“Gareth’s with Nathan and Jared. Betas are allowed to sit in with members of their unit. It’s just the likes of us who get to fly solo.”
“Are they with the council now?”
Cam nodded, then glanced at the clock on the wall. “Nathan went in at ten o’clock. Jared will go in straight after.”
Fuck. “D’you think there’ll be any repercussions?”
“No, not for the bite itself. Everything is in order now, and he didn’t fully change in the end. But as for Nathan’s punishment, or lack thereof according to Newell, I don’t know.”
Alec downed the rest of his coffee. He and Nathan had their issues, but Nathan was pack first and foremost. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to him. “And Kelly?”
“In this instance, Curtis said he believed involving the police would have caused more hassle than it was worth. I think that was probably off the record, but he didn’t appear overly concerned. Might have been different if she’d been injured, or worse. But the fact that she’s back home, safe and unharmed, is definitely in our favour.”
Alec let out a bitter laugh. “I thought it’d be easier than this. Newell is so obviously guilty of everything we accused him of, I assumed it would be as simple as introducing them to Felix and letting them hear it for themselves. Never thought all this would be dragged out.”
“For an outsider, which is what the council essentially are. It’s my word and that of a rogue shifter—who was part of a pack that tried to kill us all—against that of another alpha. We have the jacket to back up our story, but the council must look at all the facts before they make a decision that could potentially relieve a pack of its alpha.”
Alec huffed. “And hopefully one of its betas too.”
“If Newell goes down, I’ve no doubt he’ll take Wes with him.”
I fucking hope so.
Alec stayed in the meeting rooms for the rest of the afternoon. He had nowhere to be. His team were busy guarding Felix, and he wanted to be there when Gareth came in after the council finished with Nathan and Jared.
Cam left him to it after a while, and Alec sat there on his own for a good twenty minutes until Nathan walked in. Also on his own.
He headed straight for the coffee machine, poured himself a cupful, then to Alec’s surprise, took the seat opposite him. Neither of them spoke. Nathan sipped his coffee and played with the mug handle, while Alec stared out the window. The silence stretched uncomfortably until Nathan set his mug down with purpose. Alec immediately tensed.
“Ten years and I still miss them as much as ever.”
No.
This wasn’t a discussion Alec needed to have. Not today. They’d avoided it for ten years. Why couldn’t they keep doing it? “Nathan….”
Nathan glanced up, eyes suspiciously damp, and Alec had never felt so uncomfortable. “I know you don’t want to hear this from me, but….” He glanced over at the door and sighed. “Curtis was very interested in mine and Jared’s story. He told me very matter-of-factly that Cam would have been well within his rights to banish me from the pack. Or report me to the police. Which I already knew, but hearing one of the alpha council tell me that, knowing they have the authority to still punish me if they see fit….” He didn’t need to finish that sentence.
Alec had no idea where he was going with all of this. That had to be the only reason he hadn’t got up and walked out already. Stupid curiosity.
Nathan carried on. “Cam seems to think it unlikely, but there’s the slim possibility I could lose my home, my pack,my mate.”
Alec felt the desperation pouring off him. “Jared would follow you anywhere.”
“Prison?”
“I highly doubt the council would turn you over to the human authorities this long after the fact, when everything has been resolved.”Really, where is Nathan going with this?
Nathan sighed. “Probably not, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make.”
“And what is?”
“They started off asking me about my parents.” Alec flinched, but Nathan’s gaze was now firmly fixed on the table. “I haven’t spoken about them to anyone in a long time.” His breath hitched. “Which is an awful thing to admit because they were wonderful people.”
Alec swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat. “They were.” He fought to hold back the memories, but they came flooding in regardless. “Your mother taught me to fight. She was the best in our unit.” The words surprised him; he hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
Nathan glanced up, eyes alight with interest instead of the hate Alec was used to seeing. “Yeah? Not my dad?”
Alec’s smile came unbidden. “Your dad was good, don’t get me wrong, but your mum… she moved like a dancer. Fast and quick but with a precision that took your breath away.” Nathan wasn’t the only one who hadn’t talked about them in years. Something loosened in Alec’s chest, and the urge to say more overtook him. “She was an excellent teacher too. Patient, yet firm, and always encouraging.”
