Hector's POV
The moment we arrived back at the pack house the fear on everyone's faces was evident. Something was going on and I knew Athena had noticed it too. The way they looked at Axel in his wolf form was almost un-nerving. It had me wondering how often he actually lost control, as by the looks of their faces and the fear radiating from them this had been the first time any of them had witnessed it. The Beta had warned us against Axel, he made it sound as though he was dangerous, and people got hurt each time. Yes, his pack members seemed to fear him now, but they never showed it before last night. Axel's father had constantly told him he needed to rein in his anger, to not let it get the best of him yet when he did lose control no-one was hurt. Had he lost control numerous times as we were led to believe then surely, he would have done so before now especially with all the shit Vanessa caused. Thor had kept any damage to a bare minimum the only place taking the brunt of it being the alpha suite in the pack house, the one room he seemed to know no other pack members would be present. The three of us walked through the entrance doors hand in hand showing everyone present that we were united in every way possible, that if they had a problem, it wouldn't be just their new alpha to deal with but the three of us. We didn't want them to fear us, yet we needed them to know we meant business, that betrayal to the pack wasn't something to be tolerated. The beta watched silently from the balcony above us as we climbed the grand staircase. There was something about the way he watched us, it wasn't the type of look my father ever gave Alpha Jake or Luna Angel which had me slightly concerned.
"You have a visitor Hector, in the Alpha office" the way he spoke was almost as cold as the look in his eyes. Nether the less I thanked him knowing we would ask him his problem later on. Axel led the way to his fathers... his office and before he opened the door, I knew immediately who was on the other side.
"Dad! What are you doing here we heard you were attacked? What scale were the casualties and is mum ok?" he pulled me into such a tight embrace that I struggled to breathe. It was rare that he showed this much affection when other ranked wolves were present.
"We were and it's not good. Hello Athena darling" he pulled Athena into a hug planting a kiss to the top of her head just as he had always done for as long as I could remember. "We didn't stand a chance, they appeared out of nowhere. No warning nothing, fortunately your mum got to the bunkers in time. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost her again"
"How did they get Vanessa; I saw the locking system. There's no way mum would have opened it for them. Vanessa may be a traitor but she's still her daughter not to mention pregnant" I could feel the unease in her voice. She didn't want to know yet she knew she had to.
"They used your dad. Jake was caught by surprise he was the first to be attacked. The bastards opened portals directly inside the pack house, we just didn't have the time needed to get everyone to safety. Witches and wolves came from everywhere. Had it just been the one portal things may have gone better, but they opened up all over the territory. Whoever sent them knew our layouts. Jake fought harder than I've ever seen him, Hunter was furious he commanded the entire pack through mind link to kill every intruder seen, no survivors were to be taken. There were just too many, Jake... Jake, he couldn't take them all. They bound him to a wall and sliced him up until your mum couldn't take it anymore and submitted. We all know she would never submit to anyone not even her own mate, but they were about to kill your dad and that she couldn't let happen. Daughter or not handing over Vanessa was the only way to save your father and the pack. I'm sorry but she was right in her actions, why sacrifice an entire pack for a wolf that would be put to death in a few months. They cut off her hand to access the panel. Had I been in the hallway and not on patrol I could have stopped it. They could have taken my hand and I wouldn't have fought them, not after your mother gave me back my mate. You both know how much I owe her, Athena I'm so sorry" My father rubbed her back as her tears fell down her face. She was always suffering. She had suffered more than anyone I knew, she had beaten the darkness and now this, this would either tip her over the edge or fuel her to do what needs to be done. One thing was for sure we needed to figure all of this out and quick.
After lunch my dad left, with Jake and Angel out of action he was temporarily in charge so couldn't be away for too long. It wasn't his first rodeo, so he wasn't worried about the extra workload. The only worries he held were for his Alpha and Luna, his lifetime friends. Before he left however, he said one of the attackers they killed had black pebbles in his pocket. I'd asked him to send me a picture of them when he got back so we could check them out in Axels books. The one good thing about his mother being who she is, is that her books would surely hold all the answers we needed. Axel said his mother kept some things in her study whereas the bits she deemed ancient were kept in an old ran down chapel. I was all for heading there and ransacking the place to get what we needed until he told us about the barrier spell. I for one certainly didn't want to be flung around.
"This can't be everything?" Athena had said what I was thinking as we entered the high priestess's study. The shelves were near enough empty, though the books clearly freshly taken as the indentation was left behind where dust had settled around them.
"It isn't. Someone has taken them. They were here earlier. It was in this very room I found the text I showed you Hector. The one about becoming a silver wolf once you bared my mark" Axel was furious as he kicked scattered boxes across the floor. "Only one other person has a key to this room. Well technically two however only one of those is still breathing"
"Your beta" Athena wasn't asking, she was stating as if she knew immediately. Axel just nodded his head confirming Athena's assumption. His eyes glazed over, a frown working its way onto his face as he clenched that gorgeous strong jaw.
"He's blocking me out. If he's trying to act like nothings a miss, he's going the wrong way about it" Axel was pissed, no-one ever blocked out their Alpha it was a sure way to earn punishment.
"He was watching us funny as we came back this morning. Come to think about it he's the reason we didn't come and find you until last night. Axel how many times have you lost control and given into Thor?" I was curious, so many unanswered questions were up in the air, and I was starting to understand why.
"Lost control? As in let him take over? A few times over the years, though mostly when I was younger before I learnt how to handle him"
"And he used your elemental gifts each time?" The look Axel was giving me was one of pure suspicion.
"No, I've only ever lost control to that side of me one other time. I was twelve, my rabbit went missing so Thor tracked its scent into here actually and I found my mother using it for one of her spells. I got so upset, I had just gotten it for my birthday. So, when I saw her slice it open over her candles I drew from the flames and set the entire room on fire, at first I thought it was her until I realised how the flames reacted to my emotions. Why do you ask Hector what's going on?"
"I don't want to go around making accusations, not when I don't know anyone here. But it can't be coincidence. Think about it. What did you tell me when we first me? You said that you felt like a child because your mum was always sending the beta with you wherever you went. Whether it be to work at your security firm or places like Athena's grandfathers masquerade ball. What if he wasn't there to ensure your safety but to keep an eye on you. He knew of Vanessa's pregnancy; it was him that told your father of it so how do we not know he's also the reason for your mother finding out?"
"Come to think of it my he wasn't born from beta blood, my father's rightful beta died in a rouge attack around five years ago. He didn't have any children he never found his mate. My mother recommended the man that's the beta now to my father and he agreed" Axel was beginning to piece the puzzle together just as I was.
"I think he's working with your mum. He wasn't in the room while you and your father were in there. He was on the phone outside. What if he gave the order for the attack on mine and Athena's pack?" He had to have been the one to orchestrate this, but one thing continued to nag at me. How had he found out about the pregnancy to begin with and how the fuck did they know where Vanessa's cell was?