Page 95 of Ascendant Moon
“Good to see you again. Allow me to introduce Colton Ramsey, the True Elder now working with the Duluth council. Colton, this is Felix Muir, Alpha of the Crandon pack.”
Muir gave the young man an assessing look that made Colton uneasy. He got a revealing whiff of the man’s scent and decided to take the bull by the horns, the way Evan taught him.
“It’s nice to meet you, Alpha Muir. Are you uncomfortable because I’m a True Elder or because I’m young?”
Muir’s eyes widened and he let go of a startled chuckle.
“If I say “both,” would you believe me?”
“Yes, Sir. I always know when someone is telling the truth.”
The group had little choice but to laugh, as it wasn’t too often that Alphas were bested by, well,anyone. Oscar intervened to save Muir from further embarrassment by gesturing toward the rest of their group.
“And who else do we have here?”
Muir jumped right back in with introductions.
“These gentlemen are two of our best enforcers, and this is my nephew, Ron Tindall. He’s prepared to challenge Stu Richmond for the Eagle River pack—assuming he’s guilty as charged.”
The young, brawny Alpha reached out to shake Colton’s hand. There was no hesitation in his manner or voice as he spoke.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Colton, and I look forward to seeing your gifts in action. We’re going to need your help to get to the bottom of this mess and see that justice is done. My mate and I have an Omega son at home, and I don’t want him growing up thinking he can be preyed upon by his own people.”
Colton knew he meant every word sincerely, despite his uncle’s obvious discomfort with a young True Elder being assigned to the team.
“Thank you, Alpha Tindall. With Luna’s help, I’ll do everything I can to make things right.”
Tindall gave him a resolute nod, and probed for more information.
“Is the Omega in question in a safe place?”
Colton knewexactlywhat he could, and could not, say.
“The location is a secret, but both the Omega and the person who helped him escape are safe and being cared for.”
Amid growls of agreement, heads nodded all around. As the team’s leader, Oscar then began a final briefing before they hit the road for a short drive to the Eagle River packlands.
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Bruce spread the paper map out on his kitchen table, studying the black “X’s” that marked the places he’d already investigated. He’d checked nearly every known pack between Eagle River and the eastern border of Wisconsin—and found nothing. No trace of either Lincoln or Melva, but no dead bodies either, which meant they were still on the run or found a place to hide.
They’d gone too far east for it to be a feint, but if they had continued that direction, they’d be in Michigan by now. But where? Checking every pack in the Upper Peninsula could take months and the pup was due in less than six weeks.
Damn! If he could get his hands on that Winchell bitch, there would be nothing left of her to identify. This was all her fault, and he should have taken Lenny and Kurt up on their offer to dispose of her saggy old ass when he had the chance. He’d certainly been tempted, but it would have pissed off Alpha Richmond and got him into even more trouble.
As it was, Richmondinsistedthat he personally find Hart and bring him back home or he’d be cast out and disavowed. The little shit had betrayed him, but that washispup the worthless Omega was carrying, and he’d never see the little one if he didn’t find Lincoln in time. He’d been so close to getting what he’d always wanted, and now the whole plan had backfired on him big time. There was no telling what vicious lies Melva might be spreading about what actually happened here, though Lincoln wouldn’t be able to say a word until after the pup was born.
Bruce pulled a Michigan map from the drawer and spread it out on the table. If he started in Ironwood and worked his way through the Ottawa National Forest and points north, he could…
The sound of multiple vehicles pulling in broke Bruce’s concentration. He hadn’t heard anything about expected visitorstoday, so who the hell was that? An insistent pounding on the front door compelled him to get up and see what was going on, and it better be good. He opened it to find the house surrounded by strangers, with a big Beta at the front looking him in the eye.
“Bruce Ballard? I’m Alpha Sheppard’s Second, Oscar York, and I have some questions for you.”
Chapter 48
It took time to gather pack members and bring in all the scouts on patrol. Ballard and Richmond, along with his inner circle, were the first to be collected and held in the Alpha’s office. Though heavily guarded, Colton had induced them into a listless doze while the rank and file members were questioned in the packhouse. Oscar soon discovered that two of the men on Melva’s short list, Lenny and Kurt, were already dead—taken down by the rogue cougar on the day she and Lincoln escaped.
While Colton verified honest answers, various pack members told Oscar what they knew about Lincoln’s sad situation. A consistent story emerged regarding Ballard’s pursuit, rape, and confinement of the Omega—all with Richmond’s full knowledge and cooperation. When Oscar asked why no one had contacted Alpha Sheppard’s office to report the abuse, he discovered that Richmond had purposely withheld the contact information from his own people. Fear of the man and his enforcers kept them in line, with Melva being the notable exception.
