beta himself will investigate.
"They don't know what's coming for them. Betrayal has no place in my pack. Stephen search the minds of every pack member if you have to. I will show them what I am."
Beta nodded with his head down in submission. "You want to attack me!" As an Alpha and a leader of the pack he was more concerned about he as an individual being attacked. For him the safety of the pack was Beta' responsibility. He is one of those Alphas who considered women were meant for breeding and looking after the household. So, unlike a normal pack, his Luna was only responsible for making babies and taking care of the household that meant their only son, Samuel. The Alpha was furious at his wife that she couldn't even take proper care of Samuel till he got his wolf and had the first pack run. That was her sole responsibility. He wanted to punish her and take out his anger on her, but she was crying at the hospital bed. His anger just couldn't recede.
Chosen mates were different. They were like marriage between two humans. The wolves didn't agree, but considering the long waiting period and their human needs, wolves would eventually agree. But, Selene, the Moon Goddess was not happy about it. The wolves were a species loyal to one another, that is why they performed best in a pack. Selene hoped they would show the same loyalty to their soul mates. Like Debby, got two chances to true mates, who were much younger to her. Although Debby wasn't looking for a partner, she immediately fell in love with Bradley. The human parts of Bradley were fools and this was a no brainer. Unlike any other Alpha's, the royal blood line and their mates lived a longer period for the stability of the pack.
Alpha Leopold' s decision to transfer title to the next heir at just 18 years old was unheard of for a reason. To maintain stability and peace of the pack, an Alpha, beta, and Gamma are trained for at least 50 years. Once the trio are well in sync, only then the titles are transferred. This is also enough time for them to find their true mates who will lead the pack along with them together.
This pack, on the other hand, had its own ways. The Alpha had ambitions and went to war often or were forming alliances. Luna managed only the Alpha Household. The Beta was responsible for training, patrol, and the well being of the pack. His wife, was only responsible for Beta Household, since the Gamma family had no male members they were downgraded as normal pack members even with the Gamma bloodline, so the daughter preferred to settle in her true mates pack. The rescued slaves were tortured and made to work. Omegas simply were a facade. The bullies were entertained. The ones who were just had no place. The pack functioned on power hungry mongrels. The weak were not protected. Normal pack members, if they were weak, like old ones or kids, or wives and sisters, were sent to war to increase the numbers like fodder for the mill.
Debby knew the place was toxic. She had to save as many as possible. She also knew, that not only were there slaves but the normal pack members had to be rescued. But that was for another day. This time she had to escape with her peers and friends. The general pack members who were weak had to be rescued when they were sent to pack wars.
Alpha Leopold Heidler was convinced it was the Gamma family who started this attack. They had a reason to. The remaining Gamma family were stripped of the position and became general pack members because there were no male heirs. Only they had the feasible motive to harm him so close to the pack wide announcement on Sunday. Both Beta and Alpha families were now struggling to contain the damage. He knew he would have to take bold steps to contain the story. For pack members, he Alpha commanded through mind links not to spill a word. The slaves and orphans lived with them but they weren't part of the pack. To create fear, he had to set an example. He took a few females from the slaves dungeons, took them to the bonfire pit, called the entire pack and slaves to gather around while he tortured third degree on them, to instill fear.
The pack members shared the same ideology and encouraged the act. The slaves shuddered in fear. Among those slaves, was Debby who too was shuddering but it was from anger. Her wolf wanted to go on a rampant of killing every pack member. However, it was Debby who was reigning in her wolf. Killing all doesn't solve a problem. There are few who need to be saved from the pack. It is not their fault that the family that was supposed to protect them are the same bullies. And some were simply chanting for the fear.
The female slaves were made to hang on ropes with hoops. They could entangle their ankles and had to remain in human forms. Their wolves were given wolvesbane. They were tortured for hours on end without healing. It was a statement that they will be in the same condition as the Alpha and Beta heirs.