Alpha Betrayed: A Dark Shifter Romance

juliet

Less than an hour later, Chase's father has worked his magic and Ford and I are face-to-face with the one and only Maxim Thorn via my ex-boyfriend's laptop.

New York's Alpha is a striking man with eyes such a deep brown, they're nearly black, and a personal energy so fierce I can feel it prickling at my skin through the screen. He's clearly enraged by the news of what's happening at Lost Moon, but there's a heaviness in his expression my gut says has more to do with grief than anger.

This man just lost his little sister, after all. Or so he thinks.

I want to tell him that Diana might come back to him so badly that I have to dig my fingernails into my palms beneath the desk to curb the impulse.

There may be a time for that in the future, but that time isn't now.

We have to stay focused on the danger at hand. Clouding the issue will only make this more complicated than it needs to be and potentially cost my mother her life.

"I understand you're Hammer's children," Maxim says, clearly having been filled in on a few things before jumping on the call. "And that you're of age and prepared to take over in the event of Hammer's death."

"Completely prepared," I answer. "And we wouldn't waste any time grieving his loss. My father sold both my stepbrother and I into slavery two years ago. There's no love lost there on either of our parts." "I'll rip him apart myself," Ford adds. "All I need is a way in."

Maxim nods, clearly approving of Ford's bloodthirstiness. But as the talk progresses, he divides his attention evenly between the two of us, a fact that makes me hopeful he really is the good man Diana thought he was. Most Alphas would automatically favor the massive male in a conversation, but Maxim seems to consider my input with the same measured efficiency that he does Ford's.

"The beach gate is heavily guarded, too, but it's still likely our best way in," I add as we continue to discuss the university's fortifications and possible routes into Lost Moon. "The gate itself is wooden and weaker than that barred gates at the front and sides." "And if we distract them with an initial attack at the front of the school first," Ford adds, "their focus will be divided, and they'll be slower to respond to forces pushing in from the beach. We also have a person on the inside who might be able to help with access. If we give him a time, he might be able to arrange for the beach gate to be unlocked."

"He's assured us that a lot of the wolves aren't on board with what's happening," I say. "They're just afraid to go against Hammer and the other leaders. But if we give them a safe space to surrender, I'm guessing a lot of them will."

Maxim nods. "I agree. Especially if I have Beckett Lawson senior in custody when we demand their surrender. I've had eyes on him for a few months now. I knew he was fomenting unrest at the school, but I didn't think he'd bankroll something this stupid. I'll have a team collect him on their way north. In light of recent developments, I don't anticipate any difficulty getting enough votes from the judicial board to obtain a warrant for his arrest."

A shorter man with his long black hair tied in a ponytail at the base of his neck appears on Maxim's right, bending down to murmur something softly into his ear. Maxim nods and says, "Good. Tell Hermione the helicopters are cleared for takeoff and that I'll meet her at the rendezvous point tonight with the tanks and ground forces."

Once the man is gone, Maxim turns his attention back to us. "The Alphas of Montreal and Quebec City have approved our request to bring troops into Canada and will be providing several hundred soldiers to aid the fight. I'll touch base with you both in a few hours and tell you where and when we'll meet. Is the cell phone Chase's father gave me a good number to reach you?"

Chase ducks into view behind us. "Yes, that's fine, it's my phone," he says. "I'll stay with Juliet and Ford tonight and deploy with them. I don't have battle training, but I want to help."

"I'm sure we can find something for you to do," Maxim says. "I'll be in touch. And thank you all for bringing this to my attention when you did. The sooner we can stamp out terrorist activity like this, the less likely it is to spread."

We end the call and I slump lower in my chair, exhaling a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "We did it."

"We did," Ford says. "Thank God."

"Thank Chase," I say, shifting in my chair to face the center of the room, where Chase is now perched on the edge of one of the two queen beds. "And luck being on our side for once."

Chase smiles. "You would have gotten through to Maxim, eventually, but I'm glad I could make it easier. And faster." He glances between us. "So, should we go get some dinner somewhere or something? Do you have a suitcase you need to collect from another hotel?"

"Everything we have is in the duffel bags," Ford says, nodding toward the corner, where we dropped our things on the way in.

"And it's stolen," I confess. "We robbed a man not far from the school. Just so we'd have something to wear and food for the trip. But I'm going to send him some money anonymously, once all the craziness is over."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Chase says, thankfully not judging us for our brief foray into criminal behavior. "But if you'd like something else to wear, there's an area with shops and restaurants not far away." He glances at his watch. "I think the shops stay open until seven and I'm happy to pay for whatever you both need. I'm sure you'd feel steadier tomorrow in clothes and shoes that actually fit."

"That would be amazing," I say. "Thank you so much."

"And we'll pay you back. With interest," Ford says, his tone brusque, but respectful. So far, he's avoided licking me or taping a note that reads "Property of Ford Zion" to my forehead, but I can feel the territorial energy rolling off him in waves.

I'm sure Chase can feel it too-he's a perceptive guy-but he's way too well-mannered to ask if I'm dating my stepbrother.

But I am, in fact, dating my stepbrother. I'm more than dating him, I'm in love with him and f*****g him and determined not to let him out of my sight for the next fifty to seventy years, so...I might as well come clean.

We already have Maxim on our side. The worst thing that can happen now is Chase decides he doesn't want us shacking up with him tonight or using his cell phone, after all, and we have to go buy our own phone and reach out to Maxim's people with the new number.

I cut into Chase's assurance that we don't need to pay him back with a blunt, "Ford and I aren't just stepsiblings. We're together. Like...together together," I add in response to his confused look, sending his brows shooting toward his hairline. "I know that may seem scandalous from the outside looking in, but we didn't spend much time together as children. We didn't have a family relationship or any relationship at all, really, until we reconnected a few weeks ago and slowly became more than friends. I hope that's not weird for you." "But if it is, we can go," Ford pipes up with an eagerness that makes me cut a sharp glance his way.

But he isn't looking at me. His gaze is fixed on Chase, a challenging look in his eyes that makes me regret speaking up. If I have to get in the middle of two men fighting over who peed on me first, I'm not going to be happy about it.

We have way bigger things to worry about than the fact that the only two men I've ever been intimate with happen to be in the same room at the same time, and I've already made my choice. Chase is a good guy, but he's my past. Ford is my present and my future. Chase nods, his raised brows slowly sliding down his forehead. "Oh. Okay. I sensed there was something between you, but I thought..." He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter what I thought. And it's none of my business. If you're happy and Ford is treating you better than he did when he bullied you as a kid, who am I to stick my nose into your personal business? I just want you to be happy."

Letting the dig at his behavior as a kid slide, Ford says, "I appreciate that, man. And I feel the same. Juliet's well-being is my top priority. I'm grateful for your help keeping her safe."

"I'm always going to be here for Juliet," Chase says, holding Ford's gaze with the confidence of something much larger than a badger shifter. "Any time she needs me, whatever she needs me for."

"She'll need your friendship," Ford says. "Friends are always good things to have."

Arching a wry brow, I murmur, "If you two are done huffing and puffing, I'd love to go find some shoes that don't pinch my toes. And a calzone or four. Sounds like we're going to need fuel for the fight tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Chase says, his lips hooking up on one side. "And badgers don't huff and puff. We dig in and hold our ground. You've got a friend for life in me, Juliet, even if it's never anything more than that." "Which it won't be," Ford mutters softly enough that Chase can pretend not to hear him.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

"Thank you, I appreciate that," I say, ignoring Ford until Chase excuses himself to use the restroom before we leave.

Only when the bathroom door shuts behind him do I turn to Ford and widen my eyes. I intend to mouth a warning for him to play nice, but my frustration is washed away by a wave of affection when he whispers, "I can't help it. I just got you back, Growly, and I'm feeling possessive."

I sigh, moving into his arms as he draws me in for a hug. "It's okay. If our positions were reversed, I'd probably be marking my territory, too."

He kisses the top of my head. "Good. You can mark me any day. Except tomorrow. I don't want you on the boat, Jules. You should stay behind with Chase and the rest of the support team."

I lift my chin, catching his gaze. "But you know that's not going to happen, right? Not unless you tie me to the bed and sneak out in the middle of the night?"

"And then you'd just burn through the ropes and come after me," Ford says, affection mixing with the regret in his words. "Would it make a difference if I told you I'd fight with a clearer head if I knew you were out of the line of fire?"

"Would it help if I reminded you that you'd be dead if I'd left you alone the last time you told me to?"

His lips press into a thin line. "You're annoying."

"And right," I insist.

"And right," he admits with a sigh. "At least promise me you'll go in as a phoenix and stay a phoenix. I know you're good with a gun, but you're half the size of most of the men we'll be fighting. If they disarm you in your human form, your chances of walking away in one piece aren't good."

"You have a shifted form now?" Chase asks from the now open bathroom door. "That's amazing news."

"Yeah, it's pretty great," I agree, stepping out of Ford's embrace. "Except for forgetting all my memories after I went full burn."

Chase winces. "Ouch. Yeah, I knew that was always a concern for you. I did some research on phoenix shifters after you were gone, just to see if there was anything there to hint at what might have happened to you. It mentioned that the full burn mind wipe isn't always permanent." He glances Ford's way. "Connecting with someone important to you afterward can help bring old memories back online." "Interesting," Ford says in a suggestive tone. "It did seem like...connecting did the trick."

This time I don't try to hide my eye roll as I slap his arm. "Stop."

"What?" he asks, as Chase chuckles, thankfully seeming more amused than jealous of the "connection" Ford was obviously referring to. "Stop being crass," I mutter.

"I wasn't being crass," Ford shoots back. "I was confirming Chase's intel on phoenix shifters."

"I'm just glad you remembered me," Chase says as he opens the door to the room, motioning us out into the hall in front of him. "That would have been a mind bender to walk up to a girl I'd thought was dead for years only for her to have no idea who I was." "Me, too," I say, moving past him. "I'm so glad to see you again. And so grateful for your help."

"Same," Ford says behind me. "You made this so much easier, and we appreciate it."

"My pleasure. Truly." Chase closes the door behind him. "I'm just so glad to know you're alive. And for what it's worth, I agree with Ford about you staying with the support team. You promised Maxim you two were ready to lead Zion in Hammer's absence. That'll be hard to do if you're both killed in the fighting tomorrow."

Ford jabs a thumb at him as we walk down the hall toward the elevators. "I'm starting to see what you liked about this guy. He's smart."

"Gang up on me all you want," I say peacefully. "I'm still going to be in the air tomorrow with a mouthful of fire for the man who thought he could throw his children away."

"Not all his children," Chase says. "Apparently, he had a secret family he kept hidden in the parallel until after you mysteriously disappeared. Now, he's determined to marry his teenage daughter to the Alpha of San Diego, a man nearly twice her age. Everyone on the West Coast is gossiping about it and what it could mean if two extreme, anti-Maxim packs form an alliance."

"I want more of that gossip," I say, hitting the button to call the elevator. "Everything about Ophelia and the Zion pack that you can remember from the past two years. The more we know, the better prepared we'll be when we head home to rule."

Even with the danger we're facing in the morning in front of my mind, I truly believe we'll be taking over Zion sooner than later. It's not the naïve optimism I experienced in my memory-less state, however. It's just logic.

Now that we have Maxim, Quebec City, Montreal, and whoever else Maxim gets to join the fight on our side, we're going to vastly outnumber the insurgents currently occupying the Lost Moon campus.

Even when we arrive at the abandoned air strip outside the city where our allies are assembling early the next morning to learn Quebec City has pulled out at the last minute, I'm not too worried. Maxim's forces are intimidating-well-organized and impressively armed-and the Alpha of Montreal has thrown everything his pack has at the fight. He's supplied three soldiers for every one of Maxim's as well as a small fleet of ships for the water attack.

As I hug Chase goodbye, thanking him again and promising we'll catch up more on the West Coast, once Zion pack lands are under new leadership, I feel confident. I know lives will likely be lost in the fight and that Hammer might hurt the people I love in an attempt to punish me for rising against him, but at the end of the day, victory will be ours.

I believe that. I truly do.

I believe it right up until the moment everything goes wrong.