Page 62 of Escalating Alpha

“You’ve more than earned the extra favors. You are worth being the pain in the ass you are.”

That was nice to hear. I never denied that I was a pain in the ass, just… I thought I was worth it too.

We called the council too, and this time I talked to Councilman Antony who was one of the senior members. He was beyond shocked to hear all about this and said he would handle it with a team.

So nothing—I meannothing—surprised me when he arrived in person with the council team hours later.

And Galvin did with Division Chief Gere and one of his non-human teams.

“This time you let the big guns handle this and keep you out of the line of fire,” Antony said at a level the humans couldn’t hear.

“I called him to ask for help so I didn’t end up in a congressional ethics hearing,” I told him at just as quiet of a level. I sighed when Galvin raised his eyebrow at me. “One day I’m going to do it in a way you can’t tell.”

“I don’t think you can now that I know you better,” he admitted. He nodded when I repeated what I told Antony. “We’re here to help. I trust what Alpha Sera said, but we’re doing this right and we’ll work her through it.”

“As will I,” he said firmly. “This was a problematic pack we’d asked her repeatedly to interject herself into. This was a legal invasion because she had our approval.”

“Good, that should make things easier,” Gere commented, looking too relieved.

Everyone looked at me when I snorted. “I had every right to take out Engle to take over Chicago originally. I dideverything rightand it still has fucked me several times. From other Alphas trying to use—IA saying I murdered him for his money—all of it.” I scrubbed my hand over my head. “And this won’t be the last time. We all know it.”

“No, especially because you took over Memphis too,” Reagan mumbled, scrubbing his face. He realized what he’d said when everyone went tense. “With a deal like Des Moines.”

I focused on Antony. “Alpha Virgil asked for it because his pack is—we can talk more later. They’re a bit big for their britches, and they haven’t embraced their new safety and security as they should have but become spoiled little shit. The oldest ones.”

“Children never stop pissing me off,” he grumbled. “As long as Virgil asked for it.”

“Yeah, Dain is probably finishing the contracts.” I snorted, oversharing when they all looked at me to tell them. “They asked how much I was buying into the pack for the price of giving me Virgil for my harem.”

I was glad when all of the supes there couldn’t hide their disgust—especially the council team who were all hawks. They tended to have multiple mates because of birth rates and how few female hawks were born. All bird shifters I was pretty sure.

Weird, but so was most of life.

Dain came rushing over and looked beyond frazzled, demanding to know who was IA and if I had answered any questions officially.

“How are you here?” I asked, waving him off. “I called them.”

He ground his jaw. “Sera, you cannot speak to IA without your attorney. Do you remember last time?”

“Yeah, but Pickens was dirty and… I’m sorry. I had a brain fart and of course you’re right.”

“Thank you,” he sighed.

The guy from DC IA identified himself. He was a bigwig who had given me the award even. I blushed when he praised me for immediately handling the situation so ethically and calling in for review.

Then I told everyone what happened, showing them the dead Alpha and proof. Right as we wrapped up, my phone rang and it was Dr. Sloan.

“You’re on speaker with people who need the update as well.”

“Thanks for letting me know, Alpha,” he replied, understanding it was professional time. “The Alpha Mate will never walk without a limp in either human or animal form. She has too many—I can’t heal her. Maybe with their healers in Greece, but—this is beyond abuse.”

I covered my face and turned away as he told us more. Dain hugged me to him and rubbed my back. The good news was the kids would recover. Physically, but they were all a mess, and he recommended they not go back to Ohio for their mental health. They would never feel safe there, especially not when people in the pack knew it had been going on.

Yeah, I couldn’t have agreed more.

I promised him that I would handle it and do whatever they needed, thanking him before hanging up… And then I walked outside and shifted. I let out a howl in my third form that every supe in Columbus—no, probably all of Ohio heard or felt.

A few more that I felt from my soul, and then I punched the garage too hard and took out the whole side of it. I swore up a storm and then jumped back as it collapsed.

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