“Okay, listen up, assholes, I have a warm bed with an equally warm woman in it waiting for me,” Jacks bellowed to the team. “I want this meeting done and over with before Ryleigh even realizes I’m not lying next to her. Wyatt, dial-up Senior and Kayden and get them in on this session. I want to get this thing going.”
Cash looked up from his laptop, “Hey, hold up a minute. Why is Kayden being brought into the meeting? Not that I wouldn’t mind the help, but doesn’t he have his hands full right now?”
Jacks didn’t seem offended by Cash questioning him or stopping Wyatt from making the call. Was this another new aspect of the Team? Had this happened seven or eight months ago, Jacks would have gone all Alpha on his ass. Jacks was a good man, but used to have a hair trigger as far as the Alpha vibes were concerned.
Bas waited along with the rest of the team to see what Jacks was going to do next. When Bas felt the thick Alpha vibes coursing through his body, he had his answer. Jacks wasn’t hitting them as hard as usual, but he was still hitting them.
Being Alpha provided Jacks with abilities none of the rest of them had. He could force compliance, creating their own regulation department. It was part of the magic of being a Shifter. If a Shifter was out of control, Alphas could force them to submit by projecting their dominance, much like in the wild. Alpha’s were stronger, faster and more brutal. Lucky for them Jacks was also a good man who didn’t believe in exploiting those attributes.
“Kayden is going to be on the call because I want him on it, plain and straightforward,” Jacks growled.
Bas wasn’t surprised when Cash didn’t flinched like the rest of them. The man could be an Alpha. He had the magic and the disposition, but for some reason, long ago, he decided he would follow Jacks. Bas didn’t even try to understand that; he had no illusions of one day becoming an Alpha. That was a gift the fates bestowed on very few. To stifle those urges and follow someone else had to wear on the guy constantly.
Bas didn’t understand it, but he respected the man's choices. Cash was his own person, and he made his decisions based on his needs, not anyone else. Who was Bas to question it? Everyone had their role. The fact that Cash chose to follow instead of lead showed the man’s ultimate strength.
Bas watched as Cash gathered himself. He didn’t want to think about a time when those two would finally go after each other. The tension was like a hundred-pound weight lying on Bas’ chest. Both men were putting off vibes, raising the hairs on Bas’ neck and arms. The tension was stirring his bear, which he had just gotten some small bit of control over just seconds ago, and was pissing him off.
Thankfully, a few seconds later, Cash bared his neck in deference, and the vibes in the room lessened. Jacks wasn’t trying to be a dick, he just was. Bas knew the man didn’t expect any of the guys in the room to follow him blindly, but it was imperative to their animals there was a hierarchy firmly in place. If not, there would be nothing but chaos.
“Listen, I know this isn’t what we originally planned, but Kayden is the closest to us,” Jacks explained. “If something goes down like the attack a while back, he needs to know exactly what the hell is going on here at Alpha. I’ve brought him up to date on Ryleigh and the pregnancy. I’ve also clued him in on Emma and McKenna, with Dalton and Emma’s permission. If Declan and I can’t be there for Kenna if she Shifts too early, we need back up.”
Bas understood Jacks’ reasoning. McKenna was the linchpin, so to speak. She was the first known Shifter female born in over a hundred years. She was only a couple of months old and was already showing signs of having the ability to Shift, which was unheard of in their society. They had all been watching her very closely, and none of them were looking forward to the day it ultimately happened. Shifting as a preteen was hard enough. You had to hold the animal back so you could return to your human form.
Most times that required the help of other members of the clan. They would often talk a newly Shifted male back to his humanity. If that didn’t work, an Alpha could force the change back. However, that route was painful, and if not done right, it could lead to permanent physiological damage to both the human side and the animal. Bas knew Jacks didn’t like using that power. In all the time they’d been with each other, Bas had only witnessed Jacks using it three times. Each time it was absolutely necessary. The thought of forcing Kenna to change hurt Bas’ heart. The damage would be catastrophic if not done with care. Although he didn’t have a relationship with Kayden, Bas knew Jacks and Cash did. If they trusted him with Kenna’s safety and well-being, Bas would too.
McKenna, or Kenna as they all called her, was Emma’s daughter and Dalton’s child of the heart. Her conception was all kinds of wrong. Emma was Dalton's mate, true and fate blessed, but before finding her way to him and the Team, she’d been kidnapped and impregnated. The asshole who took her was sick fuck who wanted a designer baby of his very own to play with. His equally sick parents had taught him it was okay to use and abuse people for one's own amusement. The same sick fuck just so happened to be Ryleigh’s brother. It didn’t seem like the taint of that family would be leaving the Shifter race anytime soon. He knew that weighed heavily on Ryleigh .
Bas thought about the little girl who had taken all of the men of Alpha down and wrapped them around her tiny chubby finger. She was the future. That little girl represented something they had all been hoping for, a chance. If one female Shifter could be born, then others could as well, possibly saving their race from extinction. The problem was the way she came into the world.
Jules Abernathy had commissioned Kenna's creation. Bas didn’t understand it. Then again, he wasn’t a fucked-up asshole like Jules had been. Bas was thankful the douchebag would never breathe the same air as any of them again and would never have another opportunity to hurt another woman or child.
The bastard had taken Ryleigh right out from under Jacks' nose with the help of one of their own. Damn, it still hurt to think about Eli. The man had been a member of their team for years, and none of them ever suspected his loyalties lay elsewhere. Bas knew Jacks blamed himself for not seeing Eli for what he was sooner, but Bas couldn’t help but think they were all at fault.
The Teams were trained to see things others didn’t, to figure out who the bad guys were and take them out. Finding out they had one in their midst for years and never saw it went against everything in their nature. All the men of Alpha pledged their loyalty to Jacks as well as NAC. Eli had done the same, but the words and bond weren’t enough. He tried to take out the Team and helped Abernathy kidnap and hold Ryleigh.
“Now, like I said again,” Jacks emphasized the words, looking to Cash, waiting to see if he was going to interrupt again. “I have places to be and a mate to please. Let’s get on with this shit. That is unless one of you fuckers wants to question something else I’ve said.”
“Fuck man, we don’t need to hear that shit!” Cash groaned. “It’s bad enough that we have to witness all that lovey-dovey crap day in and day out. Can’t we just deem the conference room a no love-sick zone? I, for one, could use a little break from all of it.”
Jacks didn’t comment. He just stared at Cash. No Alpha vibes this time, just quiet contemplation. Jacks nodded his acknowledgment to Cash. That shocked the shit out of Bas. He had expected a smart-assed comment or even more Alpha vibes, but nothing, just a quick nod of the head. Fuck, maybe things were worse than Bas thought. Everyone, except Wyatt and Ethan, seemed to be acting out of character today.
The meeting went quickly. Kayden was brought up to date on everything and the rest of the time was spent going over more of the unknowns. Who was their primary target, Pandora or Davis Defense? How much was The Association playing into all the chaos or were the fuckers just waiting in the wings? Were they waiting for their chance to pounce? Bas had no idea, but it was a firm possibility.
Kayden spent a good deal of time going over the five women they had recently rescued. They were all traumatized, and he was having a hard time breaking through to an
y of them. The Holly Group’s Psychologist, Ava, was helping, but the process was slow going. The most damning piece of information he provided was one of the women had been a plant. She had been sent with the others to keep them in line and gain information on what the Teams and NAC knew. It sucked because their mission in life was to protect women and children. Whoever was pulling the strings knew exactly how to strike to cause the most conflict and hurt.
Bas noticed Senior had been reserved and quiet during the meeting, choosing to listen instead of commenting much. It wasn’t like the man. He was their leader, and in the past, he would be the one conducting and steering any meetings. But for some reason, Senior was letting Jacks and Kayden direct the flow this time.
Bas and everyone else on the Teams knew the score. When Senior decided to step down, Jacks was slotted to take his spot at the helm. Bas didn’t know how he felt about that. Would it mean Alpha Team would be dismantled or would they just go on to the next phase without missing a beat? Bas doubted the change would be seamless. Then again, Cash could take over as Alpha with little to no fuss. He wondered if that was what the powers at be had in mind.
The group must have been staring at the monitor in silence for too long because Senior finally spoke, “Listen, I know none of you are going to like this idea, but you need to get in touch with Zoey and have her interrogate the woman.”
Bas’ focus turned to Kayden’s face on the screen of the monitor. The man looked pissed, just as he had expected. Zoey was his sister, and from the rumors he was hearing, things which happened in her past beyond damaged her. Bas didn’t know all the details, and he didn’t want to know them. Everyone on both the Teams and in The Holly Group had demons. Bas wasn’t the type of person to judge someone because of them.
When Kayden started to protest, Senior held up his hand.
“Hear me out. Zoey has a skill set we need right now. I know you don’t like it, but we have run out of options. None of our men are willing or able to do what needs to be done to get the information we need. Zoey can do that.”
Bas’ attention never left Kayden. The man might not be in the room with them, but he was putting off enough menace to rile all their animals. Damn, he was starting to wonder if they could get through this meeting without one of them Shifting. Bas’ pay level didn’t allow him to have all the details, and right now, he was wondering what Senior had to be thinking. Bas had to admit, he was also a little curious about what skills Zoey was supposed to have.
Bas wasn't a stranger to interrogations, having been a part of many. Some went relatively smooth with the interrogator obtaining information without much of a fuss. Others didn't go as well, and more advanced technics were needed to get the information. The person interrogating had to be willing to put themselves in a place of not caring about humanity, morals, or ethics to get answers which were needed. In all his time in and out of the military, he had never heard of a woman who was able to get answers the hard way. He knew there were women out there who could get answers, but they often applied softer means. Bas was pretty sure those weren’t the tactics Senior was eluding Zoey had.
Kayden’s outburst didn’t surprise any the guys in the room.
“No fucking way, Senior, Zoey is just starting to fucking talk to me,” Kayden snapped. “I’m not going to ask her to do anything that would jeopardize that. My sister has walls. Fuck, she’s like a goddamn fortress. I'm not willing to give up the small crack I’ve made my way into, so NAC can fill a need that shouldn't need filling. She seems hardened and unaffected, but deep down, she isn’t. All this stuff affects her and not in a positive way.”
“Listen, Kayden” Senior growled, “I get it. You don’t want to put your sister in an abhorrent situation, but there are things you don’t know about Zoey. She’s stronger than you give her credit for. The girl has been through more than anyone I know. And considering the group we hang with that’s saying a hell of a lot. Zoey needs us to respect her enough to let her make her own choices. If she agrees to interrogate the women, then you need to let that happen. You also need to turn the other cheek on the methods she may use to get that information.”
“Fuck that!” Kayden yelled. “She isn’t some goddamn means to an end here. We can figure out another way.”
“I get it, Kayden,” Jacks interrupted the two men, “but listen, man, I agree with Senior. We need to ask her. We can’t make decisions for her, or hell, any of the women of The Holly Group. If we stifle what makes them who and what they are, then aren’t we just as bad as the people who are trying to cage and exploit them? The decision needs to be hers and hers alone. If she chooses not to participate, I can respect that, but if she chooses to, then you need to accept that. Can you?”
For the first-time Bas noticed how tired Kayden looked. He had been so caught up in his own messed up head, he hadn’t paid much attention to the other Alpha. His hair was sticking up at all different angles, and he had deep, dark circles under his eyes. He also looked leaner, gaunt even, like he wasn’t taking the time to eat properly. And just like him and Cash, Kayden’s beast was close to the surface. Bas had heard things were bad, but it looked like Kayden was having a bitch of a time. Bas didn’t think there was anything Alpha could do to help him out this time. Bas watched as the man’s face turned from one of fury to resignation.
“Fuck, listen, I’m not going to be the only obstacle here as far as Zoey is concerned,” Kayden warned. “Senior, you need to get in touch with Milo. Something is going on between the two of them, and I think it would be in everyone’s best interest if we are even considering this, to give the man a heads-up.”
Bas didn’t want to touch that statement with a ten-foot pole. He might not know Kayden all that well, but he did know Milo, Alpha of Zulu Team, having worked with him extensively while in the service. Milo Stern was a crazy motherfucker, and from the sounds of it, Zoey fit right in with the man. That pair would be a match in heaven or hell, Bas just didn’t know. He also had no desire to witness the fallout or blessing sure to come.
“Noted,” Senior said.
The team went on discussing other information and topics. Thankfully Zoey, Milo, and Kayden's issues were dropped. Bas didn’t know the women of The Holly Group all that well except for Mia. She had spent a lot of time with Ryleigh and Emma over the last couple of months. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to get to know any of them. They might be a group of guys, but the gossip mill was alive and well within the Teams, and what he was hearing wasn’t all that good.
Jacks made a comment recently about Alpha turning into some soap opera, and Bas was inclined to agree. Maybe Senior should consider changing the NAC name to As the Shifter Turns or Guiding Your Genetically Engineered Mate. Snickering at his own joke, Bas almost missed the question Jacks asked Kayden.
“Have you gotten any more information on the tranquilizers used at the Pandora facility Cassie was recovered from?”
Cassie Larson was a young girl who had been kidnapped while on spring break. She was also one of Franklin’s children. The Holly Group was able to determine that Cassie held only one set of Shifter genes and linked her back to Kayden’s line. The girl didn’t Shift to their knowledge, but what made her the prize everyone wanted was they all believed she had the ability to birth Shifter children.
Shifter children births were not a guarantee in their world. A male Shifter could have multiple children, and only one of them would process the trait. The children who did get that trait were also always male. Dr. Franklin had finally found, after years of experimenting, how to increase the odds. Bas and the rest of the Teams wanted to kill the man, but regrettably, God got to him first.
“Not to my knowledge,” Kayden answered. “That Mia chick from The Holly Group hasn’t been back this way. Shit, she ran out of here with you guys like her damn tail was on fire after she processed those women. I haven’t heard or seen from her since. She didn’t even have the common decency to tell me what the hell was going on before she left
“I k
now this merger is new, but you might want to have Ryleigh inform her people of proper protocols. Like information sharing or universal respect. She treated my place and people like second-class citizens, not even offering them the time of the fucking day. Shit man, you guys seem to have her on speed dial. I think you’re gonna have to make that call and get those answers yourself.”
Wow, as far as Bas was concerned, Mia was a part of their family. She played around with the guys, and they all felt comfortable with her. She was also Ryleigh's best friend and kept her and the rest of ladies happy and healthy. Hearing Kayden describe the woman that way didn’t compute in Bas’ mind. Mia was a damn good doctor. The woman had a way of calming everyone down around her and never once did he get the vibes Kayden was talking about from Mia. She was funny, smart, and most of all, levelheaded.
“I’ll arrange that,” Jacks responded. “Ryleigh and Cash are flying out tomorrow to meet up with her. I’ll have Ryleigh relay the message and ask her to report back when and if she has any further information.”
Damn, that was new. Bas never expected Jacks to allow Ryleigh to leave Alpha base. The woman was six months pregnant and wanted by Pandora, Davis, and The Association. He hoped everything was all right. Jacks continued the conversation like what he’d just said was no big deal and that concerned Bas even more.
“The last thing we need to discuss is locations. Ryleigh, Peyton, and Wyatt have come up with a list of women we believe might be part of Franklin’s program. Since Alpha is temporarily out of commission for the foreseeable future, we need to forward those names on, so someone can check them out.
“All the women on the list have AB negative blood and were born within the last twenty-five years. They were placed either in foster care, put up for adoption, or placed in group homes. We need blood samples to check for Shifter DNA. If they test positive, we need to come up with a plan on how we’re going to keep them safe. We’re not the only people with the ability to locate them. Franklin’s computer drives yielded minute amounts of information, and Ryleigh has all but abandoned their use. The group has decided to go old school, narrowing our field. Again, if we figured it out, then one of the others could as well. We also need to determine if and when we’re going to let these women in on our race and their possible roles in it. So far, our methods haven’t been all that stellar.”
NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team Page 85
