Chapter 49 - Healing the Broken Alpha

River

I was nearly out of my mind with worry. I had sent out my best trackers to find Lenora. They had followed her scent trail out into the woods, where they came upon a clearing near the small stream where there had been some kind of a fight. There was blood there, from an unknown wolf, and from Asher. But although Lenora’s scent was there, she had not left any blood. And then Lenora’s trail headed northeast, back to the road, where it suddenly disappeared. Probably, the trackers said, because she’d been taken away in a vehicle.

My half-brother was also nowhere to be found, probably because he knew I was going to tear him apart when I found him. I didn’t know exactly what he had done, but whatever it was, it was premeditated. He had sent dad and I to a distant town on a wild goose chase, and he had made sure all the workers were out of the house for most of the day. And now my mate, my wife, my luna, was missing.

Hadn’t my father predicted this? Didn’t he say my enemies would use my attachment to Lenora to bring me down? He just hadn’t anticipated that it would be his other son to do it. He was almost as upset as I was. I had heard him having some kind of heated argument with Gayle about Asher. Maybe he thought Gayle knew where her son was, or maybe he suspected she had some part in his plan.

Maybe if I still had a wolf, I would have been able to hear what they were saying, but as it was, the only thing I knew for sure was that their voices were raised, and after a few minutes, doors slammed and Gayle stomped and screamed her way over to the opposite wing, probably intending to sleep in one of the guest suites on that end.

I could care less about their domestic squabbles. All I wanted was Lenora back, safe and sound. Goddess help me, if she was hurt or harmed in any way, I would make sure that Asher’s final days were a complete, living hell.

It was my father who came running down the stairs, “Security just called, a car from Mooreridge is approaching, they said they saw the luna in the back.”

I ran for the front door, with my father still on my heels. I was waiting on the steps when the black car pulled around, slowed to a stop, and the doors opened. The old man got out of the passenger’s side. Lenora’s brother slid out from behind the driver’s seat. No one opened the back door, but it didn’t matter, Lenora let herself out of the backseat.

She was dressed in rags that didn’t fit her body. Both of her knees were sticking out of a pair of ripped and torn jeans, and the collar of the old t-shirt she wore was so stretched that it was slipping off her shoulder. But, she stood tall and walked straight, and at first glance, I didn’t see any obvious injury. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Her brother, on the other hand, seemed to have a very bruised and swollen neck. I didn’t care enough about the asshat to inquire into the nature of his injuries. I only cared about Lenora.

“Nora…” I breathed out her name as she pushed past her brother and approached me directly. I was impressed with the way she met my eyes directly. I frowned. Now that she was up close I could see a scratch across her forehead, and more on her arms. I took her gently by the elbows, afraid that I might accidentally hurt her more. “You’re injured.”

“We need to talk, Alpha,” She said in a firm voice that brooked no argument. Her gaze then moved to my father. “All of us. Where is Asher?”

“Missing,” my father said curtly.

“He’s not missing,” Lenora said with a curious tip of her head. “He’s probably on the run.”

“Lenora–” I wanted to crush her against my chest and reassure myself that she was back, she was safe, and she was mine. But she brushed off my hands, walked past me and headed toward the library. Everyone else followed her. My father clapped me on the shoulder and then we too turned and entered the packhouse.

I would have preferred that the meeting take place in the Alpha’s office, a place where I felt I could stand with authority, even if I was merely a man. But Lenora went to the less formal library. She took a seat on a leather loveseat, and before I could claim the seat next to her, her grandfather gave me a stern look and took the place. Jenson, for once strangely silent, slouched into a corner of the larger couch. He glowered at his sister, and then at me, his lips pulled downward. My father occupied the other end of the long couch. Sitting between them seemed undignified, so I dragged a chair closer to the group and sat alone.

Alpha Moore started, clearing his throat harshly before he announced, “There has been a severe breach of your internal security, Alpha Blackstone.” I wasn’t entirely sure if he was speaking to me, or speaking to my father, as he seemed to be directing his words to my dad.

“What do you mean?” My father asked, sitting up straighter, as though he were offended by the older Alpha’s choice of words.

Lenora laid her hand on her grandfather’s arm. “What he means,” she said, cutting the old man off. “Is that Asher attacked me while you were away. I’m very sure he intended to r-rape me.” She was trying very hard to act confident and strong, but she stumbled over the terrible word.

“Did he?” I couldn’t help the question that ripped out of my mouth.

“No,” she said, her lips pressing into a hard line for a moment before she continued. “I was able to escape from him. But the truth is, this is not the first time that Asher has made inappropriate advances toward me.”

I could no longer contain my rage, and I shot off the chair. “What? I’ll kill him! What did he do! Why didn’t you tell me?”

She looked at me with her sad, brown eyes. “At first, I didn’t think you would believe me. And then I thought I could handle it. I thought he was just trying to intimidate me. I didn’t believe he would actually… and I thought, once you were recovered–” she swallowed and looked away. “I was wrong.”

I had so many questions. What had prompted my brother to do such a heinous thing? I knew he’d always been something of a womanizer, but I’d never known him to force any female against her will. He didn’t even need to. Plenty of she-wolves were ready to throw themselves at an Alpha’s son, even if he was second in line.

How had my timid little Nora managed to escape from my brother? He wasn’t the best fighter, but he was still an alpha wolf, and he was fast and strong. And how had she managed to go back to her Grandfather’s pack?

And how the hell had I managed to fail my mate so completely?

“I assure you,” my father was speaking. “When we find Asher, he will be dealt with severely. I won’t accept this behavior from any wolf, not even my son.”

“When Asher is found, he will be executed,” I announced coldly. A hush fell over the room.

“River…” My father’s expression was pained.

“What is the penalty for an attack on the Luna, Father?” I demanded harshly.

My father bowed his head. “Death.”

I’d like to say that it gave me no satisfaction to sentence my brother to die, but I’d be lying. I didn’t care if we shared half the same blood. He tried to put his hands on my woman, and he was going to pay with his life. But not before he suffered every pain and humiliation I could think of.

Lenora said nothing. She sat with her hands clasped on her lap, like a small statue. When I met her eyes, she seemed to be trying to tell me something, but I couldn’t interpret her message. “Gentlemen,” I said, walking over to the loveseat. “I think this meeting is over. Alpha Moore, I am deeply sorry for what happened, and I accept full responsibility. I assure you, my brother will be punished, and I will take great care for Lenora’s security in the future.”

Stanley Moore pushed to his feet gracefully, proving that his advanced age had not yet robbed him of his strength and stamina. But once again, when he spoke, he seemed to be addressing my father more than he was me. “See to it that you do,” he said forcefully. “I’ll remind you that Lenora doesn’t bear the alpha’s mark. We can nullify this agreement at any time, and take her back to Mooreridge.”

I stiffened. I had always intended to send her back, when my plans were finished and my attacker was apprehended. I wondered if I should do it sooner, rather than later, for Lenora’s safety. I almost opened my mouth to say so, but then I closed it again. I needed her near me. It was selfish, it was weak, but I couldn’t stand to send her away. Not yet.

At the same time, my father’s jaw tightened. “We had a financial agreement, Stanley.”

Stanley shrugged his shoulders. “You canceled a debt. You can reinstate it. Lenora’s safety is more important than any sum of money.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lenora blink in surprise, like she hadn’t expected her grandfather to stick up for her so adamantly. I couldn’t blame her for being surprised. After all, her family hadn’t hesitated to trade her away in the first place. On the couch, Jenson looked dark sullen, but he said nothing. Perhaps that injury on his neck had damaged his vocal cords.

My father looked like he wanted to say something else, but my grandfather raised a finger, silencing him. That was surprising, I had never seen anyone overpower my father with a mere gesture. “It seems you’ve sired another bad seed,” he said cryptically, before he motioned to the sullen young man on the couch. “Let’s go, Jenson.”

I stood as well, my hands tightening into fists. Another bad seed? That implied that the old man not only thought my younger brother was worthless, but me as well. But how could I argue with him, after all, I was the one standing in the room without a wolf.

While Jenson was getting to his feet, Stanley turned to Lenora. “You can always come home, Lenni, if you don’t feel safe here.”

Lenora rose to her feet and slipped her small hand around my elbow. “Thank you, Grandfather. But my place is here, beside River.” Her fingers felt warm and comforting through the thin fabric of my shirt. I placed my hand over hers, and glanced down at her, feeling a mix of gratitude for her loyalty and guilt.

Tremendous guilt. I didn’t deserve this beautiful woman. If I didn’t get her killed, I was surely going to ruin her life.