Mark’s gaze darted to the door and then back to Newell, who now leant casually against his desk. Wes crossed his arms and stayed where he was—blocking the only means of escape. Swallowing thickly, Mark tried not to panic.
They couldn’t do anything too bad, the council were expecting him. He clung to that thought, and his heart slowed enough for him to think straight.
“Thank you for coming here on such short notice.” Newell smiled at him, looking genuinely pleased to see him. And for a split second, Mark wondered if he’d overreacted. But then Newell slapped his hands down on his desk so hard the wood creaked, and it was all Mark could do to remain where he was. “You smell like you’re a bite away from being bonded.” Mark flinched at how close to the truth that was. “By rights, I should order you not to see him anymore. Alec Knight is beta to an alpha who reported me to the council. They want to see me banished or worse.” He leaned forward, alpha power rolling off him. “I am your alpha. Your loyalty is to me.”
Mark’s wolf bristled at Newell’s words, warring with need to either offer his throat in submission or step back in defiance. Yes, Newell was his alpha, but any respect he had for him was gone, and his wolf knew it. Nothing he wanted to say would help matters, and he couldn’t bring himself to lie, so he remained silent.
Apparently Newell wasn’t all that surprised. “I see your loyalty might be called into question.” Rounding the desk, he propped himself up against the front of it this time, far closer to Mark. “What have you told him about our pack? And I want the truth.”
Mark swallowed past the huge lump in his throat, frantically going over his last conversation with Alec. Newell would know if he lied. “Nothing that he didn’t already know.”Oh.“Apart from the fact I was working in the coffee shop yesterday and today.”
Newell hummed, one finger tapping his chin. “And what did he say to that?”
Mark fidgeted, not liking the conversational tone at all. It seemed so sinister considering the topic. He’d have preferred being shouted at. “He said you were probably keeping me out of the council’s way.” He doubted Alec would care, but telling Newell what they talked about felt like betrayal.
“And he’d be right.” Newell met his gaze, expression impossible for Mark to read. “Anything else?”
“No.”
Newell appeared lost in thought for a moment, and Mark waited, anxious for this meeting to end. “I’m not going to stop you seeing him. The damage has no doubt already been done, and besides, I’ve told the council I hold no grudges against the Regent’s Park Pack or their alpha. What better way to prove that than having one of my pack almost mated with an R-pack beta. You can carry on your relationship if you wish.”
Mark was blindsided into stammering, “Th-thank you.” He hadn’t seen that coming. Glancing behind, he expected to see Wes’s outraged expression, but instead he looked smug.I don’t understand.Something else was going on, but Mark struggled to think what it could be. He desperately needed to talk to Jason.
Wes had been silent the whole time, but now he cleared his throat. “The council is waiting. Shall I escort him down to them?”
“Yes. We wouldn’t want to delay them any longer. Alpha Wallace gets quite… upset about things like that.” He didn’t manage to hide the sneer in his voice, and Mark wondered how she’d pissed him off.
But whatever, he was only too glad to be getting out of there. Even a few hours interrogation by the council was preferable to being alone in a room with Wes and Newell. Almost to the door, Newell’s voice stopped him in his tracks.
“Oh, one more thing.”
Mark turned to face him. “Yes?”
“Wes,” Newell gestured for Wes to speak.
Wes grinned. “Lie about the jacket. As far as you and Will are concerned, you bought them together last week.”
Stunned, Mark stared at him, mouth opening and closing but no words coming out, until, “But—”
“You told Seb they were a gift from our alpha because you were annoyed at R-pack for dragging us over there, and you wanted them to believe you had the superior alpha.”
Mark looked from Newell to Wes, then back again. Speechless.
Newell tilted his head from side to side, sighing when the bones cracked. Mark felt sick. “I, of course, tried to protect you, hiding you from the alpha council so your lies wouldn’t be found out, but there was only so much I could do. My word alone against the rogue shifter’s accusations isn’t enough, and I need to think of the whole pack, not just one member of it. It’s time for you to own up and tell the truth.”
“But….” Mark struggled to find the words. “I can’t lie to the alpha council.” Even Newell wouldn’t dare do that. Or so Mark had thought.
“Yes, you can. And you will.”
Neither Wes nor Newell appeared concerned. Like there was no way he’d refuse.
Icy fingers of dread crept up his spine. He didn’t want to ask, but he had no choice. “Why exactly would I do that?”
Wes smiled, slow and mean. “Because if you don’t, your cousin will meet with a very unfortunate accident.”
“Harry?” Mark snarled. “What the fuck have you done with him?”
Wes quickly seized him from behind before he could move, and Newell roared at him. “You forget your place.” He grabbed Mark’s jaw, fingers digging in painfully hard, but thankfully no claws.
