Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Ken
They kept themselves ensconced in the office as the first Enforcers arrived. Dewi opted to keep Lyssa there with them. The baby was sound asleep on Dewi’s shoulder, and she didn’t want to have to leave the meeting if Lyssa awakened ready to nurse.
Ken had helped Beck and Joaquin carry extra folding chairs into the office to accommodate everyone, and the air in the room grew heavier with each arrival. Trent wasn’t revealing anything until everyone was present, but even Ken sensed the Enforcers suspected something serious had transpired.
Badger checked off every arrival against a list on his phone. When the last man arrived, he nodded to Trent. “Thassit, then. We’re all here.”
“Let me tell Gillian we’re starting,” Duncan said, slipping out. The room silently waited, tension ratcheting with every passing second until Duncan returned, locking the door behind him and leaning against it.
Ken knew many of these people by face if not name. As Trent stood, cleared his throat, and Dewi walked over to join him at the front of the room, Ken felt everyone’s focus settle on the siblings.
“Okay,” Trent said. “I think by now you all have sensed there’s something going on. What we’re about to tell you does not leave this room yet, and you’ll soon understand why.”
Ken scanned the attendees, nearly twenty in addition to their core group, most sitting, some standing or leaning against walls. As Trent ran down the basics, Ken watched nearly identical shock, followed by darkly dangerous rage, fill every man’s face.
“So when are we going over there and wiping those motherfuckers out?” a man asked once Trent finished.
Assorted dark rumbles of agreement rippled through the room.
Dewi held Lyssa on her shoulder and gently bounced her when she sounded like she was about to fuss. After Trent indicated for Dewi to take over answering questions, she looked around the room, meeting every gaze, including Ken’s.
“That’s not our immediate issue,” she finally said. “As Head Enforcer, and as head of the expanded Pack Council, per the explicit instructions left to us by our Pack Alpha, we need to name and recognize an acting Pack Alpha before we leave this room.”
“I think we’re all looking at her,” Carbry Deverelle, a Prime Alpha from the Los Angeles region said from where he stood against the back wall. “At least, I know I am. And I don’t mean the baby.”
There were more than a few low mumbles of agreement, accompanied by even more nods.
Dewi glanced around as she followed their train of thought…
…and promptly derailed it. “Ooohhh, no. Hell no. I do not want to be Pack Alpha.”
“Acting,” Trent said. “You’re a Prime. We need a Prime.”
“We have a Pack Alpha.”
Trent arched an eyebrow at her. “Per Peyton’s orders, we need to name an acting Pack Alpha. At least until Peyton returns. Those words just came out of your mouth.”
“Yeah, those words, not words indicating that I’m taking the job.”
“Should be you,” one of the other men said. Ken didn’t know his name off the top of his head but thought he handled territory in Arizona. “Rightfully and logistically,” he added. “Makes sense.” The other Enforcers nodded.
Trent looked at her. “Give me one good reason why it shouldn’t be you?”
“I can give you a bunch!” Dewi said. “Look, I am not that stupid twelve-year-old who needed to be reined in because of hormones. Head of the expanded Pack Council? Yeah, it’s logical and makes sense for me to be that—in Florida.
I’m not cut out to be the head honcho of the whole enchilada.
I’m just one of the pleasantly spicy main ingredients that keep it from being boring hamburger meat wrapped in a tortilla.
I love all of you, but I’m not staying in Idaho.
I am needed exactly where I already live.
Whoever is our Pack Alpha needs to be based here, out of Idaho.
I do not want the job. I pick you, bro.”
“But I’m not a Pri—”
“Not. It. Besides, y’all keep saying you don’t want me going over there.
If I’m named acting Pack Alpha, the first thing I’m doing is putting my ass on an airplane and going to find my brother, and then there won’t be a damned thing any of you can do to stop me.
So, if for no other reason than me admitting to needing a little outside self-preservation to step in at this time, no. Not. It.”
Baby Lyssa fussed again on Dewi’s shoulder.
Dewi gently patted her on the back as she started pacing.
“If it turns out something’s happened to Peyton and…
” She choked up. “If the situation goes from needing an ‘acting Pack Alpha’ to needing a ‘new Pack Alpha,’ then yeah, okay. Then we’ll talk about me stepping up.
But we need someone right now. All joking aside, I don’t have the time or energy to add acting Pack Alpha to my daily work load.
With everything else going on, it doesn’t make sense for me to try to train someone to take my place while getting up to speed on this at the same time. ”
They all looked over at a tap on the door. Duncan unlocked it, softly spoke to someone, then opened it wider. Gillian stepped inside, looking like she was two seconds from crying again. Duncan closed and locked the door behind her as Ken spotted something in her hand when she walked over to Trent.
“Peyton told me to give this to you for us all to watch together if something ever…happened.”
It was a thumb drive.
“What’s on it?” Trent asked.
She wrapped her arms around herself and shrugged.
“I don’t know. He said Ken knows the password.
That if you are alive, if there comes a time where a vote will be taken to name an acting or permanent successor, then and only then am I to give it to you to personally give to Ken just before the successor’s named.
As long as you’re, you know, alive. He gave me other options, too. ”
She sniffled. “I let him Prime me for that command. I mean, I know Ken’s standing right here, but Peyton…
” She choked back a sob and Duncan walked over, slipped an arm around her, and guided her back to where he once again stood guard on the door.
There, he tucked her against his side, where she quietly cried against him.
Fuck. Ken stepped forward and took the drive from Trent. He dropped into the chair behind the desk and slid the thumb drive into the USB port on his laptop, which still sat on the desk.
Sure enough, when the password box appeared, Ken typed in the code he’d held in his brain for months, the same one he’d used for the other thumb drive. It allowed him access to the files embedded inside folders with various labels.
There was a file at the top level, however. A video with the unambiguous file name KEN-SHOW-TRENT-DEWI-GILLIAN-ETC-AND-ENFORCERS-IMMEDIATELY.
And based on the file’s time-date stamp, Peyton filmed it hours before he left for Europe.
Ken swallowed back his nerves. “Everyone needs to watch this one, I guess.”
Gillian untangled herself from Duncan, blew her nose, and walked over. Ken turned the laptop around, facing into the room so everyone could see. Once they gathered around, Ken hit play and stood, craning his neck so he could watch, too.
It looked like Peyton filmed it using his computer while sitting in the same chair Ken had just occupied, and wearing the same clothes Ken remembered Peyton wore that evening.
“Whatever the situation is, it’s obviously dire if you’re watching this,” Peyton said without preamble.
“It also means Ken’s here watching it, too, because he has the passcode.
As Pack Alpha of the Targhee Pack, I hereby officially designate Ken Ethelbert as acting Pack Alpha.
If he declines the position, he is acting under my direct authority to designate the next acting Pack Alpha, who will be in charge until my return.
Should there be concrete proof of me…never returning, then Ken, Dewi, Trent, and Badger can decide together who the next Pack Alpha will be to take my place.
If, for some reason, all of them are deceased, then I cede the authority to Beck, Duncan, Joaquin, Gillian, and Asia to decide the acting or permanent Pack Alpha.
Aisling Walsh and Trevor Clarke are next on the list, if none of the others are alive. ”
Peyton heavily sighed. “If all of them are dead, too, then I guess we’re beyond royally fucked, and I’m sorry. Make the best choices you can under the circumstances.”
The video ended.
Ken heavily slumped into the chair. “Nope. Abso-fucking-lutely not.” He looked at Dewi. “And do not Prime me, mate,” he growled.
The air in the room grew tense and prickly as she stared at him for a long moment. Then she took a deep breath, subtly shifting her stance back and tipping her chin up just a hair close to submitting but not quite. “No,” she said. “I won’t Prime you to do it. But I’m also not doing it.”
Everyone marginally relaxed as a collective breath was exhaled.
Then Ken looked to Trent. “Well? You’re it, since Dewi doesn’t want it. You should be it. As the oldest brother and Peyton’s second, it makes sense.”
“Nope,” Trent said. “I’m not a Prime. That might work for Trevor Clarke and his pack, but for what we’re dealing with, especially now, our Pack Alpha must be a Prime.”
Trent looked at Duncan, crossed the office, and took a knee in front of him, tipping his head back to expose his throat. “I nominate and cede all authority to our former Pack Alpha, Duncan Lister, to be our acting Pack Alpha.”
Duncan had resumed his previous position, leaning against the office door with his arms crossed over his chest. He stared down at Trent as Dewi handed the baby to Badger before she also walked over and took a knee next to Trent.
“Me, too.” She tipped her head back. “Seconded. I submit to our acting Pack Alpha.”
Ken, not knowing if it was needed, stood, rounded the desk, and joined them. “Thirded. I officially nominate Duncan Lister to be acting Pack Alpha. Motion carries.”