The Alpha Wants Everything Book 2 The Devil's Baker

Emroy!

After a quick stop by the kitchen to check on Kenzi, and grab a quick snack after whatever she was making this time enticed them, they were about to walk back into the conference room. Adonis paused outside the door as a voice reached him.

“You boys go ahead.” He moved away from them trying to find the one calling him.

“What is going on?” Kane asked as they watched Adonis pause briefly then move again. Jackson and Tyler shrugged.

“We behavin?” Jackson asked.

“Adon din’t say we has too” Tyler replied,

“Then we not” Jackson threw the door open “I don’t think I can sit through nomore of this borin bitchfest an behave myself”

“Because you were so well behaved the first time” Elijah quipped as he once again took his seat at the table.

“I’s behave….din’t cause cows to stampede” Jackson said as Tyler started laughing.

“We are having a meeting,” Eric snapped.

“An?” Jackson looked at him, like that made a difference to him.

“Eric has a new weapons collection” Elijah offered, he didn’t want to be in the meeting anymore than they did, but he had more patience for the mundane, he also knew without Jackson and Tyler being there it would go faster. That perked Jackson and Tyler’s interest real quick, they looked at each other, then took off out of the room. CRASH! THUD! SMASH! The destruction they heard down the hallway, Elijah could only assume was them pushing each other to get there first.

“Elijah!” Eric snarled at him.

“Gamma Elijah to you, and I won’t tell you again.” Elijah spoke in a low, even voice as his eyes met Eric’s.

“Gamma Elijah, why would you tell them that?” Eric questioned, his stance tight and small slivers of fear came off of him. He didn’t want a go around with Adonis’s Gamma, he was well aware of how much he could make it hurt.

“Did you want them to stay? I can call them back. They will continue to interrupt making this take longer and become more painful than it has to be and there is also the risk of them bringing up what was said in the dining room….repeatedly. Maybe I should bring them back, I’m curious to see if they can make you cry.” Elijah replied, he kept his eyes locked on Eric, daring him to say anything to him. Eric was not going to call Elijah’s bluff, he did not want what happened in the dining room mentioned. He shook his head and Elijah went back to his file.

“Go with them, and try to keep them out of trouble” Kane said, when he saw the looks of envy cross Johnny and Damon’s faces.

“They are in the study, I wish you both luck” Elijah said, Kane fought back his laughter. Johnny and Damon took off as well.

“They are not going to behave themselves are they?” Kane asked as he took a seat at the table.

“No, last time they got a hold of Eric’s weapon collection, they took down the study, half the kitchen and Jackson wrecked a 400 hundred year old Norwegian battle axe when he decided to turn it into a throwing axe.” Elijah replied, opening another folder in front of him.

“You sent them out on purpose?” Kane said,

“I want this over, there are more important things I would rather be doing right now, then wasting my time on this drivel.” Elijah replied, looking through another file.

“Why did I have to accept the blade during your ritual?” Kane asked, having never witnessed anything like that he was curious about it. Elijah released a silent sigh then looked at the others in the room.

“This is not the time or the place for this conversation and I am not the one you should be asking” Elijah replied, in a hushed tone. Kane arched a brow, that was not the answer he was expecting, now he was really curious as to what that was about.

“Am I bothering you Elijah?” Kane asked, he couldn’t help it, the man had impeccable resolve. Then again he dealt with Jackson and Tyler on a regular basis, a few questions should not bother him.

“No, I can make you go away as well.” Elijah said.

“And how could you possibly do that? Weapons don’t interest me” Kane asked, he saw the corners of Elijah’s mouth twitch.

“Aside from a rather impressive weapons collection. Eric’s garage is home to a multitude of vehicles, one being a 1967 Shelby GT500 and another being a fully restored 1971 Hemi Cuda….in hemi orange.” Kane glanced at the Black Shadow Gamma. His face held a slight smirk, but he never looked up from his folder. Kenneth snickered beside him as he saw the look that crossed his Alpha’s face.

“Clever!” Was the only thing Kane could say.

“The only true way to defeat your enemy is to know your enemy.” Elijah replied. (🐺Are we his enemy?) I don’t think so, but he is correct! (🐺Are we The Devil’s enemy?) I don’t know! (🐺They know a lot about us!) Yes they do! Once more Kane looked over at the Gamma, studying him. No, he didn’t think they were enemies, they might have been at the start, but now he wasn’t really certain what they were.

Adonis followed the call out of the house and into the woods, he kept his guard up unknowing what he would be walking into and Odin stayed close to the surface. The fuck? I don’t know Odin, stay at the ready! Always! A scent caught him, familiar….

“Emroy!” Adonis said.

“Clever Alpha Adonis, and that answers that question” Emroy stepped out from behind one of the thick oak trees that littered the territory.

“I won’t answer your other” Adonis eyed his brother, waiting for him to make a move.

“I don’t expect you to. You don’t owe me anything” Emroy kept his posture as relaxed as possible, he knows from watching Adonis that any tension and he’ll pounce.

“I am busy, what do you want?” The fuck? You’ve been listening to Jackson and Tyler too much! What? Nevermind!

“This day did not play out the way it should have, but you know that” Emroy said

“I do. Can’t say I am surprised though” Adonis kept his eyes on his brother as he moved around the little clearing

“Does anything surprise you?” Emroy asked, tilting his head to the side.

“What do you want Emroy?” Adonis repeated his question one final time.

“I’m sorry Alpha Adonis. My biggest regret was how you were treated” Emroy began.

“It’s not like you did anything” Adonis told him

“Exactly, I didn’t do anything. Like today when the Royal Beta hit Eric I stood by and watched it happen. I didn’t stop it, I didn’t even try. I was your family, I was supposed to protect you, guide you. I was your brother and I failed you.”

“What is this….are you asking for redemption?” Adonis said.

“No, I know I am on your list, I am asking for you to move me to the bottom when you come seeking retribution.” Emroy stated clearly.

“What makes you think I have a list?” Emroy only arched his brow and Adonis nodded.

“It is no secret, I hate this family and have envisioned several times, a multitude of ways to destroy it, each one more painful than the last. But when I do decide to seek retribution against them….you do not make the list. Being the whipping boy for all of Ethan’s failures I have a good understanding why you did what you did.” Emroy grimaced as the memories of their father beating Adonis, for things he screwed up flooded his mind.

“It is true you did nothing to help me when I was beaten, I also heard the pain in your voice when you did speak to me. You didn’t mean anything you were saying. When those words came from you they were just words put in your mouth, by a weak, volatile man. You were already in hell and paying for your part you played, and you brought that hell on yourself. There isn’t anything I could do….besides make you bleed, that you haven’t already done to yourself. Sometimes the best torture Emroy, is letting them torture themselves.” Emroy looked at Adonis, he didn’t understand.

“Demons need to be provoked in order to strike. You have done nothing to provoke me. You have left me in peace, and the few occasions we were in the same room together you have kept your distance and shown respect, but don’t think for one second I didn’t hear you muttering under your breath how Eric was a dick and thinking how Ethan should be skinned alive. Elijah is really good at that by the way, you should ask him for tips.” Emroy couldn’t help the relieved sigh, it was a huge worry off his mind that Adonis would come after him.

“Without drawing attention to yourself Emroy, in your own way you did try to protect me. When you told me to leave it wasn’t because you were trying to get rid of me, it was giving me a head start at getting away. How many times you overlooked my hiding spot, or how many tips in passing you gave me to get better at hiding. But this is not what you wanted to talk about. This was clearing the polluted air that plagues your guilty conscience. There is still something on your mind” Adonis said. Emroy released a huffed laugh when he looked back at Adonis.

“That is a really handy trick. Ethan is up to something. I don’t know what, but some nights he leaves here with a briefcase and when he returns he is empty handed. This is speculation at best, but I think he might be responsible for the recent rogue attacks on White Stone. Large monetary amounts have been removed from the pack’s funds. Ethan has no personal funds he’s broke so it begs two questions: Where is he getting the money and where is it going? Rogues don’t do anything out of the kindness of their hearts. And as much as Eric thinks his shit don’t smell, he has no financial sense” Emroy informed him.

“You know this because you’ve been their financial advisor” Adonis’s remark was more telling than asking.

“I have been for years, familial obligation.” Emroy sighed.

“Tow the line keep your head down and play the submissive role” Adonis countered.

“I have put off aligning myself with Eric or any of the others for as long as possible, trying to distance myself from them. One of the best things that ever happened was The King taking my title and pack from me. No title, no pack, no alliance.” Emroy replied.

“He gave it back to you” Adonis tilted his head to the side.

“Starting to get annoying now. I approached him the moment he got here. I used The King. I apologized for what transpired. He’s looking for you, but your uncanny habit of disappearing was making it difficult to keep tabs on you, and I told him as much. Last I heard you were on the other side of Canada and quite happy to stay there. I was just as shocked when you crashed through the front door,” Emroy responded.

“And slightly disappointed when we didn’t crush Evan” Adonis said, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t disappointed as well. Emroy released an exasperated huff at his brother.

“How do your brothers deal with you?” Emroy huffed again,

“They get the same look on their face.” Adonis replied.

“I’ve always liked Steve and Kennedy, they are the family you deserve” Emroy looked down at his hands.

“You put me in the fort that day” Adonis spoke, causing Emroy to snap his head up. “The day I collapsed, I fell too far back from the boundary line. There was no way Jackson and Tyler would be able to cross it and get to me and go unnoticed.” Emroy nodded, it was a secret he’s kept for years. No one knew what he had done that day.

“I heard the guards talking, Ethan said he didn’t care, and you should just be left out there. It wasn’t right. I waited in the shadows till guard rotation, when the clearing was deserted I moved you.” Emroy replied “I couldn’t leave you like that, exposed. I was going to come back when I had more time and take you to one of the cabins on the far side of the property, but Jackson and Tyler had discovered you. They brought their Alpha, pack doctor and I think two Betas. Unfortunately the attention at the border brought double the warriors to that side. Ethan was concerned. Alpha Cameron just wanted to make sure you were ok. But with the activity, guard rotation became harder to navigate. The clearing was never empty. Three days I planned a way to get you out of there and away from this miserable pack, then you showed up back at the house.” Emroy shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he explained to Adonis.

“Ethan is coming!” Adonis said.

“Shit!” Emroy cursed, that stupid son of a bitch. Next thing blinding pain shot through Emroy’s jaw as he hit the ground.

“You wanted me to” Adonis growled quietly, as Emroy held his jaw.

“I held back. Demon’s leave scars” Adonis informed him. Odin on the surface, but the flames that danced in his eyes were purple.

“I know”

“Why do you have to be difficult?” Emroy yelled at him as he held his throbbing jaw.

“I don’t have to be, but it’s more fun,” Adonis countered.

“I was just trying to talk to you” Emroy growled back at him.

“What gave you the impression I wanted to hear what came out of your mouth?” Adonis snarled back.

“Is there a problem here boys?” Ethan asked as he came upon one of his sons on the ground bleeding and the other towering over him, vibrating with his anger.

“Get the fuck out of here!” Emroy snarled at Adonis.

“Just like old times” Adonis said as he walked away. ….grrRrRrRRRrRrRrrr…. Upon passing Ethan, Odin released the loud growl making his presence heard and felt one final time. The man flinched and his body tensed as he walked past exiting the small clearing.