Carnage Island (Reject Island)(72)

I nod. “Good.”

“I’ll always trust your judgment, C,” he adds, his voice firm. “You know that.”

He’s right, I do. But it seemed important to explain my decision as it went directly against his wishes. He values the privacy of his pack, preferring to maintain leadership in a more compassionate manner than a cruel one. It’s what makes him a good Pack Alpha.

“What did I miss?” Volt asks, entering the room in a pair of jeans with Clove at his side.

Her sweet aroma swirls around me, momentarily captivating me and drawing me toward her on instinct. She’s so beautiful with her pink cheeks and plump lips, her hair damp from a recent shower.

“Hi, gorgeous,” I say, prowling toward her and wrapping her in my arms while Tieran summarizes what I’ve said so far about Alpha Kin.

Alpha Pan adds a few comments as he takes over my laptop. I don’t stop him, preferring to hold Clove over pulling up the transcript. She settles against my side as I purr a little, ensuring she remains somewhat calm for what she’s about to hear.

Alpha Kin’s voice starts playing, his low tones slightly marred by static. But his words are clear. “Yeah, tomorrow,” he’s saying. “Richmond, Virginia.” He gives the name of the Senator next, then the address. “I took it from their files. He’ll definitely be there as he just left with Tieran and Aspen.”

Clove frowns at the use of her first name—something I recently learned about her. Aspen Clover Donough.

However, the voice that follows makes her freeze. “Good. We’ll send a team in to dismantle the clan, then we’ll proceed as expected. I’m sorry she’s caused so much trouble. I didn’t think she would be able to shift.”

“You underestimated Tieran’s growl,” Alpha Kin replies.

“I’ll clean it up,” Alpha Bryson promises. “I should have killed the bitch the moment I realized she wouldn’t be of proper use with the Santeetlah Pack. But I thought I could use her to cause a little chaos.”

“Something that would have worked if Tieran didn’t want her for himself,” Alpha Kin says flatly. “Or if you had given me a heads up to intervene. She could have been brought back to our den and properly silenced.”

“I don’t report to you,” Alpha Bryson reminds him sternly. “If you think that’s how this is going to go, then we’re going to have a problem.”

“Just fucking fix it. She’s a distraction that’s going to get us caught,” he snaps, causing Tieran to arch a brow.

“I said I’d clean it up,” Alpha Bryson bites back. “I’ll take care of Volt, too. Consider it a gift.”

“Do that and I’ll forgive this bullshit,” Alpha Kin replies, his tone as cold as ice. “Fuck it up more, and you’re a dead man.”

Alpha Bryson snorts. “Don’t threaten me. The only reason you were upgraded to this position is because of your—”

The call goes dead after that, making Tieran’s jaw tick.

“Alpha Kin hung up on him,” Alpha Pan explains.

“Any guesses on what the rest of his sentence would have been?” Tieran asks.

“I have several,” Volt drawls.

“Helpful guesses,” Tieran clarifies.

“He could have meant clan leader,” I offer. “Or perhaps a family member, like his father.”

“Alpha Nick.” Tieran scratches the light dusting of hair along his jaw, his eyes narrowing. “I’ll pass it along to my father, see what he thinks. Until then, we clearly have a problem, just as you said.”

“We do,” I agree.

“Or an opportunity,” Volt says. “He’s about to send his enforcer team after us. If he’s smart, that’ll include seven, eight, maybe nine wolves? So how many will he leave behind to protect himself?”

Tieran studies him for a moment. “Last I checked, he only had about eight qualified enforcers. Most of his wolves are too weak.”

“Probably because they don’t know how to properly mate,” Alpha Pan adds, making me snort.

He’s not wrong.

“He uses three for his personal guard,” Clove says quietly. “And a team of twelve for the pack grounds.”

“Those twelve are lower level wolves that enforce boundaries around the women, making sure none of them run,” Tieran informs her, his voice soft as he speaks to Clove. “His enforcer unit is who he takes to ceremonies.”

She frowns. “I… I’ve only attended one and I was on my knees for most of it.”

My teeth clench at the thought of her being degraded in that way before the packs. Knowing Bryson, she was probably naked, too. “That fucker needs to die.”

“No shit,” Volt drawls. “That’s what I’m getting at. We attack him when he thinks he’s attacking us.”

Tieran shakes his head. “He’ll pull the enforcers back the moment he realizes we’re not there.”

“They won’t get back in time to stop us,” Volt points out. “Richmond is at least a three hour drive to Nantahala Territory, and that’s if you’re breaking all the speed laws in one of my toys.”

“You could send a decoy,” Alpha Pan suggests, his tone contemplative. “You could send me.” He and Volt exchange a look, the two of them sizing each other up.