Page 18 of Escalating Alpha

There would also always be an extra ancient on security duty for the building. Constantly doing sweeps including checking those roofs. We’d thought our packhouse was a fortress, and we weren’t wrong, but we should have done better.

We would do better now.

I realized what the ending was that I wouldn’t like, throwing back my head and laughing so hard it hurt. I met Helmer’s worried gaze. “I’m getting all of his ancients, aren’t I?”

He swallowed loudly. “The council wants you to, yes.” He hurried on when I opened my mouth to tell him no. “There’s a plan. I swear to you it’s to save their lives, not take you over. They cannot give all of those ancients to Alena after she killed Igwe—valid or not. Especially after she is taking his wealth.”

“What?” I gasped, my eyes going too wide.

“Slow down,” Sander hissed and squatted down in front of me. He waited a few beats and until I nodded. “Alena is taking everything—all of Igwe’s everything for shifters. She declared itwas restitution for all the grief and hardship he has caused them after so many thousands of years of looking down on them.

“And now that one is fighting so hard to save them, he tried to kill off their general and needed progress—it’s now all shifters. She said she will make it public among leaders. It will fund rescue missions. Housing for shifters in Bolivia and Iran—all over. She will invest and do good with the money instead of all of the divide and hate Igwe caused.”

“Wow, go Alena,” I whispered, rubbing my hands over my face. “And they are going to allow that? Because she’s Alena?”

He bounced his head around. “Because they’re worried they’ll have war with Greece and worse if they don’t. You might deal with a lot of shit, Sera, but to alotof shifters and supes, you’re a fucking superhero fighting for us. Seriously, you are. And he put a hit on you because you embarrassed him?”

“There’s more,” I rasped, guessing where his head was. “It was a hit for Topher too, right?” I broke down sobbing when he nodded. That monster had really planned to kill my son—my youngbabybecause his “children” were all leaving him because he was an asshole.

Sander held me and told me that Nina’s magic probably would have protected Topher and it was over now. That was what mattered.

My wolf wasn’t telling me that he was fibbing, and right then I didn’t care if he was because it was what I needed to hear to keep moving. I took a few minutes to settle and did my best to collect myself.

“And to counter her huge win, they want me to take the burden of the ancients and like I’m leashed,” I surmised, wiping my eyes, not caring about my makeup.

“No, Apollo made it clear they’re genuinely worried—when this happens, most demand the ancients be put down like rabid dogs,” Sander told me. “It’s what happened after you killed Igor.The council had amessafter that and—you don’t need to hear all of this.”

“So how are they framing it?” I wondered.

“That you’re demanding all of us to keep helping prey shifters and everything you’ve built here after one of theirs tried to destroy it all selfishly. Ten-year contract for all of us,” Helmer told me. “Andone of the ‘favorite children’ of the head of the council will come manage it as the temporary and unbonded head of your ancient coven.”

“Also, to be your guard and protect you,” Sander added. “For at least a year or more, but maybe with another child.”

“What am I missing?” I sighed, rubbing my head, a migraine forming. I blinked and Dain was racing towards us. “What does he know?”

“We couldn’t reach him. He was already on the phone, so I assume he knows,” Sander answered.

Dain made my migraine medicine appear along with a cold Coke and wipes so I could handle my makeup. “I will do my best to fix this, my love. This is nothing for you to be so upset about. I promise. Please, you—I break when you are full of this much despair.”

“Topher could have died because of me, Dain. Of course I’m crushed. They put a hit out on him because…” I frowned as pure rage filled his eyes.

He hadn’t known.

“What are you talking about then?” Sander worried.

“Seraphine is being blackmailed for ten million dollars to keep the photographs that were stolen buried,” Dain informed us.

I laughed. I laughed so hard that I cried. Part of it was my period, and Ihatedwhen women blamed that for everything or made it an excuse too often… It needed to be a considerationmore. Especially for those of us on fucked birth control and our hormones messed with so much.

Though I would have cried about Topher no matter what. It was the hysterical laughing that made me think it was my whacked-out hormones.

“Set up a call with all of our ancients and all of Igwe’s ancients,” I told Helmer. “Plus, this ‘favorite child’ and any of the council members that won’t be assholes, but they’re allowed to listen. That’s it. I’m not asking for their input or advice. I’m giving transparency.” I waited until he nodded. “I want to hear from them that they want this and not to take their chances alone.”

“Igwe took out the hit?” he checked, swallowing loudly and nodding when we confirmed it. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner to help you with this. I was already handling this issue.

“How were you contacted?” I asked, trying to put my brain back together so I could function.

“Email. I’m on almost every website as the contact for complaints or issues so it’s always clear we have attorneys and will not be pushed around,” he told me. “Some are unsavory because they also know I’m your husband.”

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