Chapter 7

“When we can no longer trust our friends, our family, our pack, who then can we trust?” ~Decebel

Decebel stood outside at the bottom of the mansion’s front steps. He stared down the long concrete driveway that wound through a manicured lawn across the front of the estate. He heard the approaching vehicle long before he saw it. A black SUV drove toward the house, pulling slowly into the circle drive before coming to a stop. The man behind the steering wheel let the engine idle as he stared through the windshield at Decebel. A woman with dark, shoulder-length hair and a frown plastered on her face sat in the passenger seat. The so-called mate. The pseudo-Alpha bit back a growl as his wolf pushed forward to assert its dominance over the pair. It didn’t happen instantly. Skender was a powerful wolf. Finally, the driver dropped his eyes but made no move to exit the vehicle. The female hadn’t lasted as long as Skender and had dropped her eyes almost instantly. Decebel wondered how long they would sit there. Just when Decebel was getting ready to go and drag Skender out of the SUV, the door opened and the man stepped out. Skender glanced at the woman, and she, too, pushed her door open and climbed out of the vehicle.
“Decebel,” the deep voice rumbled.
“Skender,” Decebel said, watching the other wolf’s movements with keen, alert eyes. He knew they were glowing. Vasile had been right. There was certainly more to Skender’s story than the man let on. Decebel’s wolf could tell instantly. The beast was picking up something the man couldn’t put his finger on. The woman walked around the SUV to stand next to her mate, placing her hand in his. When Skender didn’t move away from the vehicle, Decebel spoke again. “Are you planning on standing there all day?”
“That depends,” Skender answered. “Are we going to live if we step through those doors?” He pointed to the mansion behind Decebel.
Decebel crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned against the brick post at the bottom of the stairs. “That depends,” he parroted, “on what you’ve done.”
“I haven’t done anything,” Skender snarled.
Decebel’s cool facade didn’t waver even as he felt his wolf’s hackles rising. “And maybe that’s what will get you killed. Sometimes, doing nothing is worse than doing the wrong thing.”
“Fantastic,” Skender muttered under his breath.
“The sooner you get inside and talk to your Alpha, the sooner we can figure out your fate,” Decebel said.
After another couple of minutes of simply standing there, Skender finally pushed away from the vehicle. “Might as well get on with it,” he mumbled as he pulled his mate behind him and marched past Decebel. It did not go unnoticed by Decebel that Skender’s markings had changed and moved up his neck.
“Skender is here, as well as his female. Distract Costin and Sally for a bit please.” Decebel reached out through the bond to his mate.
“Can I come scratch his eyes out?” Jen growled.
“When I explained this to you the other night, you asked the same question. My answer hasn’t changed,” he said, trying not to smile at his bloodthirsty mate’s words.
She sighed in his mind. “You said Costin was the only one who would be allowed to touch him. And while I understand that, B, it doesn’t change the fact that Sally was mine first, long before she belonged to Costin. I feel like that means I have first maiming rights. Costin can have the leftovers.”
“By that logic, if something were to happen to me, Fane or Costin would have first rights to avenge me before you. How would that make you feel?”
Her growl in his mind was almost audible. “Stupid, logical male.”
“I love you.”
“Is that your polite way of telling me I’m not going to get my way?”
“Exactly. Behave.” Decebel pulled out of her mind just as they reached Vasile’s office. When Skender started to knock, Decebel put a hand on the wolf’s shoulder, careful to keep his distance from the woman. “This isn’t our stop.” He pushed him forward, and they continued toward the basement door that led down to the holding cells.
When they reached the door, Skender looked over at Decebel. “You’re confining us?”
“Did you really expect anything different?” Decebel growled.
“I did. I thought I was a member of this pack. I guess I was hoping Vasile would hear me out first,” he said, sounding put out.
“He will hear you out. But as of right now, we don’t know if we can trust you.” He glanced at the woman, “Either of you. We have our mates’ and pups’ safety to worry about. You claim membership in our pack. But a packmate would have contacted us long ago. From here, you just look like a rogue wolf. Offending you isn’t exactly at the top of our list of worries.” Decebel motioned for them to descend the stairs in front of him.
Once in the basement, Skender entered one of the holding cells of his own free will, his mate right on his heels. His eyes were glowing, and there was a slight growl coming from his chest. The woman never made a sound. Skender didn’t offer to introduce her, and Decebel didn’t ask.
“Vasile will be down shortly,” Decebel said as he slammed the cell door and walked away.
Just as Decebel was about to leave the room, Skender called out. “Decebel.”
Decebel paused and looked at the wolf.
“I was protecting my mate. I didn’t want Sally or Costin to get hurt. You would have done the same.”
Decebel bared his teeth at the less dominant male. “You don’t presume to tell me what I would have done. You must not be too proud to have her on your arm, seeing as how you’ve yet to introduce her.”
Decebel waited for the male to explode at the insult, but Skender simply shook his head. Decebel couldn’t see his eyes to read any possible emotion there, but he was completely shocked that Skender didn’t defend his mate. This only furthered his suspicion. Decebel wouldn’t have accepted such a slight against Jen. Without another word, he closed the door and went to Vasile’s office.
~

Vasile stood staring down, once again, at the letter from the Order. As if reading it over and over would somehow help him know what action to take next. But still there was nothing. A knock on his door caused him to tuck the letter away as he called out, “Come in.”
Decebel walked in, his eyes glowing amber with his wolf. “Skender is in one of the holding cells with his female,” the Beta said without preamble.
Vasile sighed. He was glad the wait was finally over, but he was not looking forward to the fallout the wolf’s return would cause. “Costin?”
“Doesn’t know.”
Vasile nodded. “Are his markings changed?”
Decebel nodded.
Vasile’s eyes narrowed. “And what do you think of her?”
He shrugged. “Skender didn’t bother to introduce her. She didn’t offer her name. Something is off.”
“Did Skender say anything?”
Decebel’s jaw clenched. “Nothing that would lead me to believe he is innocent. I did point out his mate must not mean a whole lot since he couldn’t be bothered to introduce her.”
Vasile shook his head with a dry chuckle. “Just had to poke him, didn’t you?”
His Beta shrugged his shoulders. “He is lying to us. He is not worthy of my respect. And I don’t believe she is his mate.”
“Why would he be doing this?” Vasile asked. “The Skender I knew would not betray his pack.”
“Who knows why wolves go rogue? It happens. Perhaps he has been unmated too long. If she is not his mate, then maybe this is how his madness manifests itself.”
“Fair enough. Let’s get this over with,” Vasile said as he exited the office.
They walked in silence. By the time they entered the basement, Vasile’s wolf was ready to take a bite out of Skender. Vasile had allowed the conversation they’d had on the phone to replay in his mind as he was walking. It did nothing to help calm him down.
The minute Vasile walked in, Skender dropped to one knee and bared his neck. “Alpha,” he said. His wolf’s guttural growl coated the word. The woman didn’t move from her standing position.
Vasile released some of his power, and she dropped like a bag of rocks. From the corner of his eye, the Alpha saw Decebel tense.
“Skender,” Vasile said in a cool voice. “I wish that I could welcome you home with gladness, but I must say from what you’ve told me so far, you should not be welcome in this pack home at all. I would like to welcome your mate, but Decebel says you haven’t even bothered to introduce her. I want you to look at me and tell me again the whole story from the time you arrived in the U.S. until the moment you called me. Leave anything out and I will know it.” The words were a command, demanding the truth from the wolf. He would not be able to lie to Vasile without asserting a great deal of energy, if at all.
“First, let me apologize for not introducing Stephanie. She has been nervous about coming. Stephanie, this my Alpha, Vasile, and his Beta, Decebel,” Skender said.
“It is an honor to meet you,” Stephanie said, speaking for the first time.
Vasile stared at the woman, her head still bowed under the force of his power. “Too bad this meeting isn’t under more joyous circumstances. Now, do as I asked, Skender.”
Skender began his story, once again telling Vasile of how he ended up in Arizona, meeting his mate who was a longtime member of the Order of the Burning Claw. Decebel growled at the mention of the organization that was responsible for Sally’s abduction. But, otherwise, he simply listened to the story.
When he was finished, Vasile still had no clarity. Most of Skender’s story was true, that was certain. But the truth was interspersed with carefully placed lies, and Vasile could not determine which was which. It was clear the story had been rehearsed many times. That was probably how he was able to get away with the falsehoods in the face of Vasile’s Alpha command. Clever wolf, Vasile thought. Not cleverer than us, his own wolf added.
Skender shifted restlessly behind the bars of the cage, and Vasile knew the silence was making the wolf nervous. The Alpha had learned long ago that sometimes silence was more threatening than any words could be. Surprisingly, Stephanie never stirred. The nervousness that Skender claimed his mate felt was not evident in the least.
After at least five minutes of silence, Vasile began to pace. His wolf felt restless, and the movement helped him think.
“You already know what your verdict will be,” Alina’s voice filled his mind, and Vasile felt his wolf settle. A peace only she could give him. “Why do you wait to give it?”
“You know why,” Vasile said.
“The responsibility of taking a packmate’s life is not an easy burden, but it is one you must bear. It doesn’t matter if the wolf is a betrayer, feral, or injured beyond help. The duty falls on your shoulders. I know that it is never an easy decision, especially if a mate is involved. But dragging out the inevitable will help no one. The faster it is done, the faster healing can begin.” Her words were spoken in a gentle voice and held the wisdom for which he so respected her. She did not speak flippantly. His mate understood the burden he carried, but she also would not sit by and let him bury himself under it.
“I must speak with Costin and Sally. Will you please contact Lilly? I think you and she should be present to give Sally support. I will text Perizada to see if she can send some fae assistance to retrieve the warlock queen.”
“As you say, my love,” Alina answered, while at the same time letting her love flow through their bond.
Vasile brought his attention back to the room and finally stopped pacing. Turning to Decebel, he said, “Please go retrieve Costin and his mate and bring them to my office.”
Decebel gave a single nod and left without a word.
“You know you have left me no choice,” Vasile said as he looked at Skender. “You betrayed your pack and the mate of one of your pack members and knowingly allowed harm to come to a gypsy healer, the gentlest of beings and most worthy of our protection. What I don’t understand, Skender, is why you won’t simply tell me the whole truth. You are going to die. Your life was forfeit the minute you found out what happened to Sally and didn’t call me. So why come back? Why lie now?”
“Why indeed?” said Skender, sounding much too sure of himself. “I’m not lying, that’s why. I’m not a fool, Vasile. I wouldn’t come back here if I’d truly betrayed the pack. That would be insanity. What makes you so sure I’m lying?”
“I can sense it. And I honestly don’t know whether to believe this female is your mate. So, then I have to ask myself, why would you be lying about that?”
“You gave an Alpha command. how could I possibly lie?” Skender challenged. “And why would I lie about having a mate?”
“Having a mate is a convenient excuse for your actions or lack thereof. And if you believe your own lies to be truth, then even pack magic can be negated to a certain degree. Is that the problem? Have you told yourselves the lies so many times that they have become your truths?” Vasile asked, his eyes boring into the wolf before him.
“I’ve told you what happened.” Skender said simply, meeting Vasile’s eyes for a second before dropping them.
“I hope you will confess your lies before you die, especially if you’ve bonded with your female because her life is in your hands. At least then you can go before the Great Luna with a humbled spirit,” Vasile said as he turned and moved to the door. Just as he was pulling it open, Skender spoke.
“I can help with the letter.”
Vasile froze with his hand on the knob.
“You might not want to kill me right away. I know you have received a letter from the Order. I might have information that will help you fight against what they have planned.”
Vasile growled low as he spoke. “Manipulation will only keep you alive for so long. It will not buy you a pardon.”
Stephanie let out a low growl of her own. Vasile returned the favor, and her growl quickly turned to a pathetic whine.
“Maybe not,” Skender agreed. “But it might be a step in the right direction for me to receive a merciful death.”
Vasile’s head snapped around and his glowing eyes met Skender’s. His power filled the room as his rage flooded his veins. Both wolves before him cringed under his stare. “Sally Miklos was abducted, stripped of her life and memories, and raped because the Order took her,” he said through clenched teeth that had begun to elongate. “Was Sally shown mercy by the man who used magic in order to mate with her? Was Sally shown mercy when her memories were ripped from her mind? You need to be ready to crawl on your knees and beg for Costin’s mercy, and then you need to accept that he will deny it to you. And you…” He looked at the female. She wasn’t returning his gaze. She couldn’t. “Regardless of whether you are bound or not, your life is forfeit for aligning yourself with an organization guilty of murder, bribery, rape, and dozens of other atrocities.”
“VASILE, NO.” Skender snarled, his head still bowed under the Alpha’s fury. “Show her mercy. She’s a female, for crying out loud!”
“If she has been a member of the Order, she isn’t just a female. She’s a female with the blood of innocents on her hands. I have no mercy for one such as her.” Vasile turned and fled the room before he gave into the urge to kill the traitor himself.

~
Skender stared at the door long after it had shut behind the angry Alpha. He’d known the wolves were going to give him an icy reception, but he had no idea they’d throw him in a cage before he even had a chance to explain himself, nor did he expect them to treat Stephanie with such contempt. This complicated things. Alston had sent him back to gain information about his former pack. The high fae wanted to find out just exactly what Vasile knew about the Order and what his plans were to stop their movements. Skender was the group’s key to staying one step ahead of the wolves, and Stephanie had been the tool he was going to use to soften their anger. Apparently, even a true mate isn’t reason enough to betray one’s pack. He had to find a way to recapture the healer they’d lost in Oceanside. He and Stephanie’s place in the Order depended on them succeeding in the mission they’d been given.
But there was no way they were going to be able to do any of that from behind bars. Somehow, he’d have to convince Vasile that he was telling the truth, before the Alpha carried out his sentence. In Vasile’s eyes, Skender had betrayed the pack by failing to inform him of the location of the pack’s kidnapped gypsy healer. While this was an offense against the pack as a whole, the true crime was against the healer’s mate, Costin. So Vasile would allow Costin to carry out the sentence. But what Skender didn’t know was whether Vasile would require Costin to simply execute Skender, or whether the Alpha would allow a trial by combat.
Skender knew Costin would argue for the latter. Skender had known Costin for a long time, and he knew the wolf considered himself noble. He would want to challenge Skender on an even playing field. Costin was powerful, but not as much as some of the other wolves in the pack. Because of this, under his easy demeanor and cool façade, Skender knew the young wolf had a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He likely felt he needed to prove himself, to prove he has what it takes to protect his mate, especially considering how she’d been kidnapped right out from under his nose. The pup was probably still reeling over that failure. Costin’s own dominance wouldn’t let himself execute Skender without a fair fight. Perhaps Skender could use that to his advantage. But how?
And how could he convince Vasile not to kill Stephanie? He was going to have to help her escape before that could happen. But considering he didn’t have a clue how to make that possible, they were both up the proverbial creek without a paddle.
As for himself he needed to simply best Costin in the fight. This was a possibility, but not a certainty. Both wolves were dominant. Skender had sparred with Costin several times in the past. Sometimes he got the upper hand, and sometimes the younger wolf prevailed. Now that the wolf was fighting to avenge the offenses against his precious gypsy healer, he’d probably fight much harder. Victory would be anything but certain. No, a fair fight was not the best plan. Skender would only go that route if all else failed. But how could he plan anything from the confines of his cage? He needed to find a way out of this prison and fast. At worst, he needed to escape simply so he or Stephanie could contact the Order and tell them the wolves had not accepted him like he’d expected. If they wanted to gather intel on Vasile, they’d better try alternative means.