Page 14 of Fall of the Alpha

“You know that for sure?” he demanded.

Taking in a deep breath, Paldon let it out before leaning over to whisper something in his mate’s ear. Nodding, still weeping, Carina got to her feet and quickly moved out of the room. It was a relief to see her go. Paldon had clearly been emotional as well, but he was no longer crying, thankfully.

Disgusted, Grigori waited impatiently for her to be gone before skewering Paldon with another look.

“How do you know Malachi has them?” He refused to call the male ‘the Wolf’ as so many others did. The Alpha’s name was Malachi, and one day, Grigoriwasgoing to have the pleasure of killing him. He’d even thought about having Alek do the deed, which was part of the reason he’d been amenable to his son going into the Territories.

He should have been safe.

“Liana and Kenet were questioned as soon as they returned. They remember Alphas being there when they went down, drugged.” Paldon’s jaw worked. “It has to be him. No one else would dare, not in his territory.”

That was true enough.

It was a stupid risk to have sent them in. Liana and Kenet had pushed, though, and Paldon needed their parents’ support. Grigori had wanted Alek to get a feel for the Territories in case he ever needed to send his son on a mission there. No matter the suppressors, he was sure his son was an Alpha, something that both elated him and made it hard for him to be around the younger male.

He also knew it was something he’d be able to use one day, but only if Alek wasn’t killed before he even had the chance.

“Do we know if they’re still alive?” A tiny worm of fear wriggled its way into his heart. That was a possibility he hadn’t even allowed himself to consider until now.

“We have no reason to believe they aren’t. This is hardly the first time the Wolf has taken hostages.”

“Malachi,” Grigori corrected through gritted teeth. This insistence on calling him ‘the Wolf’ only increased the mystery and intimidation around him. Paldon knew the male’s real name and should be using it.

But he wasn’t wrong. Malachi had taken hostages before—which was why Grigori had never gone into the Territories himself. In the past, any of those who had been on the council during the time Malachi was overthrowing Jeffos, the previous Alpha, and dared enter his Territories, they were taken. But none of their offspring had ever been taken before.

Only those directly responsible had been kidnapped. By all accounts, they’d been treated mostly well. They hadn’t been starved or tortured, though a few had been beaten a bit. They’d also all been deprived of their suppressors during their time with Malachi.

All but one had turned out to be truly Betas. The Alpha, Sienna, had disappeared again not long after being returned to Zone One. She hadnotstarted retaking her suppressors and had begun advocating for more interaction with the Territories, aswell as allowing those within the Zones to choose whether or not to take their suppressors.

Putting her down had been Grigori’s duty and a job he’d rather enjoyed.

The Zones were for Betas. Period.

Now, Malachi had changed up the rules. Would it be for any of the offspring who ventured into the Territories? Or was it only because Bella and Alek were Paldon’s daughter and Grigori’s son?

“He’ll return them,” Paldon said, closing his eyes, but he did not sound convinced.

“Has the ransom come in yet?” Grigori asked. Paldon shook his head, then dropped it and stared at the floor as he breathed a hard sigh. Each of the council members had needed a hefty ransom paid, often in the form of favors or concessions toward the Territories, before they were returned.

None of them were allowed to return to the council afterward, either. They could not be trusted not to have been influenced by Malachi or some of the other Alphas. Grigori and Paldon were very careful not to allow them any positions of power or be too influential after their return.

Too many of them had softened from their times in the Territories, unable to see the blinders that had been put over their eyes, the lies they’d been fed.

When Paldon lifted his gaze again, there were tears in his eyes.

Weak. He’d always been weak, but he was a good figurehead for Grigori. Having come from the Territories himself, Grigori knew he wasn’t fully trusted by the other Zone One Betas, no matter how many times he’d proved himself. Which was why he’d allowed Paldon to remain in power all this time.

It might be that his usefulness was coming to an end. Once Grigori got his son back, he should arrange for an appropriatedemise for Paldon. Having his daughter taken was going to compromise him as surely as those who had been taken themselves.

“We need to get them back. You need to go into the Territories and find them.”

Grigori recoiled.

“Absolutely not! They clearly knew who our children were. I’d be recognized immediately. You need to send in your own spies.” And Grigori would send in his—the ones Paldon didn’t know about.

“I already have, but they don’t know the… Malachi the same way you do. They don’t know the Territories the way you do.”

“The way Idid,” Grigori snapped, with heavy emphasis on the last word. “I do not anymore.”

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