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Marco

Watching Ash and Devon laugh happily, I sigh at what I must do. Ash won’t like that we have to involve his mate in planning an attack against Oak Fur, but Devon just left that pack recently. He’ll know if we can trust anyone in Oak Fur to help take down Ramos and Marilyn from within.

“Let’s get this over with,” Maya says, taking my hand in hers. The tingles from her touch run up my arm, and I relish them. I thought I had loved Kaylee—thought we could be chosen mates. Had we done that, I would have never had the love I do now with Maya.

“Okay,” I agree, letting Maya lead me toward my friend and his mate. Ash is the first to notice us, his wide smile slowly faltering as he takes in my grim look.

“What is it?” he asks immediately, standing from the ground to be at eye level with me.

“Amelia wants you to join us for a meeting,” I answer, turning my gaze to the wolf that is the cause of all this trouble. “You and Devon.”

“He hasn’t done anything wrong. I’ve made sure of that,” Ash tries to argue, moving to block my sight of his mate.

“It’s not that, Ash,” Maya steps in, her voice calm and steady. She knows that as much as I care about Ash, I despise Devon for what he did—for giving Ramos information that led to the situation we’re in now.

“It’s something we can’t discuss with everyone around,” Maya adds, motioning at the many wolves running around the packhouse going about their business. This seems to calm him down, and he turns to help Devon to his feet, a loving look passing between the two.

I hate him. I hate that Ash didn’t reject Devon when they realized they were mates, hate that Kaylee and Amelia agreed to give him a second chance. Because of Devon, many of the people I care about might die.

Without another word, I turn to head inside the packhouse, Maya rubbing her thumb across the top of my hand to keep me calm while Ash and Devon follow behind us. I lead them to the boardroom, finding Amelia and David still inside. My alpha looks exhausted, like she’s been through a battle of her own—and I guess she has been.

Kaylee’s power had suffocated the room and made looking her in the eye impossible. She no longer felt like a beta wolf when she argued with Amelia about whether or not to take the fight to Oak Fur. I thought for sure those two would shift, and we’d have to pull them apart, but David and Kurt became the voices of reason, and they’d been able to reach an agreement.

“Good, you brought them,” Amelia says with a sigh, straightening in her chair. “Devon, Ash, have a seat.”

Motioning to the chairs beside her, Amelia invites that spy to her side, and I bristle, suppressing a growl. I don’t want him near my alpha.

Ash gives me a hesitant look but quickly obeys Amelia, taking Devon’s hand and leading him to the seat Amelia motioned to. The two sit down, but I move to stand behind Amelia. If Devon tries anything, I’ll kill him immediately, even if it hurts Ash. I won’t lose another alpha because of some power-hungry wolf’s spy.

“Why are we here, Alpha Amelia?” Devon asks, keeping his gaze low. Amelia sighs again before explaining that David and the tech team had managed to hack into Ramos’ internet network, finding evidence of his tyranny and that war is coming to our doorstep in two months.

Ash pales, letting go of Devon’s hand when the two men realize that this is because of the information Ramos received from the bastard here with us.

“How can I help?” Devon is quick to ask, panic in his eyes as he looks between Amelia and me. He knows I hate him, knows I will kill him if he gives me a reason to. He’s right to be afraid.

“We need you to make a list of wolves that might already be against Ramos, wolves that will help us secretly enter the pack to kill him and Marilyn,” David answers, taking Amelia’s hand and smiling reassuringly. “Your job as his spy is why we’re in this mess, so we’re giving you the chance to help us fix it.”

Devon nods at this, asking Ash if he could get him some paper and a pen, but Amelia stops him.

“We need to make it clear to the two of you that if the list Devon gives us is wrong, and these wolves also happen to be spies, we will have to execute Devon,” Amelia states, her stern gaze beating down on the two men. I can feel the weight of her alpha power as she releases some of it to show how serious this situation is.

“I understand, Alpha, but I trust Devon,” Ash reassures her, turning to look at his mate. “I know he’ll do the right thing for our pack.”

With that, he stands from his chair, moving to the side of the room where a small filing cabinet waits. After rummaging through it, he returns to Devon’s side with the requested items, and the latter wastes no time writing a list.

“Marco, have you eaten yet?” David asks, breaking the tense silence.

“Not yet,” I answer, turning my gaze to him. Devon would be stupid—suicidal, even—if he tried to attack anyone right now.

“Good. You and Maya should join us for lunch,” my Luan adds with a smile, standing from his seat and helping Amelia up.

“With all due respect, I’d rather stay here and watch over Devon,” I rebut, getting a scoff from Ash.

“It wasn’t a question, Marco. You and Maya need to leave Devon and Ash to make the list and take a break. I know you two are still reeling from being suppressed by Kaylee’s powers,” he states, his eyes narrowing into slits. I frowned, ready to refuse again, but Maya took my hand and tugged it slightly.

Reluctantly, I follow my alpha and Luan out of the boardroom with Maya at my side, linking a lower warrior to monitor the cameras in the room and alert me if Devon tries anything. Just because I’m not physically there doesn’t mean I don’t have my ways of watching him.