A/N: So sorry. Once again life got in the way. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Much love to all my fans without you I wouldn't know how to go on. Enjoy all comment welcome.
*****
"You had one job! To watch and report back. How did you manage to fuck that up?" Marco watched the vein in Simon's head throb angrily and tried not to cringe. "How could you fuck up again?" He screamed before lashing out claws extended. Marco fell back with a groan clutching his face, blood running between his fingers.
"Stop whining and get off the floor," Simon growled turning to Case, "next time I send you out keep him on a leash," he spat. Case covered his snort of derision with a cough and left Marco to pick himself up. Marco was no more than a spoiled boy with dreams of being Alpha. He also liked causing others pain, especially females. Case may have been an outcast but he had some moral fiber. Marco wasn't worth his time or energy.
As Simon stalked into Dean Terrance's office two of his men pushed past him dragging a struggling omega between them. Dean was draped across his chair as though it were a throne his feet kicked up on the heavy mahogany desk.
"Chuck, why are you bringing that trash in here?" he drawled.
"We found him trying to sneak in to the holding cells," Chuck tossed the shifter to the floor before collapsing into a chair before his Alpha.
"Please Alpha, my mate is in there. She's pregnant, she needs me," the shifter pleaded on his knees.
"Are all of your wolves so pathetic?" Simon sneered.
"Unfortunately. But we will be getting new pack members soon."
"Alpha," the omega begged, "please I can feel her through our bond."
"She broke pack law," Dean snarled jumping to his feet.
"No . . . no . . . she wasn't trying to flee. I swear."
"She was caught trying to pass into another pack's territory. No one leaves. No one!" His face turned purple with rage and he slammed his fists into the desktop. Theo struggled not to show is hate and contempt for the unworthy Alpha's fury. It was only the feeling of his mate trying to suppress her suffering through their bond that kept him from speaking his mind. Most of the pack stayed only because Dean had locked up a loved one and fleeing would be a death sentence for those held in the cramped shifter proof cells. There were some quiet whispers about uniting to overthrow Dean's leadership but with the betas firmly in Dean's pocket and submission so ingrained in the lower ranking shifters it was an impossible hope.
"Alpha if you just . . ."
"You know what Theo," Dean interrupted with mock sincerity, "You're right, you should be with your mate. Archie, Chuck, put him into the cell with the others," Dean flopped back into his chair with a flippant wave of his hand. Theo was so shocked he gave no resistance when Chuck and Archie, cackling, took a bruising grip on his arms and dragged him back out.
"You keep this up you're going to run out of wolves,"
"I don't need any advice from you. You're not even a real alpha." Dean sneered.
"When I signed on you promised me more. But since then all we've done is scare a few wolves and keep yours from leaving. What good is that?" Simon snarled.
"We'll do this on my time! Don't push me. I'm going to destroy Xavier Cambridge. I'm going to take his mate, his pack, and his land. And when I have all that I'm going to crush him body and soul."
"Yeah, yeah. That's all good but how?" Delia complained sauntering into the offices and perching daintily on the edge of Dean's desk.
"Good question," Simon added sarcastically, "I don't think our Alpha's thought of that just yet."
"The girl is the key. We get the girl we control Cambridge," Dean answered haughtily.
"Good luck with that. Xavier's moving her to the compound. He's never gonna let her out of his sight or covered by his most trusted and lethal betas," Delia complained.
"So we have to find a way to separate the two of them," Dean started to pace around his office. "He has to be far enough that he can't get back quickly. But how?" Dean looked up and saw Simon lounging against the wall and bared his teeth in a grim smile, "How do you feel about cats?"
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The kitchen was a whirlwind of activity. Pans were flying in and out of the large ovens, piles of vegetables were being washed, chopped and diced, and enormous amounts of meat were baked, grilled, and fried. Though Mina clearly wanted time to chat with Jordan she had to get up every few minutes to help in the prep work and direct her helpers.
During one of Mina's trips around the kitchen Jordan had had enough. Mina had insisted she sit and relax but Jordan was never one to sit around when there was work to be done. Taking a spare apron off the rack by the door she joined a girl peeling potatoes.
It was a few minutes before the girl realized she was there. Wide eyed, she dropped her knife and just stared.
"Um . . . am I doing it wrong?" Jordan asked self consciously.
"No," the girl stammered. "But you're the Alpha's mate. This is omega work."
"Okay," Jordan said confused, "I'm not sure what that means." The girl just continued to stare.
"It means that you're supposed to be above these sort of menial tasks," another woman said joining them at the table. This woman smiled lighting up her entire face. Her nose and cheeks were peppered with freckles and her tousled light brown hair was cropped short. Her blue eyes sparkled as Jordan took in her long legs in envy. "Don't mind Erin, she's just likes rules. I'm Taryn and I say the more the merrier!"
Jordan smiled at the newcomer. "I'm Jordan and I'm happy to help."
"But you're the Alpha's mate," Erin exclaimed clearly still in shock.
"Well if that means I'm not supposed to cook I should warn you, not only do I cook, I also clean dishes," Erin's eyes practically popped from her head. "Yes," Jordan said seriously leaning in with a mock whisper. "Don't tell anyone but sometimes I even clean bathrooms!"
