Page 5 of Escalating Alpha (Seraphine Thomas #18)

“Your mother killed Igwe,” Helmer told me Monday at lunch.

“What?” I gasped.

“It gets worse,” he warned.

“Oh, I’m sure it does,” I chuckled darkly, slowly sinking to sit. “I need a minute. I’m overloaded.”

I’d been waiting for the call to tell me what was going on. Instead, the ancients with the FBI came racing to my office and told me that I had to step outside so we could talk.

Which went over really well with everyone who heard that. No, of course not, and I was sure someone was going to catch wind of this in DC, but there was no way we should discuss a lot of issues in that building. It wasn’t remotely as safe as the non-human FBI office.

Plus, they were also lax on security since they relied on being supes so much.

I let out a slow breath. “Igwe ordered the hit on me, didn’t he?”

“Yes,” Helmer answered, realizing this was going to be more twenty questions as I processed. Normally, I handled news better than this, but I was overloaded and their worry was practically slapping me all over, so I knew this got bad.

And was going to overload me more.

“Did she make sure the hit will be called off before she killed him?”

“Yes.”

Well, that was good. Okay, good. “She get me any of the other hitters or issues?”

“Yes.”

Even better. “He assumed she wasn’t all of the hype and would never catch special awesome vamp him with his extra large penis or whatever bullshit and she walked right in and busted him, right?”

“Yes.”

I snorted. Of course she did. Alena was awesome like that. I blew out another slow breath. At least the hit would be rescinded. We had sensors and cameras on those rooftops now. We had cameras pointing at them as well so we could check anytime we wanted.

There would also always be an extra ancient on security duty for the building. Constantly doing sweeps including checking those roofs. We’d thought our packhouse was a fortress, and we weren’t wrong, but we should have done better.

We would do better now.

I realized what the ending was that I wouldn’t like, throwing back my head and laughing so hard it hurt. I met Helmer’s worried gaze. “I’m getting all of his ancients, aren’t I?”

He swallowed loudly. “The council wants you to, yes.” He hurried on when I opened my mouth to tell him no. “There’s a plan. I swear to you it’s to save their lives, not take you over. They cannot give all of those ancients to Alena after she killed Igwe—valid or not. Especially after she is taking his wealth.”

“What?” I gasped, my eyes going too wide.

“Slow down,” Sander hissed and squatted down in front of me. He waited a few beats and until I nodded. “Alena is taking everything—all of Igwe’s everything for shifters. She declared it was restitution for all the grief and hardship he has caused them after so many thousands of years of looking down on them.

“And now that one is fighting so hard to save them, he tried to kill off their general and needed progress—it’s now all shifters. She said she will make it public among leaders. It will fund rescue missions. Housing for shifters in Bolivia and Iran—all over. She will invest and do good with the money instead of all of the divide and hate Igwe caused.”

“Wow, go Alena,” I whispered, rubbing my hands over my face. “And they are going to allow that? Because she’s Alena?”

He bounced his head around. “Because they’re worried they’ll have war with Greece and worse if they don’t. You might deal with a lot of shit, Sera, but to a lot of shifters and supes, you’re a fucking superhero fighting for us. Seriously, you are. And he put a hit on you because you embarrassed him?”

“There’s more,” I rasped, guessing where his head was. “It was a hit for Topher too, right?” I broke down sobbing when he nodded. That monster had really planned to kill my son—my young baby because his “children” were all leaving him because he was an asshole.

Sander held me and told me that Nina’s magic probably would have protected Topher and it was over now. That was what mattered.

My wolf wasn’t telling me that he was fibbing, and right then I didn’t care if he was because it was what I needed to hear to keep moving. I took a few minutes to settle and did my best to collect myself.

“And to counter her huge win, they want me to take the burden of the ancients and like I’m leashed,” I surmised, wiping my eyes, not caring about my makeup.

“No, Apollo made it clear they’re genuinely worried—when this happens, most demand the ancients be put down like rabid dogs,” Sander told me. “It’s what happened after you killed Igor. The council had a mess after that and—you don’t need to hear all of this.”

“So how are they framing it?” I wondered.

“That you’re demanding all of us to keep helping prey shifters and everything you’ve built here after one of theirs tried to destroy it all selfishly. Ten-year contract for all of us,” Helmer told me. “ And one of the ‘favorite children’ of the head of the council will come manage it as the temporary and unbonded head of your ancient coven.”

“Also, to be your guard and protect you,” Sander added. “For at least a year or more, but maybe with another child.”

“What am I missing?” I sighed, rubbing my head, a migraine forming. I blinked and Dain was racing towards us. “What does he know?”

“We couldn’t reach him. He was already on the phone, so I assume he knows,” Sander answered.

Dain made my migraine medicine appear along with a cold Coke and wipes so I could handle my makeup. “I will do my best to fix this, my love. This is nothing for you to be so upset about. I promise. Please, you—I break when you are full of this much despair.”

“Topher could have died because of me, Dain. Of course I’m crushed. They put a hit out on him because…” I frowned as pure rage filled his eyes.

He hadn’t known.

“What are you talking about then?” Sander worried.

“Seraphine is being blackmailed for ten million dollars to keep the photographs that were stolen buried,” Dain informed us.

I laughed. I laughed so hard that I cried. Part of it was my period, and I hated when women blamed that for everything or made it an excuse too often… It needed to be a consideration more. Especially for those of us on fucked birth control and our hormones messed with so much.

Though I would have cried about Topher no matter what. It was the hysterical laughing that made me think it was my whacked-out hormones.

“Set up a call with all of our ancients and all of Igwe’s ancients,” I told Helmer. “Plus, this ‘favorite child’ and any of the council members that won’t be assholes, but they’re allowed to listen. That’s it. I’m not asking for their input or advice. I’m giving transparency.” I waited until he nodded. “I want to hear from them that they want this and not to take their chances alone.”

“Igwe took out the hit?” he checked, swallowing loudly and nodding when we confirmed it. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner to help you with this. I was already handling this issue.

“How were you contacted?” I asked, trying to put my brain back together so I could function.

“Email. I’m on almost every website as the contact for complaints or issues so it’s always clear we have attorneys and will not be pushed around,” he told me. “Some are unsavory because they also know I’m your husband.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, not having known that. I took his phone from him and sighed when I saw one of the pictures to prove they had them. It wasn’t a shot I’d sent from my phone or one taken from my phone. It was a better camera and maybe even edited. “Fuck, fuck, fuck all the ducks. ”

“How do you want to handle this?” Sander asked.

“I have no fucking idea,” I admitted. “Galvin was still on the fence and was going to talk to people. Now it’s another crime and big.”

“I also don’t think he can be objective given who will use this as ammunition against you and what he has at stake,” Dain admitted. “I contacted Summer.”

I frowned, but then it hit me. “The media person? From that morning show I went on and talked about us being able to be lie detectors or whatever?”

He nodded. “She reached out to me after that and admitted she was tired of being in the shadow of her husband. That her career had suffered more than she had ever thought given they dated after they’d worked together a while. Also, she had a long career too, but it’s additionally his attitude. He used to keep the line clear and professional, but now that they’re married—”

“I saw it at the taping,” I cut in, sighing. “He was treating her like he might at home. Interrupting her or just saying she was wrong—stuff we can do when heated but alone. You can’t do that to your partner on fucking television. Not in public. I can call you a dumb shit when we disagree, and have, but like… I would never at a function. It really bothered me.”

“Apparently, it’s bothered her and for a while since she’s brought it up and it’s not getting better. Also, couples counseling, but he’s more worried about his image if they were found out than their marriage. So she tried to convince me that she was the right person to give us the real coverage we need more than the YouTube channel. Or other channels.”

“We’ve done stuff like this or Brian’s still doing the new shifter vlog thing, right?”

“He hasn’t done one in a month because most of his issues are about your relationship and he said each time he tries to record it’s more like that,” Dain admitted.

Yeah, I would beat him hard if he talked more about that publicly than he already had.

“What does she want? Really?” I asked.

“The truth,” he sighed. “She wants the truth instead of propaganda. And not to push a supe agenda. She said she wanted like a shifter 101 class. How does a pack work? There are so many misconceptions that even she gets overwhelmed when she does care and pays attention. So everyone else does too because they’re too busy.”

I’d said that a lot.

“And her network is okay with this? They’re not trying to spin this into more and clickbait?”

“She doesn’t want to do it with them. She doesn’t have a non-compete. She took it out at her last contract renewal when the executives told her to work out her issues with her husband instead of the producers doing their jobs. She was going to resign otherwise.”

“She wants to do it with HBO as a documentary since we’ve already worked with them and they’re dying to do more with us,” I surmised. “I’ll think about it, and there are a lot of people to talk about it with. I would also want episode plans and stuff, a real outline, and we’d have to have full approval.”

“More than fair,” Dain agreed. “And I suggested some sort of agreement that HBO donates a certain amount to the supe outreach events.”

I really liked that idea and praised him for it.

“How does this help us now?” Sander asked.

“She’s going to interview me and we’re going to expose what’s going on instead of waiting for the shoe to drop,” I told him. “Through her network?”

Dain nodded. “She said if it’s a breaking exclusive, she could get it. She’s on Melicent’s private plane on her way here already.”

Wow, she really wanted out of her current circumstances then. Poor woman. Sometimes I wondered what women really got out of marriages besides more heartache and being unappreciated?

I searched his gaze. “Okay, well, I guess I trust you to handle this how you feel best.” I let out a slow breath and then stood.

He pulled me off to the side and swallowed loudly. “I can’t stand this anymore even if this is completely the wrong time to tell you.” He let out a slow breath. “You called me your fuck buddy.” He nodded when I flinched. “And that even the sex makes you worry that I’m going to yell at you later because I think I’m your boss.”

I yanked my arm away, basically confirming it.

“That you used to feel like I saw in your soul, but now that’s gone, and you wished we never married if this was how things turned out.”

The lump in my throat was too large and painful, but I did what I had to and said something. “I’m sorry my words hurt you. I don’t remember saying that. I mean, I know you wouldn’t lie about it to just start trouble, but I don’t…”

“I deserve them,” he rasped. “I did lose sight of your soul and the step for us to be in sync.” He touched my face, cupping my cheek even when I flinched. “I never stopped loving you, Sera. I didn’t cope well with it all. I thought I did. I thought I wasn’t a prideful man, but I am, and I regret so much but never you. Never my love for you and this marriage.”

“Thank you for sharing and telling me,” I whispered, unsure of what to say but at least glad he finally fucking told me. “I’ll let them fill you in on what else happened. I have to go.”

“I’ll talk to Galvin and handle all of this as best as I can, my love.”

I nodded but walked away. I hadn’t felt that I was ‘his love’ or his love for me in so long. I’d felt his lust or his chore. I’d felt his annoyance that I didn’t do what he wanted or just his frustration.

I just never felt my Dain anymore. Even the rare times he doted on me, and for that short time it was like we almost had a glimpse of what we’d been.

It turned to smoke, and it hurt worse to remind me of what was gone.

I took the migraine meds and went back to my office, mopping up my face and focusing on what I had to get done immediately since now my day was on its head.

I got a text from Galvin that no one in DC could agree how to handle this and now that we were out of time to just do the best I could and to please help the FBI save face if I could. If possible, even if it wasn’t fair. Just as he was holding back the dam, I was too, and we were needed.

He was right and I would eat shit—always did—but I was also working on some ideas on how to spin things. What to do in other ways.

I texted Councilman Enzo Dubois that I might have some hunting fun for him and games that I would have to turn a blind eye to. That I couldn’t pay out in the way he might want with what was going on in my life, but I hoped it would show where I stood.

I was ready when Summer landed and I had to get to the studio. Luckily, their people quickly redid my makeup and Dain brought a different suit and shirt for being on camera.

“Lovely to see you again, but I really wish it was under different circumstances,” I greeted Summer once we were rolling.

“I bet,” she sighed. “I’m so sorry you’re going through something horrible again.” She nodded when I snorted. “Okay, so the story hasn’t broken yet—thankfully. Tell us in your own words what happened so we have it from the source.”

I did. I told her the truth about the Valentine’s Day madness—my first one as Alpha. How I got into the spirit and even wanting to be cute with my gifts and thank-yous. The shoot for the lingerie was going on and I got into the spirit.

“I’m not ashamed of what I did,” I said firmly. “I honestly wish…”

“What? To do it again?” she asked, studying me.

“Yes, but also I wish every woman could experience what I did that day,” I told her honestly, nodding when she couldn’t hide her surprise. “It was liberating and so—I grew up being stuck in rigid foster homes or being dragged to church. Being told I was demon’s spawn for seeing things as a partial clairvoyant.

“I was a dork in school. More than that, parents wouldn’t let their kids play with me because I was an abused foster kid and it was the worst secret never kept. Then, I was years ahead and… I was a dork. A dork who never got a valentine. Never had a boyfriend. Didn’t have sex until college.” I kept nodding when her jaw dropped open.

“Wow, you’re really getting personal here,” she chuckled nervously.

I shrugged. “Apparently saying nothing is going to keep meaning everyone is going to make lies up for me. Some of this I’ve said before.” I waited until she nodded for me to go on. “I only dated a little after college and not while in the Navy, but that day I felt sexy . I felt empowered and it was my body that could model and—every woman should experience that.

“I get why women pay for those kinds of photo shoots and it’s becoming popular.” I chuckled when she didn’t seem to believe that. “I’ve heard it more and more. I’m never on social media, but I’ve heard it around me. I think it’s great and that day was great. I had friends whistling that I looked hot and my makeup made me a sex kitten.

“I never had that. I never thought I wanted that, but even if I never do that again, I’m really glad I got to experience it.” I let out a shaky breath. “That’s why I’m pissed. I don’t care that people will see the pictures.” I shrugged. “So what? I’m mostly naked. Screw them. I’m pissed that this is being weaponized against me. I’m pissed they are trying to take that day away from me.”

“That is hard,” she agreed. “How—does the FBI know?”

“Oh, of course. I reported it right away when I was warned.”

“How are they taking it?” she worried.

I gave a half shrug, chuckling when she clearly didn’t buy it. “They’re seriously pissed someone is blackmailing one of their division chiefs for ten million dollars. They’re all over trying to find who is doing this and to someone so decorated. I run one of the biggest offices. I have one of the highest case closure rates and amounts.”

“You are their rockstar,” she agreed. “Still, I find it shocking.”

I sighed. “I’m sure someone is going to have an issue or be sexist about it. That’s the world we live in, but—I talked to someone in Internal Affairs in DC to get the temperature over there. He laughed. He said I didn’t send dick pics to a minor like a certain congressman who is still in office.”

Summer coughed to cover her reaction, but I just smirked.

“Nor did I send naked photos and try to use my position to threaten someone’s job if they didn’t get in my bed like a senator… Who is still in office.” I snorted when she let a chuckle slip out. “Yeah, it seems ridiculous compared to that, right? But I’m a woman, so we have to worry about that.”

I pretended to clutch my pearls.

“I sent the men I’m in committed relationships with nakie photos on Valentine’s Day. How scandalous! Will the country recover? I mean this has to be the most important topic ever and nothing else is going on that’s more important.” I snorted. “It’s not even the most important thing that’s happened to me today .”

“You do seem exhausted, and we’ll get back to what you said,” she promised. “But people are going to ask how this happened and if you’re holding the parties responsible.”

I sighed and rubbed under my eyes. “No one was lax or a jerk. It’s unfortunate, but crap happens.” I twirled my fingers to say back up. “I took my shots in between the actual lingerie shoot. I made it clear to the photographer that these weren’t for the catalog or anything—only personal. Also, not for his portfolio and don’t put them on the damn cloud.”

“Which clearly he did,” she sighed.

“No, he didn’t,” I corrected. “And I think I said in passing to delete them after I got copies. Maybe?” I sighed this time. “Honestly, so much has happened since. I was abducted. I almost died—a lot. But that was the real mix-up. My shots weren’t priority and I just sent ones taken with my phone. So I was supposed to get my set later and then they would be deleted.”

“Except you got abducted,” she muttered.

I nodded, crossing my arms over my chest. “Except I got abducted. And of course they’re not deleting them then or… Dropping them off to my lover or husband when I’m missing? Yeah, that’s callous. But I mostly forgot. And they certainly did. My pictures weren’t on the cloud. My pictures were on their system in their studio that’s all locked up.

“It’s backed up to a ridiculously secure server—it’s the same company that some intelligence agencies use for quick drops. It’s secure. And those files are fine. The photographer did a massive fashion campaign and someone broke into their studio and trashed everything trying to get those photos and steal designs. My photos were unfortunate fallout.”

“Oh dear. And they got them?”

“No, luckily, they didn’t, and by random chance they hadn’t been uploaded to the in-office drives yet, only the two laptops from the shoot and the backup server. Which is probably why they focused on me and getting something from the job.” I rolled my eyes. “Like ten million dollars and who cares about blackmailing a division chief of the FBI, right?”

“That’s… How is that not the worst thing that’s happened to you today?” she whispered.

Now it was time to put on a really good performance.

Good thing I had years of acting and undercover work under my belt to pull it off.