Also running through Peyton’s mind was the thought that he didn’t want to have to deal with someone new.
Someone who might want to back out of the merger agreement.
“It’s not a rash decision,” Trevor said. “I’ve contemplated this even before…everything. Don’t worry—I would make sure if I decided that to have you select my successor. I always thought it would be Rupert, or perhaps even Maisie. They’d talked about one day becoming Pack co-Alphas. They were so close. And although they were my youngest, they were my only Alpha children. None of my other living children has any interest in leading the pack.” He sadly smiled. “Maybe Rupert would have found a nice man to settle down with.”
Peyton tried to mask his surprise. “Rupert was gay?”
“Oh, yes. He tried to hide it from us even though we already suspected. Once Maisie came out, and he realized it didn’t matter to us, he finally admitted it. As horrible as this might sound to anyone else besides you, I’m glad now he didn’t have a mate.”
“Why?”
The older wolf blinked back tears as his voice broke. “Because it’s been devastating to us, feeling helpless to protect or console or support Tamsin in person. That would have been multiplied had we also needed to whisk Rupert’s mate to safety. My wife locks herself away and cries after every call with Tamsin. I’ve suggested to her that we speak with you about moving her to the States. But then she panics, worried that, somehow, someone might follow her and put Tamsin and the baby at risk.”
“Once we get through this trip,” Peyton said, “regardless of how it ends, let’s put our heads together and bring her to the States. We have contacts everywhere in the world. We can send her to several different countries, route her through any number of airports. Once she’s on US soil, we can easily move her by private plane or car to reunite her and Tamsin. It’s doable.”
“She won’t,” Rupert said, meeting Peyton’s gaze. “Don’t you think I already suggested that? Many times? She doesn’t know all the details of this larger situation we’re facing, but she does understand there are more worrisome issues at play than simply hunting Faegan. Until we resolve this—all of this—she adamantly refuses to go anywhere near Tamsin and the baby. I have no doubts that had Tamsin also perished, my wife would have taken her life, either actively or by losing the will to live and letting nature take its course. Our other children are grown and fledged from the nest years ago. Tamsin and Maisie Rue are the only things anchoring her to this world. Should anything ever happen to them, I would certainly lose her as well. I don’t think I could bear that.”
Peyton gripped Trevor’s shoulder. “Nothing will happen to them. Not unless it kills me first.”
Trevor sadly smiled. “Ah, youth and its confidence. That is an oath I will not hold you to because, as we’ve both painfully learned, some fates cannot be avoided no matter how strongly we fight or prepare to ward them off.”
Chapter Twenty
Peyton
The rest of the journey to Bodø proved uneventful. At the hotel, Peyton ate a quick dinner with the others before heading to his room to collapse, now beyond exhausted both physically and mentally. He desperately needed rest ahead of this next phase of their operation.
But first, he needed to talk to Gillian.
Unfortunately, she still wouldn’t respond to his texts or calls, so after several attempts he called Ken.
“Hold on,” Ken said. Peyton heard sounds like he was moving somewhere quieter. “Hey.”
“Is she there? Can you put me on the phone with her?”
Ken’s sigh told Peyton more than any words. “She’s not here. She went over to Asia’s. Her orders to me were, and I quote, ‘If that rat bastard asshole husband of mine calls and tries to get you to hand me your phone, tell him he’ll be castrated upon his return after I yeet your phone into the sun.’” Ken hesitated. “Frankly, I’m not sure Dewi could protect me from her wrath, and you know Dewi terrifies everyone, including me sometimes. But I’ll try passing the phone to Dewi to give to her, if you want. As long as you promise to buy me a new one.”
Peyton flopped back on his bed. “No, don’t do that. I don’t need her pissed off at you and Dewi, too. Is Gillian okay? How’s the baby?”
“She’s really pissed off. Gillian, I mean. The baby’s doing fine.” He hesitated. “Look, I know you’re older than me, and have been married a lot longer than I have, but I honestly feel if you two didn’t have a mate bond that you’d come home to find an empty house and divorce papers on the table.”
“Probably.” Peyton stared up at the ceiling. “And I’d deserve it.”
“I hope this trip is worth it. I mean, if you text her pictures of Faegan’s head, that would probably calm her down and go a long way toward making the suck-up job upon your return a lot easier. But if this is yet another snipe hunt…” Ken didn’t finish.
He didn’t have to.
Peyton sighed. “Yeah, I know.” Which, honestly, was a fear of Peyton’s. That this would turn out to be yet another dead-end, and they’d leave empty-handed. At least the guy from Oslo felt confident about his source’s info—Peyton had used his Prime upon meeting him—so he tried to remain hopeful.
“Any updates?” Ken asked.
“We’re meeting with the contact late tomorrow morning. He works on a fishing boat and couldn’t swap his shift. He won’t be back until then.”
After covering additional points with Ken, Peyton ended the call and lay there, staring up at the ceiling.
Part of him wanted to walk away from being Pack Alpha. Take Gillian and Adair and go be a husband and dad and put all this bullshit behind him. Beg Duncan or Badger to take over.
And he knew he couldn’t. Firstly, because he knew Dewi would step in—and Duncan and Badger would let her—and take over as Pack Alpha.
