Alpha’s Betrayal
Chapter 10

Remus

Terrace, Claw Mansion

Woodward County, Oklahoma

What the fvck was that?

The woman was clearly angry, and I was sure Marnet had probably done something to deserve that. He wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, and if he had been stringing along two or three she-wolves, that wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. Nor would it surprise me if he hadn't had the foresight to make sure he didn't have multiple mistresses at the same party.

Still. Still. No matter what had happened before tonight, the woman - Luna - must have realized confronting her alpha like that couldn't end in any way that was good for her. Even if she was right, and they were mates, what was she going to gain by contradicting him in front of the rest of his pack and all the visiting alphas? Anyone who knew Marnet at all would realize the man would do anything to save face. In what world would he have dumped his little piece of arm candy for Luna once confronted? He was only going to dig in his heels and he'd done just that.

I sighed and shook my head. Making a public threat like that...I wasn't surprised Marnet had issued a death warrant, even if I didn't agree with him. It was such a waste of a wolf. I glanced over my shoulder, surprised my mother hadn't piped up about 'telling me so' regarding the silver-eyed woman being a 'loose cannon.' But Fiona had disappeared from my side. I blinked. In the commotion, I hadn't even realized she'd walked off.

When I glanced around, I saw she had joined Kate Claw and some other women I didn't recognize. The she-wolves were all huddled closely, shoulders practically touching as they whispered and growled rapidly. Gossip, no doubt.

Uninterested, I walked in the opposite direction - alas, I hadn't gotten more than a few strides before Gith and York called and waved as they strode across the terrace. I suppressed my sigh. There was no way to escape, so I altered my course, exchanging my empty tumbler for some plain-looking drink a passing waiter was carrying. He looked like he might argue for exactly three seconds, but my low, bassy growl was enough to send the staffer scurrying back to the bartender to fetch another drink for whomever he was bringing it to.

Good, I thought, and offered a wan smile to the other men. I could smell the alcohol on York before he arrived; it was amazing he was still standing. Gith didn't look like much better company, but at this point, I'd prefer a sentient rock if it kept me from being trapped with the Shadow Rock alpha on my own. I couldn't be trusted if my patience were to run out and there were no witnesses.

"Remus!" York barked, looking entirely too amused. He clapped a rough hand over my shoulder and my skin crawled. I didn't slip from beneath his touch, but I certainly wanted to. "Have you ever seen something like that before? Hah! I knew Marnet was a sorry excuse for an alpha, but that display was something else."

I arched a brow. That's not what you were saying a few hours ago, I thought snidely, hiding my smirk with a sip of my drink. How quickly those peace treaties fall by the wayside.

Admittedly, it was perfectly possible that York still considered Marnet his ally. York wasn't someone I would trust as far as I could throw, and the older alpha was a broad man who weighed a lot more than my lifts in the gym.

I decided to test York's feelings of friendship. "Wasn't that your niece he introduced tonight?" I prodded expectantly.

The man tossed his head and snorted. "I would never send a member of my family to Lupus Claw - well, not any family member I liked!" He laughed at his own joke while Gith and I exchanged a long-suffering look. "Her name is Skye Greene. She's my beta's youngest daughter. She wanted to get out of New Mexico, though fvck knows why, and Marnet had some bullsh!t idea about trading pack members. Never said they had to be useful ones."

Gith gave a knowing hum. He distinctly had not offered anyone from the Black Thorn pack during the earlier negotiations, and his tactic of silence didn't seem to be changing now. Frankly, I had to wonder how much York liked his own beta, given how he was talking about the man's daughter.

"I'm surprised that woman confronted him in front of everyone," I remarked, swirling my drink. "She couldn't have expected Marnet to take that well. He's never been known for holding his temper." "Foolish," Gith agreed.

York guffawed, a wheezy, breathy laugh. I tipped my head towards my shoulder, almost overtaken by the potency of his breath. It reeked so heavily of whiskey, I wouldn't be surprised if I got a little buzz just from being breathed on.

The alpha didn't seem to notice and kept on talking, sloshing his drink as he gestured towards me with the glass. "Exactly!" he said, as if I had just proven one of his points. I'd encountered the man often enough to know to keep my mouth shut, and just a few seconds later, York blundered forward, clearly powered by his alcohol-fueled fervor. "I mean, the girl was cute. I'd tap that as*s, but like - you can't shi! where you eat. You just can't. If a man wants a side piece, fine, but he has to be smart about it." Gith snorted but said nothing else. It was getting harder and harder to suppress my disgust with the Shadow Rock alpha. How does anyone put up with this man for more than five minutes at a time?

York had a mate back home, and while I couldn't count the woman among my friends, she'd been nothing but pleasant on the few occasions we'd crossed paths. If York didn't want a relationship...he shouldn't have started a relationship. The same went for Marnet. It was such a simple concept, it constantly amazed me how many people fell into that trap.

York was still prattling on. "Even if she was his true mate, which is fvcking bullsh!t, by the way, who the fuck would want to be stuck to that sack of crazy? You can get tits almost as nice on a quiet girl who won't ruin your party!" He laughed again, still cracking up at his own sense of humor - and his mirth left him entirely oblivious to the fact that our host was quickly approaching.

I was three seconds away from giving York a piece of my mind when Gith took a step to the side, making room for the addition between us. "Congratulations," the oldest alpha murmured, his voice hoarse. He always sounded like a man who hadn't spoken in the last five years.

"Yes. Congratulations on your mateship," I added, voice flat as I tried to mellow out my expression. As much as I loathed Marnet, he made marginally better company than York - but that was a low bar to crawl over. I turned my head slightly, eyeing the woman that was clinging to Marnet by his elbow.

Marnet preened, basking in our attention. "Thank you, thank you," he huffed, as if the entire sh!tshow hadn't unfolded right before our eyes only moments ago. "Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to my mate, Skye." He lifted her tiny little hand to his mouth, pressing what I could only describe as a slobbering k!ss. It even sounded wet. Skye simply giggled, girlish and flustered as she dropped her gaze, studying the six-inch heels she wore instead.

He didn't bother introducing the rest of us. My wolf bristled, largely unimpressed by the man's lack of decorum, but I wasn't surprised. It had been well proven that Marnet simply wasn't of the same tier as the rest of us (even though I hesitated to put York in a bracket anywhere near my own).

When none of us said anything else, Marnet cleared his throat. Perhaps his wolf managed to kick some sense into him. "Disregard whatever you heard that woman say earlier. Luna has been a troublemaker in my pack for years. Her father is a reliable wolf, though, and he handled a lot of things for my dad. I was just trying to give his daughter the benefit of the doubt, you know? Serves me right for trying to be a nice guy!"

My brows shot up before I could school my reaction into something more neutral. Nice? Nice? This brute considered that cruel display 'being a nice guy'?

York wheezed out another laugh, elbowing Marnet with entirely too much enthusiasm. "Ha! No kidding," he said, bobbing his head. "Cute piece of as*s, but no side b!tch is worth that kind of hassle, am I right?"

Side b!tch? Screw whatever I thought about York, he's just as bad as Marnet.

Marnet cast his new ally a dark look, then tightened his arm around Skye's slender waist to pull the Barbie doll a little closer. They were practically joined from hip to shoulder at this point and both looked eager to be joined even more. "Watch your mouth, Rock," he growled, green eyes flashing. "Skye is the only woman I need, and I won't hear you talk like that in her presence."

"Pffft." York flapped a hand, dismissing him. I knew we were all thinking the same thing, even if none of us said it.

If Marnet couldn't control one she-wolf from his pack, how the hell would he make another alpha obey his wishes?York might be fvcking sloshed right now, but it would be a fool's errand to discount him. He hadn't lasted fifteen years over in New Mexico out of sheer luck. Wolves were rarely interested in following the status quo. An alpha had to be cunning, powerful, or both.

Marnet, it seemed, was none of the above.

"She's just some common b!tch," he said. My temper was finally reaching its breaking point; my empty hand twitched and I fought the urge to curl my fingers into a fist. My vision started to turn red. It wasn't a question of slugging a smirk off someone's face - the question was who should I hit first.

A distant howl rolled through the terrace moments later, bringing with it an eerie calm. A near silence. Even my wolf was forced to pause for a moment, and the red crept away before I could do anything that might embarrass my mother. I had no questions about whether or not I could take on Marnet or York, or even both at once - but I also had no questions about how Fiona Silverstreak would feel if her only son interrupted a Moonmate ceremony with violence. It didn't matter if said ceremony had already gone to hell and back.

A renewed round of murmuring followed the silence as the curious energy rippled through the crowd surrounding us. It was obvious the howl had come from a she-wolf. Even I, the exact opposite of a gossip connoisseur, could realize exactly what everyone was going to think. Though it hadn't been a particularly great display of Marnet's power, it certainly was entertainment of some sort for everyone else in attendance!

Marnet has fed the rumor mills for rest of the year,I thought to myself dryly, allowing my gaze to drift across the room. My mother was still where I left her, just as engaged in the furious exchange of theories as she was before. I suppressed a sigh and finished the rest of my drink. The ice clinked against the glass. I surreptitiously placed the tumbler on a table, subtle enough that the pair of women sitting there didn't seem to notice. Gith and York had taken up what little of Marnet's attention wasn't being slathered all over his new mate. Well. Mostly York.

Why Gith didn't take the opportunity to duck and run, I didn't know, but I wasn't about to waste my opportunity. I extracted myself from the conversation with the precision of a surgeon, striding away as silently and as quickly as my feet allowed. Finally heading towards the exit once more, I paused as I realized I wasn't the only one with escape on their mind. Sophia was several feet ahead of me, but she wasn't alone. She was surrounded by what could only be called a gaggle of girls, and the entire gathering was moving towards the stable in one conglomerate.

I fell back, unwilling to attract Sophia's attention for a second time tonight. I figured she'd be on her best behavior after all the embarrassment her brother already experienced, but... I didn't want to be dragged into the middle of the Claw family drama if Sophia couldn't contain her need for the limelight. My brows furrowed. That's right, Sophia likes the attention. A party. So why is she heading to the barn?

The barn. Where Marnet had Luna hauled away after her outburst. My frown deepened. Sophia had never struck me as a particularly nice person, but would she go so far as to taunt a woman who'd been sentenced to death - or worse?

Well, I wouldn't have imagined Marnet as the type of man to kick a man or woman- while they were down before tonight, either. The Claw family had been revealing one ugly surprise after another. My gaze flickered back over to Marnet; the patriarch had wandered back towards the front of the terrace, his hands still all over whatever her name was. Skye. The blonde she-wolf kept giggling and tossing her head, eyes flickering nervously from Marnet to whomever he was talking to, as if she were afraid they might see. Or afraid they might not see. She sure is trying hard.

The thought gave me pause. Was it possible that Luna was Marnet's mate? The man was hardly a catch, so I wasn't sure why else a someone would fight so hard to be with him, especially after his continued dismissal. No, not dismissal. He had outright rejected Luna. There was no reason for her to keep pushing him, especially in front of all the high-ranking officials in her own pack and the visiting alphas from the entirety of the American South. She had to have known she was digging her own grave, and for what?

I scowled, unable to come up with a satisfying answer. Besides, I couldn't worry about that now. Sophia had moved on, and I finally had a free moment to myself. Digging the burner phone out of my pocket, I called Bane up immediately. It rang twice and I hung up. Five seconds later, I repeated the activity, but hung up after one ring.

I shoved the phone back into my coat. My beta would know exactly what that pattern of rings meant. Now. Attack now.

Slipping back towards the crowd casually, I scanned the party for my mother. I spotted her, and I spotted Marnet as well. Five minutes. I have five minutes before the teams subdue Marnet's guards and arrive. I didn't want to waste a moment; when the rest of my wolves arrived, I wanted to be within an arm's length of the Lupus Claw alpha. This was a coordinated strike, and every person had to play their role for this to come off correctly - and that included me. I had to be the one to kill the Oklahoma alpha. As I moved, I spotted Tala's brilliant red hair on the other side of the terrace. I met her dark blue eyes, and the woman gave the slightest tilt of her head, acknowledging that the message had been passed on. Good. I nodded subtly in return.

Tala moved as effortlessly as any cat, though I'd never tell her as much. She'd probably be more offended than anything else. She wove through the crowd without breaking her stride to my mother's side, then gently laid her fingers on her elbow. She guided Fiona away from her circle of gossip, then leaned closer to whisper into my mother's ear.

A moment later, my mother's head shot up, searching the party. She spotted me almost immediately, her delicately shaped eyebrows pulling together in obvious displeasure. Fortunately, she said nothing and turned away after making sure I received her silent message. She allowed Tala to escort her off the terrace. Good. She'll be safe.

If this led to me having to listen to another lecture about 'the way things ought to be, it'd be worth it, as long as my mother was the one around to give me that lecture. No one even noticed her depart. Kate was still busy chatting with the other wolves in her small group. Marnet had moved on to yet another partygoer, as if it was his personal goal to make sure that each and every guest had a chance to personally admire his new mate.

The smug bastard has no idea what's coming, I thought as I slowly closed in on my target. Marnet had actually pried Skye off of his body, taking animatedly with a couple I didn't recognize. I saw him point at the older woman who had tried to stop Luna before the situation had devolved into violence. Or maybe he was pointing at the man standing next to her? The two of them had drawn expressions and they stood a bit away from everyone else - I could only assume they were Luna's parents. They don't seem that concerned for parents whose daughter has been sentenced to death, I thought. I wasn't sure if that spoke to their relationship with the she-wolf, or if it simply spoke to Marnet's authority as an alpha...or the lack there of.

I hadn't found him to be particularly reliable, but I had also minimized Silverstreak's interactions with our neighbors as much as possible since Noah had passed and Marnet had assumed the throne. Perhaps Marnet treated his packmates with the same sort of disregard.

As I got closer, I could pick out Marnet's voice clearly over the murmur of the crowd. "You know, I did my best to honor my father's relationships. I really did! Arden Highborn is good with money, and he works hard for the pack...but he was my father's man, not mine. I need wolves who are loyal to me. Besides, do you see how his daughter acted tonight? How can I trust a man who can't even control his own kid?"

My pulse thudded, the rhythm starting to intensify. I glanced down surreptitiously at my wrist. Just one minute now. I glanced around the room again for any sign of my packmates. My mouth twisted as I looked back up. This was why I didn't like tradition - more importantly, this was why I didn't trust tradition.

One foolish mating ceremony would lead to this alpha losing his pack, his people, his land, and, ultimately, his life. No one had so much of an inkling that something was coming. It was almost laughable how ironic this was. A ceremony celebrating unity, hah! Well, two packs will certainly be unified tonight, though not in the way they expect...

A burst of motion in my periphery caught my attention and I turned my head, expected to see Bane or one of my other team leaders. Instead, it was Seff who was storming toward me, a hard glint in his dark eyes. I hadn't seen that look on his face in years. My pulse intensified.

How the hell did he find out!?