Saved by Her Wolves Read online

  “Sure thing,” she replied and then turned to Zack.

  “The same,” he said simply.

  “Coming right up,” she announced and, after gathering their menus, left them once again.

  Zack shook his head slightly. “You know I was about to tell you that you were being an asshole before she came back but you’re right. Uncle Jack could see the offer as us not thinking he’s capable, or feel that he’s losing even more than he already has.” He cocked his head. “When did you become the thoughtful twin?”

  “Not sure.” Dustin flashed his cheekiest grin. “But it feels great to be right for once.”

  “Don’t gloat,” Zack shot back with a chuckle. “You are right, though. I can see how he could view the offer as an attack. So, when we see him tomorrow, we’ll just make the offer to help him out with anything he might need help with, okay?”

  Nodding his agreement, Dustin was glad Zack had come around in his thinking. While not big on family visits, he did love his extended family and wouldn’t want to see any of them suffer any more than they already had. He knew Zack felt the same way and had only wanted to help their uncle, even if he had conceived a misguided way of going about doing so. As Zack changed the subject to Gabrielle, Dustin allowed his mind to wander to tomorrow when they’d take their first shift patrolling Willow Creek. He was glad to have something to do finally and couldn’t wait for Jason to come up with a lead. His entire body itched to get at the rogue shifters, the cause of so much torment for so many shifters, and an absolute plague on his family.

  ***

  Almost at the meeting spot, Brady concentrated on his driving as he employed dangerous speeds and presently did so within Willow Creek. Spotting the diner, he roared into the parking lot and parked by the group of vehicles there. As he exited his SUV, he saw the others do likewise and he recognized all the men present save one. An incredibly tall shifter stood beside Hank, and Brady concluded he must be Levi Simmons. Ryder had told him about the arrival of the agents, there to help them track the rogue pack, and then asked him to keep the knowledge to himself. While finding that strange, especially in his current capacity of liaison between agents in Willow Creek and Saskatoon, Brady had followed Ryder’s instruction. Though confused by the order, he trusted Ryder with his life.

  As he approached the group that included the SASS agents and Jason, he noticed Jack Tremblay was with them. He smiled slightly at Hank who he hadn’t seen in months and then turned to Levi when he spoke.

  “So, what’s this information we need to hear? It better be good, considering how long we’ve waited for you.”

  Knowing he’d arrived as fast as he possibly could have, Brady ignored Levi’s harsh tone. Many agents were abrupt, usually because they were so driven, occasionally because they were just assholes. It hardly mattered which Levi was, Brady would continue to operate in a professional manner. Since he was a cub, all he’d ever wanted was to be a SASS agent. Now that he’d achieved his dream, he found issues like forceful agents easy to endure. Sure, it would be simpler if everyone was pleasant, however they all worked toward the same goal, and that was all that truly mattered.

  “Ryder told me you were about to question Julian Grayson.” At Levi’s brusque nod, Brady continued. “Then you’ll definitely want this information. Grayson has issued huge cheques, made to cash, in the past five years, on a regular basis. The last one was the biggest, not in the time pattern, and issued right after we stormed that building and freed Naomi.”

  Although none of the SASS agents appeared shocked to hear the news, Jason and Jack paled considerably. Jack shook his head slowly. “The timing ... I mean, am I wrong? That means he’s...”

  “Paying off the rogue pack,” Jason finished. “We just found another leak, this one from inside our packs.” He angrily kicked the tire of his vehicle. “That’s how the pack knew to target them here, at the diner, on Evelyn’s Presentation Day. It’s how they knew to target Trina. Fuck! Grayson’s been feeding them info for a long time.” He snorted as he looked to Ryder. “Well, I guess we know why Moon Valley hasn’t been hit by the pack.”

  When he kicked the tire again, Ryder stepped forward. Brady watched intently, always amazed at how effectively Ryder calmed people, a skill Brady struggled with. Just one of the many virtues Ryder embodied, Brady hoped to emulate them all some day. Ryder clamped a hand on Jason’s shoulder and then looked between the corporal and Jack as he spoke, his voice calm.

  “This is a huge game-changer. One of our own is involved, an Alpha, and I don’t need to tell you two how delicate this situation is. We need information from Grayson, and we won’t get it if we rush in there accusing him of being a traitor. So, we’re going to head over there now but any questioning will be done by me, Hank, or Levi. I want you there, Jack, again as I think your presence could be calming, and, in light of this, maybe your presence will trigger guilt in him and get him talking. Either way, it’ll still be best if you don’t speak directly to him. And you, Jason, you’ve done an amazing job of remaining calm so far and you have to continue to do so, for just a little while longer. If you need to step back from this meeting, then do so. Nobody will think any less of you, considering how directly you’ve been affected by Grayson’s actions.”

  “No, I’m good, really. I want to be there. You said Jack’s presence might trigger guilt in Julian. Well, then my presence should too.”

  Brady thought it should cause more, considering Jason’s first mate died at the hands of the pack. Knowing the Moon Valley pack Alpha was involved would have prompted any shifter to act rashly and Jason’s control astounded him. The pack’s influence ran deeper than any of them had suspected, and it was time they received some answers as to just how deep it was.

  ***

  The instant the front door of the Grayson residence opened and Julian laid eyes on the group of shifters on his porch, Jason knew the Alpha was guilty of everything they suspected him of doing. He could see it in the shifter’s eyes and used all his restraint to not leap upon Julian and pummel him. Grayson had been feeding info to the rogue pack, funding their efforts to kidnap and torture women and Jason fought to keep his features impassive, not wanting to spur the Alpha into an attempt to flee, nor cause him to clam up. For as much as he desired to punch Grayson as hard as he could, he needed answers more. He needed to know how Julian could possible betray an entire pack of shifters, especially one led by his best friend.

  “Good evening, Alpha,” Ryder said cordially. “May we please come in? We have something to discuss with you.”

  Grayson paused before answering. It was only an instant but long enough to solidify Jason’s belief in his guilt. “Of course, please come in, all of you. We can talk in my office.”

  As the group entered the house, Karen Grayson walked into the foyer from an adjacent room. She smiled at Jack, but her smile faded as her eyes took in the others.

  “What’s going on?” Her voice was high and sounded frightened.

  “Nothing,” Julian answered smoothly. “These men are investigating the kidnappings and here to update me on the search.”

  “So late?” she questioned in the same tone as before, apparently not calmed by Julian’s composed response.

  “We apologize for the lateness of the hour, ma’am,” Ryder broke in, “but this is a time-sensitive matter and we need your husband’s help with it.”

  Ryder’s words diffused her greatly as evidenced by the dramatic change in her posture. Smiling again, she dipped her head slightly at Ryder. “Of course. I’ll leave you men to it. Would any of you care for some refreshments?”

  “No, thank you,” Hank answered, his polite tone equal to the one Ryder had employed. “We won’t be here very long.”

  With a quick nod, Karen then left the foyer and Julian motioned to a hallway.

  “Gentlemen, please, follow me.”

  Jason held the end of the line that followed Julian to his office. He’d been in the Grayson house numerous times over the years,
but never for a matter even approaching the seriousness of tonight’s discussion. Always having considered Grayson pompous, he’d never suspected the Alpha of any wrongdoing before. In the office, Julian took a seat behind his desk and invited the men to sit. Hank and Ryder sat in the two chairs before the desk, and Levi stood to the side of Hank’s chair. Brady, Wayne, and Jack sat on the sofa in the room and Jason decided to remain standing as well. He figured Levi had chosen his stance to silently intimidate Julian with his size. While he lacked Levi’s formidable stature, Jason figured a little extra intimidation couldn’t hurt.

  “What is this about?” Julian asked.

  His voice was authoritative and confident and Jason wondered if he’d misread the Alpha’s eyes when he’d opened the front door. At the moment, he didn’t seem guilty at all, merely curious. Hank leaned forward, a knowing smirk on his face, easily read by Jason from his vantage point. The SIA agent wasn’t going to pussyfoot around. No, he seemed keen on going straight for the kill.

  “You know exactly why we’re here,” Hank said, his voice accusatory. “We know what you did, now we want to know why.”

  Julian checked his watch, and then met Hank’s harsh stare. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Sure you do,” Hank shot back. “You’ve been paying the rogue pack and providing them with information that led to the kidnapping of four members of the Willow Creek pack. You’re in serious trouble here, Julian, and your best course of action would be to fully cooperate with us. If you do, I’ll see to it that you face lesser charges than the ones I can take you into custody for now.”

  “I’m an Alpha,” Julian snapped, “address me with the respect I deserve.”

  “Alphas do deserve respect, but only when displaying the best qualities of an Alpha. Your behaviour has been an affront to other Alphas and so I’ll address you by your name. You don’t deserve any more than that.”

  Grayson stiffened at Hank’s words and seemed about to stand. His eyes shot to Levi and the warning look upon the huge shifter’s face, and he relaxed his rigid posture. With another glance at his watch, he then turned his attention back to Hank.

  “What exactly is it you think I’ve done?”

  “Know,” Hank corrected. “We know you did it. You’ve been working with the rogue pack, as I said, and you will tell us how you communicate with them and what you’ve related to them. Again, if you cooperate, we can make this an easier process for you. If you don’t, we will ensure you spend the rest of your life in custody. Your co-operation will mean the difference between getting out of jail in time to meet your grandchildren, and never seeing any of your family ever again. It’s your choice.”

  With a resigned sigh, Julian leaned back in his chair. His eyes drifted to Jack and then returned to Hank. “I’m not saying a word until I know what you have on me.”

  Hank issued a mirthless smile. “Not eager to incriminate yourself in case you’ve done something we don’t know about, huh? Whatever, even if you have, we’ll find out about it. And if we never did, it wouldn’t matter. We’ve got enough on you to put you away for life.” Leaning forward more, Hank placed his folded hands on the edge of the immense desk. The invasion of the Alpha’s territory wasn’t lost on him as Grayson eyed Hank’s hands with contempt. “Okay, you want to lay cards on the table? Fine. We know you fed information to the rogue pack. As I already said, that information led to the kidnapping of four Willow Creek pack members, Nathan Tremblay, Ashlynn Tremblay, Emily Dunne, and Naomi Crawford. It also resulted in the assault of Sylvia Tremblay, and, I suspect, led to a much earlier crime, that of the murder of Trina Gagnon. You’ve also funded the pack, through cheques paid out to cash. You’re done, Grayson. Caught. There’s no way out of this for you except to cooperate to reduce your sentence.”

  Julian’s eyes had widened during Hank’s speech and now they rested on Jason. “Trina’s death was a murder?”

  “Yeah,” Jason replied bitterly, “one that you helped orchestrate.”

  “No,” Julian said slowly, shaking his head, “I didn’t know ... I thought that was a carjacking.” He sighed, looked to Jack, and then back to Hank. “They threatened my pack, my daughter. They demanded money and information. I didn’t know what to do.”

  “You should have contacted SASS at the beginning,” Ryder broke in, “instead of serving up Jack’s pack on a plate.”

  After shooting Ryder a silencing glare, Hank turned his eyes back on Julian. “Okay, while agent Lee is correct in that you should have contacted SASS, I can understand you feeling threatened, and wanting to protect your pack, especially your daughter. You’re going to tell us everything you know, from how you stay in contact with the pack, to how you delivered those cheques to them. But first, how does Emily Dunne figure into this?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Taking in the scrunch of Grayson’s brow, Jason thought he appeared genuinely confused by Hank’s question.

  “Emily Dunne,” Hank repeated. “You asked Jack to hire her, supposedly as a favour to her deceased father. You arranged for her to come to Willow Creek and now the rogue pack has her.”

  “No, I didn’t—yes, I did ask Jack to hire her, and yes, it was a favour, but I didn’t know she’d be kidnapped. I didn’t know any of them would.”

  The Alpha’s voice held an edge of desperation and Jason believed he hadn’t purposely served up Emily, Nathan, Ashlynn, or Naomi to their captors. Julian glanced at his watch again and then sighed deeply. “Look, I know ...” His voice faded as he visibly blanched and then drew himself up rigidly in his seat. “Logan.” He looked sick. “Logan,” he repeated. “How could I not see it before? It’s Logan. By the Universe, I wondered why they targeted me, how they knew I had money, and information. It’s Logan. He knew. He knows all about me.”

  “You’ve lost me,” Hank said, his eyes narrowing in apparent confusion. “Who’s Logan?”

  Julian shook his head. “I’ll tell you, everything, I give you my word I will, but you have to promise you’ll protect my family, and my pack. If it is Logan running this pack, he knows a lot about my family and I fear he’ll target them.”

  “We’ll protect them,” Hank assured him as he rose to his feet. “Please stand. You’re being placed under arrest. We’ll take you to the division where you’ll clear all of this up for us.”

  Julian slowly got to his feet and held his hands up slightly. “I’ll comply with all your demands, Agent Snow, but first, please allow me to say goodbye to my family and tell them what’s going on. You and I both know it’ll be some time before I see them again.” When Hank hesitated in answering, Grayson sighed. “Please. As a nod toward my position as Alpha, as a personal courtesy, whatever you want to label it as. No matter how you view me, right now I’m just a husband and father who has a lot of explaining to do to his family. Please allow me to tell them the truth, so they hear it and not the rumours that will certainly circulate once news of my arrest reaches the packs.”

  “Fine,” Hank replied sharply, “but make it quick. We have a lot of ground to cover tonight and it’s already getting late.”

  “Thank you,” Julian said on a relieved-sounding breath. “I promise I’ll be quick.”

  He left the room and the men followed to the foyer and then watched him ascend the staircase to the upper floor of the house. After a few moments passed in silence, tension spread throughout the group, felt strongly by Jason. The house was huge but their shifter ears should have picked up the shocked reactions of the Graysons upon hearing Julian’s confession. No noise reached them at all.

  “I’m going to check on him,” Jason called over his shoulder as he began to scale the massive staircase.

  On the top level of the house, several closed doors met his perusal and he strained to hear any noise coming from the rooms behind them. Soft music issued from the double doors at the end of the hallway and he assumed the room must be the master bedroom. He rapped on the door, not surprised when Karen Grayson answer
ed wearing a surprised expression.

  “Yes, Jason?”

  “Has Julian come up here at all?”

  “No. I thought he was still in his office with you and the other men.”

  “I’m going to search the rooms on this level.”

  “Excuse me?” The indignation in her voice grated on his frayed nerves. He didn’t have the time or the patience to deal with Karen’s insufferable sense of entitlement.

  “You heard me,” he retorted sharply. “I’m going to search the rooms on this level of the house. Julian came up the staircase so he must be up here. Seeing as he didn’t come straight to you and the boys as he said he would, he’s already lied to me. I’m going to find him before he does something even stupider.”

  “How dare you talk about your Alpha like that?” she challenged.

  “Karen, he’s not my Alpha, Jack is. I’m going to assume he kept you in the dark and I hope for your sake he did, but Julian is in serious trouble. As of tonight, he’s no longer Alpha of your pack. He’s under arrest and, trust me, the charges are significant enough to warrant your pack demanding his resignation. So, drop your high and mighty attitude and don’t interfere. I informed you of my intent to search your house as a courtesy, not to ask your permission.”

  After turning his back on Karen’s shocked expression, he proceeded to search the upper level, apologizing to Taylor when he scared the young man by entering his room without knocking. When he opened one of the bathrooms he encountered and spotted the open window, he swore loudly before running down the hall and quickly descending the staircase.

  “He’s running,” he announced.

  The group ran outside and Jason spotted taillights at the end of the long drive that ran to the house. Almost leaving Jack behind when the Alpha was slower to jump into his squad car, he then sped after the SASS vehicles already in pursuit of Julian’s fleeing car.