CH 23

Hector. He was sitting in his office when his phone got a text from an unknown private number, and he closed his eyes when he clicked into it. Saw there was a video clip to be watched and just knew it was going to be the person that had taken Jessica. Then he read the message that appeared under that video a moment later, “Your sons didn’t appreciate what they had, so seeing as I saw myself that they didn’t want their Mate and Luna, and I watched them touch others, my wolves and I will now keep her for ourselves.” What that text meant was that this wolf knew she had two Mates and which pack she was from, and that they had done this; taken her because they’d seen Gregory touch and kiss others even though he bore filigree, knew it wasn’t his mate as well. Which also meant others out there had seen it as well, knew their sons weren’t faithful to their Mate, and he wondered just how many of their allied packs were know in the know of how useless and cruel, unworthy Marcus and Gregory were of being the future leadership of this pack. This wolf had managed to get his direct mobile number now as well. He could have gotten it off Jessica’s own phone, that had yet to be found. Though it could be turned off wherever it was. But this video and those words... that allowed him to think there was going to be a ransom for her, she wasn’t their end game in other words. Wolf-less, which meant death could come to her and quickly so. This wolf was going to brutalize her and send her back when he got paid to do so. He closed his eyes, he could hear his boys out there on the shaming post right now being hit with the pains of betrayal. There was no escaping that, for her. Rogue wolves would do as they pleased and this here showed them they never intended to return her unharmed. Some just wanted money, others wanted the power of knowing they’d taken a Luna from their own pack, from their Alpha Mate and defiled her. Some would go so far as to induce a heat in the Luna and impregnate them before just letting them go, just to humiliate the Alpha that couldn’t protect or didn’t protect the one that was his Luna. He texted right back, “How much do you want to give her back?” and waited, but there was no reply. Graham, he knew, had found her handbag and items, but there was no phone, which meant she probably had it on her and this wolf had access to it. He didn’t know if he wanted to watch the footage of what he thought was going to be her being chained up and crying, begging and pleading to be let go. Whoever had taken her, his wolves had been taunting her for hours now. She had to be scared wherever she was. What she-wolf wouldn’t be scared and a wolf-less one more so, there was no healing of any injuries she would obtain. He took a breath in and clicked the play button. There was nothing he could do but watch it and see if he could pinpoint anything of her whereabouts, what type of place she was being held as well. Only to frown when he saw it was footage of Jessica and Eve. There was no audio to be heard, but he recognized it as today's footage, because of how Jessica herself was dressed, in that black and white dress. He watched Jessica show Eve something on her phone and then Eve snatched Jessica’s phone and shoved her. As Jessica hit the wall and fell down, that was a full assault on the future Luna of this pack, by one that was supposed to be there to protect her. He watched Jessica walk away and not get her phone back at all, saw Eve stalking off with Jessica’s phone. He’d heard that call, himself, what Eve had said about Jessica being snatched off the street. She was also back here inside the pack right now and not once in her reporting to him, Graham or Stephenie had she mentioned there’d been an altercation between the two of them, one that he was damned certain Eve had started. Something Jessica had shown her on her phone had ticked her off and she’d taken the phone to get rid of the evidence. His anger grew very quickly as he realized just how much those in this pack didn’t respect the rules and laws, their own leadership, and did as the twins told them too where Jesscia was concerned. He even understood why, because those two boys were the future of his pack and, therefore, if nothing was found out before that moment, and he knew now that everything happened out in the human world away from the pack; to keep it from them their own mother and fathers, leadership. That the twins allowed all in their social group to get away with not only verbally insulting their Mate, but also allowed them to actually harm their own Mate. That they’d likely told all involved that once they were in charge, there would simply be no punishment dealt out to them at all. Just make sure their own parents didn’t find out. “What is it?” Stephanie asked him as she walked into the office. She kind of looked defeated, he realized. She understood what was about to happen to Jessica, likely why she’d come in here. She’d been gone for hours now and those boys had gasped and cried out in pain on and off all afternoon, but right this minute was going to be different if she’d reached her destination, which he suspected she had. “You’re not going to like it,” he muttered. “I just got a text from the one that has Jessica.” He sighed. “There is footage, and it’s not what I expected.” “Is he on there to be dealt with?” Stephanie asked. “No,” he turned the phone to her and then waited. Eve wasn’t out there on the shaming post but was under house arrest in her home and had guards on her so she couldn’t run, and he was, right now, glad he’d opted for that. He felt more anger roll off his own Luna. She tossed his phone back to him. “What did she show Eve?” she muttered. “That is a good question, but more to the point, Eve has Jessica’s phone. She never said that, knew it would get her in trouble, and whatever it was, she doesn’t want anyone here finding out.” He agreed “Curious, because wouldn’t that just risk Jessica coming to us and telling us Eve stole her phone?” Stephanie asked. “I don’t know if she would do so to be honest. Likely thinks we’d not care or maybe is so down-trodden by the twins and their social group, that she would just let it go and go and buy a new phone to replace the one Eve took.” Hector sighed and leaned back in his chair. They both turned at the sound of full cries of pain coming from the twins, and he closed his eyes, “She’s being taken to right now. That message was to let us know she was at her destination. That they had people on her, watching her and that they even knew Eve would do nothing to stop Jessica from being taken away.” “Even if we can get her back now, the harm has been done,” Stephanie muttered. “They don’t get drugs to ease the pains of betrayal, regardless of how long it goes on. If she has to suffer, then they must also suffer for their lack of love, loyalty and protection. That message I just read showed me what Gregory did was in full view of other wolves, that would know he’s marked and mated. Bring Eve here, let's deal with her,” she muttered. He nodded and had her brought to the office. She walked in and looked at them, looked more than nervous to him. He’d had her walked right past the twins in the full throw of pains of betrayal. So she could see just what her being lax in her duties to her actual Alpha and Luna’s orders had brought about. “Yes, Alpha, Luna?” she asked as she stood before them, her head bowed, and her hands clasped in front of her, a full submissive and apologetic stance. “Tell us again in full detail about the events of today. Leave nothing out,” Hector stated simply, and she nodded and relayed what she had told Graham himself in the city, that she’d checked on Jessica as the Luna had asked her to, made sure she was at work within the Auction House, had sighted and spoken to her; was at her desk. Arrived without issue and that she’d reported it to Luna via a text message. That her place of work wasn’t in the same area as Jessica’s, and that she left the Auction House without waiting for Eve to be with her. But she’d been only a few minutes behind her, that she’d seen those two large rogues snatch Jessica off the street and one had chased her, realizing what she was and that she’d run back to the safety of the Auction House, and had called the Luna right away about the k********g. “Have you, by chance Eve, left anything out that might be of importance?” he asked. “No Alpha.” She shook her head. He stood. “Did you happen to notice anyone watching Jessica at all over the past few months inside the Auction House itself?” She frowned as she looked up at him “No. I would have reported that.” “I wonder Eve if you really would have?” Hector murmured “Because you just lied to me and your Luna without thinking we’d find out.” He stated, “I got a message from the ones that took her which proves you left something out.” “What? You can’t trust them, they are filthy rogues,” Eve stated. “Hmm, but you’ve also proven you can’t be trusted to protect Jessica now as well, haven’t you? It wasn’t what they said Eve.” He held his phone out to her and hit play on the video of the altercation between herself and Jessica. “That Eve is from this morning,” He gripped her chin when she tried to look away. “What went on between you and her? That saw you physically assault Jessica like that. Take her phone and… I know you still have it, or know where it is at least. You left her with no way to call for help, something those that took her knew about because one of them was in the bloody building watching her. Filmed you and her,” he grated out. “I… I… she insulted me and I just reacted was all.” Eve stuttered. “I wonder if you’re in cahoots with the ones that took her. Made sure she didn’t have her phone on her to call for help or for us to track her with that app. I installed on it without her knowledge to keep track of her where abouts. Something you and the ones designated to protect her knew about.” “No… I didn’t do anything, I was not involved in this.” She shook her head. “Jessica’s phone…” he asked, “Where is it?” he demanded and rolled his aura at her. “In the bin at work,” she gasped. He nodded, “Right, so you not only took her phone, you got rid of it altogether as well. That looks to me like you’re guilty.” “Not looks, is guilty. Jessica had something incriminating in it and threatened to show you or I, Graham, and that is why she took it and got rid of it.” Stephanie bit out.