“Yes, your procurator has likely already looked into things and has realized the Anderson pack’s case is solid.”
I open my mouth, but Remy squeezes my shoulder. Probably a good idea to let him do the talking. If it were up to me, I’d just rip this guy’s head off and send it back to the Sweet Water pack gift-wrapped as a great big ‘fuck you.’
That likely wouldn’t help matters.
“I don’t know that I’d say the case is solid,” says Remy. “Certainly there are some antiquated statutes that the Sweet Water pack is relying on, but there are still loopholes. The biggest one being that Keir doesn’t want to go with them and will testify that the pack was abusive toward him.”
Eames smirks. “Testimony that will be useless when we present evidence of his mental instability.”
Remy’s fingers tighten on my shoulder, digging in painfully to keep me in place. Still, a low growl starts in my chest. He’s insulting my mate, and my wolf is livid.
“Mental instability?” Remy manages to inject a substantial amount of disbelief into those two words. “What evidence could you possibly have of that?”
Eames removes a stack of papers from the folder in his lap. “Notarized affidavits from the other pack members in his age group detailing the omega’s antisocial behavior and tendency toward emotional outbursts.”
Remy shakes his head. “Those are worthless.”
Eames shrugs. “Maybe. Maybe not.” He takes out another piece of paper. “Butthisis not.” He leans over the desk to hand it to Remy.
My brother skims whatever is written on the paper silently. The longer he reads, the more his brow furrows.
My shoulders tighten as my agitation rises. Finally, I ask, “What is it?”
“What did Keir tell you about the night they tried to kill him?” asks Remy, biting at his lower lip.
“Not much,” I say.
“He was officially welcomed into the pack that night,” says Remy.
“Exactly,” says Eames, a smug look on his face.
An icy dread spreads over my body. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” says Eames, “that by accepting the pack’s welcome following the death of his father, Keir became a ward of the pack until he reached the age of majority. In doing so, he agreed to submit to any discipline the pack found appropriate. Even if the omega could prove his allegations of abuse, it would fall under the category of pack discipline.”
“What do you want,” I ask in a flat voice, ignoring another painful squeeze from Remy.
“Adequate financial compensation for the loss of a pack member,” says Eames.
It’s like they’re holding Keir for ransom though they don’t even have custody of him.
“And what does ‘adequate’ mean in this case?” asks Remy, his voice strained.
“Two hundred thousand dollars,” says Eames, a triumphant gleam in his eyes.
Remy makes a choked noise that I unconsciously mimic. It’s not uncommon for money or assets to change hands with a mating alliance, but those aretrades. If I’d completed the alliance with Meredith, my pack would have paid a sum of money to them, but her pack would have signed over partial interests in some of their pack’s businesses as part of the agreement.
The Sweet Water pack isn’t offeringanythingin exchange.
I don’t have those kind of funds lying around and I’ll never convince the elders to pay what is essentially a ransom for Keir—who William has already declared as useless—from the pack’s funds.
“That’s ridiculous,” says Remy. “By law, financial compensation of the type you’re speaking of must be areasonableamount.”
“It is perfectly reasonable,” says Eames. “Legally speaking, an amount can only be consideredunreasonable if someone hasn’t already made an offer of equal value.” He smirks again. “It seems, Alpha Matisse, you’re not the only Alpha who has an interest in acquiring the wayward omega.”
Fifty
Keir
