Ken shivered, thinking about their vulnerable babies back at home. “Tell me what you need from me.”
“I feel like I’ve already asked too much of you,” Peyton said. “But I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think you were both up to it and the best man for the job.”
“Glad one of us has faith in me,” Ken muttered into his cup. “We don’t have confirmation Ray Dorland is in cahoots with Faegan, right?”
“We have more than enough circumstantial evidence of him being involved,” Peyton said. “Whether it’s in concert with Faegan, no. We don’t. It’s too damned coincidental that Ray Dorland had Jake captured, and someone baited us to Norway knowing about Faegan. Unless or until we prove differently, I’m working on the assumption they are more than coincidentally connected. I won’t issue a blood edict on the guy yet, if that’s your concern.”
Ken’s hands curled around his coffee mug, more for comfort than anything, because this conversation spiked his anxiety through the stratosphere. “Ray Dorland could have used the Faegan ploy, though, right?”
“Possibly,” Trevor said, “but he has few known contacts and even fewer friends in Europe. Whoever targeted the Haugen family, they must have had information fed to them, and Faegan could very well be behind that.”
“What’s our plan?” Ken asked.
“I’ve discussed this with Trevor,” Peyton said. “We’ll order Ray Dorland to Idaho. Well, Badger will do that, as acting Pack Alpha.”
“Order?” Ken asked. “Can you actually do that to another Pack Alpha?”
“We can strongly suggest. No, we have no authority to ‘order’ any Pack Alpha who hasn’t taken a knee to us to do anything. It’ll be billed as a strategy meeting. We’ll have a bunch of other Pack Alphas there—and yes, ones I know damned sure are loyal to the Targhee Pack. We’ll tell Dorland we’ve uncovered a threat to all shifters, we need a meeting of the Pack Alphas from all around the world, now that I’m ‘missing,’ and then it’ll look suspicious if he doesn’t show.”
“And bait him with Dewi?” Ken asked.
“No,” Peyton said. “He knows she’s a Prime. And he’s too chickenshit to do his own dirty work. He’s met her and knows she’s way more powerful than him.”
“You’re pretty damned powerful, too,” Ken noted. “And they used a dart gun on you to neutralize you.”
“He won’t get anywhere near Dewi,” Peyton said. “None of his people will. Not until we figure out what the fuck is going on.”
“But he has to know Badger’s a Prime.”
“Yes, but he’ll assume Badger will stick to protocols as acting Pack Alpha. He has no reason to believe Badger knows any of this information, and there isn’t any past pattern of behavior to suggest Badger would break protocols like that.”
“I still don’t like this idea,” Ken said. “I don’t want Ray Dorland anywhere near the compound. He might try to abduct our baby. Or any of the babies.”
“Don’t worry.” Peyton smiled, showing teeth and looking completely terrifyingly wolfish. “He won’t get the chance. Duncan will lead a team of Primes and meet him at the airport. Ray Dorland isn’t a Prime and doesn’t have any Primes in his inner circle. He’s never met Duncan and has no idea what he looks like.”
“Are we sure Dorland isn’t working with anyone in our pack?”
“We’ll certainly find that out, won’t we?” Peyton’s toothy grin widened. “Because we’ll do the usually unthinkable, and that’s kidnap and interrogate him.”
“We need to move Dewi, Gillian, Asia, Tamsin, and all our kids to Florida before that happens,” Ken said. “I’m putting my foot down. I want them in Florida and the adults well-armed, as well as under heavy guard. You told me when I first met Dewi that anything I want, anything I ask, it’s done. Well, that’s what I want.”
Peyton slowly nodded. “Understood. And agreed. In fact, the entire Idaho compound will be on lockdown. Supposedly, as a security measure ahead of the meeting. But it’ll make it easier to keep everyone under control until we determine if we have more traitors in our midst.”
“But what if he’s innocent?” Ken asked. “We only have Jake’s suspicion. Valid, sure. Heavy circumstantial evidence. Still, it’s not proof, right?”
“Not that I think Ray Dorland is innocent,” Peyton said, “but we’ll Prime him immediately, and any of his people who come with him. They’ll never know the difference if they’re innocent. No harm, no foul.”
“And if you’re right and he is involved?”
“We learn everything he knows,” Jake darkly grumbled. “Then I get to kill him. He’s a cowardly, murdering bastard regardless. He was willing to sell out his own sister. Not to mention, because of him I missed decades with my son. I have a son-in-law I haven’t even met. Maybe I could have been helping Mateo’s aunt, and she wouldn’t have?—”
Peyton reached out and touched his arm. “Don’t let those what-ifs eat you alive,” he said. “It’s not what happened, and nothing can change the past. We have to move forward and protect our future. That’s the only thing that matters now.”
“Have you told Dewi any of this?” Ken asked.
“She knows there will be a plan, but I spoke to Badger, Duncan, and Trent about this without her being there.”
“Because she’s already pissed off at you enough because you scared her?” Ken asked.
