Page 6 of Henri's Little One
“Why didn’t young Vitas make the change?” Armand asked reasonably.
Henri slammed his tumbler of scotch down on the bar and exploded. “Chernof has been dosing Vitas for three months with a chemical agent that prevented him from making the change to heal or run away. He has pneumonia,humanpneumonia, a loup garou with human pneumonia because they drugged him.” Henri shook in outrage. “He said Chernof told his Betas to beat him daily but to avoid his head so as not to damage his gift. It seems Chernof’s Betas hate their Alpha more than they value their lives. They deliberately broke Vitas’ ribs so he couldn’t mate Chernof the night he turned twenty-five, and then smuggled the boy out of Russia just in time. My Mate said the First is fast losing control of the packs.”
Armand put his arm around Henri’s shoulder. “Easy, Henri, what is the gift that Chernof wanted so much that he was willing to break all of our laws to get?”
“He is a truth teller and a seer. He dreams the future and can detect a lie.”
Again, Julien whistled. “No wonder Chernof wanted him so badly. You have to mate him immediately.” Armand looked over in reproach. Julien shrugged.
“With your permission, Armand, we’ll fly to Anchorage tomorrow, right after your ceremony, Julien, and I’ll mate him tomorrow night.” Henri paced. “Then we can leave for New York the following day. I must make him safe. I can only do this if we mate. I can marry him in New York where we can get Judge Booker to waive the twenty-four-hour waiting period. We’ll have the reception the following week. Then I’ll take care of Chernof before he comes for Vitas.”
“Chernof used to be strong, but maybe now, not so much.” Alexei speculated. “The Betas would never have gotten away with freeing Vitas under the Chernof I knew. He’s losing his edge. My sources in Russia have said much the same thing but didn’t tell me about the murders. That must be a recent development.”
“Vitas is my Mate,” Henri said. “Because of him, I’m stronger. The gods will take up my cause. Chernof has broken our most sacred laws. He has grown complacent. Vitas said the packs are rebelling.” Henri sat down on the leather chair with the deer tapestry, laying his head in his hands and spat through his teeth. “He should have his skull lopped off for trying to force a mating with a wolf who was not destined for him, to say nothing of the wholesale slaughter of humans. I don’t have the power to do that. But I can and will meet him in the pit and kill him slowly.” He rose and started for the door. “I must call my pack and tell them about the mating and explain the short notice.”
“Hold on, Henri,” Armand interrupted. “Idohave the power to take his head. After Anchorage, we go to New York to get you married and call an Assembly with the Europeans. We must make everything look ordinary, so we’ll tell everyone we’re having a reception for both you and Julien in a week. Henri, you have the larger residence, so we’ll have it there.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“We’ll have the Europeans come to New York for an Assembly of the Loup Garou. It will be only the third in our history. The first Assembly came before the Egyptians and it organized our people. Count Guy La Marche called the second in the burning times. We have reached another crossroads and it’s appropriate to call one once again. It’s past time that the European Council got their heads out of the sand. And it’s long past time for me to assert my authority.” Sean’s face blanched with Armand’s words. “Don’t worry, baby. I can handle this. I’ve been waiting for Chernof to break our laws since Alexei came to us so battered. He’s been riding the line hard, but this is the first time I know of that he’s stepped over it. He’s finally given me a legal reason to sever his head.”
Ian looked up. “It sounds like he’s stepped over the line, big time. Rémy wouldn’t let that happen. Where is his Second?”
“That’s a good question. Alexei?”
“Klim Leontiy Prokhor is getting on in years. Normally he would have resigned, but I think he was trying to ride herd on Chernof after I left. He’s a good man, just not strong anymore. He wouldn’t leave the council because he’s probably afraid of who Chernof would get to replace him.” Alexei set down his drink.
§ § §
Armand could see that Henri barely heard his words. His mind was upstairs in his suite.
“If you’ll excuse me, Alpha, I’m going to call my pack now.” Henri left the room, his tread heavy on the stairs.
Armand continued, “I am much stronger than Chernof, and all of you, including Henri, are almost as strong as I am. Vitas and his family will be avenged and so will the other Mates he slaughtered.” He turned to Sean. “Baby, go upstairs to Henri’s suite with Kane and Donal. You need to make sure Vitas heals enough to mate tomorrow. Donal can assure him he has a home with us, and Kane can try to ease the horrors in his mind until he can see Eugene. Go now.” Sean, Kane, and Donal raced up the long carved wooden staircase.
“Julio, you and Ian take a limo with Luc and Theo, and my Betas along with a Navigator full of Enforcers. Buy him casual clothing in Eugene plus two good off-the-rack suits. Let Julio pick them out. Julien, what’s the best store in Eugene?”
Julien pursed his lips. “We have some boutiques and tailors, but for a department store, Macy’s—there’s a Nordstrom but it’s an outlet.”
“We don’t have time for a tailor. Macy’s then, buy something conservative. He’ll need everything including a medium weight jacket. For that matter, get medium weight jackets for all of us, check with the factotums for the fit. We’ll need jackets in Anchorage. You’ll have to find the clothing that Artis removed from Vitas and check the size. Have Vasily or Grigory convert the Russian sizes to American. We’ll take care of the rest at Mr. Abbott’s in New York before we receive the Europeans.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Julio answered, and Julio and Ian left the room to go do Armand’s bidding.
“What about Chernof, Alpha?” Rémy’s jaw tensed. He appeared ready to club the Russian Alpha to death.
“We must act normally, but move quickly. We can’t take the chance that Chernof knows we’re aware of what transpired. When the Europeans come, we’ll find a way to let Chernof know that Vitas is with us and mated to Henri. He’ll think he can take Henri because Henri is Eighth. He has always possessed an oversized ego.” Armand went over to the bar and poured himself a snifter of cognac. Alexei hit the vodka, again. The bottle of Grey Goose was almost empty. Alexei left the bottle on the granite-topped, pine bar.
Richard and Colin waited, knowing The Alpha had something in mind for them. They weren’t wrong. “Richard, I want you to assist Dr. Artis and fetch whatever he needs for Vitas. Colin, keep a record of everything that happened here today. We’ll need it when we confront the Russian Council with the Europeans in New York. The rest of you stay here. I want to discuss what we’re going to do at the Assembly.”
“Why are we going to New York when the problem is in Russia?” Rémy asked through tight lips.
Gabriel put down his drink. “Chernof won’t give up until he has him. Even if Vitas can no longer dream for him, he won’t let him dream for someone else. It’s difficult to get into Russia. It would take time we don’t have.”
Alexei’s face contorted in rage. “I should have challenged him when I had the opportunity.”
“Calm down, Alexei.” Etienne put his arm around Alexei’s shoulder. “The gods are playing this out as they will. Had you stayed in Russia, you wouldn’t have found Donal, or I, Julio.”
“I wouldn’t have Richard, either.” Julien offered them a slight smile. “The gods decide and we do as we must.”
