Chapter 527 Chapter 527
“My crime?”
The way she ground out the word set Tripp on alert. He may not have known her long, but in the short time together he had come to understand any abrupt change in her tones usually led to blood—or death.
“I saved Chantal from,” she growled low, “you don’t even want to know what captives go through at the hands of Aiden Tomas, Father.”
Vesper’s look hardened further, “I’m aware of some of the details in some instances.”
“Some instances? If you could see the women and children,” she hissed out a breath, “even the state of the men we pull out of his vile houses, you would throw up and then cry like a little baby,” Tripp reached over and touched her arm, trying to calm her. His cat was going crazy from the hostile emotion coming off her. She glanced at him, and the rage cleared briefly as she recognized him. Huffing out a breath, she shook off his hand but made no move to eviscerate the man in front of her. “The men that are forced to serve the Tomas family have collars around their necks, Father—they aren’t allowed to shift.”
Tripp could feel the animosity rolling off her and for a brief second thought of stepping in and stopping it. Amari was owed this reckoning and unless it got out of hand, he was going to let her have it.
She took a step forward, closing the distance to her sire. “They’re covered in scars, neck raw—” she sucked in a breath and stared up at the man, looking for a reaction. There was no visible sign that her father cared one way or the other. Amari growled low, “if I hadn’t done what I did, do you know what would have happened to her,” she pointed to her sister, “father?”
Tripp caught her brother putting his hand on his mother’s arm to stop her from interfering.
“They take them before they can shift so they can breed them with males of the same clan. So they can barter and trade them all over the globe as little trophies for the sick one-forms private collections and elite club attractions.”
Tripp heard someone gasp but couldn’t look away in case Amari jumped on her father, who still looked completely unmoved.
“Which is exactly why your days of running around like a vigilante are over.” The Alpha stated in a tone that set Tripp’s cat off even further.
“What?” Amari waved her hand toward him, “you have no say in what I do.”
“I am your father and Alpha.” The words were clipped and loud.
“You. Are. Nothing. Nothing to me. I waited months for you to realize you had condemned your own daughter to near starvation and hypothermia—
Tripp glanced at her; she’d left out that part of her trials.
Amari sucked in a breath, and then her spine stiffened. “You are nothing to me now.” Her voice was steadier, the volume still just as loud as the one the Alpha had used. “I am no longer of this clan.” She enunciated each word so there would be no confusion about what she said.
“Amari?” Her mother gave her a concerned look.
Vesper Hughes’ eyes hardened further, Tripp was amazed they didn’t shatter and fall from his face, they were that cold. “I know you didn’t pay attention to clan law, but you do not get to…
“I am now a part of the Martin clan,” she looked at Tripp and he knew exactly what she was going to say. He began chanting inside his head, ‘don’t, don’t do it’, “just like my mate.”
She did it. Oh shit. The hostility in the air was now peaking at DEFCON 2 and Tripp braced for trouble as her father’s gaze locked on the bite mark on his daughter’s neck. When those icy eyes moved to look at him, they changed to pure hot animosity.
“You marked my daughter, but I don’t see any such indicator on you that says it was with consent.” He spat each word at him like it tasted bad in his mouth. “Bauer, we’re going to need the authorities here. Now.”
Amari moved fast, her hand reaching behind her, and Tripp knew a blade was about to be brought into this little scene. He grabbed the hand behind her back in a firm grip and used his other arm to pull her back against his chest. “That won’t be necessary, darlin.” He whispered. She was tense in his arms but relinquished the hold on the hidden handle in her belt. “I assure you,” he glanced from Bauer to his father, “it was quite consensual. Saving all our kind has gotten in the way of ceremony lately.” It was complete bullshit, and he knew it, but in his head, he wanted to believe under different circumstances things would have ended in a happily-ever-after moment—because that shit happened never in his life.
Amari’s breathing slowed; her cat was closer. He could feel her muscles harden against him like a cat would when it was preparing to spring at prey. Tripp had to cool this down or he was going to be dealing with an angry cat and not just the woman his arm was wrapped around. His cat was also just under the surface and felt like a supervisor looking over his shoulder waiting to see if he fucked this up.
The Alpha glared at him.
His son looked from his father to Tripp, then to Amari. “Dad...”
Whatever he was going to say was drowned out by the loud echo of a helicopter dropping down out of the sky and buzzing over them.
Thank fuck, was the only thing Tripp could think at this point. He didn’t know who Kenzo had rallied, but he hoped they were big and mean because they were going to need to be to diffuse this garbage situation.
He felt Amari relax in his hold and released her to allow space between them so they could turn to watch the helicopter set down in the middle of the ornate park in the center of the clan village. Ballsy, in a good way, they knew how to make an entrance.
As soon as the high-pitched whirl slowed, he recognized Konner Flores in the pilot seat as he turned and spoke to the passengers. That was the kind of backup he needed; a fellow warrior that also happened to be good with diplomatic dealings. Tripp didn’t have the patience for diplomacy, he’d rather just shoot everyone present that annoyed him and go climb back in his ride and leave. All of his team knew that on any op, it was better if he left the talking to one of them, too often words fueled his rage.
No one moved as Konner hopped out and ducked down to run around to the other side of the chopper. He opened the door and a big red-headed man got out. In his hand was a shotgun. Tripp knew he wasn’t Alliance security, not unless their uniform policy had changed to jeans, scruffy work boots, and a t-shirt. He didn’t know who he was, but his whole aura screamed, ‘don’t fuck with me’ and Tripp was just fine with that sort of attitude.
Konner held his hand out and a blonde woman climbed down. A petite redheaded woman followed her.
“Rayne,” Amari whispered.
Hot damn. Kenzo had done better than an Alliance rep, he’d sent the princess to save his ass. He leaned closer to her, “who’s that with her?”
“Other than Konner, I have no idea.” She glanced up at him, “but the big guy screams huge cat just looking at him.”
Tripp shrugged, “huge cat with a shotgun works for me.” He turned back and watched as Konner and the women approached them. The armed man stopped and stayed halfway between the chopper and where they stood. He scanned the area once and then watched the tiny woman accompanying the princess as she approached them. The look in his eyes screamed ‘that’s my mate’ and Tripp understood the situation could get volatile without warning now. He met the man’s eyes over their heads and when he inclined his to him, Tripp almost heaved a sigh of relief knowing the big guy had his back in this.
Instinct had him move closer to Amari, too many unknown variables were in play now. When she held her hands to her side and started to lower her head to the princess, he jolted, having forgotten protocol completely.
The lovely woman, now a few feet from them gave her head a slight shake and held Amari’s look. She didn’t want them to acknowledge her status. That surprised him, but didn’t, not after he’d heard her mate on the calls, and realized neither thought they belonged on a pedestal.