They had been on lock down for a little while now because of recent events. Even though Bas didn’t like it, he knew it was the best way to handle all that had hit them lately. Trying to gain some focus and distraction, he cataloged the room. It was like any other conference room; big table, uncomfortable office chairs, utilitarian fixtures, and bland white walls. Shit, maybe they should consider ordering some artwork or something. At least then he would have a focal point and something nice to look at instead of blank white walls. He had a couple of posters in his room from his teenage years that brought him some inspiration, but he quickly decided the woman of the group might not appreciate his choice of artwork. Shit, right about now even a landscape piece would offer a reprieve.
Having meetings in this room never bothered him before. It was expected and happened frequently; had been happening for years. But with his messed-up mind, the place felt more like a coffin than a room. Emotions, scents, and feelings were bombarding him. None of which was unheard of. Shifters could, and did, scent emotions and feelings. The problem was, Bas was getting them a hundred-fold, and it wasn’t helping his already taxed bear.
Trying to distract himself from his uneasy, he started watching the men in the room more intently. He had been so focused on other things lately that he hadn’t taken the time to get a feel for how they were all holding up. Wyatt and Dalton were giving Ethan a hard time. There was nothing unusual there except for the fact that Dalton was usually the one standing in the background observing, not taking part in the actual ribbing. He was the youngest of the group and had the hardest time when they were all growing up. Bas never thought the man would change, but the signs that Dalton had were all over the place. Meeting Emma and having Kenna, their little girl, had brought him out of his shell more, and Bas liked what he was seeing.
Wyatt was just Wyatt. Bas glanced at him because he couldn’t focus on the man without enraging his bear. He was their resident computer geek, and the mainly loved to play jokes on all of them. The man could needle a guy until punches were ultimately thrown. They all knew it and accepted it. Bas missed his best friend. Normally he would have been the first person Bas approached to talk about what was going on with him. But since Wyatt was the cause of the problem, he couldn’t do that, and it was killing him slowly. Ethan, of course, was just sitting there scowling at them. The broody bastard never actually did play along much. He even acted like that when they were all children. The man was all business all the time, unless you were talking to him about some weapon. Then he lit up like it was fucking Christmas morning. Noting nothing unusual about Ethan's demeanor, Bas moved on with his observation.
Bas started watching Jacks who was sitting at the head of the table. He had his phone in front of him, and he was intently looking at the screen. Every once in a while, he would look up, glance at Cash, and then look away with a scowl. Something was going on between the two of them. Those two had been thick as thieves since childhood; just as close, if not closer, than he and Wyatt had been. Now they seemed like they couldn’t even stand to be in the same room together. Bas had no idea what went down or was going down, but someone was going to have to figure it out.
That type of dissension in their Team couldn’t happen. Jacks was Alpha, the lead, but Cash was the heart of the Team. He was the life of the party, or the mother of the group. It just depended on what the team needed at the time. Until recently, everyone went to Cash for advice. Now everyone kind of avoided the man. Bas didn’t doubt Cash’s loyalty to the Team, but he was starting to question why he was avoiding even the smallest personal connection or conversation. Maybe he was going through some of the same shit Bas was, and Bas knew that when and if he ever needed to talk about it, any of the guys would be there for him. He just doubted the man would ever ask because, like Bas, that showed weakness. Living with Alpha Shifters, you never showed weakness.
Bas noticed that Jacks was cleaning up and stacking the papers in front of him. It looked like the meeting was getting ready to start and Jacks next words proved it.
“Okay, listen up assholes, I have a warm bed with an equally warm woman in it waiting for me," Jacks billowed 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, Alpha's could force them to submit by projecting their dominance, much like in the wild. Alpha’s were stronger faster and more brutal. Luck 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 hadn’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 that 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 continually.
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, 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 that there was a hierarchy firmly in place. If not, there would be nothing but chaos.
“Listen, I know this is not what we originally planned, but Kayden is the closest to us,” Jacks explained. “If something goes down like the attack a while back, then 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 have also clued him in on Emma and McKenna, with Dalton and Emma’s permission. If Declan and I cannot 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 close, 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 that Jacks didn’t like using that power. In all the time, they had 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 that Jacks and Cash did. If they trusted him with Kenna’s safety and wellbeing, then Bas would too.
McKenna, or Kenna as they all called her, was Emma 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 had been kidnapped and impregnated. The asshole who took her was sick fuck that wanted a designer baby of his very own to play with because his equally sick parents had taught him that 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 on Ryleigh very heavily.
Bas thought about the little girl that 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 commissioned Kenna's creation. Jules was Ryleigh’s fucked up brother, and he had wanted to pick up where his parents had left off, creating a designer baby. Bas didn’t understand it. Then again, he wasn’t a fucked-up asshole like Jules had been. What Bas was thankful for was, that douchebag would never breathe the same air as any of them again and he 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 lied 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 that others didn’t; to figure out who the bad guys were and take them out. Finding out that they had one in the midst for years and never seeing it went against everything in their nature. All the men of Alpha pleaded 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.
Jacks cleared his throat, and Bas listened "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 that I have just 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 but never uttered any words. 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 even 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 they spent going over more of the unknowns. There were questions such as: 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 any 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 that 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 woman and children. Whoever was pulling the strings knew exactly how to strike to cause the most conflict and hurt.
Bas noticed that 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 that 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 much time 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 just as he had expected; pissed. Zoey was his sister, and from the rumors he was hearing, things that had happened in her past beyond damaged her. Bas didn’t know all the details, and he didn’t want to know them. All of them on both the Teams and in The Holly Group had demons. Bas wasn’t the type of person to judge something because of them.
When Kayden started to protest, Senior held up his hand and said, "Hear me out. Zoey has a skillset that 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 that were needed. In all his time in and out of the military, he had never heard of a woman that was able to get answers the hard way. He knew there were women out there that 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 is like a goddam fortress. I'm not willing to give up the small crack I have made my way into so that NAC can fill a need that shouldn't need filling. She seems hardened and unaffected, but deep down she just 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 sist
er in an abhorrent situation, but there are things that you don’t know about Zoey. She is 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 is saying a hell of a lot. Zoey needs us to respect her enough to make her own choices. If she agrees to interrogate the woman, 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 goddam means to an end here. We can figure out another way."
Jacks interrupted the two men, "I get it, Kayden, but listen man, I agree with Senior. We need to ask her. We cannot just 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 that 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 too. Can you?"
For the first-time Bas noticed how tired Kayden looked. He had been so caught up in his own messed up head that he hadn’t paid much attention to the other Alpha. His hair was sticking up in 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. The problem was, 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.
Sebastian: NAC & The Holly Group (Alpha Team Book 4) Page 4
