“And now the fun begins,” Councilman Forrest said. “What the hell do we do with the rest of them.”
The leaders met back in the Alpha’s conference room while Enforcers guided the remaining Pack members were put to work on burial detail or sent back to their rooms. It would take months to clean up the mess just from the mass execution; deaths would have to be simulated here and there so they didn’t arouse suspicions in the human system. The Council had recognized the value of being able to work within human systems, so they had a few Pack Doctors who functioned as Coroners and provide the coroner’s reports and death certificates needed. Those who held jobs in the human world would be first.
They sat around the table, fatigue showing on all. Doing what they had done had not been easy, and it had been an emotional time for the Pack having all their sins laid bare. They all had the same question in mind, but Royce Waterman was the first to say it. “How the fuck did we miss this?”
“Blackstone covered his tracks well, I guess. We were all so glad when he killed his father, he made us all believe he was changing his Pack for the good. He was the one who came clean to us, remember? He told us what his father had done and assured us the men responsible had been punished. It was an internal Pack matter, so we let it go,” he said. “He just sent it underground. The females who might have mated elsewhere never saw it, and dismissed it as old rumors and gossip. As long as it didn’t affect other Packs, we had no jurisdiction,” Chief Enforcer Trestman said. “We found the dormitory they kept the women, it was like a whorehouse for their males. When one would have a baby, it would be adopted by a mated pair in the Pack. There are dozens of such children in the Pack now.”
Erik took a deep breath. “I’m disappointed they got death so easily now,” he said. He looked over at the Council Doctor, Viktor Andromeyev, a man who had been practicing medicine since the days of leeches and bloodlettings under various names and Packs. “Viktor, where does this Pack sit mentally?”
“It’s a mess,” he said. “You’ve got around twenty-five women who just lost or will lose their mates, another ten whose mates are being imprisoned. The ones that weren’t involved seem shocked at the things that had been done. And then there are the kidnapped ones.”
The men leaned forward, this allegation was new. “What do you mean?”
“When we released the enslaved women from the dormitory, some told us they had been kidnapped from other Packs. They were tricked into coming with them while off Pack lands, then drugged and brought here to the hidden facility. If they weren’t mates with any of the men, they were turned into sex slaves. It goes back almost forty years, boss. The men working with the Enforcers are taking their statements, then we will start contacting their original families and Alphas.” The other Alphas were shocked. “Alpha Todd’s father implemented the practice and used it to build his Pack. Todd just did it better, without raising suspicions. He made up for the lack of fertility with quantity, and it kept his unmated males happy.” He looked at the others. “He planned to do the same with the women of the Arrowhead Pack, but they chose death instead.”
The three visiting Alphas stood to their feet. “Claire,” one said as he rushed out, the other two following. All three looked like they had seen a ghost.
Erik turned to his Chief Enforcer. “Mark, gather all the women in the trial room. The Council will read them and deal with this personally.”
As the women came into the room, the Council members used their dominance to force out the truth just like they had with the men. They were asked if they were mated, how they came to the Pack, and if they knew of any persons involved in kidnapping women that had not already been exposed. Warriors and Enforcers recorded the details, ensuring nothing was missed.
In the end, nineteen women and three girls were found to have been stolen from other Packs over the past twenty years. Todd had been smart; they were captured off Pack lands, and they took from all Packs equally. No one had noticed a pattern, thinking the girls had run away or been killed. It wasn’t uncommon for a wolf to be shot if outside Pack lands in wolf form. The Council had never become involved because Alphas didn’t want to admit they couldn’t protect their Pack members. “Looks like we have twenty-two more trials tonight,” Erik said as they gathered back in the rooms. The fifteen men and seven women were already in the cells, having been named as being part of the kidnapping teams or having knowingly mated a kidnapped shewolf.
“Is there going to be anyone left by the time we are done,” Craig asked. “It’s scary how many of them didn’t consider what their Pack was doing to be wrong. They taught young men this is normal and good, taking another man’s mate and using her to breed. It’s a mess, and it could take generations to turn it around.”
“It only took two generation to screw it up, Luna knows how long to fix this Pack,” Royce said. “The real problem is we have completely decapitated the Pack. They have no leaders left with any experience, the remaining members are young, old or widowed, and frankly the very existence of this Pack offends me now. I think we need to liquidate it.” Liquidation was a last resort; the Pack would be dismantled, the members divided evenly among the other worldwide Packs. All Pack assets would be sold, the proceeds used to support the transitions. The Pack would be no more. “They should join the Arrowhead Pack as a sad chapter in our history.”
Erik held up his hand. “I need to bring the European Councilmen into the decision, but we don’t have to make it now. We’re tired and so is the Pack. We will take this up tonight.”
As they started to get up, Alpha Martin entered the room with the two other Alphas. “Gentlemen, two of my missing women have been found here and need to be returned to their families.”
“I will not delay that any longer, Alpha,” Erik said. “Take the Gulfstream; you can take your people and those from the Packs that surround you. Just call them and have them meet the plane in Syracuse,” he said. “What are you doing with the five prisoners?”
“I’ll be sure to tape it, sir, but I can’t leave my Pack members here a moment longer than necessary. Their families have been besides themselves with grief, and they need to go home.” He thought of the five. “I don’t want the women to be flying in the same plane as their tormenters.”
“Take a panel truck and another vehicle from the Pack garage,” Alpha Wright said. “It will take thirty hours or so to drive straight through to the Pack. If you force them into wolf form, silver and sedate them, it will go quickly. If you want, I can send a few of my men with to help with security and driving.” Only the three leaders of the Adirondack Pack had come. “I’m sure they won’t mind watching them get their justice live instead of on tape.”
“I’ll get a few volunteers as well,” Alpha Friendt said. “I’ve got unmated ones who would appreciate an East Coast tour, maybe stop at a few Packs on the way back home.”
“Thank you,” Martin said. “I will have my Beta arrange the transport, you can have your volunteers report to him.” He shook the hands of the two Alphas, then turned back to the Councilmen. “My father and I thank you for the use of the Council jet, and will leave as soon as it is ready.”