Page 12

Billie

THE OPENING OF the door to the interview room where Brian and Coco Callahan have been kept waiting should be used as an advertisement for the soundproofing company that constructed the room. His roaring outrage is so loud and forceful, it’s like having a fire hydrant of sound blast me in the face, and I actually stumble backward. Thankfully, Xander’s right behind me, his hand on my nape, and the slam of my body hitting his is that of a fly hitting a stone wall.

Officer White rat-tat-tats his large knuckles on the open door like he did before we entered, and Brian finally stops ranting. He whips his head around to us, the whites of his eyes bulging in an almost comical way against the beet-red flush of his face—almost comical because the hot rage steaming off his clean-shaven skull has sweat beading on my forehead. The room is actually hot with his rage, and my fingers are mindlessly working on releasing the top button of my flannel, feeling stifled by it.

“Brian, Coco,” Officer White says, erecting his spine and rolling his wide shoulders back, exuding his authority with cool cop eyes as he steps aside for us to fully enter. “Alpha Knight and Duchessa Mahoney-Volpella are here to listen to your concerns.” He then gestures to the two chairs in front of the desk, one of which has been knocked over, the other held down by a very pissed-off Coco, whose leg is rocking back and forth over the other with such vigor, it makes me wonder if she’s trying to start a fire in her cooch. “Why don’t you both take a seat and...” Officer White turns to Xander with raised brows.

“And Franklin will wait outside the door so we can hear your... grievances .” Xander fills in for him, looking over at Brian and Coco with a neutral expression.

Brian’s gray eyes taper in on me, and he throws an arm in my direction, shouting, “She’s not a wolf! She attacked a pack member! She should be in holding, not here at your side!”

“Actually, the only ones in this room who aren’t pack members are you and Coco,” Xander states, all calm and matter-of-fact-like, while his hand kneads away the rising tension in my neck. “Furthermore, Wilhelmina protected her mate, my beta, a pack member, from an assault by a non-pack member, so let’s make sure we see the truth of the events that transpired before continuing this conversation.” That smooth, authoritative declaration makes the petty teenager in me want to put my hand on my hip and scoff, So there —but of course, I refrain. Xander glances over his shoulder at Officer White. “Thank you for escorting us down here. I’ll knock on the door when we’re ready to leave.”

“At your command, Alpha.” White bows his head and moves around us to get out of the room and close the door.

Brian takes a large inhale like he’s sucking down all the air in the room, ready to go on a tirade, when Xander raises his hand and sends out a wave of alpha energy—a warm, suffocating gale of it that has Brian choking on his words before ever speaking them. The hand on my neck slides down to the small of my back, and Xander guides me over to one of the chairs on the side of the desk closest to the wall. “Sit down, Brian,” he commands, pulling his own chair out once I’m seated. “We’ll hear your concerns, but first we have to establish your family’s position relative to the White Mountain Wolf Pack.” Xander’s arm drapes over the back of my chair, his hand cupping my shoulder, and we’re seated close enough that I can snuggle up against his side. “Currently neither of you, nor your daughter, have accepted me and my wolf as your alpha. As such, you are not members of this pack.” With that truth bomb, the sound of silence fills the air while Coco and Brian stare at us with gaping mouths and wide eyes. This reawakens the bratty teen in me, with a wish for grapes to throw. But all I have is a packet of fruit snacks that Kubrick passed me on the down low, and I’m not wasting those on these two.

“Wha—” Brian splutters, his red face and head quickly paling. “What... what do you mean? What does that have to do with anything?”

“You know the laws, Brian,” Xander replies with tiredness in his voice. “No shifter is truly a member of this pack unless they submit to the alpha and recognize his position within the pack. As your entire family has refused that option, you are all considered non-pack members.”

“We didn’t refuse for... forever,” Coco argues, throwing her long brunette hair—which still looks silky and shiny, even after spending hours in a police station under extreme emotional distress—over her shoulder. “Just until you came to understand what we wanted and expected in a wolf-shifter pack.”

“You know what having me as your alpha means,” Xander replies, his fingertips reflexively drumming against my arm, his body relaxed. “I know you were hoping for Hogan to win the duel, but he didn’t. I did. My wolf did. And I think you both know how dire the pack needed a new alpha. I didn’t fully comprehend how much until my wolf connected with Bruce’s, and then all the other wolves I took under me.” He rubs his eyelids with his thumb and index finger, sighing. “It’s been a long day, and there’s still much to do. Make the decision now to allow my wolf to connect with yours, and then we can determine if you’re to remain in the pack or not. I will offer Amber the same option. If you do not, then I have no choice but to treat both of you and your daughter as potentially hostile non-pack members.” He tilts his head to the side and arches a brow. “I’m sure that if my father were still alpha and, in this position, he’d be even more... pragmatic .”

The Callahans stare blankly at Xander, his words and conditions shocking them to the point that I’ve been completely forgotten. Xander releases a low groan and drawls, “Tick tock, Callahans. Make your decision.” Oh dang —forgive me if I squirm in my chair a little at the sound of his lazy authority.

“We’ll connect,” Coco blurts out, her hand squeezing Brian’s thigh, her big brown eyes flicking between her mate and Xander. “We’ll connect and be pack members. Amber will as well.”

“If my wolf accepts you,” Xander clarifies and removes his arm from around my shoulders to stand up and move to the open side of the desk. His eyes glow, and he lifts his hand up in offering. “Come, let our wolves meet, and we’ll see what we make of each other.” He jerks his chin to the other side of the room. “One of you sit in the chair in the far corner while I meet the other. I do not want your energies intermingling with the process.”

Coco immediately stands and whirls around, heading to the chair in the corner, her leopard-printed high heels clicking against the tiled floor with her small hurried steps, her black skirt too tight to allow for much movement. Brian, wearing a black T-shirt, uncrosses his arms, which are somehow still tan this late in the fall, and looks over his shoulder at Coco, who gives him a curt nod. Groaning, he presses up to standing and manages to make his black boots stomp out his frustration over the short distance between him and Xander. Spinning around, he gives Xander his back, and Xander places his hand on Brian’s shoulder blade.

Power surges, and the air becomes charged, zapping across my face and prickling my scalp. It’s as if two energies are fighting, testing the strength of the other. Soon, it is all drowned out with one warm blast of alpha power, and I find myself reclining back into my chair, luxuriating in the feeling. Only then does that warm power get sucked away, as if being pulled down a drain, and that drain is Brian. I watch as he gasps and moans and falls to his knees in front of Xander, his hands clutching and grasping at Xander’s lower legs and ankles.

I flick my gaze up beyond the two men to find Coco, sitting on the edge of the seat, her hands in prayer, her wide eyes glowing honey, watching her mate and mine with a mix of fascination, want, and worry. She’s far too enthralled by what is happening to feel, or at least acknowledge, my gaze, and I bring my attention back to Xander and Brian. Based on what Xander shared about what he found when connecting to Bruce’s wolf, I can only assume he’s finding something equally disturbing or disheartening with Brian’s. Little Fox, though intrigued, keeps her curiosity at bay, not wanting to interfere with the process, understanding the tenuous nature of this moment, this connection.

But the question remains: Will Xander’s wolf accept Brian’s as pack?

Bruce had been taking positive steps. He had started to change his treatment of us after what happened in Xander’s father’s garage that day. But Brian had been less moved by those events, to say the least. Sensing the rise in my own feelings and opinions of the Callahans staying in the pack, I lower my gaze and stare at the desktop, which is pine or oak or some sort of boring light wood. Wish I brought in a pencil and paper so I could doodle or something.

Brian’s low gasping breaths are sliced apart by startling high-pitched cries, and I snap my head up to see Xander squatting down with his hand rubbing comforting circles on Brian’s back, murmuring words too low to hear. Brian is curled up in a ball on the floor, sobbing his apologies and appreciation. Then with a calm surety, like he doesn’t have a full-grown man falling apart at his feet, Xander stands and raises his hand out to Coco. “Come, wolf,” he says, and it’s all X-Wolf. “Let us meet.”

Coco’s eyes glow brighter, and she presses up from her seat. On wobbly legs, she rushes toward Xander as if she’s afraid she’ll chicken out if she walks too slow. He takes a few steps to the side away from Brian, who’s still a mess of emotions on the floor. Coco spins on her heels, giving her back to Xander, and he places his hand on her shoulder blade as he did with Brian. This time there’s no offensive power coming from her, and Xander’s alpha power is but a mist on my skin, a warm dewiness that soon evaporates as it’s pulled into Coco. Within moments she releases a mewling sort of moan, and her body sways its way down to her knees. Xander follows her to a squat. Unlike Brian, who seemed to fight, Coco welcomes him—boy, does she welcome him—as only she and her daughter can. Arching her back and thrusting out her ample chest held tight in her black turtleneck, while she continues to make sultry sounds.

Once again, I find myself staring at the desk, this time tracing the grains in the wood with my index finger. I will not get jealous . I will not assume my mate is being taken in by the porn-like sounds emanating from the voluptuous, undulating, gorgeous she-wolf that seems to be having an orgasm from the feeling of his wolf’s energy alone. Nope. Totally not getting jealous.

And yet my upper lip pulls back in a snarl, and a growl slithers its way up my throat and—

Oops... I’ve seemed to have forgotten how to swallow, as it slips out the side of my mouth. I don’t cut it off. Nope. I let it resonate through the room and drop down to the floor, slinking around their ankles and bodies.

Brian abruptly stops his blubbering and throws his head back. With bulging eyes, he stares at me over the desk from his position on the floor. I meet his stare and let my snarled lip twitch a little higher. His eyes glow bright like tungsten, and the corners of his lips curve into an appreciative smile. He scoots back on the floor, his metallic eyes never leaving mine. When he comes to lean against the chair in the corner, only then does he drop his gaze to the floor and his mate.

“Easy,” Xander whispers lowly. “Easy, girl,” he repeats. I watch Coco’s body slump forward, and instead of moaning mewls, I hear sniffling and whimpering—like she’s crying. “That’s it,” he says. “That’s it, let it out.”

After a few more moments, she calms down, and he pulls his hand back. Standing up with glowing eyes, he looks from Brian to Coco and back again. “Take a moment to collect yourselves,” he says. “I know your wishes. I know your concerns regarding your daughter. You are loving parents, but you are also wolves. You understand the importance of making a statement and protecting your mate.”

“She’s deformed,” Coco whimpers, her watery eyes swinging between Xander and me. “Her ear is deformed; her hearing is impaired.”

“She wasn’t using her ears anyway,” I retort with bite in my voice.

“What?” Coco stutters, wiping tears and mascara from her face with the backs of her hands, her brows creased. “What do you mean?”

Pushing up to standing, I press my hands against the top of the desk and lean over it to glare down at her. “I mean,” I sneer with an arched brow, “Jax had told her repeatedly that he was not her mate, that he was mine. She injected him with drugs, and she still refused to hear him screaming—no, begging—her to stop, crying out his refusal, until the drugs finally took that ability away from him. If she heard his numerous objections, she never listened. If she didn’t hear him, then her ears weren’t working anyway.” I erect my spine and cross my arms over my chest. “It seems to me her ears are of little importance, so what does it matter if she’s missing one?”

Brian’s about to protest, but Xander silences him with a raise of his hand. “I still need to connect with Amber in order to determine whether she will be treated as pack or non-pack. I’ll have a representative contact you both about how we will be approaching this attack, no matter the outcome. I will also have officers sent to your house to collect evidence concerning Amber’s intentions and her state of mind. Stay with friends until notified. Your house will be considered part of a crime scene until further notice.” Xander informs them of this in a way that offers no room for argument. He reaches his arm out for me. I move to him, snaking my arm around his back as he pulls me against him. Placing a long, lingering kiss on the top of my head, he spins halfway around to glance at the Callahans. “This pack will be open to non-wolf-shifters. I know both of your wolves are aligned with the reasoning. Do not silence them, for they brought you together. You are pack, but that doesn’t mean you’re free to continue as you have. On the contrary, you are expected to abide by the laws my counsel and I set forth. Any disobedience will be met with swift punishment. You are both strong and fierce and”—he blows out a breath— “as hard as you are, you both have so much love and tenderness for each other. Share that.” We step forward, and Xander raps his knuckles on the door. Officer White opens it.

“Thank you, Alpha,” both Brian and Coco say in weak hoarse voices, and Xander dips his chin before we leave the room.

Officer White pokes his head into the room, telling the Callahans he’ll back shortly, then closes door and arms the alarm. “We need to have Veronica brought up,” Xander says, exhaustion weighing down his words. I turn in his hold and slip my hands under his sweater. Resting my head on his firm chest, I let my fox flow some of our energy through my hands and into my mate, who’s been silently giving and giving of himself and his wolf, and he’s got more to go.

Xander releases a long, low moan and slumps back against the wall, his face tilted toward the ceiling with his eyes closed. Officer White hops back a step and rubs his hands up and down his arms, his head twisting around. “What... what’s that?” he stammers, alert pitching his voice.

“My...” Xander mumbles, his arms around me tightening while he presses his hips forward, letting me feel how his body is responding to my energy, “my mate’s power.” He exhales. His hands rub up and down my back, and I let my power recede. “Fuck, Wilhelmina,” he groans, dropping his cheek to the top of my head, swaying us from side to side.

“Sorry if some leaked out.” I giggle, sliding my somewhat dreamy eyes to meet Officer White’s stunned ones. “I’m still learning.”

“That was a leak?” he questions.

“I think?” I shrug, then tilt my head up to look at Xander.

With heavy eyelids, he gazes down at me and curls a few locks of hair behind my ear. “Yeah, just a little leak, not too much.” He kisses my forehead and murmurs, “Thank you, mate.”

“My pleasure,” I purr, “Alpha.”

He huffs a short laugh, then pulls back to meet Officer White’s surprised eyes. “We need to tape off the Callahan’s and Benton’s homes, as well as Hogan’s quarters, and label them as crime scenes. Additionally, I’ll need use of the second interview room, for us, my betas, and DeLuca. Once we’re settled, I’ll need Veronica brought up from holding.”

I manage to keep my smirk hidden and my mouth shut, refraining from commenting on how within a few hours Xander seems to have morphed into what I envision an alpha would be: attentive, decisive, and at ease when in command. White blinks several times and bobs his head. “Right this way,” he says, turning on his heels, then leading us down the hall. “Let’s get you set up, then I’ll get to work on fulfilling those requests, Alpha.”

Xander sends a quick message through the pack-mate link to Jax and Ethan, explaining the situation, his request for their and DeLuca’s presences, and his understanding if they don’t wish to attend.

* * *

“I’m not saying Jax won’t be able to handle facing his mother, knowing her part in all of this,” I hedge, pressing my booted feet against the side of the desk and pushing back to balance on the rear legs of my chair. “But I’m just wondering what level of confidence you have in getting anything out of her.”

Xander places a hand above my knee, his thumb rubbing circles on the outside of my leg. “This will probably be our only chance to question her,” he says, his voice slow and smooth. “If what Amber said was true about her getting the drugs from Veronica, then she knows something about the drugs, about the source. I’m sure my mom, Bruce, and Brian do as well, but what if Councilman Hogan shared information with Veronica that no one else is aware of?”

“Not that I don’t believe he’s had some involvement in the operation or whatever, but there’s no definitive evidence that he’s involved,” I contend.

“Maybe Veronica could supply that,” he offers. “If we can play this right, then I think she can be pushed into revealing information.”

“What part do you wish for me to play then?” I ask, wondering if I shouldn’t be here. If we’re trying to play parts or roles, I probably won’t be all that great at it.

Before he can answer, there’s a knock on the door, and Officer Sutherland opens it, escorting Jaxson, Ethan, DeLuca, and Luna Ophelia in. “If it’s all right, I’ll wait out here to give Franklin the go-ahead to bring Veronica in. When you’re ready, just knock on the door, and let us know, Alpha,” Sutherland says.

“Thank you, Sutherland,” Xander flatly replies, while his eyes follow his mother walking further into the room. Sutherland dips his chin and then closes the door.

“Luna Ophelia, I didn’t expect you,” Xander says with raised brows while I stand up to make room for Jax. He comes around the desk to sit down in the chair I was in before pulling me down into his lap. My body reclines into his, becoming supple, becoming his to use. And I revel in it, revel in feeling him, his heart thumping through my back, the comforting band of his arms around my waist, the heat from his warm breath and wetness from his lips as he kisses my neck. A low purr of contentment ripples through me and into him. We take a moment to share this connection, the rightness of us.

“I heard Ethan and Jax talking with Warren,” Luna Ophelia explains, motioning to DeLuca, who’s standing off to one side, midway between the door and the back wall, “about questioning Veronica. I thought maybe I could be of assistance, Alpha.”

Xander tilts his head to the side. “Maybe.” He hitches a shoulder. “If you have any insight or suggestions, that’d be greatly appreciated.”

“I assume you’re hoping to get her to share information with you,” Ophelia states with a lift of her brows, her fingers loosely woven low in front of her. “If that’s the case, I’ve known Veronica for decades, and our association is one that puts her on edge. I think if she feels insecure, flustered, or defensive enough, she could let her mouth get ahead of her.”

“You understand what we’re trying to learn from her?” Xander replies.

“Yes, additional information on the drugs that were injected into Jax, how they were obtained, and anything that may link Councilman Hogan to them. In short, any information he’s shared that we’re unaware of, generally anything that will incriminate her and him and give away any resources they may have.”

“That pretty much sums it up.” Xander affirms while ruffling his fingers through his hair. “And possibly Hogan’s plans going forward with his pack, the wolves as a whole, and the council.”

“Then might I suggest making this a little more informal?” his mother offers, a sly smile slinking across her pink lips. “That we make it girl talk, as it were.”

That has my body resolidifying from the blob of flesh that was molding itself under the coaxing of Jax’s needs. “Girl talk?” I question, knowing that out of all my friends, I’m not the best at this. I wonder if I can call Maria for some pointers.

“Yes,” Luna Ophelia asserts with a dip of her chin. “Both you and I set her off for different reasons, and giving her the impression that we’ve been left waiting for”—she gestures mockingly toward my mates— “ the men to return will have her lifting her nose up, seeing us as less than. We play her by letting her think she’s playing us. She’s been down there in a cell next to Amber’s. I’m sure we could work that in our favor. Let her talk, let her spill the beans. I can guarantee there’s much she’s wanted to say but has been forced to remain silent about because Hogan’s been keeping her in line.”

“I’d have to follow your lead,” I mutter, nibbling on my lower lip, then turning my head to Xander. “Your thoughts? Your call.”

“It makes sense,” Jax groans, pulling his face from my neck and giving my ribs a firm squeeze before relaxing his hold. I slide a little to the side so I can look up at him. His eyes search the room, and he expels a puff of air. “She’ll want to gloat. She’ll want to show how right she was and how she’s moved from a beta to an alpha to a councilman. You could use that, and I think having too many of us in here, making it seem like an interview, will put her on her guard.”

“Everything is recorded in these rooms,” DeLuca adds from his position against the wall. He’s been so unintrusive, one could forget he was here— one being me... I forgot. “In fact, we can ask one of the officers to let us observe from the security room on this floor and”—his eyes go from Xander to me— “you could link and communicate mentally, if things need further questioning, Alpha.”

“Sounds like a solid plan,” Xander agrees, pressing up to standing. “We’ll exit, and I’ll have Sutherland tell her something came up that needed to be addressed.”

“Make sure to emphasize that it’s of little importance to Billie and me,” Luna Ophelia adds. “However, you word it, just let it seem like our presence is superfluous, Alpha.”

“Superfluous,” I murmur into Jax’s ear, low enough for just us. “So close to super fly , and yet, it’s not enough to be needed.”

“I need you,” he whispers, his lips curving into a flirty smile. “And you’ll always be super fly to me, playmate.”

“Ditto, playmate. Ditto,” I affirm with a kiss.