Traitor (Shifters Unlimited: Clan Black Book 3)

by KH LeMoyne

  Despite the influx of support, Rayven’s gaze flitted between Nathan and the furred hindquarters covering the space where Hazel’s toddler legs should be. Horror mixed with concern flooded the intangible stream that connected Breslin to his mate. Somehow he needed to reassure her. While he hadn’t completed their mating claim, he didn’t doubt the origin of the emotions and the incredible power surge he’d received during his mission. He and Rayven were linked, and he would use every advantage they had to help her through this.

  Nathan is healthy and whole. And Hazel will get the chance she needs to recover. Focus on the trial for now, because we all need you.

  Rayven looked at him, her eyes widening. Good, evidently in close proximity, he could at least speak privately to her. He offered a quick smile, one he doubted anyone would catch, but she knew him now. He didn’t need the link to feel her reassurance.

  Hazel whimpered as she looked over his shoulder at all the people. Breslin turned sideways, hiding her from the view of the audience. Only Rayven and Deacon remained in her sight. His alpha bent toward him. “See that the children are settled in the adjoining visitor room. You take post at their door.”

  “I need to stay with Nathan for a few minutes,” Breslin whispered in Hazel’s ear as he jiggled her slightly. “You’ll be safe with Aubrey and the others, okay?”

  At her slight nod, he handed her into Aubrey’s arms, gesturing toward a door at the far side of the tribunal room. “It’s stocked with drinks and food if the kids are hungry.”

  Hazel ceased her crying and nuzzled against Aubrey.

  Deacon gestured for Nathan to take one of the chairs on the main floor. He glanced with intent toward the door now closing behind Rayven’s team and the children.

  Breslin planted himself there, his sole focus on Rayven and Nathan as Whit joined Deacon before the teenager.

  Waving a hand toward the audience section, Deacon indicated Jacob to Nathan. “I want you to tell me if you’ve ever seen that man before.”

  “They’re fucking pack members, of course they’ve seen—” Jacob’s tirade ended in a gurgle.

  “Once more and I will deal with you outside. Permanently,” Vendrick said as he cocked his head, his hand around Jacob’s throat.

  Lena sighed as Grizz took a position behind Jacob and clamped a thick palm around the back of his neck. “I’ve got him.”

  “Let’s try this again,” Deacon said. “Just tell the alphas where you last saw that man.”

  Nathan leaned forward. “In the cave near the alpha stronghold.”

  “Can you explain in more detail?”

  “It was after I was first kidnapped. I was taken there and held in a cage. Jacob was there, laughing with a woman. And they’d—” Nathan swallowed hard and clutched the arms of the chair.

  “Take your time.”

  Breslin had to hand it to the boy. Recounting his story in front of the entire board of alphas and under the obvious disdain of several clan members wasn’t easy for a full-grown adult, much less a fledgling shifter without any alpha to protect him. However, he’d promised the boy his protection and his oath should mean something. For now, he waited, knowing Deacon would keep Nathan safe.

  The young man pulled his shoulders back. “He came to count the number of children in the cages. He and the woman had some agreement about a specific number she needed. He gave her the names of families with several kids.”

  “Do you know why this woman wanted the children?” Sheridan asked. Breslin was surprised at the direction of questioning, but he hoped it boded well for Rayven.

  “She considered them her best option for testing her drugs.” He looked aside for a minute, his jaw clenched tight. “The drugs forced some of the kids to shift. Most of them were messed up. Once we were on the drugs, she could control us. Make us shift. Make us move or stop like puppets.”

  Jacob snarled. “This is bullshit. The kid’s making this up.”

  “I didn’t make this up.” The boy responded more quietly now, but his jaw tensed as he whipped his shirt over his head. Claw marks and wide scars crisscrossed his body. Just like the marks Breslin had first seen on Rayven. He fought to keep his claws from bursting through his fingertips. “When the kids cried to go home, she’d let one of her men beat them until they shut up.”

  Hand suddenly to his throat, Nathan stopped, blinking toward Breslin, his eyes wide with panic. “Can’t—”

  Whatever was trying to silence Nathan stopped as Deacon placed a hand on Nathan’s shoulder, physically shielding him with alpha power and blocking his view of the audience. Breslin glanced around, searching for the culprit but everyone’s expressions were intense and focused on the drama, making it impossible to ferret out the source.

  “You’re safe here, son,” Deacon said. “Continue.”

  The boy’s hands trembled badly, but he crossed his arms and dug his fists beneath his armpits, determined to finish. “Jacob watched, and he bragged about his reward.” Nathan’s lips pursed. “How Gauthier’s bitch of a daughter would be the first of his breeders. If she didn’t give him a son, he’d follow her father’s lead and toss the brats off the top of Rocky Gorge.”

  Jalair stood again and shook his hand toward the boy. “I don’t see how any of this is relevant. We’re here to judge Rayven Karndottir, not her father’s enforcers.”

  Sheridan shook his head, running his fingers through his hair, and turned back to Nathan. “Please tell us what you know about Gauthier’s murder.”

  “That was the night Rayven tried to rescue me. But part of Jacob’s team showed up and recaptured me.” He glanced at Rayven. “And her.”

  “It’s not your fault, Nathan,” she said. “None of this is your fault.”

  “She should not be allowed to speak to the witness,” Barnabas said. At Vendrick’s growl, he shrugged and shook his head, then muttered, “Well, she shouldn’t.”

  “Did you actually see your alpha?” Sheridan asked.

  The young man scowled. “My wolf was kept in a cage, but I saw him.” He nodded toward Rayven. “She was in the cage next to me. They had an IV in her to keep her unconscious. Karndottir arrived not long after to meet with the woman. She’d promised the alpha she could give him all the sons he wanted.” He rubbed his hands over his knees and then clenched his fists. “She and the doctors told him they’d start all these boy babies in, like, test tubes, and he’d have a whole litter. He bought it all. Was so excited he turned his back on them to look at the details on the computer. She whipped out a gun and shot him a bunch of times. Stabbed him too. Over and—”

  He paused and rubbed at his face, which was turning an unnatural shade of pale green.

  Deacon rubbed his jaw and stared around the room, then he looked back at Nathan. “How long were you kept in cages the second time?”

  “Four or five days.”

  “Then how do you know that Rayven didn’t murder her father?”

  “Because he was killed the first night we arrived. The night of my first shift.” Realizing everyone was still waiting, Nathan continued. “It was the full moon that night. Rayven was unconscious for days afterward. And I saw the other woman kill the alpha.”

  “Why would she have committed a crime in front of a witness?” Whit continued.

  Nathan gave a tight smile and sat up straight. “She called us lab rats. We were disposable. She didn’t pay us much attention. She was so proud to kill her own father and blame her sister, she didn’t hold anything back.”

  The uproar in the room made discussion impossible. However, Breslin saw shock and horror flicker across Rayven’s features, her jaw dropping on a gasp. It only lasted for a second before bleak understanding and then, finally, sadness transformed her features. The last, he didn’t want for her. Whatever the reason a sibling of hers had chosen to murder her father, she’d used Rayven as a scapegoat and planned her downfall and death in order to escape scot-free.

  No matter what her excuse, he didn’t harbor compassion for such a
person.

  “This is all an intriguing tale, but I require more than just belief in this boy’s story.” Alpha Estevan looked around at his peers and shrugged.

  Alpha Octavia piped up as well. “He’s young and impressionable. The pretty young thing on trial could have a hold on him.”

  “I agree,” Jalair added. “I demand a mind scan of the boy.”

  “That’s not safe,” Barnabas countered, his brows lowered like big bushy thunderclouds, and his arms were crossed in a mirror of Nathan’s.

  “A needless waste of life,” Octavia agreed.

  As quickly as the uproar had started with Nathan’s testimony, silence fell over the entire room. Only alphas could perform mind scans but the chances of the youngster, even a newly shifted one, emerging with his brain still intact were slim.

  “This is an alpha’s death we are talking about,” Jalair continued, his eyes flat. “Not an accident or an honorable challenge, but an act of cold-blooded, calculated murder.”

  Before he could speak further, Alpha Ping rose from her seat and gracefully made her way to the floor. She turned and addressed her peer group. “I can safely question the boy and verify his answers without endangering him. I believe the board would agree that meets all our criteria?”

  She’d aimed her question at Vendrick who gave a curt nod. And while Breslin could clearly see Jalair’s annoyance, no one argued the decision.

  Ping approached Nathan and held out her hand palm up. “This will not hurt you. Your nervousness will not distort your truths. Relax and answer when you are ready.”

  Surprisingly, Nathan looked to Breslin. He should’ve predicted as much given what they’d endured together escaping from the underground prison. While he couldn’t mind-speak with Nathan, Breslin could at least reassure him. Of all the alphas on the board, Ping was one of the oldest and most respected, and Deacon held her in high regard. Given her overture here, the feelings were mutual. He gave the young man a slow nod and gestured for him to proceed.

  Nathan carefully placed his hand on top of hers as if taking an oath.

  “Did you think well of your alpha?”

  Breslin froze, wondering if he’d given bad advice as Nathan’s eyes widened. Just tell the truth, boy. One way or another, we’ll follow this through to the end together.

  “No. He didn’t care if any of us lived or died.”

  Ping nodded, her expression serene. “Very good. Did you witness his murder?”

  “Yes.”

  Ping nodded again. “Would you give a description of the woman who you saw murder your alpha?”

  Nathan pursed his lips. “She was skinny with black hair.” He frowned. “The first several times I saw her, her hair was really long and straight. But the night she killed the alpha, it was chopped short, like—” he motioned to his shoulders.

  “Similar to Rayven’s hair length?”

  Once again, Nathan looked pained. “Yes. But the other woman had straight hair.”

  With a bow of her head, Ping smiled. “You’ve done well. Just one more question. Do you see the woman anywhere in this room?”

  When he would have yanked his hand away in surprise, Ping held on. Nathan drew in a breath and scanned the room, narrowing his eyes on the still slightly darkened audience section.

  “If she is here, Nathan,” her voice lifted until it carried throughout the room, “she cannot reach you or control you while we maintain a touch.”

  He shook visibly but nodded. “If she is, I can’t find her.”

  That the murderer might be in the room and have come to watch Rayven’s outcome wasn’t something Breslin had considered. He should have. He scanned the audience as well, but until the issue of Rayven’s innocence was decided, he didn’t want anything to stop the final alpha vote. By his best guess, even Sheridan had relaxed his whole posture, looking at Rayven without the hostility Breslin had noticed when he’d arrived. Hopefully, he was prepared to concede the wrong woman was on trial.

  During the flight back from the rescue, Lena received updates through her mental mate link with Deacon. Bit by painful bit, all of Rayven’s team had been privy to the reactions of the alphas.

  Breslin scanned the alphas himself, taking a likely tally of the votes. With Deacon, Sheridan, Alarico, Ping, Vendrick—which counted as two votes—and Alpha Octavia, they had seven. Barnabas could be a tough sell. Given his niece and her boyfriend had killed her own father to grab control, he was biased. But even he appeared to be openly searching for a killer among the audience members. Deacon considered Barnabas mostly bluster, just waiting to be convinced. Eight out of fourteen. That was all Rayven needed. There could be more votes, but they’d be icing.

  “Did you ever see anyone else in this room during your time in captivity?”

  Yeah, and there was the other concern Breslin had. Because, lost sister or not, this plot of stealing children had spilled over into Deacon’s area. Potentially Alarico’s and Sheridan’s as well. It would take more than an illegitimate child with no alpha power to construct such an elaborate scheme and manipulate all the players, which meant she had partners, or an alpha partner.

  Ping had moved as she posed her question, shielding Nathan from the alphas’ direct view. But Breslin could see the young man’s hand trembling where it rested in Ping’s and his eyes darting toward the top of the room. Unfortunately, that didn’t narrow down the suspect pool.

  “No.”

  The answer came almost too quickly, and Breslin was certain it was a lie. But turning back toward the remaining alphas while still holding on to Nathan, Ping bowed. “The boy has told the truth. Should he return to the room with the others?”

  Deacon nodded, and Breslin moved aside but gave Nathan a brief nod before he slipped in with Hazel and the others.

  Yes. Truths had been revealed, and one select truth had come to light. With Rayven holding at least some alpha power, this sister must have help. In order to shield herself from not only Gauthier but the other alphas, she would have needed power she didn’t have. Which meant another alpha was involved.

  25

  Jacob couldn’t speak. Oh, things seemed to be spilling from his mouth, straight from the mind of that stupid bitch. If he didn’t find a way to sever the link between them, Rebel was going to get him killed.

  Vendrick wanted his head on a spike, and the grizzly standing over him was just waiting for a reason to take him out. Well, he’d had enough of that working for Gauthier.

  “You’re being difficult, Jacob,” Rebel said, her voice laced with too much satisfaction for his liking. “If you don’t do me proud, I will slay you.”

  “You should be more worried about Rayven getting off scot-free.”

  “Yes, and when she does, you are going to fulfill your promise of killing her. Here and now.”

  “There’s no way I can get to her through all the alphas and enforcers surrounding her.”

  “Well, isn’t that a shame for you. All I need is for you to do your job. I’ll handle the rest.”

  How did she even manage to get into his mind? But as her words sank in, he glanced around the entire audience section. She had to be here. How had he missed that? Her hair color could be different and the style changed, but he searched for her boney figure and the twinkle of that absurd charm she always wore around her neck.

  “I get into your mind the same way I do with the rest of my little soldiers. Did you think yourself special? That you’d earn some rights by your shoddy performance prostituting yourself to me?”

  Did she really expect doe-eyed loyalty like Sam gave her? “Even if you take down Rayven, there’s no way you can defeat Black. You didn’t kill his mate, and you can’t best him here in his own sanctuary.”

  “I don’t have to defeat him,” she snapped. “His mate lives only because the formula wasn’t perfected. But it makes no difference. Once I’m Alpha, he’ll be my peer. Neither he nor his weak little human can touch me.”

  “I call for a decision,” shouted Al
pha Black.

  “That’s your cue, Jacob. Give it your all, or I’ll have to do more than just talk for you.”

  Holy hell, could she control his body too? On the tail end of that thought, his heart constricted in his chest. He fought back the gasp, then the growl, as his vision grew blurry and his insides heated.

  “Forget making me proud. Just do your damn job.”

  Jacob sucked in air as the hold in his chest loosened, searching madly for an escape plan. He had no options here. A battle to take out Rayven meant suicide, but perhaps in the ensuing turmoil, he’d find a way free. After all, the alphas hadn’t declared her innocent yet, much less acknowledged her as alpha. One shifter killing another was only a crime for the alpha who held their oaths, and he had no alpha.

  Jacob blinked through rapid heartbeats, registering that the attention of Deacon’s grizzly enforcer behind him had momentarily focused elsewhere.

  “We’ve heard eyewitness testimony that Gauthier was killed somewhere other than the crime scene offered by the Karndottir enforcers as the scene of death. We know Rayven Karndottir was held prisoner at the time of the murder. We’ve heard of the conspiracy to frame Ms. Karndottir for the crime. Alpha Ping’s assessment solidifies the witness’s credibility. And while we’ve heard other evidence, none of it ties Ms. Karndottir to the crime. We can come to only one conclusion. Rayven Karndottir is innocent. Based on the facts presented here, Rayven was nearly as much a victim as Gauthier of crimes perpetrated by someone who should have had blood loyalties to them both.” Deacon turned toward Rayven, and then back to the alpha board members. “These truths exonerate her.”

  He paused with a glance toward Sheridan, who nodded and added before he looked at Vendrick. “I propose that the charges against her be dropped and the investigation into finding the real killer be handed to the new alpha of the Karndottir clan.”

  Breslin took his first easy breath in days, though he kept from looking at Rayven. This was what he’d worked for. What so many people had risked their lives for. But it wasn’t over yet, and she wasn’t free or safe.