Cliff stalked over to Jerrold, with Grant, Cliff, Truman, and a group of Hidden Hills Police closing in behind him.
All the Elders were gathered by Jerrold now, yelling at each other. “I will fucking. Kill. You.” Cliff’s claws curved out of his fingertips as he fixed a look of hatred on Joel.
“Actually,” Jerrold said. “I’ve been studying pack law very carefully. Now that the full moon has passed, Joel has the right to claim Taylor as his mate, since he was the one who sired her. My men are simply ensuring that Taylor is delivered to a location where he can take possession of her. And Anita attacked my men, so we’re holding her for disciplinary purposes for the time being.”
Before Cliff could lunge at him, Grant and Austin laid restraining hands on his shoulders. “Do it by the book,” Grant muttered.
“Joel is subject to the death penalty,” Cliff spat at Jerrold. “He’s a lone wolf, and he killed Serafina’s parents. His father told Taylor that.”
“Well, neither his father nor Taylor are here right now, are they? So we have no proof of that,” Jerrold said. “Joel says he was attacked and forced to defend himself. And Joel is not a lone wolf, he’s now a member of my pack.” Phineas, Oswald, Sylvester and Minnie nodded, exchanging triumphant glances.
They would do anything to get their way. They wanted to set the clock back three hundred years, back to times when the Alphas ruled by sheer force and savagery.
And Shelley’s gloating smirk revealed just how bitter she was about Cliff’s rejection. She had undoubtedly helped hook Joel up with Jerrold, so the three of them could figure out a way to get rid of Taylor.
“That law is insanely outdated,” Grant argued. “It came from a time hundreds of years ago when there was much less risk of exposure, and when pack population was low. It came from a time when the law allowed human men to rape and beat their wives. Slavery was legal back when that law was passed. People believed the Earth was flat. Not only that, the law is in contradiction with our primary responsibility to keep our existence hidden. Aside from the fact that kidnapping a woman to turn her is a sick, despicable thing to do, it will also invite the attention of the human police and the media.”
“Nevertheless, the law is in the charter.” Oswald smiled nastily at Grant. “You’re the last one to argue against it.”
“I challenge Joel for Taylor, as is my right.” Cliff growled at Joel.
“If he does that, he has violated the charter,” Jerrold said. “He loses the position of Alpha.” He grinned at Cliff. “But you will, won’t you? Because you’re weak. Because you’d sacrifice everything for a woman. I’ll give you one chance. After you kill Joel, take Taylor and drive off the property and never return. If you agree to do that, then when I’m Alpha, I’ll spare Serafina’s life. Otherwise…she’ll die very, very slowly.”
“Wait, what?” Joel’s voice went up a notch, becoming high and shrill. His eyes widened in fear. “You set me up! You bastard!”
“Not so fast. I’m next in line for Alpha,” Grant said. Oswald started to argue, and Grant added, “The charter is very clear on that point. Jerrold and I were just about tied. I know the scoring system. Jerrold was a couple of points ahead, but because he forfeited to me, rather than Austin or Cliff, according to the point scoring system, I’m actually ahead. And if you choose to argue, I’ll call in a vote from the entire pack. You haven’t been making many friends here, Jerrold.”
Jerrold flicked a nervous glance at Oswald.
“He may be right,” Oswald allowed. “I’d have to consult the specific rules again…”
“Your bad luck that it was me you ended up matched against.” Grant’s eyes gleamed with triumph. “It puts me ahead. Never try to out-lawyer me, motherfucker.”
Cliff nodded at his brother. He could only pray that Grant would be ready to handle the enormous responsibility of being pack Alpha.
“Lead the pack well,” he said. “If you want me to leave, I will be gone by tomorrow morning.”
Joel tried to run to Jerrold, but Cliff shifted and pounced so fast that he never made it.
He clamped his jaws around his throat and shook him like a rat, so hard his neck snapped, then dropped his limp corpse to the ground. It was swift, savage and bloodless.
He shifted back and stood over Joel’s body. “Order the return of my mate. Now,” he spat at Oswald. “Or I will go on a killing spree the likes of which this pack has never seen.”
Oswald scowled, but he pulled out his cell phone. Jerrold started to object, but Oswald shook his head. “Now that Joel is dead, we have no legal right to hold Taylor.” He spoke into the phone. “Bring the women back to the field,” he said glumly.
This was followed by a quick consultation with the section of the pack charter that dealt with the Alpha trials. The Elders conferred, and glanced at Jerrold, and their expression said it all
“This is bullshit!” Jerrold wailed. “You want me as Alpha! I have majority vote!”
“We are bound by our laws,” Oscar said, his voice stiff and formal. He avoided Jerrold’s eyes.
“My first act as Alpha, now that the trials are over, is to demand that Jerrold be challenged as to who sabotaged the course,” Grant said.
Jerrold’s face went white, and he turned and tried to flee. Truman and Taurus pounced on him and held him in place while James walked over.
“Tell us who sabotaged the course, and who shot Austin.” James’ lip curled in a feral snarl as he sent his power out in a wave, pouring over Jerrold.
Jerrold turned white, and sweat poured down his face as he thrashed in the grip of the two men holding him. Finally, he broke, with a sob.
