Surrogate for My Brother-in-law - Chapter 60: Chapter 60

Ethan explained that he’d been investigating the hospitals nearby. At first, he’d just been looking for my mother. But then he began to notice a pattern that disturbed him.
“Every single hospital, every sanatorium, even the private clinics,” he said, “they all go back to the same sponsor. Alpha Arthur.”
“My… Arthur owns all the hospitals?” I gasped.
I’d had no idea. I knew he had a lot of influence and many business interests, but I’d never learned the details.
“Yeah, every hospital but the one I sponsor,” Ethan said. “And it’s really sick.”
“It is?”
“Not that he sponsors hospitals. That’s a good thing for an alpha to do. The problem is, he doesn’t just sponsor the hospitals in his territory. He’s got the ones in the smaller pack’s territories, too.”
“Okay, I don’t understand. Why is that bad?” I asked.
“Because he’s using it to manipulate them,” Ethan said. “Their alphas always vote the way he wants during conclaves. They never protest any measures he brings up. I never noticed, because he doesn’t flex his influence much, but it’s there.”
“How can he use hospitals to manipulate the other alphas?” I asked.
“It’s easy,” Ethan said, voice dark, “You just threaten to shut down the facility. Those alphas don’t have the income to fund a fully functioning hospital. And they can’t send their wounded to other hospitals, because Arthur owns them and he’ll have them turned away. That’s assuming their wolves are even welcome in the other pack’s territories. Which is often not the case.”
“Who would turn away an injured wolf?” I asked. “I can’t imagine Dr. Lee would ever do that, or let it happen in her hospital.”
Okay, technically it was Ethan’s hospital, but we all knew who was really in charge.
“She wouldn’t, no. Most good doctors wouldn’t. But they’re not all good doctors. And your… former alpha is very good at finding people he can control and manipulate. And he staffs the hospitals with them. Then he and that shrew he calls a wife put pressure on the packs to exclude any neighbors that aren’t in favor with them.”
“Annette’s involved?” I asked. I never liked her, but I never thought she’d be involved in something so cold and horrible.
Ethan nodded. “Yeah. She uses her influence to apply social pressure and drive wedges between the packs. She’s subtle, but once I knew what to look for, I could see the pattern. She even tried it on us, tried to socially isolate my sisters. She had to cut it out when Leo joined up with their pack. But Estelle’s told me a few things that make me wish I could challenge a Luna.”
“Oh. I’m sorry,” I said. I hated to think of anyone mistreating Ethan’s sisters. They were so sweet.
“Hey, it’s not your fault,” Ethan insisted. “You didn’t know, and you had no way to do anything about it if you did.”
“Yeah,” I said, “but I still feel guilty.”
“Don’t,” Ethan said, “This is on them, not you. You were just doing your best in a crappy situation.”
“I did awful things, too,” I said. “Leo. I…” I shivered. “I deceived him. Constantly. I let Eva convince me…” I trailed off. I didn’t want to tell Ethan the full truth. I couldn’t. If he learned, he’d hate me for tricking his best friend into sleeping with me, thinking I was Eva. And the truth could very well drive more of a wedge between him and Leo.
“Yeah, about him,” Ethan said. “Leo’s not an idiot, and he’s not weak.”
“I know that,” I said. “Leo’s a good alpha.”
“I was reminding myself,” Ethan said. “He’s acting like a complete fool. At first I thought he was just besotted by that witch, Eva. But I think there’s more going on.”
“More?” I asked, worried.
“Yeah. I know Eva’s been using that poor pup, your pup, to control him. I’m not sure how, but he won’t even talk to me anymore. He says he has to spend time with his new family. And he’s really evasive if I ask him anything.” Ethan said.
“Maybe he’s just being a worried new father?” I suggested.
“Yeah, I figured I wouldn’t see much of him when the pup came. But the way he treated you, just tossing you aside after you lost your own pup… sorry, Tessa, I shouldn’t bring that up.”
“No, it’s okay,” I said. I was too desperate to hear anything about my pup, about Leo’s, to remember I was supposed to be bereft.
“Still sorry. But I figured he’d at least want to show the little one off to me. And he hasn’t. Not even a photo.”
“Maybe he thinks it’d hurt you, since he thinks my pup was yours,” I suggested.
“Yeah, that sounds like Leo,” Ethan admitted. “Tessa… your pup… the father wasn’t me. Who was it?”
I turned away, and whispered, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Oh.” Ethan’s voice was soft. “I… okay. Okay, I’ll drop it. Let’s drop the whole subject of the babies for now.”
“Thank you.”
Ethan took a deep breath. “I think we have a way to get at your former alpha.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. Arthur has been pretty firmly shoved aside by Leo. Not that Leo’s dared oppose him, because he doesn’t want to upset Eva. But I know all of the wolves in both packs are looking to Leo for leadership, not Aurthur.”
I’d noticed the same thing. Guards reported to Leo at the end of their patrols, and wolves who needed to consult with the alpha when to him, not Arthur. It was only natural. Leo was younger, stronger, and a renowned hero because he’d defeated the Rogue king.
Arthur was well entrenched in power, but he was growing older. He had never been as strong as Leo, even when Leo was injured and seemed to have lost his wolf. Now Leo was in perfect shape and he had an heir. Objectively, he was a much better alpha.
“I’ve received a message from Arthur,” Ethan said. “He’s heard about Dr. Angel.”
My blood ran cold. I shook my head.
“It’s okay, you’re okay,” Ethan gripped my shoulders. “You don’t have to see him. You don’t have to treat him.”
“Treat him for what?” I whispered.
“He thinks he can regain his old strength,” Ethan said. “He heard how your patients come out of your care stronger, healthier. He thinks you can make him stronger than Leo.”
“I wouldn’t, even if I could,” I said.
“I know, and I’d never ask you to do that,” Ethan said. “But we can use this.”
“We can?” I asked.
“Yeah. I tell him Dr. Angel agreed to see him,” Ethan said, “but he has to come to you. He’ll cooperate; he knows no alpha with any sense would let their healer go to another alpha’s territory. So he’ll come here. And then we’ll have him.”
“You think you can get him to talk? To tell us where my mother is?” I paused. “And what he’s planning to do with Leo, and the smaller packs? We should find out what he’s planning, too.”
Ethan nodded. “I’m sure I can.”
His smile was sharp and angry, and nothing like the gentle expression he usually aimed towards me.
Before the day of Alpha Arthur's visit, an emergency patient was brought in to the hospital. When I saw the tiny bundle rushed through the door, I knew immediately who it was.
My pup. Leo's pup. It was my baby.