Intuition

Flint chased the illusive pulling in his chest. It felt like he was doing strange zig zags. Running at times toward the strong thread around his heart. At other times he wandered slowly, trying to catch the mysterious feeling.

He could feel through the mindlink that his father was angry. He was most likely beginning his interrogation but Flint couldn’t think about that. The traitor had been found and he trusted his father to extract whatever information Clark had to give.

Meanwhile, Starlight members were hearing about Clark’s arrest. They were whispering rumors about his involvement with the rogue commander that had escaped from execution. Alice Monroe had been in custody at headquarters but the rumors about her were far less.

Graham had been in his office when he felt his father get attacked. He turned and ran to his parents’ home when he realized his family was being transported to headquarters. Graham ran to his apartment and cleaned himself up.

The Beta called Duncan to find out what happened. The commander explained only that there was evidence against Clark linking him to rogues. He was being held for questioning and wouldn’t be able to receive visitors until afterwards.

Graham was frustrated but he knew what he had to do. He spent the next night and morning at his office on main street, in the heart of Green Tree. He wanted to know what the pack members were saying. More than that, he wanted to get in front of the story they were telling themselves.

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“The sunset he speaks of... You told him about the Alpha meeting. For what reason?” Elijah asked after reading the letter aloud.

“I asked if he’d heard or seen anything about a Luna that had been kidnapped from StarLight. I told him I wouldn’t know how the pack was going to handle the search until after the Alpha summit.” Clark grunted.

“You used information here that you didn’t get from me. I told you about the book and showed you a copy of the legend in Lunar Gifts. Those things... I blame myself for confiding in you. But not the time of the summit. You learned that from someone else.” He stated.

“He isn’t involved in this.” The old man growled.

“Ah, so I was right. It’s your son, Graham.” Elijah read his paternal fear from the mindlink.

“No! Yes, he told me. But he told me in the same way you told me about the legend. He doesn’t know anything about Candor.” Clark stated firmly, raising is voice.

“Then what is this part about the strategy working out for a friend of yours.” He scoffed before growing deathly serious. “Your son used a pre-planned deadly move to win the Beta tournament. This letter suggests Bastian gave you that strategy and you passed it along.”

“I don’t deny helping my son plan his moves in the arena. I won’t even say using the trees and the deadly move didn’t come from Candor. But Graham, knew nothing about where the advice came from!” He insisted.

“We’ll see. I set a specialist to tearing your house apart. I’ll find the other letters.” Elijah leaned back in his chair confidently. “I’ll find out who your conspirators were and all that you told this Bastian. Rest assured.”

“You’ll find no mention of my son. I hadn’t met Candor in person. I damn sure wasn’t going to tell him about my family. Or tell my son about the letters at all!” Clark replied.

“Your mate admits to collecting them. She claims he only knows that you were corresponding to a rogue. Nothing else. For now, I’ll believe that. Your son, however used Bastian’s strategy to take Beta. If something happened to the Alpha, that puts your son at the top. You think I don’t see it?” He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

"I gave him the strategy. I’m the one who sees your boy for the threat he is. Me. Not Graham. You leave him out of this Elijah!” He barked.

“What are you so afraid of? That I’ll punish him for your sins?” Elijah shook his head and crossed his arms.

“I remember when you cast out the Anderson boy. I remember it like it was yesterday.” Clark pointed at his aggressor’s chest. “You knew he didn’t know about Tony and Clair being traitors! He was just a child! You sent him away because of the threat he posed to the Dolan Legacy."

“Excuse me?” Elijah sat forward menacingly.

“He was the only one who could keep up with Flint. He may have lost every time but he made sure that if he lost, so did Flint. Hell, they were friends because no one else could handle one, besides the other. Bastian always talked about competing for Alpha and you knew he meant it.” The old man growled.

“What the fuck are you saying to me?” He stood from his seat, barely restraining the urge to attack.

“You named that boy as a rogue to make sure Flint became Alpha. The only one who could have taken it from him, you threw out! Don’t blame MY SON because I was lied to by an enemy YOU made. Don’t blame MY SON for the monster YOU created out of YOURS.” Clark was snarling the words as if they were weapons.

Elijah lost his restraint. He grabbed the metal collar around Clark’s neck and pushed it to the wall. His knee held the prisoner’s wrist shackles to the cot. Elijah used his free hand to grab the old man’s wounded, left shoulder.

Clark screamed out as his stitches split and his blood began flowing. Elijah pressed on his clavicle, he felt the bone bend beneath the heel of his hand.

“Bastian was uncontrollable. Even then!” Elijah growled.

“So was Flint! He was, and is, just as dangerous as the Anderson boy!” Clark forced himself to speak through his gritted teeth.

“Raaahhh!” The once-Alpha exploded with rage.

He crushed Clark’s clavicle under his hand. The old man screamed and spit. Elijah turned around and swiped his key card against the lock. He stepped into the hallway as soon as the glass door was open.

He needed to get away from the object of his ire. Elijah wanted to kill him. Not simply because of the statements his old friend was making, but also because of the impudence he had to have to say them.

“Call a medic and someone to clean up the room.” Elijah looked at the guard stationed at the end of the hall.

The young woman nodded and pulled out her phone. Elijah walked to the elevator and pressed the button. As he waited for the doors to open, he thought over his friend’s claims. It was true that when Flint was a child, Elijah watched the rivalry between the boys.

He knew that if anyone was going to challenge his son for Alpha, and stand a chance at winning, it would be Bastian. Still, he refused to acknowledge the supposed role this played in his decision to cast Bastian out of StarLight. Quite frankly, he simply didn’t see it that way.