Not just the Beta (Oriana and Slade) novel Chapter 170

Austin

He walked through the pack, most were just sitting about in social groups, taking this time off from their day jobs if they worked outside the pack, to just hang out. No one was allowed to leave the pack and go into the human world; All the pack’s businesses were only being managed by any humans that worked within them.

Dariah had put out a blanket memo to all the pack businesses to state Highland Hills was undergoing an audit and certain departments were closed until it was over.

It was going to hurt some of the pack’s businesses, but this place was wealthy and could take the hit.

Though they did allow for those that could work remotely from here inside the pack to do so.

The school was still in attendance because they had a kindy to year 12 school inside the pack. He’d made his way there today, strolled about and talked to the teachers and asked how the children of the pack were doing.

They were curious mostly. The little ones didn’t really understand it and any that came to the pack after Slade had left didn’t understand at all. Things weren’t openly talked about inside this pack. Some of them didn’t even know who Slade was.

That had gained his undivided attention, and he’d questioned them, those new wolves, thought it was only Dariah and Clay, and that Clay was likely to take over because Dariah was hardly ever in the pack and, being a girl, would mate off out of the pack at some point.

He’d sighed and asked if that was what they’d been told, got a no from them, it was just their assumption based on what they’d seen here in the pack since arriving. One girl who was just 10 and had only been here for three months, had moved here with her mother when she’d met her second chance mate had looked at him and stated “I didn’t even know there was another son.”

He’d nodded “He’s been away for a long time, but he will return soon.” That disappointed him. Even in packs that sent their heirs off to the kingdom for mandatory military service from 4 to 12 years, the new pack members understood there was an heir they’d not seen, knew their name and where he or she was. It seemed Roman didn’t bring Slade up with new pack members when initiating them.

He was, Austin thought, quietly trying to make the pack forget about his eldest son. It was only the new pack members’ children that didn’t seem to know about the actual Heir to the pack.

His stroll through the high school had also allowed his eyes to move over the rank members’ children that were 16 and over. And what he saw made him sigh internally. He returned to the packhouse and looked at the list of future mating alliance deals, the list of names Gretta had complied as well as those that had already been mated off.

He wasn’t exactly sure about what the council could do about those that had already been mated off, they were going to have to hold a meeting about them separately. Likely, after everything here was sorted out and likely in the kingdom with the King himself.

He had Dariah call all those on the list for a meet and greet, though he’d not yet explained why even to the other council members, all 12 of them were doing their own thing, investigating different parts of the pack that needed looking into now. But he knew they would understand quickly. There were nine wolves, including Dariah herself, and all of them were wearing a moonstone pendant, earring, bracelet, ring or watch with a moonstone face. Though Dariah was his biggest concern right that very minute.

She was 23 and if that bracelet she’d gotten at 16 was imbued with fairy magic or witchcraft, it could well be to stop her from scenting out her own Mate as well as stop her mate from scenting her.

He asked them all one by one when and where they had gotten their moonstones. All of them stated it was a gift for getting their wolf. He heard many of the council members huff, and he looked at Dariah.”

Pack-wide mind-link, I want everyone wearing moonstone brought into the packhouse foyer now.”

“Why?” she frowned at him.

“I’ll explain when they all get here,” he told her, and she just nodded and did as requested.

They all stepped out into the foyer to await the wolves and many turned up, both male and female. He and the council members walked about the room and looked at them. Most of the male wolves were wearing watches with moonstone faces and were between 18 and 26.

“Everybody take those moonstone items off,” Hailey stated, and they got many confused looks.

“We at the Alpha Council use moonstone bands for many things,” Austin stated, drawing everyone’s attention to himself. He was easy to see standing head and shoulders above everyone in this room. “They are considered the most easily and reliable gemstones to be imbued with magic of any kind.

“Including that of being unbale to scent one’s mate. Or have one’s mate scent you in return. Any of you over the age of 18 could have a Mate within this very pack and not know it. We’ll have to test them all,”

Austin announced, “Though all of you originally brought into see me and the council a few moments ago.

Were all brought to us because your Alpha and Luna have lined up mating alliances for you,” he told them.

“You were to be given a chosen Mate; sold to another pack of their choosing, to a wolf of their choosing for a hefty sum.” He stated clearly.

There were a lot of horrified and disbelieving looks, going through the crowd now gathered here. “This coming full moon for those of you that are over 18 and mated already… you could well find yourself or your mate, scenting out another if as we suspect those moonstones are imbued with magic to prevent that from happening.”

“Those of you I call out,” Alpha Gretta stated “Come to me and collect a copy of the mating alliance that is attached to your name, please. Everyone else should go home and prepare yourself to have been coerced into a mate bond, by your former Alpha and Luna, unbeknownst to yourself, or your mate.”

Austin watched her read out the names, including Dariah’s, and she stared wide-eyed at Gretta, and then shook her head in ‘no’ in a disbelieving manner, and he saw sadness touch her.

Clay didn’t say anything at all and didn’t take his ring off either. It was likely Dariah was right about her little brother. He liked his chosen mate. He also knew there was a mating alliance in the works.

Slade’s name was called out and Dariah’s sadness turned to anger, and it flooded off of Dariah in waves, and then she was just gone from the room. He watched as Art, a pack warrior, went racing after her and he sighed, “I’ll go, continue Gretta.” And he shot off after the two. He knew rage when he saw it, Dariah was going to kill her own parents.

He was not wrong. She’d gone right to those two out there on the shaming posts, was standing before them filled with anger and rage. She’d not so much as stopped to look at her mating alliance papers didn’t care to he realised. She understood that the bracelet meant they were keeping her from her own Mate.

Her fists were balled at her sides, and then she just roared at them, her and her wolf together, all their alpha aggression rolling out of her. both Roman and Elise gasped in pain, and she yanked that bracelet off her wrist and hurled it at her mother. “How could you.” she screamed “Hide my own Mate from me.” he watched her strike her mother with all she had and turn on her father landed a solid blow to that man’s face and then Art was on her, snagged her around the waist and hauled her backwards.

“No, I have nothing either of them has ever given me, why?” he could hear the frown in Slade’s voice.

“It’s likely imbued with dark magic to stop you from scenting out your Mate.”

“I know Dariah got a bracelet when she was 16, a gift from Elise,” Slade stated right away.

“I’m aware, she just hurled it at Elise a few minutes ago. It’s come to our attention that many inside this pack have been sold off to other packs, via chosen mate bonds and mating alliance deals. Your brother

and sister both have one attached to their names,” Austin told him.

“What?” Slade grated out.

“So do you, I’m afraid. Though yours had been null and voided,” Austin stated.

“Oriana?” Slade snarled out.

“No, nothing we could find on her. Out of curiosity, Slade, when did you stop wearing the item given to you and are any of your unit wearing moonstones?”

“It was a watch and I stopped wearing it before I returned to Alpha College. My unit are shaking their heads at me.”

“Good, I’ll contact Maddie, you’re aware she is Ana sister now?”

“Yes.”

“She and I will discuss bringing you all in. I’ll get back to you. Please text Dariah your current location.”

“I’ve not…”

Austin cut him off, “It’s not up to you anymore, I am bringing you in. Do not argue with me. You wrote the scroll, so you are now bound to our way of investigation. I’ll get back to you.”