BirthSign (La Patron, The Alpha's Alpha)

by Addae, Sydney

“I’m not cooperating. Death is preferable for me. Is that clear enough?” Tyrese looked at one man and then the other.

  The Ambassador shook his head and stepped backward to the door.

  “Can I make a phone call?” Tyrese asked before they left the room.

  “Of course,” the Ambassador said, the large smile showed his expensive crown work.

  “No,” the Prime Minister said frowning at him. “You are a criminal and will be treated as one.”

  “Even criminals get one phone call,” Tyrese said, watching the non-verbal exchanges between the two men.

  “Not in Lyrill. Criminals are placed in cells and receive no favors. You are here in this room because my daughter has a soft heart and thought one such as you would be moved to help us.”

  Tyrese laughed. Miriam’s heart was as soft as the stone wall behind the men; she was a manipulative bitch who probably hatched this ridiculous plan.

  “You find me amusing?” The Prime Minister straightened his chin out.

  “No. I don’t. However, I find this entire situation wild, like something out of a fucking bad movie. My employer did a favor for a high ranking government official and was betrayed. Not me, I am just following orders. The real slap in the face is to La Patron and that is who will deal with all of this, with both of you. Not me.” He shook his head glad to see the Prime Minister’s face whiten.

  “La Patron sent you?” the Prime Minister whispered.

  “No. The United States Marine Corps sent me after they asked La Patron for permission and it was granted as a favor. Do you understand now?”

  The pungent smell of fear filled the room. They definitely understood. “You are not here on behalf of La Patron?” The Prime Minister asked.

  “No. He is expecting my return in a few days. But I am not here on La Patron business.” Tyrese frowned at the looks the men gave one another. The fear gradually lessened and was replaced by… excitement. Oh shit.

  “This changes things,” the Ambassador said, his voice low, and urgent. He stared at the Prime Minister. “I will work to see that you make your call and are released as soon as this misunderstanding is cleared. I have my assistant contacting the military, shouldn’t be too long. Make yourself comfortable.”

  “How do we know you are telling the truth? How do we know La Patron will come for you? Is there a way to prove any of this?” The Prime Minister’s gaze flicked over him, sizing him up.

  Tyrese shrugged. “You don’t. I never said La Patron would come to… where?”

  “Lyrill,” the Prime Minister said through a clenched jaw.

  “Yeah. He does not need to come here, but he will make sure I am released. You can bank on that.”

  The Ambassador rubbed his hands together. “Good, no need for him to travel so far when you will be on your way home. I have my team working on your release.”

  “I do not believe you,” the Prime Minister sneered.

  “I don’t give a fuck what you believe,” Tyrese shot back tired of talking.

  “I think you were acting on your own.”

  Tyrese lay on the bed with his hands behind his head. “Really? How’d I get to that hut where your daughter sat waiting for me? It’s not someplace anyone could just stumble upon. And why did the guard attack me? I was standing outside and he rushed me.”

  Out the corner of his eye, he watched the Prime Minister’s mouth tighten and nostrils flare. “I have no idea how the mind of a criminal works.” His tone frosty. “I am law here, the way I determine events are what becomes reality. You should remember that. Lyrill is not a democracy, this is not your country, you have no rights here. The Ambassador is a guest and has no real rights here so despite everything he says, he is limited by my wishes and my will.”

  Tyrese nodded. “Okay.” He wondered if the mating ceremony went off without any problems. He wished he could have seen his mom and Silas exchange vows, something his mom insisted they add. He thought of the ballroom, the decorations, the people, and the food, anything except the two men breathing the same air in the same room with him. It took everything within him not to snatch the smug Prime Minister and twist his head from his body. Laying on his hands and thinking of his family was better.

  “Are you going to think about it?” The Ambassador asked, his voice louder than before.

  “What?” He looked over at the man.

  “I told you he wasn’t listening. We are wasting our time with this one; I’ll have him sent to the dungeons until I decide what to do with him. But he will either do what I need done or I will kill him make no mistake about that. His disrespect alone requires punishment.”

  The Ambassador deflated a bit. Tyrese wondered what was going on with these two, had their game of good cop, bad cop gone sour?

  “Tyrese…I asked if you would consider participating in the crowning ceremony…we are short a person, all you would need to do is stand there…in a costume similar to the one you are wearing. Then you could leave after the ceremony. But we are in a bind, and would appreciate your help.”

  “You are not telling a complete lie but you are leaving out a bunch of shit.” He jumped up. Both men yelped. Fear intertwined with the subtleties of the lie. He stretched one side and then the other.

  “Of course he cannot tell you everything; he would be a fool to do that. You have said you would not help, so all we ask now is for you to stand in for a missing person while we continue the ceremony. We will devise an alternate plan for security and rid our shores of our enemies,” the Prime Minister’s voice sounded strained as if he rarely explained what he considered the obvious.

  Tyrese snorted.

  The men jumped. He pretended not to notice.

  “I’ll come to your party if I can make that call.” Once he had Rone on the phone they could talk through their link.

  The Prime Minister frowned.

  The Ambassador continued rubbing his fingers together and did not speak.

  “It is not a party…it’s a crowning celebration that happens every ten years. It is when we change leadership…”

  “So you’ll no longer be in charge?” He looked down at the red faced man. Obviously he hated being interrupted.

  “No. Yes.” He inhaled and glared at Tyrese. “If you will allow me to finish a sentence…”

  Tyrese nodded and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “The positions are symbolic, similar to the Queen of England and the royal family. Though smaller and less popular our people are just as enthusiastic over the pageantry of the ceremony. Invitations for outsiders are coveted, few are allowed to attend and those who do cherish the memories for generations.”

  “The phone call?” Tyrese asked when the Prime Minister paused.

  “One call,” the man gritted out, arms pinned to his side. “But it will mean you will stand in the spot I tell you during the ceremony and not move until I tell you.”

  Tyrese tilted his head to the side. “Never mind, forget it. I’ll wait.”

  The Prime Minister’s face fell. “What…? You agreed…”

  “I said I would attend, fill in for an absent person, but I can’t agree to be your puppet for an unspecified amount of time. I am not interested in being a prince either, your daughter asked me to do that but I can’t. I have to get back home to take care of something important.” He thought of his mate and the search he would start for her. He walked toward the trunk and looked around for the gold shirt.

  “You would stand-in during the ceremony?” The Prime Minister asked, his voice low and sad as if he lost a round on the mat.

  “Yes, I have no problem with that as long as I am not participating. I refuse to be involved in the ceremony or make any type of commitment to your country. I need that to be clear up front.”

  The Prime Minister nodded. “You will do that in exchange for a phone call?”

  Tyrese nodded and calculated the time difference, not that it mattered Rone would pick up. “But it has to be a real phone call, none of that fake-a
ss bullshit where I call and it goes nowhere.” He looked at the Prime Minister’s guilty gaze and shook his head. They really thought he was a noob.

  The Ambassador’s hand slid into his jacket and he pulled out a phone. “Use mine.” He handed it to Tyrese before the Prime Minister could speak. Tyrese held the device for a moment. Once he detected no other scent than the Ambassador’s he punched in his twin’s number.

  “Hey,” Rone said, his voice low.

  “Link with me.”

  “Okay.” The next second the miles disappeared and they were soul to soul. “What’s going on?” He sounded much more alert.

  Tyrese disconnected the call and returned it to the Ambassador who looked surprised at the brevity of use.

  “The whole thing was a cluster-fuck betrayal. I got the Prime Minister and Ambassador of some small country in the room holding me hostage. I need to get rid of them and tell you the shit that went down.”

  “What?” Tyrone yelled. “What country?”

  “Lyrill, it’s been in the paper recently.”

  Tyrese nodded to the Ambassador. “Thanks.”

  “Sorry they weren’t home. Would you like to call someone else?” He held out the phone.

  “No.” The Prime Minister said smiling, the smug bastard. “I agreed to one phone call. A seamstress will be in momentarily to make sure your attire for tomorrow is appropriate. Try and be more polite to her than you have been to us.”

  Tyrese shrugged. “I give what I receive.”

  The Prime Minister glared at him and walked out the door.

  The Ambassador followed holding his phone.

  Tyrese returned to the bed and shared his experience with his twin.

  “This is some bullshit,” Rone yelled. Tyrese felt his brother’s anger boil and explode. “Those fuckers… they… they disrespected the creed and La Patron. How your Captain gone be a part of that bullshit? In the field, everybody brothers…you never leave a man behind or turn him over to the damn enemy… I can’t believe that shit. Give me those names again… I’mm a call them personally before I fuck them up.”

  Tyrese shrugged, knowing he had to give his brother something; at least he wasn’t going after the joint chiefs. He told Tyrone the names and all the info he remembered from the briefing documents.

  “Got it. You already gave your word about tomorrow but don’t do another damn thing till Silas gives the word. I’mma keep the link live while I fill him in.”

  “Good. I won’t be able to call you again… how was the ceremony?”

  “Oh man… it was awesome. When you get home we’ll watch the videos together, no way I can do it justice. Plus I’m too fucking mad right now. Hold up I’m talking to Silas.”

  “Okay.” There was a tap on the door and then it opened.

  Miriam stepped in holding a long cream colored cloth, a woman with a basket followed. “I appreciate you attending the ceremony tomorrow. Naomi will make sure your attire fits you correctly. She speaks no English; I will translate for the two of you.”

  “Get the Ambassador, let him translate.” Tyrese didn’t want to deal with the deceptive witch.

  Anger flashed across her face and then settled in pinched lines. At least she didn’t bother trying to hide her feelings. “He’s busy verifying your story so that you can leave. Isn’t that what you told him to do?”

  “I don’t want you in here.”

  “Tough shit.”

  He glanced at her red face, and clenched jaw. “You don’t sound like a princess.”

  “You son-of-a-bitch.”

  He nodded, swung his feet to the floor and offered Naomi a smile. “Thank you, my mom would be proud.”

  Naomi returned his smile and gestured for him to stand. He stood. She put her basket on the floor and took the material from Miriam. After a few moments she had the soft looking fabric separated and motioned for him to turn around.

  He turned. When he faced the older woman again, she held two panels in her hand and motioned for him to put one over each shoulder. He followed her instructions and then glanced at Miriam who leaned against the wall staring at the floor.

  “We understand each other just fine, you can leave,” he said and waited for her to explode. Instead, she lifted misery filled eyes before she blinked and pulled herself together.

  “Sounds good, boss,” she said in a flippant tone.

  He laughed.

  Naomi stopped, looked at him and shook her head before continuing.

  Chapter 9

  Silas sat at his desk, his fingertips massaging his forehead. He glanced at Tyrone who paced the floor in front of him and then looked at his cell. He and Jasmine had been asleep when he received Tyrone’s urgent call. Tired, existing on fumes of adrenaline, he answered knowing it had to deal with Tyrese. Rather than disturb Jasmine, he listened to the outlandish tale of Tyrese’s situation as he headed toward the library. Tyrone met him there and finished filling him in on the details. They looked up the small country and read all the information before Silas called Jim at the Joint Chiefs and another Alpha in England. He waited for the men to return his messages and then called security. “Ready my plane for an overseas trip and alert the crew.”

  “I want to go.”

  “Let me think,” Silas snapped. The ceremony hadn’t been long, but here were so many faces to meet and watch closely. Tension still held him in its grip. The next few days were parties and gift presentations. Children from all over would perform songs, dances and he’d been told a play was scheduled. He wanted his mate to see the excellence of the wolf nation’s school system. In a month he would host an east coast reception for that part of the country. Alpha Jayden had that planned. All he and his den would do is show up and then leave the next day. This one hadn’t been anywhere as simple.

  He sighed.

  “Me, Asia, Leon and Brix. In and out and back here before mom knows we left.”

  Silas snorted. “First off I would tell her, I keep no secrets from my mate. Second, you would use a hammer to free your brother when all we may need is a wrench.” He held up his hand to stop Tyrone’s defense. “There is a time for brute force and that is what the four of you would do, no doubt. However, this country is not under my jurisdiction, I am not Alpha anywhere on that continent. You are wolf and realize protocols must be followed to handle the situation. I have contacted an Alpha in England to determine which pack runs that part of the country. I will ask permission to cross into his land to retrieve my son. I am waiting to hear from the England connection, he was uncertain.”

  Tyrone nodded slowly, his dislike at the delay obvious. “Let me update Rese.”

  Silas nodded. He hoped the Alpha would get him the information soon so he could set his plans in motion. One wolf in another Alpha’s territory without permission could be overlooked, especially for military maneuvers. But if the military denies their involvement, and he was certain they would, pack protocol required the extraction team receive permission to travel across another pack’s land.

  He closed his eyes thinking of his mate’s reaction. Why hadn’t he listened to her? She suspected something was off about the entire set-up. In retrospect, her questions and comments had been valid and if he had not brushed them aside Tyrese may not be in this mess. He dropped his head and closed his eyes. How did he tell her he had failed to protect Rese? Her pain and disappointment would break him. Every day he told her she was his world, but he didn’t listen. In the back of his mind, he knew the answer. He took his mate seriously when it benefited him. His allegiance to the wolf nation colored his thoughts. In the corner of his mind the sad truth stood out, he did not trust his mate to care for his people the same way he did. So when she questioned him, protecting the pack overrode everything. In the end the pack was betrayed because of his poor judgment. That was the last time he would ever take her advice for granted. The Goddess blessed their mating for a reason, the two became one. He would beg Jasmine’s forgiveness and bring their son home.

  He w
ould deal with Jim and the Joint Chief’s personally. Obviously they had not taken his warning seriously. They would all learn differently within the next twenty four hours, if Jacques calculations were correct. They were not the only ones who had footage.

  His cell beeped, it was Jim. “You should have called me as soon as you heard what happened to my son, Jim. I don’t like being manipulated and played like a cheap blanket. You…”

  “I was just notified. Ambassador Prinkston contacted the State department and it took a while to be routed to my office. I am working to get Tyrese released, I swear I had no idea the Prime Minister was looking for a savior or someone to fight his battles or that they were having infighting. No one ever mentioned that to us. We got a call from the Oval office saying a certain deal had to go through, period. Rescue of the Prime Minister’s daughter and niece were what they required but all of our efforts failed because of the lupine guards. Somehow the Prime Minister got whiff of your sons. Either would have done but with Tyrone being mated we asked for Tyrese in case things got hot.”

  “In case he died you mean,” Silas growled, his eyes itched, the bluish-green glow reflected on the monitor. Hearing Jim’s say what he should have said when he asked for Tyrese the first time set him ablaze. His incisors and nails lengthened. “You knew this was a bullshit drill the entire time, you sacrificed my son, had me convince my mate that this bullshit would be okay. Do you have any idea what you did... Do you?” he asked in a low growl, his wolf inching to the surface. Those bastards played him like a cheap suit. They disrespected his position as La Patron, had him put one of his wolves at risk over a lie. Icy tendrils of anger penetrated his chest, freezing his compassion. Frigid winds of determination whipped through him binding the course of destruction for his enemies. In the cold wasteland of his heart, mercy had no place. They lied and had taken his son. Those responsible would suffer from the bite of the wolf. But those he trusted would roll over like dogs begging death to take them.

  “Sir…I am…I promise his release today.”

  “Today?” Silas snapped knowing the man lied again. “How can you promise me that? The crowning ceremony is in twelve hours. Plus, you have a directive, the deal with the oval office hinges on my son doing whatever needs to be done, so I don’t believe you will do a fucking thing to get him out of there until they are done playing with him.”