Chapter 184

“He tried to trap your mother and you as sex slaves?” Rowan’s voice was dark.

I just nodded. “My mother would never have touched another wolf if it was an option. It was the threat of me becoming a slave that pushed her to marry Morgan, and how he kept her under his thumb the entire time.”

“She did it to keep you safe,” Wendy whispered, and I could see a single tear slip down her cheek.

“She is a good mom.” I nodded. “But that isn’t why I brought it up.” I looked at Toya. “I brought this up because I want you to see the men we have to face. The kind of men we will have to fight.”

“Fight?” Hanna tugged at her hair.

I looked at Rowan, and he cleared his throat. “How many of you know about the attacks from when you were babies? The ones that killed my father?” Everyone around the room nodded.

“We all do,” Toya answered. “My father taught me as a part of my training.”

Rowan nodded. “There are a few of us, the newer Alphas like Amy’s father, that believed that the attacks were a lot less random than they appeared.” He drew in a breath. "Not to mention it was the first attack by rogues where it was a coordinated attack. Multiple packs were attacked. If it wasn’t for sheer luck, half the packs would be gone. All the packs that had new alphas appointed by my father were attacked at the same time. Something unheard of.”

“How were there that many rogues?” Micca leaned against the arm of the couch.

“We don’t keep track of rogues, but there shouldn’t have been that many rogues.” Rowan stretched and laid his arm on the back of the loveseat.

I could feel the heat from his arm, and I was momentarily distracted. “Not by a long shot. My father always said there was no way for that to have happened randomly. It was organized.”

“By who?” Wendy bit her thumbnail and stared at the table.

“That’s where we come in.” Everyone’s eyes snapped to me.

“What?” Hanna pushed back against the leather.

“I’m going to lay everything out.” I leaned my chin against my clasped hands. “My father said that it is more likely that some alphas got together and decided they wanted to lead.”

“But the Lycans,” Micca started, and I nodded.

“Exactly.” I looked at Rowan. “My father thinks the king’s attack wasn’t the first attack, but the last in a series. He actually spoke to your father about his theory when he first inherited the pack.” Rowan’s eyes darted between mine.

“Why has he never told me?”

“I can only assume, but he was pretty certain you hated him, and that you blamed him for your father’s death.”

I watched the stronger, sure man I knew crumple in front of me. “I never wanted him to feel that way.”

I smirked. “Unfortunately for all of us, my father is pretty perceptive. Once he feels like you don’t like him, he will distance himself from you.”

“I was a kid,” he tried to defend himself.

“Yes, and he knows that. He never bad-mouthed you. He understood where you were coming from. He was the man that was supposed to keep your dad safe, and he failed.” Rowan just nodded. “Anyway, my dad has been investigating the loss of the Lycans for years. And this summer, when I needed him, he helped me. But he asked me to help him.”

“With what?” Toya was invested.

“With hacking into Vince’s system. He has tried, but Vince has invested pretty heavily in security.”

“You know how to hack?” Wendy bounced. “That is so cool!”

I laughed. “Not at all, but…” I looked at Rowan. “I’m going to spend every minute I can learning how to do it.”

“What do you need us to do?” Toya took her first drink.

“First, I want to train with you. I know we are going to fight at the end of this, and I need all of you to survive.” They all nodded. “Second, I need you all to help me and Toya.” I faced her. “We have to appear weak. We have to be vulnerable and approachable. Either the Alphas or the council will want to get us under their thumbs. We are the future mates of the packs, and if they have a leader under their thumb to push their agenda, all the better.”

“The council is in on this too?” Wendy paled.

“I don’t know.” I turned to face Rowan. He shifted again, and his arm dropped from the back of the loveseat and slid against my back. I shivered, and I watched his pupils dilate.

“I don’t know either, but it’s better to be safe,” I nodded.

“Third, I need people I can trust. To work with, to grow with, to have in my corner as I isolate myself.” I faced everyone again. “War is coming for us, and I, for one, would rather the good guys win.”