A Secret Alpha Mate

(Jackson) The barbecue was successful. It seemed that most of the pack members turned up and it wasn't as tense as I thought it would be. Everyone seemed to relax after they got here and realized it really was just a party, no pretenses. isla was playing the perfect Luna. Well, she was the perfect Luna. When I told her that they had tracked Benjamin back he she was understandably anxious. She kept close to me as I asked her to do, but put on a smile and mingled with everyon without a moment of worry crossing her face. She was talking everyone through their concerns about merging the packs and the changes that would happen. By the tir someone was done talking to her, they left smiling. I didn't know what I would have done without her here. I can't remember how I would have handled these situations befc she showed up, but I knew I probably handled them poorly compared to her. I tried to focus on my surroundings, and who I was talking to, but I had to admit I was distracted. I kept scanning the fore for any sign of movement. I knew that we had warriors at the barbecue seamlessly fitting in, but on full-alert, and more were watching us from the woods, but I hated the fact that Benjamin could be on these lands. So close to my pack members, my Isla. I didn't hear anything from Cam, and usually that was a good thing, that he was busy and actively working. He would aler me when something went wrong and I tried to relax knowing that. Once everyone had their fill of food and drink, I decided to address everyone. I let Isla finish her conversation before stealing her away to the edge of the crowd. I clear my throat loudly and within a f minutes silence washes over the crowd, all eyes on us. “l won't take too much of your time. I know my Beta, Lucas, has already explained what has happened and what we think combining our packs will look like in the future. I just wanted to say thank you for you all for coming out and celebrating the start of a new chapter for both Silver Moon and Moonstone. I know this has been confusing, and you still have a lot of questions. I want you all to know that me, my Luna, Beta, and Gamma are here to address any questions or concerns that you might have. Thank you for such a warm welcome, we are honored to be standing here as your Alpha and Luna, and I know I spe: for us all when I say we can't wait to get to know each and every one of you." I pause, the crowd claps and cheers, Isla tak my hand in hers and squeezes it. “Anything you want to add, my love?” “As you might know, I am from Silver Moon. Up until recently, when I found my mate, I was an omega here.” Some people the crowd start talking. I guess they didn't know that. Isla said that besides the other omegas she didn't have too many interactions with other pack members, so most of them probably wouldn't have recognized her. “am looking forward to the future, and making some changes that are, well, they are long overdue.” Some of the crowd laughs and she smiles at them, “Silver Moon is my home, and I am ecstatic to be able to call it my home once more.” Everyone cheers loudly, I would have to get used to everyone liking my Luna more than me. It was definitely something I could live with. Alpha, you need to see this. Now. ~ Cam's voice echos in my head. Where are you? Omega village I'm sending someone to meet you and Lucas “Isla, I have to go meet Cam. Could you stay near Bryce?” She looks up at my face worried. “Is everything okay?” “I honestly have no idea” I link Lucas to come meet me and then Bryce to stay close to Isla. I give her a quick kiss. “Try to have fun, ll be back as soon as I can.” She nods looking a bit apprehensive but plasters on a smile before she tur back to the crowd. We meet Cam's warrior and as soon as we're in the cover of the trees we break into a run. Hidden behind thick trees was overgrown village with large walls. The front door was propped open with a boulder. I pause outside the gate paused an immediate sense of unease. “There you are.” Cam says, “You have to see this." “What is it?" He shakes his head, “I have no idea.’ We enter one of the abandoned cottages and I see an old man strapped to a table softly moaning. What the f**k was this “Valoria's hide out, I have no idea what this is all for” “How did you get in here?” “I had your dad talk to Valoria. Apparently, only she and Benjamin had access, but she had to seal it whenever they left. Benjamin came here and she couldn't seal it behind him. Apparently it was some magic seal,” he shrugged. “So, it just opened?” “It opens with blood” He said, I raised an eyebrow. “Anyone’s blood now works, but we propped the door open, just in case.” “Ahhhihh The man groans loudly. I jumped, forgetting where we were for a second. “Who is he? Can we help him?” “One of Silver Moon's warriors thinks it might be one of them. A warrior went missing recently.” I look back to the man. “Recently? This man looks like he's been gone for decades. Unless they had older warriors.” “If it's the same person, he went missing a week or so ago, and he was in his twenties”. I looked, really looked, at the man on the table, his features flickering between young and old. “Can we take him off? We need to help him." Lucas comes and says over my shoulders. “We're waiting for William to call us back again. I have no idea what this is, or what it does. I don’t want to interrupt dark magic” cam leads me to Valoria’s place and her work space after. We're careful not to touch anything. She had a lot of ingredients in jars, but nothing that looked to be anything important to us. There were a few bottles smashed on the floor that we stepped around before leaving. “We're going to have to find someone to come look at this, make sure that nothing is dangerous here. A light witch probably." I say as he headed to her cottage. Her cottage door was open, there was dried blood on the bed and in some spots on the floor. The cabinets were mostly emptied. I wonder how long Benjamin was here for? Did he come for a few hours or stay for the night? There was no trail that could be found leaving the omega village. Cam and his warriors had already checked. Even the trackers couldn't find a trace of the scent, leaving me to wonder if he found something useful to help him make his escap “This place is creepy,” Lucas says, “You haven't even seen the worst part.” Cam motions for us to follow him. “Theres more? How could there possibly be more?” Lucas mutters. A group of warriors are laying bones out on a blanket. I stop in place. “Gamma, we've recovered almost thirty bodies.” A warrior came up to us, “So far” “Thank you" “So, we also found a pit of bones. It wasn't even really hidden, it just seemed like a dumping ground. We can't determine when they were put there, but I know a guy who might be able to help” Cam explains. “Almost thirty people. But why?” I'm trying to piece it together, why were thirty people were hidden out here? No proper burials. This had to be Valoria's doing. “None of this makes sense,” Lucas says shaking his head. Cam's phone rings and he takes a few steps away from the pit. “What did you find out, William?” He puts the phone on speaker. “She said that if the man was unhooked, bad things would happen.” “Vague,” Lucas grunts. “Did you ask her about the bodies ~ er bones?” “She said that they weren't needed anymore” I roll my eyes and grab the phone from Cam. “Let me speak to her” I say, “Have her tied up. Hands and legs. Cut something off on her.” “Like what?” My dad asks. “Cut the pinky toe back off that we cut off before” Cam cuts in. “I don't remember there being a “we’ with that one.” Lucas says, “Okay, I'll head back down” I hear him talking to a few warriors in the background, “Give us a few moments” We look at each other, “f****d up, man.” Lucas whispers to no one in particular. There's a faint clank of the cell and some rustling followed by an ear-piercing scream that lasts for a full minute. “Reliving your glory days as the Alpha?” Lucas jokes, when my dad comes back to the phone. “You boys keep me young” He chuckles, “Your mom is going to be mad though, she just bought me this shirt” “Ym sure she knows how to get blood out of clothes now,” I said, “Let us talk to her” “You F+++*g assholes, and your a*****e friends. I will watch you die” She spits into the phone. “Now now, let's play nicely,” Cam says. “You had them take my F*****g toe” She wails, “Again” “Well, you weren't cooperating so you lost your toe privileges.” Lucas gives Cam a look. “We need to know about these bodies, if there were any potions left here, and what to do with the man strapped to the table” I say, “so many demands, and you're not even here.” “Take off her other pinky toe,” Cam instructs. “N-n-no I'll cooperate.” She begs, “Hold her down.” My dad says, another ear-piercing scream. “Get the f**k off of me.” She yells, “Get off of me, I said I would talk.” She sobs. “Start talking." I said. “Fine-" Her voice breaks, “The bones are people that we used for a spell, we needed their lifelines." “Who were they?” Cam asks, “I don't know, I didn't ask really. In the beginning, we had a group of omegas that we pulled from.” She pauses, “The good old days" “You're a sick f**k you know that, right?” Lucas says into the phone. “Thank you, dog” “What potions were here?” Cam gets the conversation back on track, “Nothing major, just simple spells. A topical healing cream I think, something to cover my scent when I left, and maybe or that was just smoke, like you throw it and poof smoke” She rambles, tripping over her words. “I want my toes back now.” “The man, the warrior, strapped to the table. When we unhook him what will happen?” Cam continues “You really don’t want to do that” “Will it kill him?” “Quite possibly, yes.” “What is the purpose?” Cam asks the question we were all wondering, “It's a spell, my most powerful one ever created.” “What does it do though?” I cut in, annoyed. She sighs, “It inhibits the memories of some people.” “Be more specific.” Cam's voice is ice-cold. “No one can remember who the people in the tanks are.” “That sounds pointless,” Lucas mutters. “Who are the people in the tanks?” I ask. “Ym not sure” There's a clamoring, “Get off me, I'll tell you. F**k" “Who are the people that no one can remember?” My dad asks. “The previous Alpha and Luna of Silver Moon.”