Page 34 of Shifted Fate (Broken Luna #1)

Chapter Thirty-Four

I

sat in my father’s chair as Ronnie picked up the phone. “Amy, are you sure? You don’t have to do this.”

“I am and I do. This can’t be allowed to go on. I’ll take the responsibility.”

“Amy!”

“Uncle Ronnie.” I cut my eyes to him and leaned back in the chair.

“She has poisoned the Alpha of this pack. She has tried to brainwash him into making her Luna and betraying his true mate. She has gone against the Moon Goddess and everything we believe in by using magic to take over a pack as an unranked wolf. She has colluded with others to bully, demean, and abuse lower wolves.” I rubbed the pinch that formed between my eyebrows.

“If it was just one, or maybe two, of the things I listed, then it would be easier to let her go. But it isn’t, and this is my father.

She almost had him kill his pup. Even if that wasn’t me, which it is, it would be punishable by death.

This is going to happen, whether or not you are behind me.

I am saving this pack and if the council doesn’t agree, I’m still doing it. ”

“Pup, you can’t mean that.” Ronnie looked a little lost with the receiver in his hand just hanging there.

“I mean every word.” I felt it all crystallize in my mind. “I will do whatever it takes to save my father and this pack. Even if it means going against the council’s ruling.”

“But.”

“No buts.” I took the receiver from his hand and replaced it. “You would do the same, Ronnie.”

“I know, but I’m older.” He tried to persuade me, but my mind was made up.

“That means nothing. And you know it.” I picked up the receiver and nodded toward the phone. “Dial the council. I’ll explain what’s been happening.”

“You will need to speak to the council first.” He made an audible swallow. “They will bring your request to the King, who will make the ruling.”

“I don’t care. Dial.” I looked at him. “Don’t make me Alpha command you. You are my uncle and I love you, but I will save my father. No matter what.”

Ronnie deflated but nodded. I cradled the receiver between my shoulder and ear as he dialled a number. The phone rang twice before there was a deep hello on the other end. “Hi. I’m Amy Maclean. I am calling on behalf of my father, Gavin Maclean.”

“Why are you calling this number?” The dark voice rumbled down the line.

“I need to explain what has happened at my father’s pack and make a request from the council.”

“The council?”

“Yes.” I wanted to cry, but I held it in. “I need permission to…”

“To what? And how old are you?”

“I’m eighteen.”

“Fuck.” His voice stopped short. “What do you need permission for?”

“There is a wolf here, who was caught pouring some sort of poison down the Alpha’s throat, I guess I would call it, and poisoning him against his own pack? I need to interrogate her.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” The voice on the other end barked.

“My father has been acting strange since I came here. Talking about making an unranked wolf his Luna and speaking about her like he was interested in her, sexually.”

“But your mother is still alive…”

“Exactly. Very much so, and my father loves his mate.”

“I know how much he cares for Ainsley.”

“You know my father?”

There was a pause. “The council knows every Alpha.” I nodded, as it made sense.

“Anyway, today I heard the wolf saying that they were bonding. And I kicked into his office to find him completely out of it and Aurora, the wolf, pouring something into his mouth.” I rubbed my forehead.

“As I was attacking her, my father nearly killed me for this she-wolf, something he would never do normally. His wolf had to take control to stop him, and now I have to figure out what she gave him.”

“Was she using magic?”

I froze. How did this man know about magic? “I,... I honestly don't know.” I cut my eyes to Ronnie, who wouldn’t meet my eyes. Something was going on here. “That’s why I need permission to find out.”

“So you, eighteen-year-old Amy Maclean, want permission from the King and council to torture Aurora, a she-wolf in your father’s pack.

And you want this permission to figure out if this random she-wolf has used magic on your father, who has magic of his own, to control him and take over his pack.

And this magic may have caused him to lose control enough to kill his own pup. Is that the gist of it?”

“Yes, pretty much.” My voice felt more exhausted than it should have. “I know it’s a long shot-”

“Permission granted.” His voice cut me off.

“But I need to save my dad. Wait what? Don’t you need to present it to the King?”

“I am the King.”

“What?” My brain froze for a moment. What the fuck did he mean he was the King?

His chuckle was deep, and my body responded, clenching my lower body. “I am the King pup. Go save your father. Once it’s done, tell him I will head there soon.” His voice took a dark turn, and I felt there was an edge to it.

“Okay… I will.”

“Oh, and Amy?”

“Yes?”

“Tell Ronnie he should have called the regular number instead of my cell phone. There are channels that you usually have to go through for this normally. But I’ll let this one slide because it’s an emergency.”

“Will do, your majesty.”

His laugh was loud and instant. “You don’t have to call me that little wolf. But have Ronnie give you my cell number. I like all my Alphas having my number in case things like this happen.”

“I’m not one of the Alpha’s…”

“You might not run a pack, but you are an Alpha.” His voice still held a bit of amusement.

“Okay.” I felt uncertain. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to call you.”

“Rowan. You can call me Rowan.”

“King Rowan, thank you.”

“I don’t make anyone call me King. Just Rowan.”

“Okay, Rowan, thank you.”

“Go save your dad. I have a bone to pick with him when I get there.”

“Rowan.” I started and then froze.

“What is it?”

“I know you don’t like my father.”

“Who said that?” His voice cut me off again. This time, it was deeper.

“He did.” I said slowly.

“Well, I could never say your father was stupid.” There was a sigh from his side.

“Just because I may or may not have personal feelings towards a wolf under my command doesn’t mean I would let it influence how I govern them.

Your father doesn’t deserve to be manipulated, and his pack doesn’t deserve to be taken over by a she-wolf who is unworthy. ”

“Thank you, Rowan.”

“Now, do what you have to do. I will speak on your behalf with the council and I will personally come check in on you guys when I can.”

“I will inform everyone before I leave.”

“Leave?”

“Yes. I live with my mother in Oakenfang’s pack grounds. I was only visiting my father’s pack for the summer.”

“Ah yes, I remember now. Well, I guess then if the Goddess allows, I will meet you when I can. Goodbye Amy.”

“Bye Rowan.” I replaced the receiver on the phone and glared up at Ronnie. “You called the King’s personal line!” I screeched as I stood.

Ronnie had the sense to look away. “I figured it was important enough to call straight to him.”

“Then why-” I stopped mid sentence. “Do you want to know what? I don’t care. I need to interrogate Aurora.”

“What do you plan on doing?”

“Whatever it takes.” I stood.

“Then come with me.” Ronnie looked a little pale, but he headed out of the office and down a few flights of stairs until we ended in the basement. He brought me to a door and then stopped with his hand on the handle. “Are you sure about this? I could get Beck to do this instead.”

“I have to do this.” He wilted in front of me and then opened the door. I hissed at what I saw there. The room was filled with silver knives and different devices that I had never seen before. “Grab what you need.”

I slid into the room and selected a few things. Then I carried them out and waited for Ronnie to close the door behind us. “You have become even more terrifying with the tools you selected.”

“I want to scare her, but I also want to have them in case I need to make her talk…I was serious when I said I would do whatever I needed to make her talk.”

“Amy. I really wish you would let Beck or me do this for you.” He grabbed my arm and I dropped a pair of pliers.

I bent down, grabbed them and stood. “I know. But I won’t make you do something I myself won’t do. And this isn’t for you to do, when there is an Alpha to do it.”

“This isn’t your pack.”

“But it is still my fathers, and it falls to me to handle.”

“But-”

“No more buts. Bring me to the interrogation room so I can set everything up before you and Beck grab her.” I raise my eyebrow. “Before you try to say you don’t have one, every pack has one.”

Ronnie snapped his mouth shut and motioned me to follow. He opened a door, and punched in a code, and stairs opened up and we headed farther down.