2

The next morning, I was waiting outside of the building for six wolves from the Milwaukee pack whose asses I was going to beat. Hestia already had while handling their situation, but I made it clear they had me to deal with next as the big boss.

Unfortunately, the situation was leaked to the press. They assumed that the six men were being hidden until the storm blew over or something shady.

Yeah, no. They were getting their asses handed to them.

Big time.

But now it was going to be done publicly because while we could push the press back, I knew the law and couldn't prevent them from being on the street which was public property. One of the Betas reminded me that they were just kids when the SUVs pulled up, and I tried to check my temper.

Except the first got out with an annoyed sigh like he couldn't believe he had to deal with this shit.

Bad move. Bad move, idiot .

I nodded to their parents who had come with them before backhanding the first one. "You dared to not only drink underage but then get behind the fucking wheel of a vehicle and risk the lives of people? Risk the safety of your family and pack? And you still are out of your fucking mind that you don't immediately arrive here and kneel, begging for mercy with apologies!"

"I'm sorry, Alpha," he whispered, holding his cheek as he dropped to his knee. The other five did as well… While giving me shocked looks.

"You are all just as guilty to me," I told them firmly. "It wasn't just for the media or PR that Hestia and I fucking said that, and we told you that. You all drank underage, and it could have been any of you idiots who had such a lack of intelligence to get behind the wheel. None of you stopped him! "

I had to turn away when I felt my teeth changing.

"Each one of us who have lost loved ones to assholes who got behind the wheel when they shouldn't are ready to skin you," Freddie—one of my oldest Betas—said firmly. "You could have killed someone. You would have survived as born wolves, but others could have died. This isn't a joke and it's not bullshit or hoops. This is so you understand how serious this is."

"It's so you see how many are pissed at you," Hagan added. "How many you have disappointed. I lost friends serving their country, giving their lives for a purpose. And you assholes could have taken lives for your selfish stupidity! Hell, any of us who lost people we love in car accidents are salty with you. Life is hard enough. Don't risk people by being stupid!"

I thanked them both before I let my teeth change this time and gave each of them an Alpha bite on the neck to show how much trouble they were in. "You will wear that bite all summer as punishment. Your wolves will wear that bite and be punished for the bad choices and stupidity of their humans. Do better by your wolves going forward as well."

"Yes, Alpha," they replied, several whimpering and all with tears on their cheeks.

Good. It should hurt.

"Your fun summers are revoked," I continued. "I know you guys need money though for school and had jobs lined up. Hestia and I worked it all out. You won't have good-paying jobs with the pack and be treated well. On no, that was when you treated your pack well . Now you're going to earn that respect and love back.

"You are going to do penance more than the court will appoint. And this will not be used for leniency. This is so I don't kick you out of my fucking pack." I nodded when they couldn't hide their shock. "You're legal adults, idiots. You're not kids anymore. Time to act like it! Everything you do affects all of us.

"People hate us, and no one in my packs will give them more reason! Not for something completely avoidable like underage drinking and definitely driving drunk." I let out a slow breath and even stared at the sky for a moment to chill out. One more breath and I focused back on them. "Luckily, there are different laws for your stupid asses than for humans.

"So you're going to be getting a salary for the money you need for school, but you are now the pack bitches for the rest of summer. Noah's vampires are moving out of their dorms, and you will clean that dorm perfectly top to bottom. Even painting because that is where we're housing refugees who had their homes burned and worse.

"While you lived your easy lives and were stupid enough to drink and drive, there are supes who are shot on sight! So you're going to help the pack save them and give them a place to live. You're going to help mow the pack lands so the Betas don't have to. You're going to clean houses of pregnant pack who need help. Everything to help the pack you hurt!"

"And as much as I wanted you to do it like the military where you'd do it with a fucking toothbrush, we have too much that needs to be done to be that inefficient," Hagan added. "But let us be clear that this is your one chance to make amends with the packs and this family. You don't take this seriously and slack off and you're out."

"Of our families as well," one of the parents said, her voice cracking. Tears filled her eyes when her son shot her a hurt look, but she quickly wiped them. "We have other children. You—do you have any idea what they have dealt with as well because of you? You messed up. You made a mistake—poor judgment. Time to show you are a better man and wolf and deserve this pack."

"Well said," I praised, glad the parents were on board.

Mostly. A few thought this was a bit much, but they weren't willing to go against me or risk their standing. They also knew other Alphas would physically break wolves as punishment and I wouldn't behave that way, so I was still the best choice even if I took things to this extreme for a DUI.

Or underage drinking. Five of them hadn't even gotten in trouble with the police. We only knew about it because we were wolves. To the parents, they were just college kids who drank. So what?

Like… So what? Others did it all the time.

They weren't wolves with deadly weapons of claws and a hair trigger at their age. That was the big deal.

And they were lucky the cops had pulled them over to get caught instead of crashing or hurting someone. I would have lost my mind and gone nuclear then.

"Unfortunately, you are not the only idiots we have to reprimand," I told them, pointing to the one who had been driving and received the DUI. "Though you are the worst. As such, you will have help. You are all on the work detail and your asses are mine. But I am too busy to babysit you fools."

Ashley stepped forward when I waved her over.

I snorted when all of the guys gave her appreciative looks and like the situation just improved.

Idiots.

"Do you like living?" I mocked them before thumbing over my shoulder to Freddie. "That's her dad."

They all went pale as he stepped up next to me and crossed his arms over his expansive chest.

Ashley snorted. "I could lay their asses out on my own with the way I train, Alpha. And I want this job of packs coordinator when I graduate. I appreciate the chance you're giving me at this internship over the summer. I won't let anyone make me look bad, especially not some idiots who can't follow your very basic rules."

Damn. Like dayumn , girl. I saw Hagan and a few others trying to smother a smirk or snort.

I looked over to the parents. "Just like work detail or if they were in the military, they will not have their phones on them while they are working. They can contact you when they're done for the day, but mostly they will be crashing. Ashley will be with them and will give you her phone number for emergencies only ."

Ashley went to do that but then glanced over at the media. "I will tell them the number once we're inside and make sure they text it to you and you only."

"Even smarter." I glanced at my watch. "Grab your bags and let's get going. Ashley has others she's already managing this summer and you're joining them and this schedule. You're on her time now. Don't fuck it up because then you will get me and you don't want that. You get me and you get kicked out, savvy?"

"Yes, Alpha," they all said.

I let out a growl and they about tripped over themselves to the SUVs to get their bags. Idiots. When I told them to move—they needed to fucking move .

We ended up pushing things inside away from the media, and I talked with the parents a few minutes as the guys stored their gear in the three-bedroom apartment they'd be sharing. Then they came back downstairs and gave their parents a quick goodbye before being whisked off to start.

Much to the shock of all of them.

"We have a lot going on," I reminded the parents. "I told you that you didn't have to make the drive to deliver them."

"We wanted to and came to show our support that this wasn't something we would fight against," one of the dads said. "And say to your face that we're sorry that our son was part of making the pack look bad. We're sorry we didn't raise him better."

I shook his hand and smiled. "He did something totally normal and stupid kids do. His human college friends do it too often. We just have to make an example of it. Getting behind the wheel is too dangerous, and the kids can't drink underage when wolves. Hopefully, this will make it clear that the pack takes the rules seriously and they won't make other stupid mistakes."

"You won't really kick them out if they do, right, Alpha?" one of the other moms asked.

"Depends on the rule," I told her honestly. "If he gets in an accident while speeding a bit—that happens. He could have gotten in it when he wasn't—his fault or not. He gets piss drunk in a club and risks humans—that's different." I sighed when they looked worried. "There might be other steps, or they might be here under my eyes for a while away from whatever influences."

"That's fair," she accepted. "And we support punishments. It's just kicking them out when the other packs are—you know how horrible they are. Punish him however you want but please, just don't kick him out. We can smack him back into line. We all make mistakes."

I nodded that I heard her and I wasn't a rash person, but it really depended on what people did and if there was a pattern. People had to show remorse and that they were willing to correct the behavior. I had others to think of besides her son.

I had my son to protect too. My brothers. The men I loved.

And a lot of people who mattered just as much as one person who fucked up.

What else was there really to say?

The media were shouting for me when I walked them out and went to get to my day, so I swung over to them.

"Don't you think you're going too far with kids, Chief Thomas?" someone demanded.

"No, and they're not kids," I said firmly. "We might call them college kids, but they're legal adults. They can vote. They can buy a gun. They're not kids. They're also my responsibility as Alpha and reflect upon me and this pack. They made a mistake, and they will pay for the flak it's put on all of us."

"Who else is on this work detail?" someone else asked. "You said there were others. What did they do?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Why? So you can drag the pack through mud? Give more air to the people spewing crap that we're all too rabid and horrible to have in Chicago or the US?"

She flinched, blinking at me with wide eyes before frowning. "No, but you're right, that is how people would spin it around. I'm sorry." She nodded when it was my turn to be shocked. "I was trying to ask what else you take so seriously and work with your packs on more than humans." She shrugged when the other reporters gave her confused or shit looks.

"I'm confused like some of them," I admitted, thinking I knew where her head was but not sure.

She realized I was serious and snickered. "Those are White college guys from Wisconsin. If they weren't wolves, everyone would have given them a pass on everything and the typical ‘boys will be boys' bull. Not to ruin their futures by punishing them for their mistakes. All of that which I hate. I'm impressed you're taking it so seriously and making them work real penance.

"I was wondering what else you would do that for. I know you do if your pack gets any type of traffic citation. We've known that for a while. You've made it clear because more shifter accidents happen during volatile situations like auto collisions or traffic stops and you don't want your packs to be party to that. What else is a line with you? That's what I wanted to ask."

"I appreciate what you're saying and even why you're asking, but I won't be answering because of the dirt people will try to throw on the pack," I told her. "Or go digging to try and out people. I will say a few are college kids who didn't hit GPA agreements with their parents, so they're doing some penance. Other than that, it's a family matter among the packs."

"So something worse than a DUI clearly," one of the other reporters there gloated, proving my point.

I thought about that a moment. "No, the DUI is the worst. But thank you for making it clear you're just here for dirt and to shit on my people. Have a lovely day."

I rolled my eyes and walked off. What an asshole.

My entire day was jumping all around and seeing projects and updates for myself. We were in the middle of wedding season, so the flower greenhouses were a madhouse, and we were selling and shipping out more than last year. We had expanded and—it was ridiculous.

And we'd gotten a lot of flak from other flower farmers for stealing their business. They would have done it to others in a heartbeat, and online business had put smaller florists out of business for years. Some of these same providers had turned their backs on those same florists for a higher payday from those online businesses and exclusivity deals.

I wasn't going to hear about any shit of morality from them.

The fairy managing it all for Laila and me was rocking it. I basically came to show my face and check in, see if anyone needed anything and made sure people had access to me. The prey shifters we rescued always appreciated it. I talked to several of the prey we'd rescued in New York City and they looked better every time I saw them.

Especially the Russian gulls. This was the life they'd hoped for when they'd risked everything to be smuggled out of Russia. We'd rescued their friends and gotten more out. They learned English to fit in, had stable jobs, were receiving counseling and help and were safe.

And they liked their jobs. They said all of the time that helping the fairies with pretty flowers all day helped them as much as the counseling.

The seafood farms had expanded again, and they were busy because of the wedding season as well. Everything was going great, and they needed more workers.

And now we had a place for refugees who we didn't trust and needed to watch. That was also the point of me going around. I wanted it clear that we were going to get them help, but it would come with risks since people were on the best behavior around Alena. I needed people to report things to me immediately.

They all understood and agreed.

Good.

The blood bottling factory was going great—all of the businesses and farms were. Everything was going as it should be, managed well, and people were doing well. Was it perfect?

No, nothing in life was perfect. And people had been recovering from badly lean times under Engle or fleeing from where they had lived and that didn't happen overnight or even in a year. So everything was progress. That was the important part.

I headed to the building that was now going to be Noah's coven house thinking it would be more good news.

Apparently, I'd hit my good news limit for the day.

"What's wrong?" I asked Noah when he was agitated and it was bad enough that I could immediately sense it through our bond.

He did a double take when he saw me and sighed knowing he couldn't hide it. "I just received a hundred transfers."

My eyes went wide. "People want to leave? When you just got this nice place for them and—"

"No, transfer in," Remus—Noah's right hand—corrected. "Lansing, Michigan. It's practically their whole coven." He nodded when Noah snorted. "Yeah, probably some from Grand Rapids and Detroit as well. It's fishy. Very fishy."

"Then report it," I told them, wincing when they both gave me a look like I was nuts. "I didn't tell you to have the council handle it, but you should—let Carter slip it to Apollo or—what is the reason they want the transfer?"

"No job opportunities and their coven leader is stuck in the past," Noah answered. "And he is from what I know. Even Vlad used to bitch about it. They never came to anything and wanted to be an island. High supe within the area, and that said a lot coming from Vlad ."

That was for sure.

"Could you use the people?" I asked.

"Yeah, I mean—we keep expanding and bringing in more prey," he said, giving me an apologetic look.

Meaning we turned to his vampires for more security and guarding everything.

"But you don't want to piss the council off that you're adding people—especially a hundred after they forgave how many Vlad had here," I mumbled. "Okay, I will handle it." I handed something over to Remus. "If you guys could handle this through your security company. For one, everyone had a ton of fun, but it would be a training course as well."

He knew better than to ask questions and instead just took the folder and opened it. His eyebrows shot up. "Private racetrack and driving course?"

I nodded. "We can add a circle one for fun even if it's going to cost a fuck ton to level and pave, but—too many people are too interested in anywhere we try to do the training with the pack. We have the instructor I'm fucking paying on the side who's working with the supe FBI trainees, but then I can't train the pack or our supes there without getting flak—I'm over it."

"You always cut through the shit," Noah praised with a chuckle.

"It's not like we don't have the money to fucking do it," I drawled. "Screw it. I'll talk to the council too. You could get a ton more people to be trained and sent out on assignments to help vamps or coven security for smaller ones like Vlad used to do but with their blessing. Not his backhanded shit."

"Yeah, but that's a way for them to have their noses in here too," he worried.

"Not all of them. Just our friends which I don't care about. Apollo could audit our fucking books and I don't care." I kissed his cheek and stepped outside to make the call.

"Apollo is indisposed," Enzo answered.

"How come I always get you when he is?" I asked, trying to curb what else I might say.

"It's standard for us to cover each other's phones," he explained. "I leave mine with two other councilmen if there is something immediate and pressing that I cannot allow interruptions for. Nor risk my right hand to be involved in playing middleman for. You just don't call me as often as Apollo."

"Fair enough. Smart."

"What can I help you with, Seraphine?" he asked when I didn't say more.

I winced. And he would take it as helping me. "I'm calling off the record and not asking for help. We would just ignore the situation." I let out a slow breath and leaned against the building, meeting Emilio's worried gaze. "There's something fishy that came up, and I thought I'd pass it along in case you guys wanted to do some sneaky, sneaky checking it out."

"But not officially report anything and make waves," he surmised. "Yes, you are a cautious one and hesitant to point the finger. For as much as people like to criticize you, that is always what people praise even if not your fan."

"Some bells you can't unring, and even if I'm powerful and a big boss now, I'm too new to go around pointing fingers and ringing bells with much confidence." I told him what I knew which wasn't much.

"I'm not sure I've even heard of Lansing, Michigan," Enzo muttered. That made sense. Especially someone thousands of years old from France.

"I don't think it's even a hundred thousand people. It's like Rockford to Chicago, but to Detroit, Michigan."

"Yes, I know Detroit. That master is a problem now and again," he grumbled.

I nodded. "Laila said the same. He wanted pomp and circumstance to do the business association and then didn't even have a damn business for his coven."

"And what does your sirened say?" he asked, his tone amused.

"Honestly? Noah doesn't want to piss you guys off or give some of the ones itching to come at me a reason to stick their nose in Chicago. But he just turns them down flat, and he's going to look bad and whispers he can't handle anyone transferring in, not saying it's a hundred and a whole damn coven. So he might be fucked either way and a trap."

"Yes, a city that small wouldn't logically have a coven of a hundred," he agreed. "Thank you for slipping us this information. I will investigate and let you know the result when I come see you to collect—"

"Don't do that with me, Enzo," I sighed, nodding when Emilio looked near panic. "We're past those games and payment for things I shouldn't be paying for, aren't we?"

He was quiet a moment. "It's in my nature."

"Well, you're not a scorpion and I'm not a damn turtle," I snapped, clearing my throat when I practically felt the tension through the phone. "Right now is also not the time for us to have fun or even see each other. It's not."

"Are you going to tell me why?" His tone was tight and deadly.

"I thought our fun was over?" I asked instead, my tone confused.

"We're still investigating the administration and swaying things our way. I thought we were still exploring as time allowed."

I rolled my eyes and swallowed a sigh. Vampires really were too fucking greedy and turned everything to their benefit. "Well, we can discuss exploring other times when things aren't so volatile here."

He was quiet for several moments. "Something more happened with seeing your birth mother, didn't it?" He sighed when I didn't respond. "Off the record. I do not wish you harmed or to risk you. I think I have proven that."

"I learned what my new power is from when I matured. It's nothing bad, but Alena warned me that it's another reason people will target me. Eva is coming to help work with me. But also—my birth mother wanted me dead, pushed for me to have an accident. Probably more than once from the way Zeno is behaving after speaking with her privately under a siren's influence."

"Your wolf would be horribly conflicted and in a bad spot. Yes, I would keep outsiders away and be as locked down as possible."

"I'm just too all over the place, and I've told you many times you are not an enemy I want. I know you've shown me patience and let things slide, but those come with a cost when I insult someone as powerful as you. I just don't have it in me right now. I don't. I'm just trying to keep going."

"You do much better than you think, dear Seraphine. I will look into this matter as I should as council and loop in Apollo. He can update Carter. Be well and know many of us are rooting for you."

He hung up before I could reply. Well, that was something positive at least.