Chapter 266 266 The Theory of a Mad Alpha

Chapter 266 266 The Theory of a Mad Alpha
Ethan answered Joseph’s call on the third ring. He was outside the mansion by the van, waiting for Meadow, Keith and Elaine so they could leave for training at their hideout close to the warehouse. The moment he saw Joseph’s name flash on the screen, he answered without delay. His brother was in Ceenas, and nothing about that place felt safe enough for Ethan to ignore a call from him.
“Joseph,” Ethan said into the phone.
The line crackled badly.
Meadow came out of the house and joined him beside the van. Keith helped Ethan into the back, careful as usual, and Meadow climbed in after him. Keith moved to the driver’s seat while Elaine settled in front, ready to leave. Ethan kept the phone pressed to his ear, frowning as the network broke in and out.
“Joseph,” Ethan said again.
The line only gave him static. He hissed under his breath, ended the call, and dialled Joseph back. By then, Keith had already driven out of the mansion and they were on the road. The call rang twice before Joseph picked.
“Ethan,” Joseph said, sounding relieved.
“I can hear you,” Ethan replied.
“I am at Ceenas, and Ashley is fine. I am also with Malcolm and Sebastien,” Joseph said.
Ethan froze. His whole body went still in the back of the van, and Meadow immediately noticed the change. Joseph sensed his brother’s worry through the sudden silence and hurried to speak before Ethan could assume the worst.
“Relax, he is on our side,” Joseph said.
Ethan did not speak. He listened while Joseph told him everything he had learned. Sebastien. River Pack. The fake exile. The nameless Alpha. The rogues. The possible connection to their father’s death. It was so much information at once that Ethan could not form a proper response. He just sat there, stunned, while the road moved beneath the van and his mind tried to fit all the pieces together.
“Anyway, tell all those training at the warehouse to stop going there. I think we have been made,” Joseph said.
Then he explained what Sebastien had told them about the rogues and how the unknown Alpha had been using them as scouts. Ethan cursed under his breath because they were heading close to that same area. He had wanted to show Keith that his legs were working again. He had planned it quietly, carefully, and now the entire plan had to change because the enemy might already know where they trained.
Still, he was glad Joseph called when he did. If they had gone ahead without knowing, they might have walked into something worse than a training session.
“Okay, I will shift base,” Ethan said.
The brothers ended the call.
Meadow looked worried. She had felt the tension in him, and even though she had not tried to listen to the conversation, she now wished she had. Whatever Joseph told him had changed his mood completely, and she knew she would have to wait until Ethan explained it to her.
Ethan looked towards the driver’s seat and directed his words to Keith.
“Tell everyone training in the warehouse to train at the academy henceforth. We have been made,” Ethan said.
Keith did not ask questions. He turned the van around immediately.
“Let’s go to Levi’s family’s guest house. It is isolated,” Ethan added.
Keith nodded and adjusted their route without complaint. They all knew by now that when Ethan spoke like that, it meant the matter was serious.
Joseph hung up and looked at Sebastien, the new unlikely ally he had just made. It still felt strange to think of the man that way. A few hours ago, Joseph had been ready to drag Ashley out of Ceenas and fight Sebastien if he had to. Now he was sitting in a room with him, listening to secrets that could change everything they thought they knew about the enemy.
“So, you plan that we sit around and wait for this bastard,” Joseph said.
Sebastien smiled faintly and nodded.
“Trust me, that is all we can do. You can’t find him. He is elusive and cautious. I do not know anyone that knows him directly. I believe he offered me a chance to meet him as a reward for doing a good job at Whitewood just to motivate me. The man did not want to see me. If truly he is behind the death of our fathers, why would he want me to meet him?” Sebastien said.
Joseph leaned back, hating the sense in that.
“Right now, he has been silent, and I know it is because he is planning something. I might also be on his kill list because he does not strike me as one to share his win with anyone. Why leave me in charge of Ceenas when his ambition is to control and own everything?” Sebastien added.
Adam chuckled, but there was no real humour in it.
“Why would he want to control and own all the packs? What is his benefit? Does he know what it entails? It is a sick logic,” Adam said.
Everyone agreed with him except Ashley. She had been quiet on Sebastien’s lap, thinking through everything they had said. Something about the nameless Alpha’s plan felt familiar to her in a strange, ridiculous way, like an old class discussion nobody had taken seriously at the time.
“In pseudoscience classes, we learned of an Alpha with that power, but people revolted and broke into smaller packs and settlements. His name was Tom Davis. He was above the law, and because everyone was connected to him, he was rumoured to be strong and never fell ill,” Ashley said.
The men looked at her.
“Of course, it is a myth, but there are people that believe this shit,” she added quickly, so they would understand why she brought it up.
No one interrupted. They all knew the Tom Davis myth. It had been a popular joke in school, something students laughed about when discussing old pack superstitions and theories that sounded too dramatic to be real. But Ashley’s expression was serious now, and Joseph realised she was going somewhere with it.
“As you all know, Tom Davis supposedly healed faster than others and was less likely to die. We all know people believe that the pack makes the Alpha, and the Alpha makes the pack. That is why there is a connection or disconnection to the Alpha when a member joins or leaves a pack. There is a belief that the connection feeds the Alpha’s life force, and the more pack members he has, the stronger he becomes,” Ashley said.
Malcolm frowned slightly, but he did not dismiss her.
“Take you and Ethan for example. You are connected to fifty per cent of the population on this continent, and both of you are regarded as the strongest Alphas due to these connections. Especially Ethan, because he is the main Alpha,” Ashley said, looking at Joseph.
Joseph did not like where she was going, but he listened.
“No one puts your physical abilities into consideration when making those assumptions. They simply believe it because of the size of your pack. Malcolm has come a long way and is stronger than he used to be. It is not a fact, but it is a belief,” she continued.
The confusion in their eyes made Ashley sigh and simplify what she meant.
“What would stop a madman from experimenting based on that school of thought? Who wouldn’t want to be the strongest and live longer than normal? He hasn’t attacked any pack after taking over Whitewood. If he is thinking this way, he is bound to show up in Whitewood before any other place he has taken and assume the Alpha position there,” she said.