Page 126 of Alpha's Revenge Luna
“We need to be careful,” I murmur to her, my gaze scanning the area.“The council is dangerous, more so now that they know we’re onto them.”
Emery nods, worry etched on her face.“I need my brotherback,” she says, her voice steady.The council has always wielded a great deal of power, and now that it was slipping away, I knew they would pull out all the stops to regain control.
As we reach the entrance of the council headquarters, we are met by a group of security guards.Their eyes scan us, and I can feel the tension radiating from them.We know the council has a firm grip on power and are not accustomed to facing such opposition.
“You two came alone?”Elder Sloan asked, his voice dripping with condescension.He is a bitter old wolf who has risen to power through cunning and manipulation.
As we step inside the grand council chamber, the air thick with tension, I try to ignore the gilded portraits of past Elders who adorn the walls.Elder Sloan, a haughty figure in a long, flowing robe, stands before a massive table, flanked by a group of younger council members in dark, uniform tunics.
To our surprise, Elder Sloan doesn’t react in anger.Instead, he calls for everyone to take a seat.“Let’s get down to business,” he says, a hint of unease in his voice.
“Well, Alpha Dion,” Elder Sloan begins, his voice barely concealing his irritation.“I trust you’ve come to your senses and realized the foolishness of your recent actions.”
I hesitate for a moment, weighing my words.The council has always tried to maintain a balance of power, but their corruption stretches far deeper than any of us can imagine.We can’t let them take control again, not if we are to have any hope of rescuing Caleb, but at the same time, if I anger them too much, they may warn Elder Eric and get Caleb killed.That’s if he is even alive.
“I came to share information that might change your mind,” I say, my voice steady despite the fierce battle raging inside me.
Elder Sloan’s expression is unreadable as he sips his coffee.
“Elder Sloan,” I greet him, my tone respectful yet firm.“We need to talk about Elder Eric and his actions.”
Sloan’s gaze flickers, a hint of unease betraying hiscomposed exterior.“Elder Eric has always been a bit...unconventional,” he admits reluctantly.
“That’s an understatement, right, Dad,” Emery interjects, her voice laced with bitterness.Sloan nearly spits his coffee across the room at her words.He gasps, and his guards rush to him, but he holds up a hand.
“Leave us, everyone out,” Sloan demands.
“He’s holding my brother, a child, against his will.”
Sloan shifts uncomfortably, clearly caught off guard by Emery’s directness.As the guards leave, and the doors close, I realize this is still a secret he plans on keeping.
“She told you?”Sloan asks and Emery shrugs, her face unreadable but her emotions through the bond are everywhere.In the span of a few days, she has had her entire world turned upside down as I have.She has learned the depravity of her grandmother, learned the truth of her sister, and lost her parents all over again with the knowledge they weren’t her real ones, only to gain the knowledge her biological father killed her mother and never wanted her.
Sloan sighs.“You weren’t even supposed to exist.Bernice assured me she would take care of the woman.”
“She did, she let my mother birth me and then got rid of her.I’m your dirty little secret, and if you want it to stay that way, you’ll help me find my brother.”
“He’s not your real brother, though?”Sloan says sitting back.This man is like trying to pull emotion from a rock; it’s obvious he thinks nothing of Emery being his child, not one parental instinct for his daughter at all.If this bothers her, she doesn’t show it.I can feel her cold detachment, as if she is numb to everything going on.She’s been like this for days, and I hate feeling her like this.
“He is my brother; he was raised with me.I want him back.”
Sloan rubs a hand down his face in frustration.
“This gets out, my mate will leave me,” he worries and Emery shows the first flicker of rejection through the bond.
“Give me Caleb.I don’t care to ruin your life, you clearly don’t give a damn about mine, but my brother I do care about.”
“I assure you, the council does not condone such actions.”
“But you’ll turn a blind eye as long as it serves your interests,” I accuse, my patience wearing thin.
Sloan sighs, a weary look crossing his face.“What do you want, Dion?”
“We want Elder Eric’s address,” I state bluntly.“And we want your assurance that the council will stay out of our way.”
Sloan hesitates, weighing his options.Finally, he nods, scribbling down an address on a piece of paper and sliding it across the table to us.
“But be warned,” he adds, “Elder Eric is not to be underestimated.”
