Surrogate for My Brother-in-law - Chapter 21: Chapter 21

Leo
Leo stared at his friend. Sure, Ethan loved the ladies. He had a new girl on his arm at every event.
Something about Ethan's “Angel” felt off to Leo. He couldn't say why. Maybe it was the startled look in her eyes when Ethan called her that. Or the fact that her eyes were the only part of her face that Leo could see. What was she hiding?
Leo shook his head. Ethan's love life wasn't the issue. They had serious matters to discuss. It wasn't a conversation they should have in front of a stranger.
“Hello, Angel,” Leo said. “I am sorry to be impolite, but I must speak with Alpha Ethan in private. Do you live nearby? I will have one of my wolves escort you home.”
“Leo!” Ethan scolded. “You can't just send my date away like that.”
Leo crossed his arms. “I'm afraid I don't have any choice. This is a private matter, Ethan.”
Ethan's eyes narrowed, and he frowned. Great, he was going to be stubborn.
“For all you know,” he said, “I might be thinking of making this woman my Luna.”
This would be the third potential Luna in as many months. Leo was convinced his friend would remain single until death because he could not choose a single woman.
Pointing that out would be rude, though, and hurtful to both Ethan and the strange woman.
Instead, Ethan said, “This is a matter between alphas, and she isn't your Luna yet. So please, miss, let me offer you an escort.”
“I live nearby,” Angel said, “I can just go. I don't need an escort.”
“It's not safe to travel alone,” Leo said.
“I'll take her home after our talk,” Ethan said. “Angel, would you be comfortable waiting inside the manor? There's a very nice library right through that side door, there. You can't miss it.”
“That sounds lovely,” Angel said. “I'll wait for you, then.”
She bowed formally to both alphas before she left, which Leo found odd. Why did she bow to her lover? Maybe she was just being extra formal because he was there.
When she was out of sight, Ethan turned back to Leo with his arms crossed.
“Was that really necessary?” Ethan asked.
“I'm afraid it was,” Leo said. “Come with me.”
Leo led his friend around the side of the manor to a small, secluded garden. There was a bench hidden under the boughs of a willow tree. That should provide them with enough privacy for a serious talk.
“Nice,” Ethan said as he sat down. “I should bring Angel here.”
“I'm sure she would love it,” Leo said. “But I brought you here because we can't risk talking inside the manor.”
Ethan's face sobered. “What do you mean?”
“I have reason to believe the Rogues have agents in Alpha Arthur's pack,” Leo said.
“You're sure?” Ethan asked.
“Almost certain,” Leo said. “I haven't identified them all, though, and I don't want to move against them until I can take them all out at once.”
“Right,” Ethan agreed. “Do you think it's just Arthur's pack, or is it possible you and I have spies in our ranks, too?”
“I believe it's possible the Rogues have infiltrated many packs, if not all of them,” Leo said. “They know too much. Your beta was targeted, and they knew exactly when and where he would be alone.”
“Yeah,” Ethan said. “Daryl is always careful. Maybe even a little paranoid, honestly. Someone has to have had him under close observation.”
“And the best way to do that would be from within your pack,” Leo concluded.
Ethan winced. “I hate to think that one of my own wolves might be a traitor.”
Leo slumped and rested his face in his hands.
“Leo? Dude, are you okay?” Ethan rested a hand on his shoulder.
Leo nodded and forced himself to straighten up. Ethan's words reminded him of the worst part of all of it.
“I know I have at least one traitor in my pack,” Leo finally said.
“Who?” Ethan asked, voice unusually kind.
“Zane,” Leo admitted.
“Zane?” Ethan repeated. “Your own brother?”
Leo nodded. It hurt, finally admitting it out loud. But Ethan needed to know. They had to be united against the threat of the Rogues.
It was the only way either of their packs would survive.
“Johann brought the evidence to me. It should have been enough to banish him but I,” Leo sighed. “I just couldn't.”
“You're letting him get away with it?” Ethan asked.
Leo shook his head. “I'm giving him a second chance.”
“Have you confronted him?” Ethan asked.
“No. I'm hoping that if I give him a little trust, a little more responsibility, he'll straighten up. He's young, and ambitious. I know he hoped to be an alpha of his own pack by now. I think he resents me being an alpha when he's not even a beta.”
“Still, that's no reason to betray your own brother to the wolves who killed your parents!” Ethan protested.
Leo winced. He'd been trying not to think about that part of it.
“Maybe he was coerced, or tricked,” Leo said. “I don't know. I just know I can't banish my own brother. I can't give up on him.”
“Yeah. I get that he's the only family you had after the Rogues killed your parents,” Ethan said. “But you have a new family now. A mate, and an heir on the way. You have to think of their safety.”
“I know,” Leo said. “They're all I can think of, sometimes. I want this handled before the baby comes. We need to end this.”
“You're right. What do you propose we do?” Ethan asked.
“I think it's time we started hunting them,” Leo said, “but quietly. We need to identify the spies in our ranks, and trap them.”
Ethan nodded. “That makes sense. Any ideas how we should do that?”
“Without tipping them off so that the ones we don't find scatter? No. I've been wracking my brains for days,” Leo admitted.
“Well, you know one of them,” Ethan said. “Zane. Watch him and see who he spends the most time around. That will at least give you a place to start.”
“Yeah.” Leo sighed. “That's what I'll have to do.” He considered for a moment. “I'll find a way to grab his phone, too. If he's calling anyone in your pack, there's a good chance that's another spy.”
“Okay. Good idea. I'll talk to Daryl when he wakes up, see if he can tell me anything about his attackers, and if anyone had been watching him before the assault.”
Leo nodded. “All right, then. I guess we know the plan. Bring Daryl into it when you think he's ready, but don't mention anything to anyone else. Not even your Angel.”
“Right, right,” Ethan said.
Leo noticed that Ethan was worrying a bit of cloth in his fist. “What is that?” he asked.
“Huh? Oh, just a hairband,” Ethan shrugged, holding his fist open.
“That's Tessa's,” Leo recognized it easily. The maid wore it often. “Why do you have it?”
Ethan chuckled and tucked the hairband away in a pocket. “You're a married man, now,” he chided. “You don't need to worry about the affairs of your pack's unattached females anymore.”