Chapter 31
Jesse looked at the solemn faces in the small room. He’d thought this call was about the team, but from the hard looks on Blair and Calum’s faces and the anxious look on Kobie and Shaelan’s faces, he wasn’t so sure now.
“He’ll be on the line in a second.” Zain’s voice came over the speaker.
“Thanks, Zain,” Jesse answered when no one else looked like they were going to. “What am I missing?” He looked from Blair to Calum.
Calum put his finger over his mouth and shook his head.
Frowning, Jesse didn’t say anything, but he knew he wasn’t in the loop with something.
“Thank you, Zain. New supplies have just arrived to distribute to your team, can you oversee they’re sorted accordingly?”
Jesse could hear Zain respond in the background and then there was silence for a few seconds.
“Devin are you on?”
“I’m here,” Devin answered in a quiet tone.
Jesse knew he should wait, let the King explain, but his gut was having none of that. “What have I missed?”
“Sorry about the secrecy, Jesse,” the King said in a serious voice, “we’ve had a few realizations while you were off the grid and there was no way to bring you in until we knew more.”
“I understand.” He didn’t really. “What realizations?”
Calum made a low sound of annoyance, “Tomas knows too much. He was here before we were back, he’s been to other safe locations that few know about...”
Jesse’s mouth dropped open, “you’re saying someone is feeding him information?”
Blair nodded.
“That’s what it looks like,” Devin answered.
“Do we know who?” Jesse wanted to swear and kick something but managed to hold it together.
“No. We don’t.” Calum crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the phone sitting on the chair.
“How do we find out?”
“I wanted you on this call to discuss your team, Jesse.”
“The clan coordinators?” Jesse gave the phone a wide-eyed look.
“Yes.” The king answered and then paused. “You know them better than anyone, you have been working with them for five years now.”
“I,” he threw his hands up and looked around at the others, “there’s no way it’s one of them. None at all. We’ve gone into some pretty serious situations putting ourselves at risk...” he trailed off not even knowing how to explain it.
“I understand that. Which is why we’re talking to you about it now. If you can verify that it’s none of them, I will look in other directions.”
Jesse opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. “Just,” he held up and hand, “give me a second to catch up and compose my thoughts.”
“Of course.”
He turned around and looked out the small window, unable to bear the looks of the others, shaking his head, he spun back. “No. No. There’s no way it’s one of them. Zain is committed for life. Tomas took his mother and sister before he could even shift—this has been his sole purpose in his adult life to do anything to bring Tomas down.” He closed his eyes for a second, trying to process his chaotic thoughts into words, “Amari,” he huffed out a breath, “she’s freaking lethal. I’ve seen her cut down Tomas’ people without a second of hesitation. She’s from an Alpha family, she knows the lives that have been lost in this fight.” Calum nodded; he’d worked with her. “And Foster,” Jesse shook his head, “has lost so many in his life because of Aiden Tomas’ father,” he glared at the phone, “he’s running himself into an early grave to help any affected.”
“I don’t know much about Deva, she’s the newest on your team.”
Jesse rubbed his hand across his forehead. “It’s not Deva,” Jesse smirked, “in fact if I were part of Tomas’ crew, I’d be terrified of her ever crossing my path.”
Calum grinned. “I can vouch for Miss Weller, Shep, she is solid.”
“All right, what about the other two, Jesse?”
Jesse opened his mouth and then blew out a breath. “Webb is the biggest advocate of our kind for co-existing with the one-forms, sir, he’d cut off his left paw before he’d ever consider helping the vile acts Tomas has committed—and Asher, he’s solid. I know he’s a bit standoffish on the outside, but he has good reason, he’s the last in his family. The rest of his family were slaughtered by Tomas’ people, sir, he’d never help them.”
“All right then. I will look at your team no further.” Shep cleared his throat. “Devin and I are compiling a list of any that have access to information.”
Jesse cut him off, regardless of his standing, “that’s a huge list, sir. Every Alpha and second family in every clan can access information through contacts at the Alliance offices.”
“Yes, it’s not going to be an easy task.”
“Do we bring Jesse’s team in on this, Dad? They see a lot, communicate with all the clans face to face that we don’t see.”
“That’s a good idea.” His father answered. “Jesse, can I task you with that?”
Jesse shrugged, still shocked and annoyed he’d had to vouch for his team. “Yeah.” He had no idea how he was going to even begin to explain it to them, did he tell them they’d been suspect?
“Good. Okay, I have a meeting to get to, so we’ll leave off here.” There was a pause. “Blair, I know you have a lot going on right now but keep an eye on the guards there.”
Blair nodded, the look on his face was harder than Jesse had ever seen. “I trust Cale, I don’t know the others well enough yet.”
“Let me know if you have any doubts. Any suspected will be removed and placed in a menial position somewhere.”
Jesse’s head was spinning with the information. All their work, the hours of driving, and the months he’d spent on the road were being completely undermined by a traitor. What kind of shifter would do that to their own? Did they have any idea what their kind went through in Tomas’ possession? He’d seen the victims with his own eyes, he knew how much they suffered. “Sir,” he held his hand out toward the phone, “are there any we’ve recovered working in the Alliance offices?”
“There’s a select number that has access, we’re working out a plan to eliminate them from being suspected.”
Jesse nodded, “of course, sorry, I’m still catching up here.”
“It’s understandable. I’m sorry we couldn’t give you any warning, this was the only way.”
Jess nodded. “I understand.” He didn’t completely though.
“We’ll discuss the retrieval team in a few days. I’ve contacted the other two I’m adding, so we’ll arrange a video call to introduce everyone.”
Calum and Jesse looked at each other for a second. There were going to be more on the team they didn’t know.
“I will talk to you all later,” Shepard said and then the background went quiet.
“I’m going to go as well. Rayne needs me to go over some plans with her.”
“Plans?”
“Yeah, she’s working out some ideas for different safe houses.”
“Keep us in the loop,” Calum said quietly. “And send me the info on these others being added to the team.”
“Will do. Stay safe people.” The line clicked silent.
“Sorry.” Calum looked at him. “We were told not to warn you.”
“Fuck.” Jesse put his hands on his hips and glared at him. “This is fucking insane. Not only do I have to watch over my shoulder now, but I have to watch the people around me too?”
“It’s bullshit,” Blair said in agreement. “I trust Cale though.”
Jesse snorted, “yeah, that crazy son of a bitch would kill all of Tomas’ people if given the opportunity.” He looked at Shaelan to see her look shocked. “Sorry,” He waved his hand around, “I’m still a little taken back by all this.”
“It’s fine.” She gave him an understanding look, “I was, ah, quite upset when I found out too.”
Kobie glanced at her and nodded her head quickly, “how do we know going to those addresses now will be a surprise.”
Blair snarled, “we don’t.”
Calum took a deep breath and then exhaled, “Devin and I are working on that. Once numbers have been confirmed the observation teams will be replaced with one of ours we trust.”
Jesse nodded. “Yeah. The fewer involved the better.”
“Doesn’t that make it more dangerous?” Shaelan asked.
Jesse shrugged one shoulder, then looked at her mate, “sometimes one or a few can get more done under the radar than a whole force.”
Calum’s mouth twitched like he wanted to smirk but didn’t. Jesse knew the instances running through his mind were probably the same ones in his. Those times when it was just the two of them and a very few others rushing in with no plan to get their kind out.
Blowing out a breath, Jesse motioned to the phone, “well, this was fun.” He turned to the door. “I need some air.”
He got to the middle of the yard and then stopped and stood there looking at the earth in front of him. How the hell was he explaining all of this to the team? They were close—shared the mutual endless hours driving from one end of the continent to the other. He shook his head and pulled his phone out, there was no way he was telling them that they’d been suspected. None. He frowned for a second, wondering if at any point he’d been on that suspect list. Shaking his head, he brought up the group they had on an app. Calum would have shut that shit down fast if anyone had questioned Jesse’s loyalty. They’d worked together too much for him to have doubts. Hell, he’d trekked up into that nightmare where Shaelan’s clan was only because it was Calum needing assistance.
Typing with jerky movements, he tried to word it so they’d respond as soon as they could. Need to have a quick informative group call. Soon. Let me know when is good for everyone.
He didn’t even exit the app before the first response appeared.
Anytime works for me. I’m on-site organizing a move. Webb had written.
Organizing a move meant he’d found some of a clan. How many?
20! Able bodied and all. Makes up for the ones that were gone.
Jesse nodded as he answered. I get that.
The dots telling him someone else was typing appeared.
Give me a couple of hours and I’ll be stopped for the night. I need downtime BAD I’m seeing things on the road that aren’t there. Asher added to the chat.
Stop sooner if you need to Ash, we don’t need a splattered kitty on the road. Foster of course would say something like that. Jesse smirked. I’m stopping for some eats in about an hour, so I can talk then unless you all want to call and keep me company.
Pass. Anytime is good for me, I’m meeting up with someone from one of the BC clans so they can help me check locations. Deva added a yawning emoji to that.
What is this informative group call about?? Zain typed. BTW I’m unpacking new goodies for all of you poor saps on the road. Some interesting things in this one boys and girls. What have you all been up to that we need some of this? Aside from Jesse getting shot, I wasn’t aware of anything serious happening.
Jesse cringed, of course, Zain knew. Calum probably told Devin, who told his father…
You got shot, Jesse? Amari put in the group.
I’m fine. Wasn’t serious. Some damn hunters I didn’t pick up on until they were shooting.
Did you go back and eat them? Foster asked.
No. I had a, he paused for a second, not knowing what to say to describe Leah. He shrugged and kept typing, real leopard with me and her owner to transport.
What, a real real leopard?
No, a fake real one, Webb, that’s why he wrote ‘real’. Jesse cringed at the comment from Deva.
So two hours from now work for everyone? He typed quickly before those two started tearing each other apart in the chat—again. He watched as six thumbs up appeared beside his text. I’ll talk to you all then, and Ash, stop now before you wreck the van.
Yes mother lol Asher responded.
Blowing out a breath, Jesse exited the app and put his phone in his pocket. Two hours. He had time to figure out how to explain to them that someone out there was undermining all the hours and sacrifices they’d made. Looking around, he wondered if Leah was still in the trailer writing in the journal. Starting that way, he decided they should both go for a run. He really needed more time with Minn, so he could pick up on her moods more easily. Then again, he still hadn’t figured out half of Leah and Evanna’s cues either, or triggers.
Rolling his shoulders, he tried to drop some of the tension from them. Complicated mating didn’t even cover what was happening. And now a traitor. “Another fun-filled day in the life of me.” He mumbled as he went to look for his mate.