34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Dante

" W hat are the chances they have this new drug?" Erik asks Presley.

"Honestly, there is no way to know for sure, but the Healys were in Florida two months ago, and it was already being pushed to the enforcers there. It's likely been shopped around to the packs, and we aren't seeing much traffic on it because of the supply chain. It's not dealer to user. It's pack leadership to pack leadership. They don't need to advertise when full packs are their target audience," she says, switching the slide in her presentation.

"But how come this is the first we are hearing of it?" Elijah asks, voicing the same question I have.

Why is this available right now when we might be going to war?

"Again, we don't know, but if I were to venture a guess, they don't have an unlimited supply. If they can't make large quantities, they would prioritize the conversations they would have selling it. But that's a guess. Every other drug I see on their sites, I've been hearing about for years. This one is brand new. So new, local dealers have no idea about it," she says, her eyes flashing to mine.

Dante: Local dealers? Please tell me you haven't been talking to drug dealers…

Pres: How am I supposed to get information about drugs without talking to people in that world? Stop worrying; it was all handled online, so I covered my tracks. I just needed to know what they know.

Dante: Fuck, Pres, you are supposed to do virtual research, not communicate with the thugs of that world.

Pres: I don't know if you know this, but most criminals don't like to post about their illegal activities. Vanishing discussion boards are a safe space to talk shop for them. At least I didn't meet anyone in real life.

"Can we share with the class?" Erik says, humor in his voice as he tries to pull us out of our mind-link argument.

"Dante's mad I reached out to dealers. It was unavoidable. Anyway, I have the first team heading out after this meeting to place grids one through eight. The goal is to be done by sunrise. Thank you for the additional team members. I think we can make them work," Pres says to him before sitting down and turning the meeting back to me.

"Grids one through eight cover the area immediately surrounding the north end of the I-15?" I ask, confirming I'm reading her map correctly, and she nods. "Do we have teams watching over those areas as the sensors are placed?" I continue turning the question to Erik.

"Jake established two teams to assist with security and placement. My teams will be further out, ensuring no interference. We should be covered with shifts for the next forty-eight hours. Then it will get dicey as the sensors cover more area," he replies.

"We should have reinforcements about then, so hopefully, the timing works out. New Mexico is sending four hundred to start and another four at the end of the weekend. We just need to make it until then." I state, knowing it still might not be enough.

"Can they send a personnel list so we can work out a schedule before they arrive?" Erik asks.

"I'll have it to you in the morning," I answer before sighing and saying what I need to say.

"This will not be an easy fight. We've known this was possible for a decade, but we always believed we would have our allies on our side. Without them, we are at a considerable disadvantage. The LLC has scheduled our appeal for Wednesday afternoon, but I can't, in good conscience, leave the territory unprotected. Without Cain here, it's too much of a risk. I'll be sending Noah to the appeal on my behalf. My hope is that Marlo will go, which will delay his attack, but I have a feeling he will use that time to push into the territory," I pause for emphasis.

"We will lose people in this fight—our people. I can't prevent every death. All I can do is prepare us. We have a full-pack meeting tomorrow night. I need all of the council members standing with me. The pack needs to know we are doing this together. Win or lose, I will fight to keep men like Deacon Marlo from taking control of the state. My father believed in this pack. This is our time to prove we deserve that belief," I say, making eye contact with each of them when Quinn interrupts with a mind-link.

Quinn: The LLC just called. They have Cain in custody.

Shit!

Dante: How?

Quinn: They wouldn't say. He said it was a courtesy call to inform us they'd arrested our Second.

Dante: Noah, I need you now! Pack a bag. You're headed back to Colorado tonight.

Noah: Yes, Alpha.

My pause has everyone on edge, and I push back from the table.

"Apologies, I need to go. The LLC has arrested Cain. He's in their custody. Pres, can you pull up the arrest record and see what they are charging him with, and then meet me in my office? I will see you all at the meeting tomorrow. Make sure we are ready. Pack First," I say, placing my hand over my heart.

They mirror the movement.

"Pack First," they say in unison, and we all exit the conference room.

Fuck.

Dante: What the fuck happened? How did you get caught? Where are you?

I send to Cain, attempting to push the mind-link through.

No response. Either they drugged him, or he's unconscious, and knowing his wolf, I would bet on both.

What a shit show.

Dante: What happened? You were supposed to be hiding out.

Turning into my office, I flag Quinn to follow me.

Bri: They separated us. I'm being detained for a Reno pack representative. Cain's been charged with witness tampering, abduction, and failure to obey. They won't let me speak to anyone. They won't listen to me.

Dante: You're a female. They will only listen to him, and he's being charged. Hang tight. I'm sending legal to get you both out of this.

Quinn stands ready, a notebook in her hand.

"I need you to draft an email to Doug Martin asking him to hold Ms. DelaCourt in their custody until the appeal. She cannot—I repeat—can not go to Reno. It would cost us everything," I say as Presley walks in. And get Yelena ready. They need to leave immediately," I say before turning to Pres.

Quinn hugs her and whispers something in her ear before departing to complete my requests.

"What does the record say?" I ask, losing a bit of my control and slamming my fist into the desk, causing Presley to jump.

"He's being charged. The court date is Thursday. It looks like trumped-up charges, but unfortunately, they could stick. None of them are wrong," she says, and I rub my palms down my face, attempting to regain composure.

"What the fuck else are you going to throw at me, huh?" I shout at the ceiling, imagining The Fates up there, just adding problems to my life.

My elbows hit the table and I hold my face in my hands.

"We are going to lose everything. We can't win," I whisper so quietly I don't think she can hear the words.

"How can I help?" Her voice is small, and I still jump when I hear it.

"You can't. No one can. Deacon Marlo wants my territory, my Second's Mate, my demise. He won't stop until he gets it, and everything falls apart every time I try to get ahead. We're going to lose Pres. We can't win this war with everything stacked against us," I pause, never looking at her.

I've never felt more defeated in my life. No allies, no second, not enough resources,

"Dad trusted me to keep them safe, and I can't. I can't do this," I finish and let myself wallow in this feeling for a moment.

"Dad was right to trust in you. You have been an excellent Alpha since he passed. These are unprecedented circumstances, and I think if he were here, he would choose to stand up and fight. You're not alone, D. You don't have to do this all by yourself. We are here and ready to fight by your side. Have some faith in us," she says, and I look up into her eyes, which match our mother's, and see conviction there.

"I'm leading them to their death," I say, pain settling in my chest.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," she responds, and I can feel the resolve running through her.

"It's too late; the bad guys will win," I say, trying to prepare her.

"Dad used to say the only difference between good and bad men is the reason they fight. We fight to save our pack. He fights for power. If we are still breathing, there is still time to find a way. We just need to change his reason," she says before walking out of my office, looking more like herself than I have seen in days.

It's nice to see her fire, but I know that the only thing Deacon Marlo has ever wanted was control of our pack. He said as much the day of my mother's funeral, and now, twenty-two years later, he's coming to collect on his threat.