Zoe nodded. "Which is why I need your help. I plan on challenging Dad for Alpha. We both know I need someone to back me, or it'll just be considered an act of treason."
"And you want me to back you?" Jax asked, his voice rising a full octave.
Whoever backed a challenger would meet the same fate as the person bidding for the position. If things went wrong, then Jax would die right alongside Zoe.
Zoe smiled. "I'd love to have you back me, but I'm afraid I need someone less connected to me. If it were you or Chase, then Dad would call it a conspiracy. We need someone who's well-respected and not connected to me. I was thinking of Jared."
Jax scoffed. "Now I know you're not thinking straight. Are you sure you haven't been drinking?"
"Pretty sure."
Zoe grinned. She missed the ease of talking to Jax like this, even though it was about things that would likely get her killed.
"Jared is your father's lieutenant. He's held that position for decades. He won't back you."
Zoe shrugged. "There's a good chance of that, but I've got to give it a try. On the night he caught me, he mentioned that he and a few others had hoped that when Dad died, I'd become Alpha. If he still feels that way, then I'd like to have him back me. If he doesn't, then I'll meet my fate right here."
"No." Jax shook his head vehemently. "If Jared doesn't, then you, me and Chase will be fighting our way out of here. Together, we'll find a way to survive."
Zoe took Jax's hand in both of hers and pulled them onto her lap. "If things go wrong, then I'll make my stand right here. I won't live life on the run. I've found someone, and she deserves better."
Jax's eyes narrowed. "Is it Giselle?"
"Yup."
Jax pulled his hand away. "I don't know about her for you. She's a player."
"True, but we have something serious going on. I think Giselle might be my mate, and she told me she feels the same. I love her, but I want to tell her that when all of this blows over. If things go bad, I want her to be able to move on without me."
Jax whistled. "That's deep, Zoe."
"It is." Zoe sighed, "which is why I need your help. If Jared backs me, quite a few people will be shaken. Maybe we can pull off something that's never been done: a coup without a death."
Jax smiled. "That would be something. I have a feeling your father would never live on his knees."
"I worry about that too. We'd have to send him to the scrap yard."
"I have a feeling he won't stay there for long. If you really want to be Alpha, you may have to use a more permanent solution."
Zoe stared at the wooden floors. "I don't know if I could kill him. Do you think I could?"
Zoe looked up and Jax's brows furrowed. "I'm not sure if you could do it for emotional reasons, but physically, yeah. Not a lot of people know this, but your father got his ankle crushed by a lion's jaws about five years ago. It happened during our fight with the Black Rake clan. Jared and I were with him that day. He screamed like a banshee."
Jared shook his head. "Your father's bone never healed right. I saw him trying to train days later, and he favored his right leg. Ever since then, I haven't seen him fight. He said it was beneath him, but I think he still feels the pain. He just hides it well."
Zoe exhaled. "Wow. So, it is possible."
"Possible. Not easy. Don't forget; your father is as fast as anyone I've ever seen. He's also got at least twenty pounds on the biggest guy here. He's unmatched in strength, and we both know that when he gets angry, he does the unexpected."
Zoe's stomach dropped. Jax was exactly right. While she did have a distinct advantage knowing that her father's left ankle was weak, her father had about twice as many advantages over her.
I could come up with a strategy to counter them given enough time to think.
"I'll work on something. Hopefully, with Jared and his friends’ support, we won't have to fight."
"You know that's never happened," Jax said gently. "Taking the Alpha spot without the death of the previous Alpha would be history-making."
"So would a woman becoming Alpha." Zoe got up and smiled down at Jax. "I'm quickly running out of options and all the others that are left are just as bad. This gives me a chance to live a normal life. Maybe even one with love."
Jax rose and sighed. "Then I'll do my best to make both our dreams come true."
Zoe smiled and hugged Jax. "Thanks for having my back."
"Always."
* * *
An hour later, Zoe arrived at the Whiteheart property, glad she'd opted to walk rather than take her car. Not only did it lessen the chances of her being caught, but it gave her ample time to be alone with her thoughts.
By the time that she’d walked up to the porch where she found her mate sitting, she felt lighter than ever before. Zoe was convinced that what she and the Whitehearts were about to do was the best thing for all involved.
I hope it works out so that Giselle and I can finally get a chance to tell Giselle how much I love her.
"Hey," Giselle said, getting up.
Zoe motioned for the younger woman to sit down and joined her on the love seat on the porch. "You're back early."
Giselle grinned. "Everything with the Red Striking went well. Their Second agreed to give us three days."
Zoe exhaled. "That's great. If we start planning tonight, we'll be able to hit the warehouses by tomorrow. Making our delivery to them within the given window won't be a problem. I assume they agreed to take goods rather than cash?"
"Yup. That was the best part. The Second seemed eager to get his hands on some guns in particular. Something tells me they've got another fight on their hands."
"That's perfect." Zoe lifted her arm wrapped it around Giselle's shoulders. "Things with Jax went well too. He's going to get my message to Jared. Hopefully, my father's lieutenant agrees, and we can pull our plan off."
Giselle rested her head on Zoe's shoulder. "Either way, you and I aren't going to be apart. If worse comes to worse, I'll have Rowan burn your father alive. You'll take the Darksong over by force."
Zoe chuckled. "I don't think kicking a leadership off with the bloodshed of most of my clan is the best move."
"It would get them off our backs though," Giselle sighed. "But we're not ruthless murderers."
Zoe kissed the top of Giselle's head. "No. We're not, but we do have today to be together without any worries. We should enjoy it. Tomorrow night, the game kicks off. By the following morning, I'll be challenging my father for Alpha. If all goes to plan, I'll win."
"Does that mean I'll have to be submissive in bed?" Giselle asked teasingly.
A shot of arousal zapped through Zoe's body, hardening her nipples. "Would you like that?"
Giselle shrugged. "I'm not sure. I do like the idea of role-playing though."
"We can start now. I command you to kiss me silly."
Giselle pulled away and grinned, cupping Zoe's cheeks. "Yes, Alpha."
Before their lips could touch, the sound of banging on the window directly behind them tore the two women apart, scaring them out of their minds.
"What the hell, Jade?" Giselle yelled.
The bear shifter pulled up the window and grinned while kneeling on the living room couch.
"I knew you two were boning."
Giselle rolled her eyes. "That's quite the assumption."
"It's okay," Zoe said, placing her hand on Giselle's. "We don't have to hide it."
Giselle's eyes opened wide, and she stuttered. "O-okay."
"Jade," Zoe said facing the bear shifter. "Giselle and I are together. Your assumptions were partially right. We're actually in a growing relationship. This isn't just about sex."
"Fuck," Jade said, at the same moment Emma appeared beside her.
Jade's mate held out her hand, and Jade reached into her pocket and handed her a bill.
Emma smiled. "I told you they were in love."
Jade groaned. "Come on Giselle. I've placed so many bets on you and wo
n. Why let me down now?"
Giselle rolled her eyes, then pressed her lips against Zoe's. "Get used to me letting you down. I'm a one-woman woman now. The game's over."
Zoe's heart fluttered at the words. The ease with which Giselle had declared those words made her feel like the luckiest woman in the world. Giselle sounded like she felt no loss over her former life whatsoever.
"Congratulations," Emma said. "I can't wait to collect my money from everyone else."
"Wait, Mara was in on this too?" Giselle yelled.
"Yup." Emma got up and ran up the stairs. Jade huffed and followed after her mate.
"Unbelievable. She's supposed to be the mama bear here."
Zoe grinned, but her smile dropped as her ringtone filled the air. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and frowned when she read the name on the screen.
"What's going on, Chase?"
"Dad just called for a tribunal. He says he's going to interrogate Jax for trying to overthrow him."
"What?" Zoe yelled, pacing the porch. "That's a mistake. Jax was acting as a messenger for me. He was just supposed to ask Jared if he'd back up my bid for Alpha."
"Well, the shit has hit the fan, sis. I heard Jax yelling and cursing as Maddox dragged him to the center of the farm. Aiden's running around spreading the news, and everyone's been called in from town. You’d better get here fast. I don't know what to do." Chase's voice broke. "I'm so sick of all this shit. I need it to end."
"Hang tight until I get there, okay and don't do anything rash. I'm going to get Jax out of there. You can't do anything to piss Dad off in case things don't go as I plan."
"Why? So that I can come back to this?"
The anger in Chase's voice stole Zoe's breath away. Her brother was spiraling, but she couldn't deal with him right now. She needed to get to the farm before her father laid a hand on Jax.
"Chase, I need you to stay calm and wait for me. I'm going to handle this. In fact, you should stay at the house. If things go bad, I don't want you seeing anything that you can't “unsee."
Zoe hung up without giving her brother a chance to respond. She knew he'd protest, but hopefully, some part of him would see sense in her words. If Chase spoke up for Jax, her father might snap and decide to rope him into the mess with her best friend.
"What's going on?" Giselle asked.
"One of my father's men must have overheard Jax talking to Jared about the coup. Dad's pinned it on Jax and is holding a tribunal. I need to get there and stop him."
Giselle placed a hand on Zoe's shoulder as she took a step forward. "No. We need to stop him. It'll take a couple of minutes for the girls to get ready. Tyler and his pride will join us in a little bit."
Zoe shook her head. "They might see that as a threat."
"Then let it be a threat. I wasn't joking earlier. If we've got to take the Darksong Alpha position by force, then so be it. We'll fight and make sure your father dies. Afterward, you will become Alpha and make sure there's no retaliation. Whether you win by challenge or by battle, all of this trouble with the Darksong ends today."
Zoe inhaled sharply. The time for planning and plotting had ended. Now she needed to put action behind her words and save her friend. Then, she'd go toe to toe with the man that had ruled over her life with an iron fist.
I've got to survive. No matter what. I've got to come back to Giselle, Chase, and Jax.
14
Giselle squeezed Zoe's thigh as she gave final directions to the Farm. The last half hour had been nerve-wracking. None of them knew what to expect, but they knew that Reirder Dagiel had thrown yet another monkey wrench in their plans.
He's like a gnat. Always getting in the way.
When Mara pulled up to the Farm, Giselle gasped. A crowd filled what space they could see to the point where the gate was left open.
Zoe immediately hopped out of the car and ran headfirst into the crowd. Giselle's jaw dropped as she watched her mate charge through the group. Her complete disregard for her safety was sexy but unnerving at the same time.
"Shit," Giselle said opening the car door. "She went in without back up."
Once Giselle stepped out onto the earth, she heard the sound of Reirder Dageil bellowing and the crowds humming in agreement to what he said. Giselle shook her head and headed straight for the crowd, only to have Mara hold her back.
"I think it's best we stick together. If anyone recognizes us, things could get ugly."
Giselle nodded, then linked arms with Mara. The other Whiteheart members joined in forming a chain, and they fought their way through the crowd. There were a lot of disgruntled noises as they shoved their way through, but no one recognized them.
Once they stepped out to the front of the crowd, they stepped straight into the clearing. There, at the center of the space, stood Reirder Dagiel, his dark eyes glinting as he smiled at Giselle and the Whitehearts. Zoe stood in front of a dark-haired man that was on his knees, his face beaten up.
Poor Jax. He had nothing to do with this.
"Do you see how your former clan member bears no respect for this clan. Here she shows up with a rival clan. One full of dikes."
The crowd's volume rose again as they mumbled among themselves. Giselle sucked her teeth in and clenched her fists. Zoe's father was a grade A tool, and it seemed they'd played right into his hands by coming here together. He was making it look like Zoe was here for a fight.
"I'm still a Darksong. You never asked me to leave. I have a right to be here. These women are guests of mine."
Reirder's face dropped. "You lost the right to bring guests onto this property, let alone step foot in it when you stole from me." Reirder paced the circle, making eye contact with several people. "I was too embarrassed to say it, but the truth is that I found the thief that's been stealing from us. It was this creature I once called a daughter."
Giselle watched the crowd stand riveted by Reirder's speech on all of Zoe's shortcomings. Their faces were menacing, but she saw something else. Behind the masks of hate and anger was fear.
They fear Reirder. They don't want to be here.
Giselle rushed to Zoe's side and grabbed her mate’s arm. Zoe jumped, but Giselle loosened her grip and caressed her arm. "It's me."
"You've got to step back," Zoe said, doing her best to keep her eyes on her father.
"I will, but they're scared. All these people are scared of your father, and they don't want to be here to see what will happen. You've got to talk to them. Talk to them before he does something crazy."
Giselle felt a tug on her arm and stepped back when she saw the serious look on Mara's face.
The bear shifter wrapped an arm around Giselle's shoulders. "You were causing a wave of distress. We need to stand back and let Zoe handle this on her own."
"I know. I just had one thing to tell her."
"Yes," Zoe said cutting her father off. "I am a lesbian who stole from the Darksong. Jax here is an innocent. I asked him to send a message to those of you who'd expressed interest in a change of leadership."
Silence filled the crowd, and Giselle smiled when she saw hope fill a few eyes.
Zoe took Jax's arm and lifted him. Once standing, she helped him hobble toward Rowan, who supported him. Then she placed her hand behind her back and locked gazes with her father.
"I'm here to challenge you for Alpha. Jax was just a messenger. You know that as well as I do."
"So, you admit it?" Reirder said, smirking. "You and your friends are here to take over the Darksong."
Zoe shook her head. "No. My friends are here to offer moral support. I, Zoe Dagiel, am here to challenge you for Alpha."
Reirder laughed. "Okay. Let's pretend you still have a right to do that. Who the hell is going to back you? Your friend, bleeding over there? Your brother, who's hiding in his room somewhere? Who is going to back you, Zoe? If no one does, then this is an act of treason. Another on your record. You will deserve nothing but death."
"I will back her," a tall man said stan
ding forward.
A wave of excitement moved over the crowd. Giselle guessed that this was Jare. Based on a few cheers, it seemed he was well-respected. It looked like Zoe's gamble had paid off. Jax had gotten the message out in time.
"So will I," another man bellowed, taking a step forward. About half a dozen other men joined him. From the look of betrayal on Reirder's face, it seemed they were all high-ranking members.
Reirder sneered, then spat on the ground. "It seems traitors surround me." He creaked his neck. "It doesn't matter. I'll beat you, kill you slowly, then deal with the rest of you."
Zoe's father pulled off his shirt and stood bare-chested. The claw marks all over his body, and the ripped muscles that covered every inch of his torso made even Giselle inhale. If Zoe was the fittest woman she'd seen, then Reirder was the male equivalent.
"Step out of the ring," Reirder spat. "It's time I settle this."
"Stay," Zoe said raising a hand. "I won't fight you, Reirder."
"Then what the hell are you doing here?"
Jared stepped forward and whispered something in Zoe's ear. The older woman nodded and stepped back. "Many of you don't know this, but the day that Reirder Dagiel became Alpha was clouded in mystery. No challenge was witnessed, yet that very evening, rumors of one swirled the Farm. Before the sun had set, Reirder declared himself the Alpha while holding his father's head on a sword."
Giselle's stomach roiled as the image was ingrained into her mind. Zoe's father was a sick man, but it seemed his clan didn't know to what extent. Even Zoe looked taken aback.
Poor girl. Her father's darkness is like going down a rabbit hole. It's a wonder she grew up to be such a wonderful person.
"Shut your mouth," Reirder grunted.
"I was there that night, and I, unfortunately, helped to spread those rumors. Well, it's time for the truth to come out. Reirder Dagiel cornered his father on his usual evening run and stabbed him in the back like a coward. I had just become one of his father's lieutenants and saw the whole thing. That day, Reirder gave me a choice. Lie and back him up or go against him and be the next to face his fate. At the time, there were powerful factions at his back, so I relented. All the men standing here with me were the former Alpha's lieutenants. They are all prepared to act as a witness to what I just said."
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