The Alpha's Stolen Luna - Chapter 107: Chapter 107

: Lucas
I parked the truck in the garage and headed inside. My feet were guided by Sutton’s scent. Everyone was congregated in the kitchen. I went straight to Sutton and pulled her into my arms. The last two days apart had been excruciating. I was almost grateful for the valid excuse to bring her back home.
“Progress?” I barked at Max, keeping Sutton pressed against me.
“We were able to track the vehicle to a vacant house in the subdivision a couple miles down,” Max informed me. “The team is in place to raid it as soon as you give the word.”
“They believe the culprits are still inside?” I asked.
Max nodded. I reached through the mind-link to the waiting team and gave the command.
“I’ll go requisition a van to transport our new guests,” Max said, closing the laptop in front of him.
As he left, I finally noticed Soloman standing near the doorway. Rhonen’s attention narrowed in on him suspiciously. So did mine.
“Ambassador Soloman, I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” I told him.
“Forgive me, Alpha,” Soloman replied. “I only came to check in on Luna Sutton.”
“And how did you know to find her here?” I demanded to know.
Soloman’s lip twitched. “It wasn’t hard to figure out,” he said. He lifted a hand to stop my reply. “Don’t worry, Alpha. I know you quite a bit better than any of the Dawn Stalkers. I would have suggested she come here as well.”
“Perhaps to ensure she would be right where you sent Anders’ men,” I accused, pushing Sutton and Jack behind me cautiously. “After all, you’re the only common denominator in all this. You knew Sutton would attend the conclave. You ensured she would. You knew she was working on the packhouse grounds. You could have easily set up the protest at the docks. Now this.”
Soloman’s eyes narrowed defensively. “If you think I would jeopardize Luna Sutton’s safety in any way, you are sorely mistaken, Alpha. You forget — my loyalty is to the Royal family. My duty is to protect her above all else.”
“Lucas, Soloman wouldn’t…”
“He still could have led them here,” I interrupted Sutton. “They could have followed him.”
“And just happened to find a vacant building to hide out in while getting away?” Soloman scoffed. “No, this place was compromised before I got here. I can assure you, Alpha, I’m not your mole.”
“There’s a simple way to prove that,” I said. “Even you aren’t immune to an Alpha’s command.”
“Lucas…” Sutton protested.
“It’s okay, Luna,” Soloman stated. “If that is what Alpha Lucas deems necessary, by all means, I will oblige.”
I stepped toward him. “Ambassador Soloman Avenwood, are you working with Alpha Anders of the Dawn Stalker pack?” I put all my energy behind the command.
“No,” Soloman replied easily.
“Have you played any part in compromising Luna Sutton’s safety?”
“Not willingly or to my knowledge,” he answered without breaking a sweat.
“Have you done anything to betray either Luna Sutton or myself?” the strength of my command remained steady.
“No,” Soloman stated, still seeming to feel nothing more than a mild discomfort under its weight.
I stepped back again, reaching for Sutton instinctively.
“Alright, Soloman,” I said. “I believe you. For now.”
“Jack, why don’t you go make sure you’re all packed up?” Sutton instructed. “We’re going back to the packhouse with Uncle Lucas.”
Jack rushed off upstairs, leaving the three of us in the kitchen.
“We’re going home, Lucas,” Sutton said firmly. “Hiding isn’t doing any good. If we keep doing things this way, someone else is going to get caught in the crossfire. Jack already almost was. It’s time to take a different route.”
“The only other path is open war, Sutton,” I told her.
“That’s not true,” Soloman said. “You know perfectly well that it is my job to prevent that. It’s time to let go of your prejudices, Alpha, and allow me to take this conflict to the Council. Gather evidence from this most recent group we’re capturing today. Provide me with anything else you have. It will be enough to argue that Anders lose his title as Alpha.”
“And allow Beta Mason to take his place,” I spat. “Not a chance.”
“I would never see that happen,” Soloman argued. “No, Beta Mason I would see tried and executed for his crimes against Luna Sutton.”
“Can… can you do that?” Sutton asked hesitantly.
“With your help,” Soloman said.
I looked down to see Sutton chewing her lip nervously. I know why she didn’t want to go down that road. She’d be forced to relive the horrors of her time with the Dawn Stalkers. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“It’s my right to deal with Mason,” I told Soloman. “And Sutton’s.”
Soloman looked at Sutton seriously, contemplating his next move.
“That is correct,” he finally said. “For now. However, it is my prerogative to take the matter of Alpha Anders’ aggression to the Council. It’s time, Lucas.”
“I told you I’d handle this,” I replied through gritted teeth. “This is my pack. It’s my job…”
“And it’s my job to keep the peace,” Soloman interjected. “It’s my job to keep you in line. It’s the Royal Council’s job to keep all Alphas in line. We allow you and your peers many freedoms, Alpha Lucas, but you are not the sovereign rulers here. You seem to be forgetting that.”
“It’s easy to forget when the royal family and their minions did nothing to protect my family,” I snapped back.
“Then consider this our opportunity to make it right,” Soloman said.
I scoffed.
“Lucas,” Sutton said, “this isn’t helping. I don’t want a war any more than you do. If anything, having Soloman take this to the Council would keep Anders distracted long enough for us to get the upper hand. Soloman wants to help. Please, let him.”
I sighed heavily. I was running out of options. The scum who attacked Sutton at the packhouse had ended up spilling all the information he had. It turned out it wasn’t much. He didn’t know where Anders was getting his information from. The only thing he did know was that Anders wanted Sutton and he no longer cared if it was dead or alive.
So, his plans had changed and we still had no idea how.
“Fine,” I agreed.