Page 28 of Henri's Little One
Chapter Seven
Anchorage
Library and Basement
The party broke up at eight, and Armand decided to postpone leaving for Manhattan until the next morning. The Alphas and their Mates sat in the library with drinks. Sean and Ian had a beer. Donal, Kane, and Colin—Coke, and Julio and Vitas, love potions.
“With the time change and the time spent in the air, if we leave now, we’ll get to Manhattan in the middle of the night, and I want to question that she-wolf with both Sean and Vitas present. Sean can compel her to speak, and Vitas can see if she’s telling the truth,” Armand declared to the other Alphas.
Henri, who wanted to spend at least an hour inspecting construction on a new indoor play area for the pups of the home pack, was glad that Armand decided to wait. He had other things on his mind. “Armand, we also have no word on Chernof’s whereabouts. We know he left Anchorage because none of the pack members saw him after a thorough search, but where did he go from here?”
“He must have had local help.” Armand grimaced. “Let’s go down and question the she-wolf now. Henri, Sean, Vitas, Etienne, and Julio, come with us.”
“Why me?” Julio’s eyebrows lifted.
“Because Sean can compel her to answer with The Voice, Vitas can see if she’s telling the truth, but you can generally figure out what jig they’re running and why.”
The three Alphas and their Mates went downstairs to the basement interment area. Sebastian was guarding the cell. “Her name is Kristina Stasya Sokolov. That’s all we were able to get out of her last night.” Sebastian bowed his head. “I’m sorry to have failed you, Alpha.”
“You didn’t fail. I told you not to touch the she-wolf. I’m sure you would have managed had I not tied your hands. We’re going to use our most effective weapons now.” Etienne cocked his head toward Sean and Vitas.
“I’m not going to talk to you,” Kristina shouted from the bed, her lips pressed together.
“A full wolf can’t resist my Voice.” Sean’s spoke in the eerie full-throated bass of the gods.
“You might as well tell the truth. Through me and Vitas, The Alpha will know if you don’t,” Sean spoke in his normal tone.
“You can’t make me speak. I won’t betray my Alpha.”
“Your Alpha has broken our most sacred laws. He’s killing humans. The four of us demand you speak,” Sean commanded.
The Alpha stared her down.
Kristina raised her chin in defiance. “If they are mated to a member of the pack, they are no longer human and under Alpha Chernof’s control, and as head of the Russian Council, he has the power of life and death over all loup garou. Even you, you’ll see.”
Sean began to speak in The Voice not his own. “You are a young she-wolf who has been deceived. The Alpha, Alpha Armand La Marche, has the authority of all of the loup garou including both the Russian and the European Councils, so say the Four.”
The she-wolf began to shake. “No one can speak for the gods.”
“The Alpha Mate can. It’s his Omega gift just as Alpha Mate Vitas can tell the truth from lies. You know about Alpha Mate Vitas’ gift. That is why Alpha Chernof wants him. He is not Alpha Chernof’s Mate. He is mine and here is my mark.” Henri moved behind Vitas. “Little one?”
He loosened his tie and pulled his sweater and shirt over his shoulder.
Vitas looked upon the she-wolf with compassion. “If Alpha Giraud was not my Mate, an Omega such as me wouldn’t be able to mark him.” Henri stepped beside Vitas and unbuttoned his dress shirt, and lifted his tee, displaying the mark Vitas made on his chest.
The she-wolf’s eyes opened wide. “You’re telling the truth. Alpha Chernof lied to us.” She turned to Armand. “Can you help the Russian packs? Alpha Chernof told the packs that if Alpha Mate Vitas were his Mate, he would be able to give us a stipend because Alpha Mate Vitas would know where to invest, with his ability to foresee the future. The packs live in extreme poverty. The pack Alphas do their best, but they can’t make something out of nothing.”
The Alpha came closer to the bars that circled the cell. “I can take his head and give you a new, just council. Even without Alpha Mate Vitas’ gift, which we would never abuse for financial gain, the North American pack members get a stipend of two hundred and fifty thousand American dollars per year in addition to anything they make on their own.”
Vitas’ mouth hung open. He tapped Henri, who had redressed, on the shoulder. “You never told me that.”
The Alpha continued, “An Omega with a gift gets a larger stipend because they contribute to the welfare of the pack, as do the pack Alphas, Betas, and the council. Some members of the packs work for Garou Industries where they earn a salary. All pack members have cradle-to-grave healthcare whether they are loup garou or a human Mate. Europe works on a similar system.”
“Do you know who acts as Alpha Chernof’s informant?”
“I know the Chief Alpha get reports, I’ve heard them. That’s why I’m here. I’m sorry.” Kristina started crying. “I overheard the report that Alpha Chernof got about Alpha Daurensbourg and Alpha Bellaire finding Mates. He knew that Alpha Mate Vitas would go to a council Alpha when it became clear that he wouldn’t go to Chief Alpha Chernof. I cleaned his office. He spoke to his Betas, but I was the one who suggested he should come to Anchorage. He said I had a brain, so he brought me along.”
Armand paced the room. “Do you know who wrote the report or from whom Alpha Chernof received the information?”
