Page 141 of A Second Chance for the Beta

“She did,” Liam says. “But I put my foot down. It’s bad enough that”—he gazes at the inside of the car where Dario is currently waiting—“Dario is still here.”

Elden looks worried too. He waits for us to place Felix in the car and secure him there before he curses under his breath. “Fuck, two of my kids traumatized for life and one with life-threatening wounds. And it’s my fault.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Flora says into the silence.

“She is right,” Liam says. “If anything, it’s my fault. They were on my pack grounds.”

“It’s rather on me,” I say. “The attackers were against my family.”

“Alright.” Flora puts her hands on her hips, glaring at us. It would be funny because she is tiny and looks adorable if she didn’t look so angry now. “Stop it now, or I will get mad. No one is at fault here besides the one who actually took the kids. And you all know that very well, so stop it now. It’s not like your pity party will help anyone.”

Liam sighs. “She is right.”

“Of course I am!”

“Alright.,” Elden nods. “Let’s go now.” He looks surprised when Liam hands him the keys. “The ambulance is almost here. You won’t miss them; they know the jeep. I’ve sent two warriors with them, too, just in case. You guys go ahead; I still have something to do.”

“What?” Elden asks, surprised.

Liam takes Ella’s necklace out of his pocket. “I have a pack to visit. And I still have a lot of pent-up anger to unleash.”

“I will come with you,” Elden says.

“No, I think today…” Liam looks at him. “I think today you need to be Dad, and I need to be alpha.”

Elden looks at his two sons in the car and sighs. “You are right. Be careful.”

“I want to join you,” I tell Liam. “I have a score to settle.”

“I wanted to take you with me anyway,” Liam reassures me. We both watch Elden take off with the jeep, leaving us behind. Not even ten minutes pass before five cars come rolling in, picking Liam and me up. “The whole cavalry?” I ask while we get into the first car Aryanna is driving.

“Yes,” Liam says, taking his phone from Aryanna. “Did you call the Council?”

“Yes, Alpha,” she says before taking off again. The other cars follow us easily.

Raffy is in it, and I sit down next to him. Shocked to see Silas is there too. “I changed midway,” he tells us.

“You helped us more than necessary by now,” Liam says.

“Maybe,” Silas says. “But you and your father helped me a lot when Marcellus and I built up our pack and coven. It’s thanks to you that we actually have a mother pack to protect us and our cause. We are allies,” he adds. “I thought that’s what allies do.”

“That’s true,” Liam agrees. He turns to me now. “I linked Ari when I informed the infirmary.”

“We were ready anyway,” she says. “We just didn’t expect to head out so soon, but everything else was already set into motion.”

Liam opens Ella’s necklace again, taking out the small piece of paper hidden in it.

“What’s on it, Alpha?” Raffy asks, a hint of anxiety in his voice. He is always a bit nervous when he is with Liam.

“It’s a list,” Liam explains. “A list Ella’s father and mother hid here when they knew they wouldn’t have much time left. And on it is everyone who stood with the late Alpha Marcus. There was no time to go for a real backup check yet, but guess who we could link to the list?”

“Who?” I ask.

Raffy stares at us wide-eyed. “Troi?”

“Exactly.”

“Who is Marcus?” Silas asks.