Chapter 29: One and the Same

Chapter 29: One and the Same
Sydney
"Mmmm… what? Oh, did the elders leave? I should call Alpha Gideon." Silas snapped me back to reality.
"OK, are you calling him now?" Silas' had a note of worry for some reason in his voice.
"Yeah, I want to see if he found anything out about Drystan after he left… was kicked out of the pack." I pull my phone out and call Gideon. There were so many missing pieces.
Gideon picks up on the third ring. "Hello, Alpha Sydney."
"Hello Gideon, I have you on speaker. I am with my ranked members and Beta Lucas." I set my phone down on the desk; everyone came and huddled up around it.
"Congratulations on finding your ranked members. I was expecting your call." We heard him sigh into the phone. "Have you read through the file I sent over this morning?" Gideon sounded cheerful in his congratulations but talking about the file turned his mood.
"No, I haven't checked my email yet. What did you find?" I open my laptop while we are talking. I want to make sure I got it.
"Since Drystan was living amongst humans, we had to look into human records, and I reached out to my information network. I was able to find out some details." Gideon's tone seems so solemn.
"He was living as a human?" Si titled his head and gave me a puzzled look.
"Not exactly, but I was able to find some employment records from a construction company about 15 years ago. Then after that, it looks like he started moving around with a group of peaceful rogues. They would take odd jobs or work as farm or ranch hands." Gideon added.
"I've never heard of a 'peaceful rogue'?" That was to oddest term I had ever heard.
Gideon laughs at my bafflement. "Most are not, but there are some wolves who have a bit of wanderlust and can't stay in one place. They live like gypsies and keep to themselves. Most of the larger city Alphas know who they are and permit them to come and go as long as they don't stay, and they don't cause trouble." I had never heard of anything like this before.
"I had no idea." My mouth is gaping open. It seems so odd for a group of werewolves to travel around and not settle in a territory. The behavior is beyond bizarre.
"I'm sure the group Drystan started traveling in liked having an Alpha. They act more like a traveling pack than rogues. I reached out to the larger city Alphas, and a few of them said that Drystan was the leader of a group called the Rolling Rock Rogues." Gideon's voice trailed off at the end. Something must have happened.
"If they are peaceful, why are they attacking us?" I feel my body tense because I know something horrible must of happened.
"Well, I can't be sure, but it might have to do with the deaths of his son and mate." I knew it was terrible.
"Wait, what? Gideon, what happened?" My hands clenched into a fist. I know this is not going to be a fairy tale.
"I was able to find a birth certificate from nine years ago for a Cooper Merikh. His parents are listed as Malinda and Drystan Merikh." Gideon sighs. I close my eyes and take a breath.
"So, he found a mate, had a son and a makeshift pack after being kicked out. I guess he was happy, but you said they died; how?" I look up at Si, and his brows are furrowed, and his arms are crossed over his chest. He looks like a worried father. I feel the same.
"I found their death certificates. There's also a police report. About a year ago, while most of the adults of the Rolling Rock group were working at a winery outside of Austin, Texas, a band of robbers attacked the RVs of the rogue group killing a few and kidnapping some kids. The local police didn't get very far as the survivors being werewolves; they didn't want humans involved. Both Malinda and Cooper were killed." Gideon's words feel like a knife stabbing me in the heart. How could someone kill a pup?
"How much you want to bet that it was New Moon Alliance members sent there by Tarlo to torment his cousin." I scoffed. I'm so glad I killed that jerk.
"I can almost guarantee it. After that, the group went underground, and I couldn't find anything about them. It's like they vanished. My guess is that they found a secluded place to train and plotted their revenge." You could hear the exhaustion in Gideon's voice. I know he has more work than normal Alphas, so his direct involvement is a blessing.
"I doubt they even know Tarlo is no longer the Alpha or anything that happened on the Night of Raids." Si pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes. I feel a deep sadness coming through our bond.
"I sent you everything my pack was able to dig up. If we find anything else, I will let you know." This was more than I was expecting from Gideon.
"Thank you, Alpha Gideon." I hang up quickly. I know the man is busy. I need to talk to Si about a proper way to thank Gideon for everything.
"Well, that's not what I expected." Ambrose plops down on one of the sofas.
"Why couldn't Tarlo just leave Drystan alone? He got what he wanted." Kyler takes the seat across from him.
Lucas clears his throat. "I think it was for three reasons." Lucas has been quiet the whole day. I guess just soaking it all in. "One to show he still had power over Drystan. The second reason he couldn't let his rival be happy is that if Drystan was happy, Tarlo's torment failed. Lastly, his son. Tarlo was on his third chosen mate, and none of them got pregnant. He didn't want Drystan's son to take over the pack one day or challenge his non-existent heir for Alpha." I lean back in my chair, and Si sits on the corner of my desk. We are both just letting Lucas' words play over in our minds.
I let out a breath. "Why didn't Tarlo just kill my mother and me after he killed my father?"
"He didn't see a female Beta as a threat. He was obviously wrong" Lucas chuckled, and a smile appeared on Si's face." When you became one, he decided to control you and try to use you instead of killing you."
"It feels weird to say, but I can see where Drystan is coming from." I gaze down at my fidgeting fingers, trying to avoid everyone's eyes, but I can feel their baffled stares.
"Yeah, Reed Tarlo really did a number on him." Si slides his hand to mine to get my attention.
I look up into his pleading dark eyes and blurt out what's on my mind. "I can't help but feel we are one and the same."
"Sydney, you are nothing like him. You would never drag innocent lives into a personal conflict." Si squeezes my hand, and a wave of worry rushes over me from Si.
"I already did on the Night of Raids. I lead the Druit Guard raid team to our door; I fought my own pack." I've never felt ashamed of what I did, but I've always felt remorseful for the loss of life.
"Alpha If I may. With all due respect, what you did saved so many lives. The pack members you fought followed Tarlo willingly. Those that were forced stood down and fought with the guard also. You saved us." I had learned that Kyler abandoned his guard post when the fighting started. He gathered up all his neighbors carrying small pups and the elderly to his attic. I don't look at him as a coward because he refused to fight and die for a lie. Knowing he didn't fight actually makes me more comfortable to have him around. Ambrose didn't fight either. He and his father went house to house, evacuating women, children, and the elderly to safety. I guess that's why the goddess chose them. They put the pack first in the best way they could.
"Thank you, Gamma Kyler." I let out a sigh. "I can't help that I understand his pain. Having your loved ones ripped from you so violently only sinks you into deep darkness." I clench my jaw. The pain of loss is still fresh for me. After learning the truth about my father today, the old scar has been reopened.
"Hey, look at me." Si takes my face in his hands. He was forcing me to meet his eyes. I just want to scream. "You are not like him. You would never hurt an innocent person or attack a pack for revenge."
"I hope I wouldn't, but when someone is pushed into a corner, there's no telling what they are truly capable of." I desperately try and blink back my tears. I will not let my ranked members see me weak.
"You have a good heart no matter what anyone says" Si leans his forehead to mine and pushes a sense of security through the bond, and there's something else that I haven't felt from him before. What is it? It's so warm and calming.
"Alpha, I am proud to be your Beta and cousin." Ambrose jumps to his feet at his declaration.
"Alpha, I will stand next to you and fight any enemy not because I'm the Gamma but because I believe in you." Kyler gets up and stands next to Ambrose.
"Alpha Syd, if Alpha John and I didn't believe in you, I wouldn't still be here. Trust yourself." Lucas walks over and places his hand on my shoulder. The fatherly gesture makes me miss my dad.
"I was gifted with the most amazing mate, don't forget that." Si takes both of my hands in his.
I laugh. What is this feeling? I haven't felt this protected since I was eight years old. "Thank you, everyone. It's just hard not to see the similarities. I hope we can convince him somehow to stop. If not, we will have to fight."
As I look at the men standing in front of me, they all believe in me, and I can tell they genuinely care about me. I would fight to the death to keep each one of them safe. With this threat looming, that day may just come.