Once everyone finished eating, the plates and dishes were cleared away, and Clairmont walked in carrying a birthday cake and beaming.
Jacob was panicked, thinking he had missed someone’s birthday.
“It’s a cake for you,” Fran told him, taking his hand.
“But it’s not my birthday,” Jacob pointed out.
“No, but only Morty, Joe, and I celebrated your day,” Annfield said.
“So, we wanted to celebrate your day with all of us,” Fran said, as a footman walked in carrying presents that were placed in front of him.
Clairmont put the cake on the table and everyone broke into “Happy Birthday”.
Jacob beamed. “Oh wow, thank you all so much.” He looked at the butler. “Will you thank Laura for me?”
Clairmont nodded. “I will indeed.”
“Thanks.” Jacob looked at the pile of presents. “Thank you,” he said, looking around the table.
“Open your presents, babe.” Fran grinned at him.
“Why don’t I?” Jacob said, standing up. He looked at the labels before opening his presents, thanking everyone.
He had everything from books he knew would help with his training, to a new laptop. The last present he opened was from the Cresswells. It was a stunning glass block with a picture of Jacob and his mother inside.
“Oh wow, thank you so much,” he said, stroking it as he smiled at the Cresswells.
“You’re welcome, Jacob,” Romsey replied.
After all the presents were opened and the cake eaten, talk turned to everything that had been found.
“So Nidal told us everything he knew. It would seem the plan to take over all packs was Darren Hartington’s idea, and Harrington got several wolf Council members involved, and then Bishop, Mortimer, and Mabbitt. Harrington was paying Bishop to help facilitate everything,” Berni told them. “But Mortimer and Mabbitt were the main ones funding things. They created MM Wolf Ltd to hide what was happening.”
“We’ve been through pretty much everything and found a list of wolf packs involved. There are about fifteen packs, all small with twenty or less pack members,” Morty added.
“That would make sense, small pack leaders always want bigger packs,” Cresswell said.
“Excellent work. We can nip this in the bud before anything comes of it,” Berni said. “We can out everyone at the dinner.”
Jacob was listening to the chatter, but his mind was spinning. He saw the dinner, all the Alpha’s, their mates, the Beta’s and their mates, and the dining hall exploding, killing everyone.
He came out of his head and heard Aubrey talking about the lavish dinner, to be held in the large banqueting hall.
“No,” Jacob shouted.
Aubrey stopped talking and everyone looked at Jacob.
“Sorry,” he said quickly and a lot quieter. “They’re somehow going to blow the banqueting hall up while the dinner is happening, everyone will die.”
“An outdoor banquet is then,” Aubrey said, not missing a beat. “I’m not having anyone blow my home up. Is an outdoor banquet better?”
Jacob nodded. “Yes, I don’t see any issues with an outdoor event, just in the hall.”
“Do we need to wait for the dinner before anything is done?” Christine asked. “I mean, you have the names of those involved, money trails, can you not have everyone arrested now? They’re probably running scared at the moment with Bishop now dead and Nidal in custody.”
“That’s if they know he’s in custody,” Frank said. “But Christine’s right, why not arrest them now? We have friends in the Council offices, we can have some Council guards go to these packs and arrest those involved and stop this thing now.”
“The only problem is the rogues that are out there causing problems,” Romsey said.
