Chapter 128

Michael POV

"You can't be serious? How did this happen?" I ask, my wolf barely below the surface. It's all I can do to hold him back, he's so angry right now. Angry and worried. Worried that his mate is no longer safe. I need to get back to Shawna.

"Someone obviously wasn't doing their job properly, or intentionally left a door open," Alpha Gabe states. "We have a search party out now."

"Well he could be anywhere!" I yell, in a rare moment of loss of self control. I hang my head and shake it. "I apologize Alpha," I honestly didn't mean to raise my voice at Alpha Gabe. I respect him immensely.

"I know it's a volatile moment for you but have no fear, he will be found. Cody and Dawson are on the hunt as well and honestly I don't think there are better trackers than they are. Even some of my best trackers that do this all the time cannot beat Cody. We will get him back," he assures me.

"I should go looking too," I say. "He trusts me, perhaps it will lead him out of hiding," I offer. I am his guardian after all and I have yet to be relieved of that post. I'm frankly shocked that it hasn't been mentioned and perhaps because I was locked in my room with my mate, it's the only reason I'm not suspected of helping him escape. As it turns out, Alpha Gabe had gone down to the dungeons to have a word with his prisoner, Alpha James, only to find his cell empty and the door wide open. Once he discovered that, he found a guard dead at the end of the hall, his neck broken. His keys had been removed from his pocket and they still sat in the lock to exit one of the exterior tunnels. That tunnel could be followed to a variety of other exits, but it was obvious where he had exited as the door still stood open, a large log rolled in front of the heavy steel door to keep it from closing. Some how his cell door was left unlocked and then someone had left the final exterior entrance propped open. He definetly had help escaping. The question was, who had helped him?

"No," Alpha Gabe shakes his head. "He likely knows you are compromised and he clearly won't hesitate to kill. We need you to stick around, Shawna needs you."

"So you are okay with your Beta risking his life? With Dawson, your own nieces' mate risking his life too? By the way, Cody has a toddler at home and Ashlynn is pregnant, let's consider that. In spite of that, you are worried about my well being?" I laughed. "Do you own my father some kind of favor or something?" I asked half joking. The look on Alpha Gabe's face told me that it could very well be a possibility. "Come on Alpha, you can be serious?" He shifted uncomfortably.

"Look Michael, I have concerns about many things. If you leave, he may come back for your mate and I won't be held responsible for that girl being hurt any further. Jenna would have my head on a platter, so would Ashlynn for that matter," he adds. "They will find him."

"No," I grit my teeth. "I'm an Alpha and a trained guardian. His guardian. I will bring him back alive, it's my duty to uphold until the council releases me. He knows I am still bound to him, so he won't kill me." I hesitate. I'm not certain he wouldn't kill me, he killed his own son. I'm sure of it. Only a guilty man runs. "I'm going. I will tell my father that any thing that he thought he was owed by you, I have voided. The end." I turn on my heel and walk to the door. As I go to turn the handle, Alpha Gabe calls my name.

"Michael," he pauses as I turn around. "I respect that. Shawna will be safe, I will keep her with Jenna. I had already asked Jenna to stay with her when I came for you." He shrugs. "I figured you'd want to do this your way. I'm glad to see I wasn't wrong about the kind of man you are." I give him a nod and then I'm gone. I barely have time to strip off my clothes before I shift into my wolf and run out the door of the Alpha's home. It's less than a minute and I'm at the exit of the underground tunnel, my wolf on high alert as I begin my search. I know his smell, but even more so, I know his tactics. I'm pretty sure I know exactly where I'm going to find Alpha James. He's lucky I just gave my word that I'd bring him back alive. I curse myself for that. I could be rid of him in minutes, but I made that promise to Alpha Gabe. Either way, he will get the justice due him. One way or another.

Beta Roger POV

When I pull up in front of the Twin Falls Pack House, I'm met by my mate and her father. They both look like they have hardly slept. There are some angry pack members pacing in front of the pack house, obviously awaiting my return. Or maybe Alpha James return, I can't be sure. Six men rush towards me, speaking all at once. You would think I'd be intimidated, being rushed by six large men. I'm not. I've never been easy to rile. I'm huge after all, and typically I intimidate most with just a look. The councilman behind me gasps and takes a step back. I give him a look over my shoulder and his guardian steps between him and the rush of men coming our way.

"What's this we hear that Alpha has been detained?" one of the men asks. "What's that about and where have you been? This place is in chaos."

I hold up my hand and push out my aura just enough so they know I won't be ambushed. "He is being detained, that's true. I can't tell you the reasons just yet, but it's not good. I'm here to sort things out, because if I dont' do it, the council is going to come here and tear this place apart. Is that what you all want?" I ask in a threatening tone.

"No Beta," they all say in unison. I nod.

"It would appear our Alpha has been up to some illegal things and I need to find the answers the councilmans questions," I wave my hand behind me to indicate the man that stands there. The six look over my shoulder at the guardian who stands behind me and the one that stands on the other side of the car we just exited. Together, they create a wall around the councilman to protect him with the car as one side. "Are any of you aware of anything illegal our Alpha may have been involved in?" They look at each other with brows creased, obviously communicating via mindlink. I'm about to step away when one stops me.

"Beta Roger, is this about Alpha Ryerson by chance? His death?" I had not expected that.

"Why?" I say sharply. "Do you know something about that?"

I watch as he swallows and then looks over to his buddies. His eyes return to my face, and he has a look of determination I hadn't seen previously. "Yes, yes I do. And the dead Luna too." What the hell has been going on in this pack that I have been so oblivious too? My stomach sinks as I turn to the councilman behind me.

"Looks like we already have a clue," and with that I lead them all inside to our own meeting chamber.