Chapter 96
“Okay spill. I mean you go missing the show-up and kidnap me. Then you tell me the dead is not dead. How? And what do you mean king of rogues?” I rush out entering the office. Phil looks up from whatever report he’s looking over. “I see the training with Mike is working out well. You are looking like the alpha born you are. So that’s a few different questions what do you want first? Should I call for lunch it could be a long talk?” Nodding I drop to the chair in front of his desk.
“I’d had smoked seal shipped down for your stay here. Though I have to admit I’m not a fan of it, but I did overhear, you and miss feisty pants fallen talking about it a few times.” My stomach rumbles at the mention of one of the staples in our cupboards back home.
Chuckling he picks up the phone and makes a call. On his forearm, I notice another glowing mark different than the one on his chest yet the same.
Catching me looking he chuckles. “it will be explained as well in time. Shall we move to the sitting area and get comfortable.” She stands gesturing to the cozy sitting area next to a fireplace blazing with a strong winter fire.
“Where would you like me to start?” “Okay well let’s just get this one out of the way. How is former alpha Jamison still alive? All accounts say your father and we’ll the pack felt his death.”
He nods in understanding. “that’s pretty easy magic. Well, Ambrose magic to be specific. So when it’s time for our heir to take their place as alpha it’s also our time to rise as the king of rogues. When Edward's oldest was mated to Samuel. they made a pack to always be one pack working as two. Edward was against being an alpha or being part of a pack again. But he did love having others around and making life easier for his family. Soon they found starving vampires dying out due to their feeding patterns being recognized and tracked.” Taking a breath he gets up to answer the knock on the door.
My mouth waters as the salty smoky scent fill the room. A seal is, well once you get to the meat a lean high protein meat. We smoke or dry the meat into jerky. This preserves the meat so it last longer. Also, it helps to pull the strong wild bitter undertones from the meat. A defense against sharks and whales. It’s not foolproof, the stuff still gets eaten, but they are not number one on anyone’s menu.
Grabbing a plate I load up on the winter root mash and blubber gravy. “okay so it’s gonna be bad if you are feeding me winter solstice dinner.” “Nanook might have told me what is the best comfort meal for a long talk” nodding as I take a bite of the dried meat. Everything we eat is good hot and palatable cold. Nothing stays hot longer in the north.
“Where were we?” he crosses back to his chair. “awe yes the vampires. Well, we found they can be very loyal given the right payment. Feeding unnoticed and thriving seems to be on well everyone’s list of musts. Edward already knew how profitable some rather darker of the laws can be. Samuel wanted to keep his hands clean but we’ll the need for the profits was needed to build the pack. So working together they turned this mountain into the black site. Names that due to well it’s a black hole. Once inside the mountain, you are undetectable. Even the blacks can’t find you here. Well, young max anyways.” Nodding but confused as to how this is how many why the former alpha is alive.
“I know history sucks but it’s necessary to know how all the pieces fit. So after many years Edward was getting old and had one too many fights. His time as the king was running short. A need to pass on was needed. Sadly Edwards you get daughter was killed in a raid on one of the small packs for things we needed here. So that left Easter Samuel and their son.
When Daniel reached the age of twenty a spell was created to mimic the death and severing of the alpha bonds for Samuel. He took over running the rogues and the black site. The few witches used back then for potions and spells were still weak but did what they could. Over the years and with Ambrose joining the packs the magic got better and stronger.
Samuel and Edward along with the help of imprisoned Ambrose the rogue mark were created. The mark at first was like any pack mark. Take in the blood of the former and take the title. So a cut was made on both forearms and the. They grabbed arms pressing the cuts together. Transferring the control over rogues to Samuel.
Over the years it’s changed. Like when a pack mate dies we burn the rogues. When it’s the former king his dust is added to a jar where his blood was kept. When you become king you add your blood to the jar. This mixes the body and blood of every king. Passing his power to the next. Gaining strength and power through every generation. This soon became a normal path for the pack.” Stopping to eat a few bites and letting what he said to sink into my almost overloaded brain.
Sitting back I chew on a bit of jerky seal thinking about it all. “I still don’t get the glowing mark.” I point out. “it’s a living memory of the past. It glows with the unbroken line. You will see Jamison has the same mark just not glowing. The glow is for the current king. The mark binds those loyal to the king to the rogue pack. Only the one with the glowing mark will listen. When you take the rogue mark it severs the bonds to the pack making them believe you have passed. This is so they stop looking for the list of former leaders. And gives the new alpha a goal to cement his rule as alpha. The search for those responsible for the death of the former alpha.” He shrugs as he finishes. Jerky is now hovering just out of my frozen mouth.
“What?”
