"Your... what?" Calix asked in a dark tone, breaking the tense silence of the room.
Tan almost cowered, but managed to stay standing strong. "My mate," he said softly, glancing from Kegan back to Calix. "He's trying to change and he wants to be accepted in our pack and-"
Calix didn't let Tan finish talking. He ran at the other Alpha and slammed him against the wall, fist enclosed around his throat.
"Get the pups out of here," Kegan ordered to Tali and Lys, not wanting them to witness their Alpha attacking his own pack mate. "Calix, stop!"
His words went unnoticed. Calix was livid, pinning Tan and snarling loudly in his face, the scent of dominance and anger of an Alpha nearly making Kegan instinctively drop to the ground and show his neck.
"What do you mean he's your mate?" Calix asked lowly, his voice so calm and quiet that it was terrifying. "How king have you known?"
"Alpha, please put me down," Tan gasped, his face slowly changing red. "I c-c-can't breathe!"
"Calix! Put him down!" Kegan begged, trying to push himself between Calix and Tan, only for Calix to push him away, as if he was protecting his mate.
"You didn't think it was important to tell us that your mate is the same person that attacked your Luna?!" Calix growled, once again pushing Kegan away when the Omega attempted to pull his arm away from Tan. "Stop it, Omega!"
Kegan felt his knees go weak in fear and submission. He'd never been called Omega in a derogatory way by Calix, but Alphas were known to use their statuses when angry and in need of control.
"Calix, please don't hurt him! He can't breathe!" Kegan pleaded, approaching the Alpha once again and grabbing his forearm. "He's your pack mate! Control your wolf!"
Calix snarled and dropped Tan before rounding on Kegan and towering over him.
Kegan felt his heart rate accelerate. He'd learned not to fear Calix and been taught that he'd be protected, but the Alpha above him only held anger and disgust in his eyes, much like all of the other Alphas that Kegan had grown up around.
Instead of trying to run, Kegan sunk to the ground, holding his hands above his head in attempt to protect himself. Even if he couldn't avoid a beating, he might as well try to stay as safe as he could.
The pain never came.
Kegan felt Calix grab him, but instead of punishing him, he growled protectively and lifted Kegan up, holding him possessively to his chest. When Kegan looked up at his mate, he still saw anger, but it was directed at Tan who was lying on the floor and trying to catch his breath.
"My study," Calix growled at Tan, who instantly nodded and ran toward the office where Calix did a lot of his work.
Kegan didn't speak a word to Calix, despite the shock fading and being replaced with anger toward his mate. He understood the betrayal that Calix felt from his pack mate, but he should never have attacked Tan.
"I'm sorry," Calix murmured in Kegan's ear, reading the anger and fear still prominent in his posture and scent.
Kegan huffed to himself, still locked in Calix's grasp. "You will be apologizing to Tan. I don't care what he did or didn't tell you. He's your pack mate and you should never attack a pack mate like that unless they betray you and put someone's life at risk," he said angrily.
"Tan lied to all of us!" Calix exclaimed as they entered the study. "He could've freed the person who hurt you!"
Kegan squirmed out of Calix's grasp and snarled at him. "I knew! He told me! He knew you'd be angry and think he would potentially betray us and keep him away from his mate!" he yelled as Tan covered his face in shame.
Calix's eyes widened. "You knew?" he asked, his voice tight. "And you didn't tell me?"
"If I had told you, you would've kept Tan away from Luke. I don't care if that wolf is from another pack and was sent to catch me! It's not our place to tell Tan he can't be around his mate."
"That prisoner attacked you!"
"So that means he doesn't deserve a second chance?! Tan attacked me too when we first met and now he's one of my closest friends!"
Calix growled, knowing he was caught without an excuse. He paced the room as Tan and Kegan stood to the side, waiting for the Alpha to make a choice.
"We need to know more about the North River pack," Calix stated calmly after nearly twenty minutes of pacing. "My parents are going to meet us at the cell and we're going to talk to Tan's mate about the pack to see if he can be trusted and what can be done to protect our pack."
Tan grinned, but Calix scowled at him.
"That does not mean that we are automatically allowing that wolf a place in our pack," Calix snarled, making Kegan sigh and Tan bow his head. "If he so much as looks at me the wrong way, I will keep him in that cell until he rots."
"I understand, Alpha," Tan said, no longer looking excited or anxious to continue the meeting at the cells.
Calix nodded, about to leave, but he turned around and clapped Tan on the shoulder. "And I'm sorry for attacking you."
"It's okay," Tan said with a ghost of a smile on his face. "Your mate was involved and could've been in danger. I'd be more irritated if you didn't attack me, Alpha."
•••
Calix had Tan bring Luke to an interrogation room so there were more seats and it was a private space where other guards couldn't overhear. Not that there were many guards, but Calix didn't want whatever the prisoner had to say out into the pack until his parents chose to share the information.
Luke was chained to the desk in the room and there were five chairs set up across from him. He winked at Tan when he entered the room, before smirking mockingly at Calix, who bared his teeth in response and tightened his grip on Kegan.
"Calix, stop," Kegan whispered, not wanting his mate worked up and angry during the whole meeting. "It's fine."
"He shouldn't get a chance to plead with us," Calix growled back, sitting grudgingly in one of the chairs and tugging Kegan down beside him. "Why are we even listening to Tan's stupid plan? If it has this asshole involved it's putting you in danger and I'm not going to stand for that."
Kegan sighed. "I know you're reluctant-"
"I don't want you in danger!"
"Let me be the judge of what I can handle!" Kegan snapped back, glaring at his mate. "I can handle more than you think, Calix."
Calix didn't get a chance to respond, as his parents entered the room and sat down directly in front of Luke with Tan on their right and Calix and Kegan to their left.
"Good afternoon, all of you," Alpha Jonas said, glancing around at the Blood Moon members in the room and then to the prisoner. "Calix, would you care to explain what's going on?"
Kegan cut in before Calix could respond, earning a smile from Jolene, proud of the future Luna for speaking up.
"With all due respect, Alpha, I believe Tan can give a better insight to Luke and what his plan is to address the random wolves that have been entering the pack."
Jonas smiled at Kegan and there was pride in Calix's eyes as well, despite his anger toward their prisoner and irritation that Tan got to speak about the prisoner instead of him.
Tan had his eyes on the ground. "Only if it's okay with Alpha Calix," he mumbled.
Calix huffed but nodded stiffly. "Go ahead, Tan," he mumbled, a small smiled coming to his face when Kegan cuddled into his side, showing how pleased he was with his Alpha's willingness to make the situation work.
"Alpha Jonas, Luna Jolene, this is my mate Luke," Tan said, gesturing to the Alpha chained across from him. "He's from the North River pack."
"And he tried to kidnap our future Luna," Jolene spat, glaring at the other Alpha.
Luke smirked. "Just doing my job," he said.
Tan glared at him. "He came here to take Luna Kegan, but as we know he was stopped and has been here for a month. Over that time we've been getting to know each other better, and from what Luke says, Alpha Leon is hellbent on getting Kegan back."
"Why can't he just find some other Omega?" Calix asked, holding Kegan even tighter to his side, to the point where Kegan was almost falling off his own chair.
Luke sighed, looking ashamed. "It's not really about having an Omega or someone to carry his pups anymore. It's more about teaching a lesson. He's livid that your pack was able to rush in and take what you wanted and he hates that you're the strongest pack," he explained, looking around the room.
"But we are stronger. Does he think he's going to just send in his minions and take he wants?" Calix asked, laughing dryly. "I killed one of your pack mates today. I'm not against doing it again."
"Calix!" Kegan scolded, never having heard his mate speak so cruelly.
Luke ignored the evil comment and continued to speak. "You won't be strong for long," he said softly, making Calix slam his fist on the table.
"Stop speaking in riddles and tell us what the hell is going on!" he yelled, using his Alpha tone and making Kegan whimper.
"Son, step outside now or calm down," Jonas ordered, growling at his son. "I will not have you losing your temper here."
Calix huffed but shut his mouth.
"Luke?" Tan asked, earning his mate's attention. "You told me that something big is happening in the North River pack but you never explained. Can you please tell us?"
"I don't know. I just know that I was instructed to return with Luna Kegan so he can put his so-called 'big plan' into action," Luke said, eyes locked on Tan. "I assume that wolf that Calix killed was someone sent in to make sure I hadn't flipped sides or had any complications."
Alpha Jonas cleared his throat, bringing silence to the room. "So, they are after Kegan and have some plan that is meant to harm us, correct?"
"You got it, chief," Luke said with a sultry wink, making Jonas roll his eyes.
Tan rested his face in his hands. "Please, Luke, shut up," he pleaded, making Luke grin.
"We know you love my voice, babe," Luke purred.
Calix raised his voice. "Tan, you said you had a plan?" he asked stiffly, getting increasingly more irritated with Luke's presence.
"Yes, I do," Tan said, reaching out and grabbing one of Luke's chained hands. "We think that in order to protect our pack, we need to know what Alpha Leon's master plan is."
"How do you plan on accomplishing this?" Jolene asked.
"I'll take Luna Kegan back with me and act like I succeeded, we find out their plan, and your pack comes in and takes over before they have a chance to put their plan into action," Luke said, but Calix snarled at him, his eyes changing as Zakai came to the surface.
"No," Calix stated, his voice dark and daring anyone to tell him otherwise. "That will not be happening."
"Calix-" Kegan started but he was cut off by Calix grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the room.
"I will not be negotiating this," Calix snarled. "I am not going to allow my mate to be put in harms way for your idiotic plan! Come find me when you choose to put someone who's not my mate in danger!"