He shrugged. “Skender didn’t bother to introduce her. She didn’t offer her name. Something is off.”
“Did Skender say anything?”
Decebel’s jaw clenched. “Nothing that would lead me to believe he is innocent. I did point out his mate must not mean a whole lot since he couldn’t be bothered to introduce her.”
Vasile shook his head with a dry chuckle. “Just had to poke him, didn’t you?”
His Beta shrugged his shoulders. “He is lying to us. He is not worthy of my respect. And I don’t believe she is his mate.”
“Why would he be doing this?” Vasile asked. “The Skender I knew would not betray his pack.”
“Who knows why wolves go rogue? It happens. Perhaps he has been unmated too long. If she is not his mate, then maybe this is how his madness manifests itself.”
“Fair enough. Let’s get this over with,” Vasile said as he exited the office.
They walked in silence. By the time they entered the basement, Vasile’s wolf was ready to take a bite out of Skender. Vasile had allowed the conversation they’d had on the phone to replay in his mind as he was walking. It did nothing to help calm him down.
The minute Vasile walked in, Skender dropped to one knee and bared his neck. “Alpha,” he said. His wolf’s guttural growl coated the word. The woman didn’t move from her standing position.
Vasile released some of his power, and she dropped like a bag of rocks. From the corner of his eye, the Alpha saw Decebel tense.
“Skender,” Vasile said in a cool voice. “I wish that I could welcome you home with gladness, but I must say from what you’ve told me so far, you should not be welcome in this pack home at all. I would like to welcome your mate, but Decebel says you haven’t even bothered to introduce her. I want you to look at me and tell me again the whole story from the time you arrived in the U.S. until the moment you called me. Leave anything out and I will know it.” The words were a command, demanding the truth from the wolf. He would not be able to lie to Vasile without asserting a great deal of energy, if at all.
“First, let me apologize for not introducing Stephanie. She has been nervous about coming. Stephanie, this my Alpha, Vasile, and his Beta, Decebel,” Skender said.
“It is an honor to meet you,” Stephanie said, speaking for the first time.
Vasile stared at the woman, her head still bowed under the force of his power. “Too bad this meeting isn’t under more joyous circumstances. Now, do as I asked, Skender.”
Skender began his story, once again telling Vasile of how he ended up in Arizona, meeting his mate who was a longtime member of the Order of the Burning Claw. Decebel growled at the mention of the organization that was responsible for Sally’s abduction. But, otherwise, he simply listened to the story.
When he was finished, Vasile still had no clarity. Most of Skender’s story was true, that was certain. But the truth was interspersed with carefully placed lies, and Vasile could not determine which was which. It was clear the story had been rehearsed many times. That was probably how he was able to get away with the falsehoods in the face of Vasile’s Alpha command.Clever wolf,Vasile thought.Not cleverer than us,his own wolf added.
Skender shifted restlessly behind the bars of the cage, and Vasile knew the silence was making the wolf nervous. The Alpha had learned long ago that sometimes silence was more threatening than any words could be. Surprisingly, Stephanie never stirred. The nervousness that Skender claimed his mate felt was not evident in the least.
After at least five minutes of silence, Vasile began to pace. His wolf felt restless, and the movement helped him think.
“You already know what your verdict will be,”Alina’s voice filled his mind, and Vasile felt his wolf settle. A peace only she could give him.“Why do you wait to give it?”
“You know why,”Vasile said.
“The responsibility of taking a packmate’s life is not an easy burden, but it is one you must bear. It doesn’t matter if the wolf is a betrayer, feral, or injured beyond help. The duty falls on your shoulders. I know that it is never an easy decision, especially if a mate is involved. But dragging out the inevitable will help no one. The faster it is done, the faster healing can begin.”Her words were spoken in a gentle voice and held the wisdom for which he so respected her. She did not speak flippantly. His mate understood the burden he carried, but she also would not sit by and let him bury himself under it.
“I must speak with Costin and Sally. Will you please contact Lilly? I think you and she should be present to give Sally support. I will text Perizada to see if she can send some fae assistance to retrieve the warlock queen.”
“As you say, my love,”Alina answered, while at the same time letting her love flow through their bond.
Vasile brought his attention back to the room and finally stopped pacing. Turning to Decebel, he said, “Please go retrieve Costin and his mate and bring them to my office.”
Decebel gave a single nod and left without a word.
“You know you have left me no choice,” Vasile said as he looked at Skender. “You betrayed your pack and the mate of one of your pack members and knowingly allowed harm to come to a gypsy healer, the gentlest of beings and most worthy of our protection. What I don’t understand, Skender, is why you won’t simply tell me the whole truth. You are going to die. Your life was forfeit the minute you found out what happened to Sally and didn’t call me. So why come back? Why lie now?”
“Why indeed?” said Skender, sounding much too sure of himself. “I’m not lying, that’s why. I’m not a fool, Vasile. I wouldn’t come back here if I’d truly betrayed the pack. That would be insanity. What makes you so sure I’m lying?”
“I can sense it. And I honestly don’t know whether to believe this female is your mate. So, then I have to ask myself, why would you be lying about that?”
“You gave an Alpha command. how could I possibly lie?” Skender challenged. “And why would I lie about having a mate?”
