The Alpha's Stolen Luna - Chapter 110: Chapter 110

: Lucas
I wiped my hands with the stained rag, tossing it aside as I exited the cell. Rhonen huffed as he paced my head, licking his chops with satisfaction. I still didn’t have all the information I wanted but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t relieved some of the stress I’d been carrying. I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t relish the violence I was capable of. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t realize the attraction.
We were still animals at our core, after all.
“That’s the third one to name blondie over there as their leader,” Jaden stated, indicating the last cell on the row. “But you knew that already.”
I opened the bottle of water he offered without a response. We had kept them all together initially. Observing how they interacted with each other before starting to separate them throughout the night. It didn’t take long to figure out who was in charge. However, all that meant was that he was the most likely to know anything useful but the least likely to talk easily.
“What we didn’t know was that he’s quick with his temper, bullies his recruits, and has a young mate that he abuses back home,” I finally said. “Oh, and he’s Anders’ cousin.”
Jaden’s eyebrows raised. “How close?”
“Close enough to have gotten the job, distant enough that Anders won’t hold back now that he’s cocked the mission up,” I said.
“That’s something we can use,” Jaden said.
“If he’s worth the effort,” I said. “The others made it sound like he was part of Anders’ inner circle, but I’m not convinced. It’s just as likely he’s a tagalong who likes to be seen as important. That doesn’t mean he’s privy to any valuable information.”
“That’s why you sent his name to Hunter,” Jaden reminded me.
I nodded. “He’s getting a better understanding of his worth to us. It may take a day or two for him to get that information safely. I’m not willing to have him blow his cover over this.”
“That’s not a problem,” Jaden stated. “Our guest can sweat it out in solitary for a while. Besides, we know now that there are at least two other groups laying low in the territory.”
“And more traitors than we first expected,” I growled. “I’ll accept the possibility of those men crossing our borders through our allies’ territory. We’ve diverted enough warriors to the Dawn Stalker patrol to give them an opportunity to get around. But I find it hard to believe that they’ve been able to stay out of sight without help.”
“I hate to agree with you but it’s hard not to,” Jaden admitted. “So far all three of these guys have confirmed they’ve been here over a week. I can’t imagine they’ve been getting supplies on their own without drawing attention. Not with the whole pack on edge about the Dawn Stalkers. Any outsider has been under extra scrutiny lately.”
“Which is why I’m leaving you to keep pushing these three,” I said as I grabbed my gym bag. “They’ll spill something that will send us in the direction of who was assisting them.”
“Got a hot date with our gorgeous Luna tonight?” he teased.
A grumble escaped my throat. “Unfortunately, no,” I told him. “Your sister has commandeered my apartment for the evening. She insisted on having a spa night with Sutton and their friends. Did you know she had the audacity to scold me for taking Sutton away while she was still injured?”
Jaden chuckled. “That sounds like Tarrah.”
“I’m glad Sutton is settling in with the pack but I wasn’t prepared for how much I’d have to share her,” I admitted.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t count on that decreasing any time soon if I were you,” he said as we approached the stairs. “I think Tarrah is seriously considering making the move here permanently once Denny’s contract is up.”
I grunted my dismay. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, per se. Sutton would be happy. But I was definitely going to have to start keeping a strict schedule for Sutton and me. Rhonen approved of the idea.
“Since the she-wolves are taking over your cave for the evening, what will you be doing?” Jaden asked.
“I will be tracking the movements of the bastard who attacked Sutton,” I said. I raised a hand to stop the response I knew was coming. “Yes, I know I was a bit overzealous with that one. I should have questioned him more before dispatching him but what’s done is done. The good thing he had to be staying here in the city and I’ve already got someone working on retracing his steps.”
“You could take a break yourself, man,” Jaden said. “Sutton’s in safe hands. Why don’t you let Rhonen out for a run?”
Rhonen moved forward in my consciousness, urging me to take him up on his suggestion. It had been a while since I’d let him loose. I’d gone out with Sutton a couple of times since her first shift but she and Nova were still getting used to the process, so the experience was a bit more subdued than we were used to.
‘Hunt,’ Rhonen spoke to me.
He wanted to track our prey the old-fashioned way. It had been several days since the attack, not to mention everyone trampling over the site since. It would be a challenge but it wasn’t impossible. Perhaps it had been too long since the pack had seen their Alpha out on the prowl.
“I know that look, Lucas,” Jaden said with a grin. “Stop fighting it, man. I’ll meet you where they took him down at sundown.”