Chapter 23
Just seconds before his father started to howl, Kadi felt Ivac’s emotions turn from deep despair to burning anger, instinctively knowing that something was not right at all.
Even when the howling started, he was still oblivious to the betrayal that had taken place. It wasn’t until Varlan and his brother ran past, and his brother slowed down for a few seconds to establish a psychic link with his brother, that Kadi understood the betrayal that had taken place. His blood started to boil when he heard who had killed their father...
How could his brother do this? How could Rann pull such a trick without them realizing what he was up to? Had they been so blind?
Somehow, Kadi, out of all people, managed to keep his head clear, and instructed Bors and a few other men to scale up the security of the packs, but most importantly, all cameras had to be online.
“Randi, are you still at the office?”
Fortunately, Varlan had given Randi a brand new COM system, which was intermerized in a wide wristband. Varlan had always had an incredible handiness to process technology in daily accessories, the Gaunlet or wristband, or how ever you wanted to call that thing, was one of them.
“Yeah, why? Did you find some leads?”
Kadi sighed.
“No, but Ivac and your mates are on a rampage, and..., and..., FUCK! I don’t know if they can control themselfs! It takes all of myself control not to follow them, so we can kill the fucker! But we need at least one Alpha with a clear head and I can’t do it all by myself, I need the two of you behind the screens to follow their every move... I already ordered Bors, Mikka and Berger to guard the borders with a few men.
I’ve already send Mez’ra your way, she can arrive any moment now. Ask her to give you weapons so you can defent yourself... My gut feeling tells me the rogues have been waiting for this all along... Killing dad was part of their plan... It’s just... ahhh fuck... what a mess... Look... will you please keep Gwen save? Protect her will ya? I know I have no right to ask you this right now... but...”
“I will protect her as if she were my daughter, okay? You make sure, no one else is going to die tonight... Promis me, Kadi...”
A new howl suddenly filled the night sky, followed by another and another untill every member of the three packs had joined in to show their grief of the murdered Alpha.
Back at Kyrenn’s offices, the two woman listend to the beautifull but intensly sad song and tears stained their cheeks.
A couple of minutes after the last howl died off, Mez’ra entered the office, her face was a deadly mask of sadness and hatred.
“Are you okay?” Randi eyed the woman carefully.
“No, I’m not, and I can’t believe you’re asking this casually when it’s your mate who was killed!” The tall redhead spat out the words her eyes were two pools filled with anger.
Immediately Randi straightened her back. Angry, horrified or sad, Randi wasn’t going to be anyones punching bag.
“I’m not well, Mez’ra! But now I have the luxury or time to grieve, my mates are on the warpath, as is Ivac... So..., it’s up to Kadi, Gwen, me and hopefully by you too, to catch Kyrenn’s killer, guard the borders by checking the cameras and keep the rest of the pack safe now that my mates are losing control... So take us to the control room where Kadi was talking about and if you can’t think straight... at least stay the fuck out of my sight!”
As she passed the woman, Randi gave Mez’ra a deadly look.
“Never doubt my feelings for my mates, Mez’ra... Even though they’ve only been a part of my life for a few days, it doesn’t change the fact that my feelings for my mates are deeper than I ever have for anyone and Kyrenn’s death has left a hole in my heart, ...not. just. yours...”
Mez’ra’s anger shriveled up at the look her new Luna gave her, and in embarrassment she seemed to shrink several inches, bowing her head and baring her neck for Randi, she whispered...
“I’m sorry Luna, for crossing the line, please forgive me...”
Gwen looked at the two women with big eyes. How the hell did Randi fit into the role of Luna so quickly? It was as if the woman had been leading a pack of Lycans all her life... as if she had been born into this life...
“Gwen... are you coming with me?” Randi gave her a sidelong glance.
“Yes..., I’m coming... sorry...”
But just as she was about to pass Randi, the woman stopped her, put an arm around her shoulders, and gave her a small smile.
“Don’t worry, honey... we’ll be fine...”
Gwen nodded, hoping this with all her heart...
Mez’ra led them to the control room where Dox had all the camera images of the border areas visible on the screens. Gwen and Randi were amazed at the many cameras guarding the borders.
All four of them were behind a control panel that gave them access to the cameras on that side of the border.
Randi had sat down to survey the west side of the border. This was the area adjacent to that of no man’s land, better known as rogue territory.
Her screen showed two of the border guards walking by, where the men normally had the weapons on their backs, now they lay firmly in the hands of the men, ready to be used at the slightest movement from rogue territory.
The hours crept by without any message from the three Alphas. Nothing special happened at the border areas either and the night slowly turned into a sun-drenched, radiant day.
For three days after the murder, Bors and Dox kept a close look on the packs territory from high up in the sky in the form of drones that could be controlled from the control room. The drones were set up to show an infrared image instead of normal vision, and by setting the computers to the average height of the Qas’qiari men, alarms went off as soon as a drone saw a potential threat, in the form of a rogue. And although the alarm went off a few times those three days, it remained fairly quiet those days. No rogues were spotted, but neither were the three Alphas, up until day three.
!!MEEPP MEEPP MEEPP!!
Gwen jumped six feet into the air at the sound of the alarm and quickly moved her hand across the screen to magnify the image.
An enlarged image showed three people, but as the image was infrared, she couldn’t identify who they were and called Bors to her.
His fingers flew across the screen and within seconds it was clear that they were the three Alphas.
“Kadi, they’re back!... Do you want me to send a vehicle their way?”
After Bors arranged a vehicle to pick up the men, Randi, Gwen, and Kadi were anxiously waiting for the men at the entrance of City Hall.
As soon as Varlan and Dargan got out of the vehicle, Randi ran up to them and wrapped her arms around their waists. Both men leaned around her, holding her in a tight embraceclinging on to her as if she were their only safe haven, and though none of them made a sound, the sadness was evident in the shuddering of their shoulders.
Finally, Ivac got out, looking as harbourless as both his fathers. The clothes he’d been wearing had been torn ton shreds, and scratches, wounds and bruises were shown all across his body. The injuries weren’t just from running through the woods, it was clear from the larger wounds that they had also fought hard and viscious.
Kadi hugged his brother tightly, as if he were afraid the man would vanish into thin air.
“I’m alright, brother... but... the basterd slipped right trough or fingers... I’m sorry...”
Their foreheads were pressed together tightly, and their cheeks stained with tears. How could he ever think he didn’t need his brother, Kadi wondered.
But something wasn’t right he was missing something..., Gwen! Almost simultaneously, the brothers turned their heads and two pairs of eyes found the person they were looking for. Kadi stepped aside and reached for her, Ivac did the same and in seconds their mate was where she belonged, between the two brothers.
~~~~~
None of them had spoken a word on the way back to the Packhouse.
After arriving home, the two women almost wordlessly guided their men upstairs to their bedroom, the mates needed them now more than ever. Questions and answers would come later, now the only thing the men needed was rest.
Randi followed her mates to the bedroom, no help was needed with undressing as all of their clothes had been ripped from their bodies in the past three days.
“Would you like to freshen up first?” Randi asked them although she could already guess the answer.
Both men shook their heads and one after the other lay down naked on the large bed, with space between them for Randi to lie in between.
Quickly Randi stripped off her own clothes, grabbed the large woolen blanket that hung over the chair close to the windowsill, and threw the large cloth over her mate’s bodies, then crawled between them.
“Turn to your side, love...” Dargan’s voice was dark.
Without question, Randi did as she was asked and she felt Dargan press his entire body flat against her back.
Varlan, in turn, pressed his lower body close to her frond, cupping her hip with his free, callous hand and positioned his head so, his lips touched her forehead.
Although sleep didn’t come quickly, the feeling of their naked bodies intertwined gave all three of them the comfort they so desperately desired.
In a room on the first floor, two other brothers were also entwined with their mate.
At that moment, none of them had any idea what awaited them. All were convinced that this, the murder of their brother, father, lover, was the worst thing that could have happened to them...
How wrong those thoughts would turn out to be would become clear faster than they could ever imagine.