Page 88 of A Second Chance for the Beta
There was a huge fight between the two brothers, worse than ever before. Lord Silas had questioned Lord Aloysius’s motives and actions many times. More and more so every day. But this argument was the last straw. The fallout was terrifying, and I’m still shocked both of them came out of it alive, albeit severely hurt. It was the last fight between them, one that probably severed their relationship forever.
I thought I made the right decision back then, but ever since Lord Silas left, it has felt so cold here. He was the one who made sure that everyone’s needs were attended to. He was always calm and composed and able to see the bigger picture. He kept Lord Aloysius in check and ensured he didn’t go overboard with his punishments.
Now, however, the lord doles out whippings whenever and however he deems fit. I’m lucky never to have been on the receiving end of one, as he considers me a loyal supporter and one of his best spies.
Lord Aloysius jumps into the topic immediately. “Soon,” he says. “We will know if I have another worthless half-breed out there. Atticus is on his mission and will soon return with the werewolf. Questions?”
One of his closest men raises his hand. After Aloysius prompts him to speak, he clears his throat. “Will Atticus be able to catch her without anyone’s notice?” he asks. “The werewolf is the beta of a strong pack, with connections to the Council and their goddess.”
“He better,” Aloysius says darkly. “I told him not to attract any attention and to make sure not to harm her.”
“Why?” another young vampire asks. “Why not beat it out of her? We are stronger.”
Oh, poor fool.
Aloysius moves in the blink of an eye, punching the poor kid and making him fly against the wall. “Are you questioning me and my orders?” he hisses.
The kid drops to his knees and bows his head. “No, please forgive my insubordination.”
“I don’t need a war with the lycans,” Aloysius says cooly. “I have no interest in slaughtering them all.”
He makes it sound like he actually could do that, but I know it’s not that easy. His powers are not endless, and some of these wolves are blessed in more ways than we can imagine. Abducting the beta was already risky enough, which is why he made sure to do it as secretly as possible and without her getting harmed in any way.
For the last couple of years, he has been obsessed with cleaning his bloodline, as he calls it. He has been looking for all the women he ever slept with and made sure there were no children around. So far, only one woman—a human—had gotten pregnant from him.
I try not to think about what he did to her and the infant. I don’t know what happened to the child or their mother; I just know that no one talked about them again.
I hope this other kid in question is not his daughter. It will make our life easier if she is someone else’s child. Unfortunately, her mother passed away, and there is no easy way to detect her heritage. Unlike wolves, we don’t feel a magical bond to our relatives. We can’t sniff them out. Aloysius would need to test the kid and then base his decision on the outcome of the genetic test. By then he would have already attracted a lot of suspicions. Werewolves feel protective of their pups, more so than any other species.
It would lead to conflicts and a potential war.
At least Aloysius is sane enough to avoid that.
“Julianus!” Aloysius’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
I step forward. “Yes, my lord!”
“Atticus is supposed to be back any minute. You will be the one attending to the beta she-wolf. Make sure she remains unharmed. I need her to feel comfortable and safe, or she won’t talk to me. Give her whatever she asks for, answer her questions. Make sure she knows she is a guest and not a prisoner.”
“May I ask a question?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“Once she has told us everything, will we kill her?”
Aloysius shakes his head. “No, she will be set free.”
“Won’t she tell on us?” one of the other vampires asks.
Aloysius hisses at his question, making the other man shrink back. But he doesn’t feel angry enough to assault him like the young vampire. “The lycans won’t want a war with us either,” he says shortly. “As long as we treat the beta well, they won’t be able to just launch an attack on us. We will treat her with respect and make sure she won’t feel like a prisoner. If she asks to leave, she can leave, but it’s Julianus’s job to make sure she wants to stay.” He looks at me. “Understood?”
“Yes, master,” I say. “I won’t disappoint you.”
He might be able to convince the wolves that he just kidnapped her to talk with her so he wouldn’t give away our location. The lycans probably don’t want a conflict either. A war would influence everyone around us, the humans, other shifters, everyone.
But what if the beta tells us that her niece is Aloysius’s daughter? What if he kills her? Won’t we have a war at hand then?
twenty-nine
