Milo
HALEY PASSED WITHan exasperated groan. “Why are yousoslow? We’re falling behind!” she complained, caring nothing for Milo’s struggle.
“Why areyousuch a bitch?” Usher retaliated, appearing at Milo’s side. “I told Father I saw a figure in the trees. Rest, while he sends guards to check we’re not being followed or spied on.”
Milo raised an eyebrow at Usher’s devious trick, appreciating the skill of the delivery. While Haley stormed off, Usher handed Milo a flask of water he gratefully sipped from. “I’m surprised Father fell for it.”
Usher smirked. “I think he’s hoping it’s a defector, and he’ll get to punish someone.” Milo snorted, sure Usher was right. “Besides, he’d never admit it, but he needed to rest. I just gave him an excuse to do it.” Usher glanced around, before guiding Milo towards a broken tree stump that made a decent seat. “I expect the guards to find nothing, and Father will insist we stop for the night.”
“Thank the Mother.” Milo breathed a sigh of relief. “Do you know where we’re going?” Thatcher had woken half the pack in the middle of the night, insisting they prepare for ‘a permanent move to new territory’. It was the first he’d heard of such a plan, as only the Meskli could grant new land. And Milo knew for a fact the Meskli hadn’t been contacted.
Whatever Thatcher had planned, he was playing a dangerous game.
Usher made rare eye contact. “He’s not telling anyone. The scouts are working off a hand-drawn map with no markers,” he admitted, the distance of his gaze troubling. “But if memory serves, we’re an hour from crossing into Alpha Simeon’s land.”
Shit.
Milo knew what that meant. Days before they left in this mad rush, he’d overheard a spy informing Thatcher that Simeon had left his Alphaship to his younger brother, Keon, who had already been summoned back to Vihaan from Dnara.
He was sure Thatcher suspected Milo of being the one who returned Simeon’s body, after the Alpha died during the raid. Milo also knew the truth would never cross his mind, that it had been Usher who performed such a thoughtful deed. Aware of what he’d want, if he died on foreign soil. It was an act of kindness that reassured Milo he still had a brother worth fighting for.
That wouldn’t be a problem much longer, if they were about to encroach upon another pack’s land. Hopefully his father was wise enough to remainoutsidethe border. Though, why he brought the entire pack was a mystery.
“What do you think he’s planning?”
Usher snorted a wry amusement. “He received a letter from the new Alpha, offering to return whatever Simeon stole. Except, he claims no knowledge ofwhatwas taken, and Father won’t tell anyone, even me, what it is.”
Milo almost cursed. Of course Alpha Keon wouldn’t know what had been taken, because it never fell into Simeon’s possession for more than a minute. They were here because Milo had dared lie to, and steal from, his own father. Because couldn’ttrusthis father.
“What will he do about that?”
A negligent shrug proved Usher was as clueless as Milo. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Mother, they were in a whole heap of trouble and, for once, Milo couldn’t think his way back out. He’d created this mess, and now he had to let it play out or face the wrath of a man just waiting for an excuse to get rid of him.
What other choice did he have but to play dumb, and hope someone could outsmart and outplot Alpha Thatcher?
*
Keon
Five Weeks Later: October
“ALPHA,” WESTON CALLEDfrom the door to his old bedroom.
Keon frowned at the leather waistcoat his Beta held, a reminder of his duties and the ways he would fail his people. He rose from his childhood bed and said goodbye to the place he’d been raised.
He’d reluctantly moved into his parents’ bedroom, twice the size and with the necessary protections to keep an Alpha safe. He’d given Simeon’s room to Weston to maintain the tradition of the Beta living within the Alpha home, and spent two weeks converting Teowulf’s room into a study, eliminating the last remnants of his brother from the house. Changing the shape of his past to suit the future.
Keon never thought he’d see the day he was the last surviving member of his family. Losing his mother in his youth had been devastating, and losing Teowulf soon after had been a shock, but now his father and Simeon had died in such close proximity, it was hard to fathom why. Why—when Keon was not as strong, smart, or as capable as any of the other men in his line—was he the one left alive? Why was he the one bearing the weight of the pack upon his shoulders?
Scrubbing at his face, Keon trudged to the door and slipped into the leather waistcoat. Finally neat, he wove the lace fastenings into place, navigating the family house with long-practised ease—from his bedroom into the corridor, the long hall leading to the front door and onto the front steps.
The glittering sun in the pink sky sat in a mid-afternoon position. The day had hours to go and Keon was exhausted. Being Alpha wasn’t as easy as it looked. Add on the incessant paperwork and part of Keon wanted to escape to Dnara, never to return. The bigger part acknowledged nothing worth doing was easy. Toiling through every day, in the hopes one day he wouldn’t need to remember, wouldn’t need to be convinced to stay.
The twinkle in the eye of one of the guards caught him by surprise. Keon blinked and the man’s lips twitched. A blue eye flickered in a wink, arousing an unwelcome suspicion. The guards lined the six-foot path leading to his house, an honour guard to display status and offer protection.
Keon glanced at Weston, waiting patiently at the end of the path, insisting on this ostentatious show of power. The Beta cocked his head, a curious, silentWhat do you think?travelling the distance. Keon scowled and stormed the path without a word. Damned impertinent Beta, arranging a match.
