“Guess we will.” Alec turned to go talk to Seline and Kirk, but Felix stopped him.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“Have they said what’s going to happen to me?” For once, he seemed genuinely worried. As well he should be. Alec struggled to find any sympathy for him.
But he could answer him. “No. Not that I’m aware of.”
Felix let his head fall back against the bars, eyes closing, and Alec left him to his brooding.
He stayed there for a while longer, checking in with his unit and making sure everyone knew their duty rotas while they were still on guard. By the time Alec left, it was almost lunchtime and he was starving. Back at his flat he made himself a sandwich and settled back on the sofa to eat it, trying to keep his mind blank. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours, he needed a little time away from thinking about it all to process.
As usual, things never went according to plan, and three bites into his lunch he was disturbed by a knock on the door. “This better be good,” he muttered, setting the plate down and getting up to answer it.
Cam’s scent wafted in as he opened the door, and Alec stiffened. A personal visit instead of a text or phone call? He half joked, “Did somebody die?” As soon as he said the words, he pictured Mark, and all amusement left him. “Fuck, they didn’t, did they?”
“Not as far as I know.” He looked pointedly at Alec’s hand on the door frame. “Are you going to let me in?”
“Sorry.” Alec stepped out of the way and followed Cam into the living room.
Noticing his half-eaten lunch, Cam sighed and took a seat on one of the chairs. “You better eat that while I explain.”
“That doesn’t sound promising.” Doing as he was told, Alec sat and picked up his sandwich again, waiting for Cam to talk.
“I just spoke with Curtis.”
Alec quickly swallowed his mouthful. “From the council?”
“Yes. They want to talk to you as soon as possible. And they suggested I might like to sit in on it too.” He sat back in the chair with a groan. “They didn’t say as much, but I can tell something’s happened. I don’t think it’s to do with Felix because everything seemed fine when they left him last night. So that leaves P-pack.”
Appetite gone, Alec set the remains of his sandwich down, the little he’d eaten sitting like lead in his stomach. “It’s got to be Mark.” He was up pacing before he registered moving, pulling his phone out as he went. The first time he tried Mark’s number, it rang four times, then went to voicemail. The second time, it didn’t even ring before he got Mark’s answering message. “He’s not taking my calls.”
“Shit.” Cam stood, picked up Alec’s plate, and took it into the kitchen. “If you’re done eating, let’s go get some answers.”
Alec was right behind him. “If anything happens to him—”
Whirling round, Cam gripped his shoulders. “I know. But it won’t be your fault. You need to remember that. And let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You never know, it might be totally unrelated.”
Yeah, with the way things were going lately, Alec doubted that. They left his flat and Cam led him down the stairs. The alphas had taken over one of the spare flats on the second floor, and that’s where they headed.
Cam knocked on the door and seconds later it was opened by Alpha John Calick—tall, built, with short black hair and blue eyes. Alec had met him briefly when they first arrived.
Calick inclined his head. “Alpha Harley, Alec. Come in, we’re ready for you.”
Alec let Cam go in first. Calick took them through to the living room, where two of the other alphas waited. They sat on the sofa, relaxed back against the cushions. Alec wasn’t sure what set up he’d expected, but it wasn’t that. They gestured to a kitchen chair placed about three feet in front of them. “Take a seat, Alec.” Ahh, that was more like it. Alec bowed his head and did as instructed. “Alpha Harley, you may sit over there.”
Cam took the indicated seat, a far more comfortable-looking one than Alec’s.
Noticeable by his absence was Curtis. Alec listened intently but couldn’t hear anyone else moving around.
The bedroom door opened and Curtis walked out, phone in hand. “Sorry to keep you waiting.” He joined the others on the sofa, still busy typing something while Calick stood off to one side near the door.
Alec frowned. Was he standing guard? He chanced a look at Cam, eyebrows raised, but Cam shrugged his shoulders the barest amount. Fuck, he had no idea either. The alphas, though physically imposing, weren’t giving any outward indication of hostility. On the contrary, the atmosphere was relaxed, apart from Alec’s nerves that seemed to ramp up with each second they waited to find out what the hell was going on.
He couldn’t exactly ask them to get a move on, so he attempted to calm his nerves, clasped his hands in his lap, and waited.
A minute or so later, Curtis set his phone on the small table separating the three of them from Alec. “Mr Knight, what’s your relationship with Primrose Hill pack member, Mark Appleton?”
