11: The Tidbit that proved the greatest

It's been two and half weeks since Alpha Kincaid visited me. Just yesterday I got news his mate had birthed their pup. I already sent a gift today to welcome the young pup to the world. Our pack's have become more friendly which in turn makes us friendly with their sister pack. It is very unfortunate that it takes such tragedy to improve our relationship but I am going to count my blessings. With them being on good terms with us, those voices grumbling about my pack's expansion and size will be much quieter now.

I get up and stretch myself, I had come in from yet another futile hunt yesterday and I collapsed into bed, mud caked and all. The exhaustion wearing deep on my psyche.

My bed is a mess but I couldn't give two flying fucks about it. As I stand in the shower and let the warm water cascade my skin, I feel the exhaustion at the back of my mind even Julius my wolf is tired. I wish I could have a few more hours of sleep but I have a meeting with the Sub Alphas of my pack in a few minutes.

Soaping my body wearily I remind myself that this has to be done. I rinse off and towel dry. Stepping into my walk in closet, I ignore the bottle of cream. Taking the first articles of clothing that reach my hand, I start to dress, in few minutes I am finished. I notice my belt buckle is bad so I choose another belt, this one is tan coloured. I am not much of a fashion guy but I am pretty sure a white shirt tucked in a blue jean with a tan belt is not a Faux Pas. With quick glance at the mirror I am out.

My office is a few doors away from my room. I chose to use the office in my home for the meeting instead of the one in the main pack house. As I step into the room, everyone stands in greeting and I wave them to sit.

We may proceed.

My new Beta Maxwell steps up and presents the agenda of the meeting. A lot of shocked faces surface.

Alpha you surely do not mean to.

Alpha my district has been doing well since Day 1 of its incorporation.

I keep calm, leaned back in my chair, my elbows resting on its arms with my fingers steepled close to my face. I observe everyone's reaction silently while making mental notes.

Alpha with all due respect we cannot be punished for something that is not our fault. He looks knowingly at me as he continues. He looks around for faces in support. The running of the pack have been seamless since the inception of the sub districts.

I let all of them pour out their grievances. After a few minutes of their complaining, an uncomfortable silence descends. I let the silence persevere and continue to calmly watch them. At this point a few of them were starting to feel uneasy but yet none of them dared to say anything further.

After what seemed like an eternity, I unsteeple my fingers and lean forward, gesturing to my Beta, he comes forward to hand me a few files. I place them one after the other on the table in a neat line, five of them in total.

How many sub-districts does this pack have? I address the question to no one in particular.

Nine. Alpha Dan of the South west district replies.

What are their names?

South district, Southwest district, Southeast district, North district, Northwest district, Northeast district, Eastern district, Western district and Central district. Alpha Dan finishes.

Who are the leaders in charge of each district?

This time Alpha Raymond of the Eastern district answers. The Eastern district is headed by myself, The Western district by Alpha Paul. The North by Alpha Phineas, South by Gaius. Northwest and Northeast by the Covington brothers Alpha Gary and Alpha Benjamin.

Alpha Dan heads the Southwest district and Alpha Fiona heads the Southeast district. While the central is under your guidance Alpha.

I nod. Good.

98 deaths have occurred. Two more of the so called relocations were found yesterday.

Whispers go about. I keep silent and let them go around.

It's with a heavy heart,I call this meeting today. I trusted the wrong person, I look around the room before continuing, the wrong people. My eyes catches Fiona's and she flushes. In my arrogance I believed our species were beyond corruption, but I was wrong. Slamming my fist on the table as I say the last word. A few of them jump in their seat.

As of today all districts are dissolved. Although there were various reactions

None of them made a sound to interrupt me.

Phineas, you say I am punishing you all for someone else's mistake. The mistake was mine, agreed. I made a mistake trusting you.

I open one of the 5 files on my table as I take out a sheet of paper. Out of 98 deaths, a staggering 37 came from your district alone.

Alpha I .... immediately he looks suffocated as he chokes on his next words. I withdraw my aura like I never released it and keep talking.

I take out another sheet of paper from that same file. You seem to vacation a lot, on a passing glance, I wouldn't have noticed but as luck would have it I did. With your allowance plus the salary you earn, you cannot afford the lifestyle you take on when you vacation, this got me interested and I had you investigated, all of you.

Some of them start acting Jittery.

You have an off shore account, apparently you have been stealing from your district.

Alpha... Choke .. choke..

If. you. interrupt. me. one more time.

I also found another thing interesting. Gaius.

Al..Pha... He stutters. I smile showing off my canines. You went on one these vacations with Phineas.

Yes, Yes I did.

You guys had a blast right?

Yes... Yes we did.

Do you recall a Samantha Hardy?

No, I do not.. There were a lot of girls on the trip.

Gaius.. Do not lie to me.

Yes, yes I do. He bows his head shamefully..

Sure you will remember the only girl who said no to you on that trip. But is that the only reason you would remember her. I stare at him unblinking.

No no. I... she.. we.. we raped her. We did that Alpha, but I was drunk and angry, she rejected me, it was foolish of me. I did not mean to take it that far.. I am sorry. I apologized to her afterwards and although she didn't listen at first, Phineas was able to bribe her to keep quiet.

Samantha Hardy was a 22 year old human girl in college. She was never the party type but relented to go with her friend Beauty to your yatch party. That party was the last time she was seen, her friend Beauty also went missing a few days after that.

Alpha I didn't know. Gaius cries.

I know you didn't have a hand in their actual deaths. But you started the process of killing her when you raped her and helped to hold her down as Phineas took his turn. Then you both had her at the same time. Saying you were drunk and angry and didn't mean to take it that far, surely makes you extremely stupid for giving such an excuse.

By now I had opened the second file. Now now Gaius, 28 of these dead pack members come from your district. Care to explain.

I ah. ah...

On a second thought, zip it. To think I nearly missed that little tid bit of information that led to uncovering all these.

As for the rest of you. Fiona.

Alpha. On no occasion are you allowed to leave pack grounds until I say so.

Yes Alpha .

From the side of my eye I notice Gaius looking at the door.

Go on ahead

Alpha I am so sorry.

Sorry won't bring Samantha back. Sorry won't make the pain you inflicted on her while she was alive go away. Sorry won't heal her grandmother who is yet to find out what happened to her granddaughter. Sorry won't cleanse this pack of a sorry excuse like you.

As I finish, I communicate to my men at the door and they come in. I gesture to Phineas and Gaius. Take these to the holding cells and interrogate them by any means possible.

I take back my aura pressing on Phineas, and he starts to sputter.

You killed Samantha Hardy and her friend Beauty. By yourself, you do not have the smartness, skills or connection to cover it up. Kill his wolf slowly.

One of the men promptly stepped up to him and injected a lethal dose of wolfsbane in his neck. He starts to trash, His wolf's anguished screams flowing down the pack link. I feel his pain, Immediately I cut him out of the pack link.

A light bulb goes off in my head. Only I can remove a wolf from the pack link. But Lee is not a normal wolf, what if he found a way to do that too.

Distracted by my thoughts, I say do the same to Gaius

Alpha, please do not this. I was urged into it by Phineas. I wasn't the one who killed them. Alpha you can't do this. He struggles with the men as he tried to change. In anger, I release the full extent of my aura, freezing him in place, unfortunately others too. I notice this too and retract the aura pressing down on others.

Take this sniveling coward out of my sight and kill his wolf slowly too. They stab wolfsbane in him as they drag him out. This time he wasn't able to scream down the pack link because I had already cut him off.

How, just how did Lee do it?

I dismiss the rest, as I sit in my chair thoughtful