Chapter 173
My grandfather’s study is insane. There are first editions and encyclopedias on all sorts of things in here. These things lead me to believe that there is a lot I’m not being informed of here. I have finally obtained some of the public files that I requested. I want to get some of the most pressing matters out of the way first, but with Sloane Teller just outside the pack borders, that’s going to have to go first.
Allison has invited some of the others in charge of major shit to accompany me and Mr. Knightly who is looking around after I mentioned that I think they might be researching weird shit like he does. That’s really all I had to say to get him to cooperate. He was about to tell me to go fuck myself because! refused to let his doctors take a look at me.
“I need to know everything you guys do. Immediately, because what the fuck?” I sit down on the floor so that I can take notes on the coffee table. They all look at one another as if they’re scared to say anything. “Come on, guys. How am I supposed to help you when I don’t know what the hell is going on? I could have gotten attacked by these things while I was on my own.”
“She’s right,” Allison looks over at Jason and Markus. The other woman in the room is Markus’s mate. She gets up and shuts us in.
“Do you trust him?” Jason asks Look over at my father–in–law.
“I hate to tell you guys this, but honestly, the only person I trust with my life in this room is him,” I admit. That earns me a smirk from him. I think it’s a kink for Knightly men to hear those words because Knight loves it when I say that to him.
“Before she became Alpha Sloane Teller, she was Luna Rizen. She’s not Alpha Rizen’s mate. She was sold to us when she was sixteen, sixty–eight years ago, to form an alliance between us and a pack known as the Red Fern.”
“You don’t say,” Mr. Knightly laughs, and suddenly, we have all of his attention. “The Red Fern?”
“Yes.” Allison sighs.
“I fucking missed one,” he says and sits next to me. “That doesn’t sound right. I usually get them all, especially in the beginning. Tellers were on the list. didn’t think they’d be related.”
“Wait, that’s the pack you took out when you were put out on the field?” I ask. He nods. “Well, fuck. Does this mean I’m related to the woman who turned you into this?”
“No, I took out her entire bloodline. Teller was the alpha she left me for,” he explains. “It was an arranged marriage. I must have missed one on his side.”
“Six,” Jason smiles. “There are six Tellers left. This one in particular has it out for our pack. She wants to convert it into a traditionalist headquarters. With Alpha Knightly hunting them to near extinction, this is how they’ve been trying to replenish their ranks. Taking by force.”
“Fuck,” he groans. “Usually, I’d let you take care of the problem, little mortal, but this one is personal.”
“I can’t just let you kill all of them. That’s insane.”
“Insane is holding on to a dying social convention as if the moon goddess herself were running the show. This is only going to get worse, and your safety is our priority. I’m sure Nathan will agree with me this once. These people are not going to stop. It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a good hunt.”
“She wants to sit down and talk,” I shake my head. There’s no way he’s serious. Right?
“That’s not a good idea,” Markus’s mate disagrees. I still don’t know her name. I should. Markus is essential to the pack. “Sorry, I haven’t properly introduced myself, Alpha Rizen. My name is Jessica Gunner.”
“We’ve met before. Where?” Mr. Knightly asks her.
“Formally known as Alpha Jessica Kellin. You killed my father,” she smiles. I look between them wondering why she’s not pissed about that.
“Your dad was an idiot,” be scoffs. “I’m glad to see that you’ve moved on and are prospering.”
“I agree, and thank you. Not that I needed your approval,” she rolls her eyes.
09:57 Sun, 22 Jun
Chapter 173
G
“Why isn’t a sit–down with these people a good idea?” Mr. Knightly likes to talk in circles, and I don’t think we have time for his cool stories.
“You’re not just our alpha. You’re the Rogue Queen, Killing you would ensure the fall of Rogue Nation before it’s reinstated. You’re being targeted, not just because you’re our alpha, but because there is a lot to lose with you out of the way.” Jason explains. “I’m not a huge fan of Alpha Knightly, but I’m going to have to agree with him on this. Removing them ensures your safety and the safety of the pack.”
“Thank you, this is the first time I feel validated here,” Mr. Knightly smiles smugly.
“Since this involves Rogue Nation, I think we should call Knight back,” I say, reaching for my phone.
“Or we can just fix this for the King and let him have his time with his pups. Goddess knows he’s missed enough,” Mr. Knightly tries to shrug me off. I glare at him as the line begins to ring. “You know he’s mad.”
“If you called to complain about my father being an ass, you knew the consequences of your actions, Angel,” is the first thing that comes out of his mouth. The others try not to laugh at the smug expression on my father–in–law’s face.
“Your father never stops being an ass and that’s not why I called. You’re going to want to hear the information we’re getting on Sloane. Your dad is suggesting a manhunt.”
“I was gone thirty minutes, and you lost control of him?”
“I think the only person ever to exist who can have control of him is your mom. I tried and he almost disowned all of us,” I remind him.
“Okay, let me disappoint the twins, and we’ll head back.”
“Don’t act like you didn’t see this coming. I feel like you knew,” I roll my eyes. All I hear is his laugh before he bangs up.
“Very healthy,” Mr. Knightly chastises.
“Right, because yelling at each other and pointing out all each other’s flaws every twenty minutes is sooo much better.” I shoot back.
“It is. In the very least, we never lie to one another,” he scoffs.
“Tell me about Sloane, please. How did she end up a traditionalist?” I ask Allison.
“When she bore an heir for Alpha Rizen, your mother. She became very depressed. It’s common in Alpha females who are dominated by stronger alphas. Usually, they slow down when they have pups, but some of them have wolves that become resentful.
“Sloane wasn’t a traditionalist, but they have powerful laws protecting their alpha females. She fell into their whole gospel shit after her son was born. Her postpartum added to the anger she felt at having to answer to Alpha Rizen.
“At the time, the council hated that his heir was female. She strayed further and further from him until she vanished. When we were finally able to locate her, she had already started over. She was mated and pregnant. Alpha Rizen was never the same after that.
“When Ellie was old enough, she started reaching out to her. She would come and try to convince her to go with her. To convert and make the pack better this way. It got to the point where Ellie considered leaving the pack and going rogue.
“Especially when one of the Alpha King’s high guards came to stay with us. He was looking for the man Sloane was mated to, and because she was always lurking around Ellie, he thought he’d eventually turn up as well.”
“Did he find him?”
“Of course he did. One thing Nelsons are known for is hunting. They were the greatest hunters in the world and were specifically targeted because of their exceptional skills. This Nelson, in particular, was a tracking genius,” Allison admits. “It’s what drew Ellie in.”
