As I said the latter, I had used my Luna aura and compelled Phil to do as I said. Watching him raise out of the chair and walk past us was so satisfying, especially when Mara snarled at him, forcing him to jump away. As he got to the door, I stopped him. Once again using my aura on him, "I will assume the role of head of this pack until My Mate can do this himself. As Grand Luna, I have the authority to do so. From this point, this will be my office, and you are not welcome here. The only time you will be in this office is when I have asked to see you, do I make myself clear?" He didn't answer, but I could see that my point had hit home by the scowl that now showed on his face. He glared at Steve before leaving and slammed the door on his way out.
"Well, I think it's safe to say I've pissed him off," I said to myself. I turn around and see Mara pacing, she was growling softly and still in a threatening manner. Steve is frozen in fear as his eyes dart from the former grand luna to the current grand luna. He made the stupid decision to move toward the door. This was stupid for two reasons 1) Mara was stood before the door before he had moved more than one step, and her sharp teeth were on show and 2) I could stop him in his tracks and make it as painful as I wanted.
"Going somewhere", I inquired. He froze again. The only part of him moving were his eyes as he followed me to the seat behind the desk. I sat down slowly, not taking my eyes off him. I could see him start to sweat, this pleases me. I realised I wanted him to suffer. I needed him to feel powerless and scared. Just like Rosemary and me looking at Jonas lying still and unresponsive in that hospital bed. I knew I had the power to obliterate him, but Sapphire had come up with another plan for this man.
"Sit" I say, my tone so cold it could freeze fire. I could see the old Beta's hackles tremble as I say this, but as Mara had started to move forward growling menacingly toward him, he chose to swallow his pride and sit in the chair facing the desk. The minute he sat down, I placed bands of energy around his wrists and ankles. Chaining him to the chair. He tried to struggle, but soon realised that the more he struggled, the more pain he felt. If he didn't struggle, there was no pain.
Finally Steve lifted his eyes to meet mine, and with a sigh of resignation he said, "How can I be of help Luna?" There was laughter behind him, but the way he was bound, he could not turn around and see. While I had secured him to the chair, Mara had gone into the bathroom that led off from the side of the office. And Rosemary had exited, dressed in one of my robes. "Help" Rosemary said, "help, I should think you have helped enough Steven!" Rosemary walked forward until she was standing at the back of the desk chair. I had already linked with her to let her know she would lead this conversation. After all, Jonas was her only son.
"I'm not sure what you mean Rosemary, please. Tell your daughter in law to release me," he barked the last bit out, and instead of being insulted, it just made me smile. Rosemary touched my shoulder gently. Linking with me to ask if she could still lead. I assure her I will follow her. So she slowly walks around the desk and rests against it, stopping right in front of Steve. There is a calmness to her now. There are questions to be asked, and she knows that anger will not suffice if we want to get to the bottom of this heinous crime.
"I will only ask you this once. If your answer is the truth, I will speak with the Grand Luna and try to get you a reduced sentence. Alas, if your answer is a flat out lie, I will not only beg the Grand Luna to kill you. I will also ask permission to do the deed myself. You see, you go after my son and you go after me. Do you understand?" Steve visibly gulps, he knows he's been caught red handed. Rosemary and I could see the wheels turning in his brain as he thought up scenarios to get himself out of this. We could also see the acceptance that the only way he would live is to co-operate with the two powerful she-wolves in front of him.
"Okay, okay. I will tell you what I know. But you must promise me protection against former grand alpha Phil. He's not in his right mind. He hasn't been for a while now". Although Rosemary was back, I could still hear the small warning growl that left her when we heard Steve say Phil was not in his right mind. I gently touched the hand on my shoulder, and the growling stopped. I link with her and ask how she wants to proceed. I'm told I should take point now. I agree and turn my full attention back to the traitor sitting in front of me.
Before I agree to your terms, I have some of my own. I make sure the look I give him is full of the disdain I feel.
"Of course, Luna. I will agree to whatever you want if you can protect me," he says. Once again reminding me of his true agenda. Smiling softly, I nod my head once and ask my first question.
"Am I right in saying you put the aconite into my Mate's drink?" I ask lightly. Steve starts to shake his head straight away and rushes to his own defense. "NO, NO Luna. I did not put the poison in the drink, I merely carried it to the office." He said this with a lightness in his voice that I was incredulous to. So he knew the drinks were poisoned with the aconite.
"Okay, am I right in saying that you not only know the person who poisoned the drink, but also part of his entourage?" I say this in a light tone too. I need to make sure he says Phil is directly linked to the poison before I let the traitor feel the full force of my temper.
Steve takes a deep breath and seems to weigh up in his mind the words he's going to say before he says them. Not fully looking at me or Rosemary, he started to talk.
"My former Grand Alpha is dissatisfied with the way his pack is being led. He feels he can run the pack better than Alpha Jonas. He came to me about 6 months before Jonas found his Mate and asks me to once again be his Beta. At first I laughed, but when I realised he was serious, I asked him why now. Although he didn't have an answer for me, then, when you arrived Luna, he changed. He became obsessed with the idea of running the pack again. FGA Phil secretly gathered his old inner circle, and we would meet 3 times a week. Always in different places, and usually in our wolf form. As you now know Luna, you can communicate via a mink link to those that give you their allegiance. During the meetings, we would discuss ways to regain power over the pack. We knew that the older generations would fall in behind Phil. The problem he had was the younger generations. They are all devoutly loyal to Alpha Jonas and yourself. Phil became troubled when your abilities started to show. The more you mastered them, the more unhinged he became. It was when he decided to allow witchcraft to aid his desire that I realised he may be starting to get out of control".
I stopped Steve from talking for a few moments, as I needed to discuss what we have just heard with Rosemary. Linking with her, I asked if she believed any of this. Her response was to ask if she could ask a few questions.
Rosemary walked around me and the desk and rested on the outer edge, just cm away from Steve who looked terrified. "Tell me Beta Steve" She began with barely any restraint, and it was apparent "how long after my daughter in law arrived?" Did you notice my Mate's descent into obsession?" Steve just stared at her with eyes so wide you could almost see all the white. "FGL Rosemary, I cannot give you an exact date, but the inner circle noticed a more intense obsession after Grand Luna Genevieve informed us who her mother is and why she was sent to us. FGA Phil did not believe it for a second and thought Luna Genevieve was....." Steve stopped abruptly and seems aggrieved to say any more. Everyone in office knew what he was going to say next. "Was what Steven? Mad? Delusional? Insane?" Rosemary said. I could see she was starting to shake, but before I could say anything, rosemary shifted. When Mara arrived, she immediately put her large mouth around Steve's neck. I shouted at the wolf to let him go. Mara whimpered, then growled a low guttural growl and bit into Steve's neck, before releasing him and walking back around the desk to me. Steve was shaking and had started to sob "she nearly killed me! She nearly killed me!" Over and over. I put a stop to it when I raised my hand and told him "Mara did nothing of the sort, she just wanted you to know how nicely your head fits into her mouth. For future reference" Mara growled low again and snapped her teeth at the terrified man.
I stood up and went to stand in front of Steve. Looking down at this broken shell of a werewolf, I was discussed. "You are a member of the Luna Shadow Pack, Alpha Jonas Quint governs it, and Luna Genevieve Quint. You are not a member of Phil Quint's pack. Phil Quint doesn't lead a pack anymore. Phil Quint is NOT in charge of any day to day runnings of this pack. In fact, Phil Quint is a traitor of his pack, but more importantly to his mate and son.
You will have nothing to do with Phil Quint anymore. As your punishment is reduced, as you have helped us find out the truth, I will no longer allow Mara to kill you." Mara linked with me then to protest, I assured her that he would get what's coming to him.
"Pack member Steven Johnstown, for your part in the attempted coup of the Luna Shadow Pack and for your direct involvement in the poisoning of Grand Alpha Jonas Quint, I remove your wolf from you till I deem enough time has passed, at which point it will be Grand Alpha Jonas that decides where you should go next."
He was Pleading with me not to remove his wolf. I just looked at him with cold eyes as I lay my hands over his heart and forehead. I close my eyes as I connect to his wolf and explain what is about to happen. Julius, the wolf not only agrees, but also tells me to never put him back, as he is, as disgusted with his human as Rosemary and myself. When I remove my hands from the traitor, there are a few moments of silence when Steve desperately tried to connect with Julius.