And I watch with wide eyes as swarms of reporters all stand on the front lawn of the Anders family home. A female reporter standing with her microphone takes up the screen.
“Good evening, ladies and gentleman, well, sensational doesn’t seem descriptive enough for what is happening behind me. After weeks of speculation, confirmation came through earlier today that Senator Anders has been arrested and will be formally charged with a long and exhaustive string of charges. These charges are extreme and some date back years… we’re getting word that it appears to include blackmail, extortion along with intimidation, and abuse of power of office. And it seems there’s so much more to this story than we first realised, with charges also being levied at Pack Commission Mitchelton, along with several high-ranking officers within local and federal law enforcement agencies. All in all, these are sensational claims against Anders, a man who was very vocal about stamping out corruption. If that is not enough for the Senator, there is a warrant out for the arrest of his wife Sharlene Anders.”
The image on the screen changes to one of Senator Anders at a press conference.
The reporter's voice continues, “Some of you will remember, Senator Anders recently was on television asking for assistance from the public after reporting her missing. Sources close to his office suggest her disappearance may be linked to the recent death of their eldest son, Reid Anders, who police have now confirmed was responsible for the abduction of an omega. There are no charges pending relating to the death of their oldest son. Our sources went on to suggest this sordid tale of greed and corruption stemmed from events years ago.”
The camera moves from the reporter onto the house I spent time in growing up. The only person to ever make me feel welcome there was the man squeezing the shit out of my hand.
“The IRS has also started an investigation into the Anders Empire with claims of tax evasion and violation, along with misappropriation of funds and insurance fraud. Their family home has been a hive of activity today as numerous state agencies worked in a joint task force. Those agents have spent the last ten hours seizing property. The last truck left not that long ago. The home has been locked up, the staff have been let off, with some of them being taken in for questioning for their involvement in the crimes associated with this family…”
The journalist keeps talking, hardly taking a breath as she goes on and on.
Puck dips low. “Get ready, Raney, we’re going to blow their kingdom high. Well, technically Sharlene and Andrea are. Although their involvement wasn’t exactly up for discussion and they apparently didn’t like the little C4 vests they got to wear, but that’s just schematics. Nobody fucks with our girl and gets away with it.”
He barely finishes talking, and an explosion fills the screen. The reporter who was so poised and professional a second ago screams in terror. Her eyes go wide and white for a moment before this look of absolute excitement fills her face as she realises she’s now in the middle of an emergency. Media people are weird.
“Ladies and gentleman, that was not at all scripted. And it really does seem that the Anders Family are getting their just desserts this evening.”
Her hand touches over her ear, and she looks off camera, holding her hand up, nodding profusely as she obviously gets an earful of instruction from the producers.
I’m locked up tight in shock while all around me, the patio erupts into cheering and applause.
The reporter starts talking again, but whatever she’s saying is drowned out by what is happening on our side of the world.
Koz’s deep chuckle has me twisting around to look at him.
“Let me guess, a new supplier?”
He doesn’t say a word, but the press of his hard dick into my ass is answer enough.
Epilogue
RANEY
Thirteen months later
Hayes’s anxiety is making his scent cool. And like always, whenever one of my alphas is upset or a little blue, it hits me in the chest.
“Hey,” I squeeze his hand to get his attention, “are you okay?”
His brown eyes flare, and I see the moment he starts pulling back his nerves. He slides his fingers from mine before tucking me under his arm and snuggling me close. Despite us walking, he drops a lingering kiss to the top of my head and scents me up, letting me know he’s out of his thoughts and back with me again.
“I’m starting to think we should let this go,” Hayes says softly. Almost reluctantly, as we cross over the road.
“We or me?” I ask.
“Well, you’re mine, and I’m yours, so it’s a we. It doesn’t matter does it?” Hayes slows down, his hand dropping to my back as I step up onto the pavement. Seriously, he and Koz both are master hoverers whenever we go out, and I love it.
“I just want the door shut on all the past. Nothing to come and haunt us,” I admit.
And it’s true. It feels like this is the last ghost we need to exorcise for us to move forward without anything possibly haunting us again. The final piece is not stopping our happiness; it’s not holding us back from being one loved up pack. It really is a case of me wanting to make sure Hayes never gets duped again.
He drops another kiss to my head. “We’ve sat and watched the tape a few times over, Raney. The production expert confirms what we know, the video of me hurting that woman was a fake. The entire thing was staged. What I thought I witnessed was me under the influence of an alpha drug. I was rutting against an adult sized doll. At the moment I started to come around, the woman walked in covered in blood and did a mighty fine job of acting the victim.”
I snarl like a she-wolf as a rage of simmering anger explodes out of me. Not unexpectedly either. Whenever I think about the humiliation and hurt they put Hayes through, I seriously want to find a way to reanimate the corpse of Reid and his bitch of a mother and kill them all over again. Repeatedly.
“Relax, omega, look at the life I’m living now,” he says, blowing his breath over my face when I don’t stop growling and seething. Hayes squeezes me tighter. “Don’t wake the monster.”
